Make It Masculine: Best Catch At Sunset

Have you noticed how we can create pretty, feminine cards without blinking and eye, but as soon as we are faced with the task of creating a masculine card, we go into a mad panic. I mean, can you imagine creating a card that has no bling or pretty embellishments? It's enough to have us breaking out in a cold sweat. So I thought I would start a new theme on my blog to help us all overcome this phobia we have: Make It Masculine. Together we can overcome our fears and create fabulous cards for the men in our lives.

 To start things off, I thought I would share a card I created using the Best Catch stamp set (item #148598) from the 2019 Occasions Catalog. This stamp set is perfect for our theme as it is filled with wonderful images and sentiments that work for the guys in our lives. My inspiration for this card design comes from a card created by fellow demonstrator, Tina Wardell. 

 One of the common misconceptions about masculine cards is that they should not be colorful but rather dull and boring. I am here to tell you, don't be afraid of color. It can be your friend when it comes to creating wonderful masculine cards. For today's card design, I chose to combine sponging with masking to create a beautiful background. I chose Balmy Blue Classic ink for the water and layered Pineapple Punch with Grapefruit Grove Classic inks to create the sky, which could work for either a sunrise or sunset. The sun was created by using a 1 1/4" Circle punched from a Post It note and placed just over the horizon line. To create the look of the waves, I used the wave image from the High Tide stamp set (item #143006) and stamped it with Balmy Blue Classic ink for a wonderful tone on tone look. The shimmer of sunlight on the water was created by lightly sponging a little Pineapple Punch Classic ink on the water to create the reflection. 

To create the scene, I stamped the fisherman image and sentiment from the Best Catch stamp set (item #148598) with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto the background. If you want the look of a true silhouette for the fisherman image, you could color it in with a Basic Black Stampin' Write Marker to create a solid image. I then placed the cardstock inside the frame, created using the Rectangle Stitched Framelits dies (item #148551), and stamped the birds from the High Tide stamp set (item #143006) so that they overlap onto the frame. I did the same with the reeds from the Home To Roost stamp set (149736) in the bottom left corner. 

To assemble the card, I started with a Basic Black card base and attached the center panel to it with Snail Adhesive. I then attached the Whisper White frame using Stampin' Dimensionals to line up around the center panel. I love the dimension that the raised frame gives this card, giving it the appearance of a picture frame that could be sitting on a desk. 

As you can see, there is no need for any additional embellishments or ribbon for this card design. The clean and simple design is perfect without them. Masculine cards tend to look better with a minimalist look. 

Each of the three stamp sets I used for this card design would make wonderful cards on their own, but when you combine different elements from each of them, it creates a beautiful, peaceful scene. This card design would be great for birthdays, Father's Day, Retirement or even something as simple as a Thank You. Experiment with different color combinations to create different backgrounds. There are so many wonderful possibilities when you play around with the images in these stamp sets. 

Remember that Sale-a-bration is coming to an end soon. The Home to Roost stamp set (item #149736) is a Level 1 Reward that you can earn Free with a qualifying $50 order placed before Midnight, March 31st, 2019 Mountain Time. Visit my Online store to place your order or contact me if you need any help. Now is a wonderful time to take advantage of the Free rewards before they disappear forever. 

Until Next Time

Happy Stamping,

Tricia Butts

Independent Stampin' Up! Demonstrator

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