Tag Steam

     It's time for another challenge over at The Male Room, this fortnight we are going Vintage.
     I began this tag with a sheet of silver mirri card, I think it was some recycled packaging from a box as it's rather thin. It has been embossed with a folder from Creative Expression. Then I painted a thin layer of black acrylic paint over it and wiped it off again to achieve the 'dirty' look.
     On top of this faux metal layer I have attached a small cog cut form greyboard,that has been distressed with Distress Embossing powder and ink to make it look rusty. It is fixed with a small screw top brad form Woodware.
     The steaming chimney is a stamp from an EcoGreen set and both the tag and steam engine are stamps from Creative Expressions. The ticket is raised on foam pads.

     On the back of the tag I have stuck a layer of cog paper, it helps make the whole tag stronger and as only top, bottom and one side are stuck down it also creates a little secret pocket within the tag, (my top tip for TTT). This is a perfect little hiding place for another tag which could hold a short massage.
     The hidden tag is stamped with another Creative Expressions stamp and distressed with Faded Jeans ink. It has a small length of baker twine threaded through the hole for easy removal from it's pocket.
     The back of the tag could also be stamped with a message as the cog paper is very pale. I prefer not to do this until I know what the tag will be used for.
     Please pop over to The Male Room and take a look at the DT inspiration, lot's of ideas to help you get started.

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

Cardz 4 Guyz - Tag It

Through The Craft Room Door - Anything Goes

Top Tip Tuesday - Metal or Faux Metal

Anyone For Anya?- Masculine or Grungy (hopefully both)

Full Steam Ahead

     Today sees the beginning of a new challenge at The Male Room. This time it's a colour challenge, green, blue and brown and as always it must be a masculine themed project.
     This stamp is by Penny Black, called Engineer. It was a must have for me as my Dad has driven steam engines of various sizes on preserved lines over the last thirty odd years. I was brought up on Brasso and coal dust, the smell of a steam engine brings back some very happy memories.
     I have stamped 'Dad' in Archival Black ink on some Anna Marie card and then coloured him with Graph It alcohol markers. I really wanted to have a red engine but I have to follow the colour challenge so this one is green, next time I can go red.
     I have fussy cut him to mount him on some green card that has been embossed with railway track, using a Tim Holtz mini folder from the Travel Signs Set.
     There is a ticket stamped in brown using a Creative Expressions stamp tucked behind him. The 'Full Steam Ahead' was printed on my computer, I then drew the lines around it to look another cloud of steam and then fussy cut that out as well. Both 'Dad' and the cloud are mounted on foam pads. The green card is layered on to kraft card and then on to a white 7x5 card blank. There is no greeting as yet, I prefer to add this when I decide what the card is to be used for.
     Please pop over to The Male Room and take a look at the DT work, there's a lot of inspiration over there, all very different.

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

Ladybug Crafts Ink - One For The Boys

Craft Your Passion - Birthday Bonanza

Kaboodle Doodles - Embossing

Sparkling Christmas Steam

      I have managed to make this weeks Christmas card already which I'm rather pleased about, last week was not so good so I have some catching up to do.
     I saw this Stampendous stamp a few weeks ago and thought my Dad would love this. The colour scheme is inspired by Here Come The Boys and the Bling by 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.
     I began by stamping in Archival Coffee on cream card, then I tore the edges and distressed them with Brushed Corduroy. The oval image panel has been covered with Stix2 double sided sheet and then covered with Glamour Dust Crystal to give it a snowy sparkle.
     I tried to stay with the brown and cream colour scheme but the holly just didn't look right, a tiny splash of Christmas colour lifts the whole thing too. I have used pearlescent chocolate card for the mat and embossed the edge with a small folder that came free with a magazine, I sanded it slightly and then coloured it with gold ink. The cream Poinsettia was cut with a Marianne die, distressed with brown ink and touched up with a gold pen before putting a cream pearl in the middle. It is all mounted on a cream card. As there are several layers to the card and the flower I'm also going to try joining 4 Crafty Chicks this week.
     It really looks better 'in the card', the sparkle doesn't come out well on camera despite trying many different angles. I hope I have used enough 'Bling' to qualify for the challenge, sequins and pearls aren't really my thing but I'm alright with glitter!

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

52 Christmas Card Throwdown - Bling

Here Come The Boys - Christmas in Brown and Cream

4 Crafty Chicks - Multiple Layers
CraftyHazelnut's Christmas Challenge Extra - Anything Christmas

Prepared for launch

    Today is launch day for The Male Room. Our first challenge is 'Anything Goes' as long as it's masculine. You have two weeks to make and link your creation so please join us if you can.
    I have another steam engine card for you today. I love them, they're almost alive, a bit like a mechanical dragon......hot, fire breathing, powerful beasts.
    The stamp is from a Creative Expressions set - Vintage Illusion stamped with Perfect Medium and then coloured with mica powders in copper and gold. The image is cut out with a Spellbinder die Labels 21.
    The background was silver mirri card, it has been embossed with a Spellbinder Embossabilities folder Industrial. Then covered with brown acrylic paint, some of which has been rubbed off again to leave the silver plate looking dirty.
    The cogs are from a Tim Holtz Sizzix die Cogs, they have been cut in greyboard, painted brown and then covered with Distress Embossing powder - Vintage Photo. This is then rubbed so that some comes off (don't worry , it's supposed too) and then inked with Vintage Photo Distress Ink. All this makes them look very rusty and worn.

    Each cog and each corner has a silvery pearl stuck on to look like rivets.
    The ticket has been stamped and embossed in gold and mounted on foam pads. The base card was white but it has been edged with Brilliance Pearlescent Ink - Rust. Rather than use pearl card, which is mostly covered up, I often use the pearlescent inks to colour the white card, then I can keep my fancy card for die cutting.
    I hope this sparks some inspiration for you, see you over at The Male Room.

Countdown to the Male Room

    This card is part of the countdown to a new challenge blog for male orientated cards and gifts called The Male Room. It goes live on Wednesday 31st July with 'Anything Goes'. There will be a fortnightly challenge with ideas to help inspire you to create something for the men in your life whatever age they may be.
    During the next few days the design team are showing a few ideas to get you ready for the first challenge, so please pop over and take a look. We would love it if you joined us on Wednesday for the grand opening.
    This card was inspired by a day out at a preserved steam railway with my family. Having grown up around these amazing engines, my Dad is a real steamaholic, I can't resist the erge to take loads of pictures. What better way to use some of these pictures than to make a card.
    It's a very simple card to put together too, having printed and cropped my pictures I matted them up on brown and cream ready to go on the card front.
    The card has been stamped with Versamark Ink and then chalked, the chalk has taken to the stamped area to show the image and also coloured the remaining card to tone in with the slightly vintage feel I was trying to achieve.

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

Here Come The Boys - Anything Goes

Allsorts Challenge - Transport

Steaming ahead

Just to show it's not all Christmas on here I've made a card for my Dad. He's getting better slowly and I think this will cheer him up a bit as he's very much a steam fanatic.  I would also like to enter it in a couple of challenges, Make My Monday and Cards For Men, I'm sure he wouldn't mind.
   I began with a sketchy steam engine stamp from Creative Expression - Vintage Illusion and used Perfect Medium and Cosmic Shimmer Mica Powders. This has been sealed using a well known supermarket's value hairspray. I cut the image out using Spellbinders Labels Twenty One as this shape makes me think of railway signs. I had to use the largest size die for the image so then I drew around the outside of the die on gold satin card to get that extra layer and cut it out by hand.
  The background is copper mirri card run through my Bigshot with a mask to get the checker plate pattern. Masks give a softer impression than folders which sometimes can be better. The card was a bit too shiny so I have gone over it with an acrylic paint dauber from Ranger to grunge it up a bit. The base card was cream before being dabbed with Distress Ink Brushed Corduroy on my trusty shaving brush and stamped with a crackle stamp in the same colour.
  The ticket is a Creative Expressions stamp and says Just For You so it's useful for any occasion. I have stamped the envelope and inside the card with cogs just to bring it all together. The cog is cut with a Sizzix die Tim Holtz Cogs in greyboard. Then I've embossed it with Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Powder in Vintage Photo and once cold rubbed off the excess crystals that do not melt and coloured it with Distress Ink Vintage Photo to complete the rusty look. There is a screw head brad in the centre of the cog and it's stuck on with thin foam pads.

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

Make My Monday - One For The Boys

Cards For Men - Transport