Saturday, April 19, 2014

Tour de Freaks, April Edition!

Hello, tourists, and welcome to the April 2014 Tour de Freaks blog tour! Our theme this month started out as masculine cards/projects, and morphed into masculine or gender-neutral. Either way, it's always something I struggle with because I want to add bling and ribbons/bows and flowers to everything! So, this was a challenge for me, and it's always good to challenge yourself, isn't it?

If you started at the beginning of the tour, you just landed here from Debbie Henderson's blog. Weren't her projects fab?! If you started here on my blog, just click the link at the bottom of each post and you will be taken to all nine Freaks' blogs.

For the three cards I have today, I tried to stick with neutral-ish colors (is that a word?), something that would work for either a male or female. But all of them are punched up with some Basic Black!

My first card uses the Sandpipers from the Wetlands stamp set. I really, really, REALLY hope that set isn't on the retiring list that's coming out on Monday. It's such a great, versatile set, I'd hate to see it go!

STAMPS: Wetlands, Lots of Thanks   CARDSTOCK: Watercolor Paper, Coastal Cabana, Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Retro Fresh DSP   INK: StazOn Jet Black, Coastal Cabana, Baked Brown Sugar   ACCESSORIES: White Gel Pen, Aqua Painter, In Color Boutique Details

Up next is another versatile set, Timeless Talk. Baked Brown Sugar was sponged on the edges to give an antiqued look, in keeping with the gramophone. I can almost hear Rudy Vallee singing Happy Birthday with that hollow, tinny sound, can't you? The greeting was stamped in StazOn on a word bubble from the Essentials Wooden Elements embellishments. I don't know why I haven't used any of these before today - they are such a fun way to add a little something different, and wooden elements are all the rage right now!

STAMPS: Timeless Talk, Gorgeous Grunge   CARDSTOCK: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Modern Medley DSP   INK: StazOn Jet Black   ACCESSORIES: 1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon, Vintage Trinkets, Essentials Wooden Elements, Stampin' Dimensionals

For the last card, I used some elements from the Simply Fabulous Simply Sent kit. I liked the kit when I saw it, but it was a bit too subtle for my taste. As I was thinking of ways to make it "pop" more, it struck me that I could change the color of the die-cut by swiping an ink pad all over it! Voila, instant "pop"! Now, I realize there is a bow on it, but I still think it would work for a manly man because of the strong colors.

STAMPS: Chalk Talk   CARDSTOCK: Smoky Slate, Basic Black, Whisper White, Bermuda Bay   INK: Smoky Slate, StazOn Jet Black   ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Chalk Talk Framelits, Ovals Collection Framelits, Simply Fabulous Simply Sent kit, Bermuda Bay 1/8" Taffeta Ribbon, Bermuda Bay Candy Dots (Brights Collection), Stampin' Dimensionals

That's all I have for this month. I hope you all have a most blessed Easter tomorrow! Up next is LeeAnn Greff's blog, and I'm sure she's going to knock your socks off. (She does mine, and I'm always looking for the darn things, lol!)

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5 comments:

  1. Wow - I just love each and every one of these cards! Fabulous colors and layouts. And so unique too!

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  2. What a great line up of projects Cindy. I agree with you on Wetlands, crossing fingers that it doesn't retire. Love the coloring!

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  3. Wow! Love all the cards, but what a GREAT idea to "color" the Simply Fabulous cards! I have a bunch of these left over...you've inspired me! Great job with the tour!

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  4. Cindy, what wonderful cards!!! The layout and stamps used are so perfectly put together. Nice work! :)

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  5. Each one of these is fabulous....wonderful color combinations...think that the water card is my fav!

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