Altenew Academy – For the Guys

Thank you for joining me today.  I don’t know about you, but I struggle with making cards for the guys.  When I saw this class I was so excited to get some inspiration and some basic guidelines I could translate into my supplies.  Still having camera problems,  I’m working on making adjustments to my process for better photos, so please excuse the darker photos.

I started by stamping my globe from the Big World stamp and die set.  The water was stamped using Caribbean Sky and the land was stamped using Frayed Leaf and Evergreen.  This has become a “go-to” combination for this stamp/die set.  I used the coordinating die set to cut out the globe and base.  I used Altenew’s Antique Silver Crisp Embossing Powder after I coated it with Altenew’s Embossing Ink.  I love the detail you can see through the embossing.  It adds a great layer of dimension with the details.  The sentiment came from Altenew’s Sweet Friend stamp set and was stamped with Jet Black ink.  I love the simplicity of the sentiment and the chunky letters seem masculine to me.

For my background, I pulled out Altenew’s Bubble Wrap Stencil.  I thought this would contribute some interest in my background.  Since this was a card for the guys I also pulled out my embossing paste.  Embossing paste is a great resource to have in your craft room.  It has so many uses and you can use it to add delicate or masculine features.  It all depends on how you apply it and what you do to it.  For this card, I applied the embossing paste to an 80 lb Neenah Solar White card base through the Bubble Wrap Stencil.  I let the embossing paste dry overnight, just to be sure!  I then laid the stencil back over the card, it will slide right into place.  I took a blending brush and applied  Buttercream Crisp Ink to apply color to the stencil.  Leaving the stencil in place, I then took a finger sponge dauber and applied more of the ink to various spots.  I just kept applying color until I liked the look.

I used foam tape to pop my globe up and applied the base directly to the stenciled background.  I think the Buttercream color was a great compliment to my greens and blues in the globe.  As I have said many times, the silver embossing just adds that little something extra.

Thank you so much for joining me today.  Look at your supplies and see what you can make for the guys!  Definitely check out this class at Altenew Academy for wonderful inspiration and techniques.

Until next time, happy crafting!