A Touch Of The Jackson Pollocks

     The new challenge at The Male Room is to make a masculine project inspired by a famous artist, I thought something on a Jackson Pollock theme would be fun to make.....and it was!

   
     I started with some dark blue card, then I flicked paint at it until it looked like a decorators boot.
     With such a busy background I had to think of something simple for the image or sentiment, a die cut seemed the way to go. This turned out to be a bit more complicated than I planned, I hadn't realised the die I chose had so many tiny cut outs. Trying to put all the cut away pieces back onto the silver mirri was a nightmare, even using the die as a guide.

   
     The only thing for it was to die cut another sentiment, stick that in place and then add all the little cut away bits. Most of them were easy to work out but once I accidentally mixed the bits up it became a bit more of a puzzle.
     Eventually it all came together and the blue mirri sentiment looks at home tucked into the splatter background.
     Please pop over to The Male Room blog to see some of the amazing inspiration the DT have come up with, I can honestly say this challenge stretched my imagination.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Unicorn - Use a Sentiment

Crafty Cardmakers - Explosion Of Colour  (I got the expolsion bit right!)

Dream Valley - Use Dies and Punches

Simon Says Stamp (Monday) - Make Your Own Background

The Male Room Goes Outdoors

     The Male Room is going for The Great Outdoors as it's theme this fortnight. I was working on something else for this but it wasn't quite right so I have gone for a winter outdoors card.

     The coloured circle is made using Izink droppers on acetate, I dropped on a few spots of blue, purple and turquoise and squashed it with another sheet of acetate, then pulled them apart to get this amazing pattern.
     The trees are stamped in black on to a white card square and the edge coloured with Distress ink. Sticking acetate can be really tricky so I put double sided sticky over the whole sheet and then die cut the circle, it stuck down perfectly with no sign of how it was attached.
     Using a stencil and some Izink texture paste I added the snowflakes, once the stencil was removed I sprinkled iridescent glitter over the white paste.
     All that was left was to mount the panel on purple card and then on a white card blank. It has no greeting on the outside but I rather like it like that, I will just have to make sure the one inside is rather grand.
     Please pop over to The Male Room and have a look at all the DT inspiration, there are some great ideas to get your creativity going.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

A Snowflakes Promise - Anything Christmas Goes

Addicted To Stamps - Christmas Comes Early

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

The Holly and Ivy - Anything Christmas

Geometric Blues

     The Male Room has a Geometric theme this fortnight, this one really had me rummaging through my stash.

     I wanted to stamp but couldn't find what I was thinking of, but I did have a small die of a geometric shape, so why not cut my own stamp?
     Using a small piece of thin foam I cut my shape, then stuck it to an acrylic block with a glue stick, one home made stamp.
     Using all the blue Distress Oxides I could find I then stamped all over an A5 piece of thin card. The original idea was to use the bit I liked best, but I ended up using the whole piece to cover an A6 white card blank. I have learnt when doing this to stick the front first, fold the card and then stick the back so it doesn't split when folded.
     With a small piece of silver mirri card I cut two shapes with the same die, this die has a thin outer frame that cuts at the same time so I stuck that flush to the card but stuck the main shapes on foam pads. The greeting was then added to the top shape.
     There's lots of inspiration over at The Male Room so please pop over and have a look, then come and join us with your geometric project.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

heARTful Stamping - Anything Goes + A Stamp   (Top3)

Crafting From The Heart - Anything Goes

Crafty Sentiments - Dies and/or Punches

Say Cheese

     The new theme over at The Male Room is photography and cameras, plenty of scope for a masculine card in that one.
     A shaped card seemed the way to go for me, a little trawl through some pinsperation and this is what I chose to make.
    I cut a piece of white card to fold landscape as it makes it look more realistic and it stands up better too. I covered the front with black paper and then cut the shapes for the button and view finder, a corner chomper came in very handy for the finishing touch to the basic shape.
    The flash is a rectangle of silver satin card and the grip at the button end is another small piece of black paper embossed. I die cut the image from a photograph I took last year and then cut two black frames to surround it, I was trying to give the lens a little depth.
    As yet there is no greeting inside, I haven't decided who will receive the card or for what occasion, that will come in time.
    Please pop over to The Male Room for some more inspiration, then come and show us your project.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafting With Dragonflies - Masculine card   (F)

613 Avenue Create - Anything Goes / optional magic/fantasy   (Hogwarts Express?)

The Male Room Goes Wild

     We are still in the party spirit at The Male Room after our 5th Birthday, the new theme is 'Wild and Free', you have two weeks to make a masculine project following this theme if you'd like to come and join us.

     I was given this Woodware stamp by a good friend, it was just perfect for this theme, thanks Jenny.
     I stamped the image three times on white card using Memento Rich Cocoa because I wanted to decoupage my lion. Having three images to choose from meant I could use the best one for the base layer and the others for the head and face.
     I only coloured the areas I would need to cut out, but I did colour all of those areas so no white would be seen underneath when the card was tilted.

     The image is coloured with alcohol markers, that's why I used Memento ink. Once cut out I went around the edges with the lightest marker to cover any white card that may be showing.
     The head and face are layered on foam pads to lift them, but it will still pass as standard post.
     It looked better on Kraft card than on a white card blank but it needed a shot of colour, so I used the second darkest marker on a piece of white card to make a mat layer. With the addition of the 'Go Wild' sentiment the card was complete.
     Please come and join us at The Male Room with your wild masculine creations, we'd love to see them.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Dream Valley - Animals   (F)

Cute N Crafty - Animals   (F)

The Library - Jungle Book  (F)  (may not qualify as no lions in Jungle Book)

Happy Birthday To The Male Room

     The Male Room is five years old now, we're celebrating by having a Birthday theme to our challenge this time.
     This card is quite simple and very flat, ideal for posting. I used a piece of music score as my background, ageing it with Old Paper Distress Ink and adding splodges through a stencil.
     Using my stamp press I added the image and saying with black ink, silhouettes are great in a stamp press because you just keep stamping until it's dark enough.
     The sentiment was die cut in black and in gold, I stuck the black on first and then put the gold over it, the music panel was then mounted on a cream card.
     Please pop over to The Male Room and join us in celebrating by entering your masculine birthday projects.

The Male Room Surprise

     The new challenge at The Male Room is to use something unexpected on your masculine project.

     I chose to use a bottle top, once put through the die cut machine it comes out flatter and with a rather nice almost cog like edge to it.
     This one is going to be used to frame my sentiment, printed and die cut the card was stuck to what would have been the inside of the bottle top. Then I stuck a glass cabochon over the top, which gives a great magnifying effect.

     The card used is a very dark blue, it is stamped and embossed in clear, now this was a mistake as I had planned on using white embossing powder but picked up the wrong pot. I decided I liked the effect as it was more subtle, I then used a white pen to add some more dots just to lift it a little.
     The blue card was mounted on a white card blank before I stuck the bottle top on. This is not really a postal card as the glass makes it a bit thick, next time I will use some glossy accents to keep it thinner but still get that shine over the sentiment.
     Please come and join us at The Male Room with your masculine creations, don't forget to add something unexpected, there's lots of inspiration over on the challenge blog to help get you started.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Sentiments - Add A Sentiment   (W)
Use Your Stuff - Birthday   (W)
Pile It On - Vintage/Retro   (M)

Birthday Fishes In The Male Room

     Fish or fishing is the new theme at The Male Room this fortnight, any masculine project following this theme is eligible for our new challenge.

     As luck would have it I found these stamps in a charity shop, just what I was looking for, not only were there stamps but a couple of dies too.
     Using Stazon I stamped the jar and fish on acetate, then coloured the reverse with marker pens.
    To stick the acetate on the card without any glue showing meant I added double sided sticky sheet before die cutting them, all over sticky doesn't show as much as a small blob would.
     I wanted the fish to look at each other so one has the colouring underneath and one on top.

     I stuck the jars on to a white card blank and then spritzed it with blue iridescent ink spray, making sure to carefully wipe the excess off the acetate.
     The greeting was generated on the computer and die cut, I coloured the inside area with the same marker used to colour the water in the jars, then mounted it on foam pads on the card.
     It all looked a bit bare so I found a fine tip marker and drew the wavy lines around the edges, it made all the difference.
     We have some new DT members at The Male Room so please pop over and see all their fishy inspiration, then come and join us with your project.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafting From The Heart - Anything Goes   (W)

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes   (W)

Jake and Elwood Play The Male Room

     The new theme at The Male Room is 'Inspired by a film title'. This was made with a friend in mind, his birthday isn't until October but there's nothing wrong with getting ahead, or two.
     I had a stamp for the glasses, although I did have to colour in the lenses to make them sunglasses, but I had no stamp for the hat. A quick look in the stash and I found some thin foam sheet, I drew a hat and cut it out. With a glue stick and my stamp press I put the cut foam on the lid and stamped my card, the best thing I have found with a stamp press is I can go over the image again in exactly the same place, perfect for silhouettes as they don't always come out first time.
     After stamping the hats and glasses I changed over to using a media plate to get the rectangle. Using red, yellow and blue inks I brayered the media plate and stamped on my card, twice to get the best coverage. To add a little interest to the edges I stamped a few music notes around in black.
     I wanted to mount this image panel on a black card, so I used a white one and covered it with thin black card, wrapping the black over the folded edge by about half an inch to give a better finish.
     Before sticking the panel down I stamped over the black with a music stamp and white ink, just to lift the colour and draw attention to the plain black of the hats. A little touch to the glasses with a white pen and a small die cut greeting in black and white finished it off. Now all I have to do is put it somewhere safe until October when The Blues Brothers will play again.
     Please come and join us at The Male Room, any masculine project that follows our theme of film title inspiration.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Everybody Art Challenge - Birthdays   (M)
Try It On Tuesday - For The Boys   (F)
Unicorn Challenges - Masculine   (M)

The Male Room Toddlers

     This fortnight at The Male Room we would like to see projects for little boys, it doesn't have to be a card, it could be a gift box or maybe a scrapbook layout.
     I chose to keep my card quite simple, with a stamped design. The balloons were stamped twice so I could cut out the two closest ones and mount them on foam pads. The parcel is paper pieced, with the side coloured grey to make t darker.
    The tag is stamped and die cut with a mini tag die I got in a free magazine gift set, coloured with a little Distress Ink before being taken out of the die, this is also mounted on foam pads.
     The card isn't completely flat but it's still thin enough to qualify as standard post. The marker pens came through on the inside so I have added an insert to mask this.
     Please come and join us at The Male Room with your 'little boy' projects, we also have a design team call running so if you would like to join our team just put DT after your name when you link up.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Crafty Cardmakers - For A Man or Boy   (F)
Dream Valley - For A Man or Boy   (F)
Stamps and Fun - Balloons   (F)
Papercraft Challenges - Children   (F)

The Male Room Can

     The theme this fortnight at The Male Room is gardening. I knew I had a die cut watering can somewhere in my stash, it's been there for a while so the big question was which box was it in?
 After only ten minutes I found it! Sorting my craft stash earlier this year is beginning to pay off.

     The watering can was cut in dark grey card, all I had to do was glue it together. A small die cut greeting on the front was all that was necessary to finish it off.
     The origami flowers are made using the pictures from a seed catalogue, there are so many gorgeous pictures of how your flowers should look, it's a shame to throw them away.
     Each flower is five squares folded and glued together, these ones have a wire stem put through the middle with a small gem on top of the centre. Different sized squares will give you various sized flowers, these ones are quite small as they are made with a 1.5inch scalloped square.
     The Male Room challenge is open for any masculine project with a gardening theme so please come and join us, we also have a DT call running.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes   (F)

Shopping Our Stash - April Showers Bring May Flowers   (W)

Get Creative - Lots Of Flowers   (M)

Cruising Through The Male Room

    Our theme this fortnight at The Male Room is cars, a nice easy one for a masculine project.
     I have been using my media plates a lot lately, they're so easy to use and I love the backgrounds you can achieve with them. This one was done using the Izinks on smooth white card.
     After I made the oval background I die cut the word into it, this didn't show up too well so I coloured it very pale blue but I'm not sure that's made it any better.
     I decided to layer this panel over a map page to add to the travel theme I chose for my car. The car itself is die cut in black card with tiny silver hub caps. It didn't look right on a white card blank so I've used a Kraft card instead.
     Please come and join us at The Male Room, we'd love to see you masculine car themed projects.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Lemon Shortbread - Anything Goes   (F)

Try It On Tuesday - Stencils/Die cuts or Both   (F)

Crafting From The Heart - Anything Goes   (W)

The Male Room Goes Globe-al

     This fortnigthts challenge at The Male Room is to make something other than a card. On a recent trip out with Mum we found these empty domes, I love to see them at Christmas but always think it's a shame they're not used the rest of the year. There was my challenge, to make a summer globe. The clear dome is plastic so that makes it much easier to work with and more user friendly when it comes to young people.

      There is a small hole in the bottom which is just about big enough for a battery tea light, I did have to file away a little more to get mine to fit properly.
     There is also a wooden disc inside to put your display on but I chose to use a thick card disc instead. To get rugged texture on the ground I used some hot glue and squished it about a bit, stuck my tree on and then painted it all with a mix of green and brown. I sprinkled some modelling greenery on top of the wet paint for added effect.

      The cabin in my wood is a die cut house with an added corrugated iron roof and stove pipe chimney. These I painted with some Rusty Patina and added a few bits of greenery for moss. The chimney has a light rubbing of silver wax on it.
     I used small pieces of vellum to cover the windows so that the light would appear more opaque and to make sure that the candle can't be seen through the windows.
     The log pile is small bits of a tree branch chopped into lengths and stuck together with PVA. A little real moss was added to form a bush beside the log pile and another piece of corrugated card lent up against the wall of the cabin to add interest.

      The porch is a small piece of corrugated card stuck on to the outside wall, with chopped down toothpick poles to help hold it up.
     As with the Christmas globes it looks much more effective when the candle is on and the room it's in is dark. I'm working on a way to suspend a small bird from inside without the attachment being seen.
     Please come along and join our challenge at The Male Room, any masculine project other than a card. Pop over and see what inspiration the DT have come up with.

I would like to enter this project in the following challenges:

Classic Design Team Challenge - Anything Goes   (M)

Not Just Cards - Anything Goes   (M)

Love To Craft - Anything Goes   (M)

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes   (W)

The Male Room Symmetrical Challenge

    This fortnights challenge at The Male Room is all about symmetry, there are some great examples over on the blog from our DT.

      I started with a white tag which I coloured with red Distress Ink, making the edges much darker than the middle, this was dried off with heat. The next step was to add some pattern to the background, using a stencil and Distress Oxide Hickory Smoke I worked the pattern on to the tag, this was also dried off with a gentle heat. The next layer was to go over the whole tag with the same grey Oxide ink to dull it all down a little, to finish the tag was spritzed and flicked with water.

      Using a Sizzix die I cut the Dapper gentleman in black card and then the bow tie and hat band in dark red. The black card was taped to the tag to use as a guide because I wanted to use the cut out parts, this helped me place the die cuts in exactly the right place to build the picture.
     Once removed the black card can be used to make another project, it could be a card to match the tag for a birthday.
     I have kept the ribbon simple by staining some cotton ribbon with the same Distress Inks used on the tag.
     Please come and join us at The Male Room with your masculine symmetrical projects, we would love to see what you make.

I would like to enter this tag in the following challenges:

The Paper Girls - Masculine Birthday   (F)

ARTastic - Black, White and one other   (M)

Watercolour Challenge In The Male Room

     There is a new challenge at The Male Room for the next two weeks, to use watercolours. I'm not an artist so I started with a stamp.

      This stamp is a few years old but a firm favourite as it reminds me of Tenby in Pembrokeshire.
     It was stamped on watercolour paper and embossed, this makes it much easier to paint as the embossing holds the paint within the lines.
     To paint I have used Koi watercolour pens, scribbling on an acrylic block and then using a water brush to take the colour to the paper.
     A colourful scene needs very little decoration, just a simple mount on to a white card blank that has it's edge coloured to frame the image. A greeting could be added but I rather like it as it is.

I would like to enter this card in the following challenges:

Cards In Envy - No Patterned Papers  (F)

Send A Smile 4 Kids - Anything Goes/Cards For Boys   (F)

Crafty Friends - Anything Goes   (F)