The Value of Guidelines: Masculine card using stamps repurposed for a pattern

Hey there! 

I have always struggled with masculine cards. Both my dad and my brother have September birthdays, so every year at this time, I rack my brain trying to come up with not one but two designs. #facepalmtimestwo

I always do better if I can articulate a guideline for myself. For example, when I feel like a card or scrapbook layout is missing something, my go-to strategy is to try adding an additional texture. Guidelines give me a place to start and I can always choose to ‘break the rules’ if I want to. 

This is why I was so glad to take Altenew’s class called “For the Guys”. Jennifer Rzaza shares some great ideas that were helpful for me to adopt as guidelines.

 One of the things she talks about is geometric stamps. I didn’t  have any of those, but when I saw another lesson where she uses a halftone stamp, I realized that the second layer of the cupcake wrapper has a sort of halftone gradient to it. 

I used it to stamp this pattern creating a sort of “bouncing” effect across the card panel. (Is anyone else reminded of Dr. Sheldon Cooper demonstrating the Doppler Effect? )

I added a loose outline to the “bounces” and then added a metallic embossed sentiment from the Label Love Stamp set. 

I’ll definitely be applying the mental guidelines I developed to figure projects. I think that’s the best things about taking classes - it gives me the opportunity to incorporate other people’s ideas and techniques in a way that works for my own personal style and tastes. 

Do you have any go-to guidelines when it come to cardmaking? I’d love to hear them!

Take care,

Teri 

How to use digi-stamps with no printer

Hey, everyone! 

I am so excited to share this slimline card today because: 

a) it’s a masculine card and I find those the hardest, 

b) I used some gorgeous and unique digi-stamps from Varada Sharma WITHOUT A PRINTER(!!!), and 

c) if you read this before September 27, 2020, you can enter to win some goodies from Varada Sharma over on my Instagram page.

I’ve been doing a lot of decluttering and reorganizing lately, and this meant that I didn’t have my printer hooked up when I went to design my card for VaradaSharma’s September release. #facepalm 

I was so excited when I came up with this workaround!

After opening the image file on my tablet, I turned up the brightness, washi-taped my paper to the screen, and used a pencil to trace around the images.  To freeze the screen, I used the Guided Access setting that temporarily disables the touchscreen capabilities. You could do this with a smartphone, too, though you might need to do part of the image at a time depending on the size. I started with the succulent string-of-pearls plant and then chose a hanging planter from the stamp set to match. I zoomed in and out of the image until I got the look I wanted, and then I traced around it, avoiding the pearls so the planter would appear to be behind the foliage.

The result was a light pencil sketch of a potted plant, but I erased the heaviest lines so they wouldn’t show.

I then coloured the images with my Nuvo alcohol markers and added details with Polychromos coloured pencil. A little splatter, some sequins from my stash, and this card is done! 

I chose not to add a sentiment to this one because it’s for my father and I think he will likely display it as art rather than as a card, but there are great sentiments in this kit as well. You can check those out here.  Also, be sure to enter the giveaway over on my Instagram page!

Thanks for stopping by!

Teri