It's a Sketch for Challenge #245 at Cardz 4 Guyz

The new challenge for the next two weeks at Cardz 4 Guyz is #245 - A Sketch, chosen by Julie with the winner picked by Julie.

Please check out the blog for details and also to see the awesome samples by our Design Team.

I used a base of Heavy Whisper White for this card and then added a matte in Basic Black and then a  piece of grey toned patterned paper with a lovely wood grain pattern.  I thought the wood looked weather beaten much in the same way that an old fence would or, perhaps, an old barn.  Using my circle dies, I cut out one circle in Basic Black and then another in Whisper White.  I stamped the horse images on the Whisper White and used watercolours to colour the scene.  Then, before adhering the image circle to the card, I  went around the perimeter of the circle with my distressing tools and then sponged the edges with a soft grey.

 For the additional shape, I decided on a die-cut cowboy hat.  With a bit of watercolouring I think it wound up looking nice and worn.   After stamping my sentiment, I cut it out using a stitched rectangle die.

I hope you enjoy my card as much as I enjoyed making it. Have fun with our challenge.

WWC243 - Heidi's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Masculine challenges can be such fun.  I have some birthday "boys" coming up for whom I always make outdoorsy cards.  This is where the "Let it Ride" stamp set comes in handy.  Strangely enough, I also used the gorgeous Pressed Petals Designer Series paper and the Stitched Nested Labels dies added some dramatic detail.

Isn't that a fun card?  I used a base of Heavy Very Vanilla for a change.  It really complimented the layer of Soft Suede and the lovely piece of Designer Paper.  That burlap pattern is one of the "back" sides of the Pressed Petals DSP, and is perfect for the masculine feel I for which I was striving.  Instead of adding the stamped layers to the top, I actually cut out a "window" using the medium sized Stitched Label die, to expose the Soft Suede underneath.  Then I used a much smaller Stitched Label die to cut out a piece of Very Vanilla and stamped the horses onto that.  By mounting the stamped piece to the left, I had sufficient room to stamp the trees from the set onto the Soft Suede.

At the bottom of the card you can see I cut only portions of a piece of Soft Suede and a piece of Very Vanilla using the Stitched Label dies.  After stamping the "Happy Birthday" using Old Olive, I mounted the Very Vanilla to the far right of the die-cut Soft Suede before attaching the whole to the bottom of the card.  I think it balances the card nicely.  The horseshoes?  There's a story.  Remember the Home Sweet Home thinlit dies?  Well one of those dies is a round-topped window so I used that to cut two scraps of the retired Galvanized Metallic paper and then, after cutting off the window cross-pieces and bottom, I had horseshoes.  A few nail-holes added with my black pen finished the job.

For the inside I added two die-cuts of that great burlap paper and then added a special fold as a surprise.  It's an easy fun fold but will give added pleasure to the receiver of this card.  The remaining images and sentiments from the Let it Ride set fit onto the squares perfectly and look great, don't they?

I hope you'll check out the wonderful creations by the Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

2 Crafty Critter Crazies Challenge #31 - Anything Goes with a Critter

Crafty Animals Challenge #31 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenge #400 - Anything Goes

The Card Concept Challenge #121 - Adventure Awaits (I was inspired by a combination of the colours and the textures in the inspiration photo.  When I think of horses, I always think of adventures).

WWC226 - Dawn's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

Wonderful timing!  I needed a Father's Day card and we're having a masculine challenge.  What could be better?  I had such fun mixing the Let It Ride and A Good Man stamp sets.  They compliment each other so well, don't they?  Then I threw in some die-cut rope from the Smooth Sailing dies and a sentiment from an old, retired Project Life set, and the card just about made itself.

I used a base of Crumb Cake followed by a layer of the retired (but still loved) Wood Textures Designer Series paper.  I cut the Whisper White piece with the images smaller than usual so that I would have room to attach the die-cut rope.  I stamped the horses and trees from the Let it Ride set rather high on the paper to allow enough distance to make the sizing between the father and son and the horses more believable.   Then, for some grassy and ground texture, I used the water image from the High Tide stamp set, stamping it with Crumb Cake ink.  I think it worked well, don't you?

With a bit of watercolouring and the use of several colours of my Stampin' Blends, I brought the scene to life.  And if you're wondering, yes, I did stamp the father and son separately and then fussy cut them out.

I hope you'll check out the wonderful creations by the Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

Try It On Tuesday Challenge - It's A Man's World

Unicorn Challenge #44 - For the Men/Boys

Tales From the Craft Room Challenge #5 - Let's Hear it for the Boys

Addicted to Stamps and More #346 - Anything Goes

Crafty Creations Challenge #392 - Anything Goes

WWC217 - Michelle's Masculine "Anything Goes" Challenge

How serendipitous it is that this week's challenge is for a masculine card and I need one for my brother-in-law's birthday!  Finally, I get to use that gorgeous Let It Ride stamp set.

My brother-in-law loves horses and the great outdoors.  What better way to use some of the images from this set than to create a watercolour background and then carefully do my stamping?  I used a combination of Soft Suede and Crumb Cake inks for the mountains.  Then I added some Balmy Blue for the water and, finally, some Mossy Meadow for the grass.  Once that had dried, I stamped the trees using Mossy Meadow and then stamped the image again just to the side of the first stamping without re-inking.  The darker and lighter trees add depth to the background.

I stamped the horses using Basic Grey ink.  To colour them in, for the one on the far left, I used a combination of Crumb Cake and Sahara Sand and for the one on the right, I used Grey Granite.  To finish up, I sponged the edges using a combination of Soft Suede and Crumb Cake.

My base is Early Espresso followed by a layer of that lovely and sadly retiring Wood Textures Designer Series Paper.  I love how the colours work together for this card, don't you?

I hope you'll check out the wonderful creations by the Watercooler Artists over at our Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

I've entered my card into the following challenges:

Stinkin' Inkers Challenge Blog:  Lovely As A Tree

Dragonfly Dreams Challenge - Inclue an Animal

Dare 2 B Artzy April Challenge - Animals

Crafty Creations Challenges #388 - Anything Goes