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!)

Make It Mailable 13-09

NOTE: Today is the last day of the 25% off sale!

Today's mailable Monday card is one we made in the Manly Cards class on Saturday. I found inspiration for the Wetlands set all over Pinterest, and just picked elements from here and there to come up with this design.

The colors sponged on the image really makes it the focus, so I didn't think it needed any other embellishment to distract the eye. *gasp!* (Can ya believe it?!)

There are eight weeks left of the 12 Weeks of Christmas, so join the mailing list now and see what projects are coming next!

Stamps: Wetlands
Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Basic Black, Modern Medley DSP
Ink: Basic Black, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie
Accessories: Big Shot, Circles Collection Framelits, 2-1/2" Circle Punch, Stampin' Sponges

CASEing Julie

First of all, I have to say that I was so happy when Julie Gearinger was added as a SUO Challenges Design Team member! I've been an admirer of hers for a long time, so I knew she was going to fit in beautifully.

Okay, that disclaimer aside, I just had to CASE her Wetlands card, but change it up a little bit. In trying to simplify it for my Masculine Cards class, I opted to leave off the bow to make it more mailable (and easier on my bow-challenged stampers, lol). I probably should have left off the Antique Brad due to the thickness, and substituted a few Candy Dots, but I liked the little bit of classy bling that the brad added. Since we weren't using the Pool Party ribbon she used, I added some Coastal Cabana Core-dinations at the bottom, embossed and sanded for added dimension.

Since the scripty background is En Français, I guess that makes it a French Canadian Goose, 'eh?

Go check out the upcoming classes on my Events calendar. I just added a new card class for September 1st that covers all the bases!
 
STAMPS: Wetlands, En Français
CARDSTOCK: Whisper White, Basic Black, Basic Gray, Coastal Cabana Core'dinations, Watercolor Paper
INK: StazOn Jet Black, Coastal Cabana, Pistachio Pudding, Smoky Slate, Whisper White Craft, Basic Gray Stampin' Write Marker (Neutrals collection)
ACCESSORIES: Big Shot, Chevron Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Antique Brads, Aqua Painter, Stampin' Sanding Block, Basic Black 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon (retired), Stampin' Spritzer (retired)