INKLINGS Team Blog Hop - Masculine Ideas Galore!!

Welcome to The INKlings’ Team’s first ever blog hop. You may have arrived here from Joanna Wassens blog or just be visiting my blog, whichever way once you’ve checked out my creations you can continue the hop through the link at the end of this post to the next team member, Christie Wallace who has some cool 'manly' BigShot projects to show us.


What style of cards do we frequently get asked for inspiration for? More often than not it’s masculine cards, be it little boys or grandfathers everyone seems to struggle with cards for the males in our lives. So as a team we thought we’d help you out by providing you with 20 team members’ fantastic blogs that you can hop through and get lots of creative inspiration from. Be sure to bookmark your faves, or add us to your "follow" list so you can come back and visit us again!


Want to win some Blog Candy? Simply leave a comment on each blog and then email Michelle Dyson (yes, that's me, I'm co-ordinating this bit) and let her know you’ve done so and you’ll be in the running for a fantastic prize of 20 handmade cards and other goodies.

Sorry,  Blog Candy prize not available to SU! demonstrators. But everyone is most welcome to leave a comment! 


So, what have I created to show you? I think I must be a bit strange, because I enjoy creating 'blokey' cards, probably because I can easily conjure up a grungy, messy style. Neat and elegant - not so much!

My dad was the inspiration behind this card, as he is a Boilermaker by trade, welding and making interesting stuff with metal. And, I've recently run a class on Heat Embossing techniques, where one of the techniques we learned about was "Faux Metal". I made some metal-look embellishments by stamping the "Totally Tool" stamp set images into a puddle of molten silver embossing powder, and then trimmed around the tools. They really do look like they are made from pressed tin!

For the rest of the card, I chose Basic Gray cardstock, which happens to be pretty much "Overall Gray" too. I've used the "Sanded" background on the top section of the card, with Basic Gray ink, and the nuts and bolt stamp from the "Lots of Bots" Autumn/Winter mini stamp set to stamp the lower section, in honour of the various screws, split pins and bolts that would come out of the washing machine with the (cleaner) grey overalls. I have taken a layer of Brushed Silver metallic cardstock, and used the "Spiral" punch along one edge.

 Next came the fun bit - scrunching it up and distressing the edges. Since one of my enduring memories of childhood was greasy smudges, I used a great 'blokey' tool, the "Spritzer" and my Basic Gray marker to squirt random inky splodges over the background and metallic layer.   Over this, I have put a 'rivetted' panel, stamped many times with the "Sanded" background to darken the Basic Gray panel.  I then ran it through another great tool for masculine cards, the Crimper, giving it a corrugated iron effect.  I matted this piece on a distressed Basic Black panel and attached the layers with some Antique Pewter Jumbo Eyelets with my Crop-a-dile.  Yes, they are very slightly wonky, but I think it adds to the effect.. (that's my excuse anyway).  I mounted the faux metal using Pop Up Glue dots, which are a great choice for adding dimension when you don't want white foam to show.  At the bottom of the card, I added a sentiment from "Teeny Tiny Sentiments" on a spritzed piece of Whisper White, punched out with the large oval, mounted with Stampin' Dimensionals Then I added a row of Pewter brads and Jumbo Eyelet.  Now, I don't think my dad is ever going to actually retire, but at least he might have more time to muck about in his workshop these days!

My second project was designed to co-ordinate with the card.  Again, inspired by my dad, who always, always has a notebook with him to jot down important measurements, sizes, contact details etc.   I have taken an Office One spiral bound notebook from KMart, which happens to have the same coil spacing as our Spiral punch, and punched along the side of a piece of Basic Gray Designer Prints paper, before sticking down onto the notebook cover.  I stamped the nuts and bolts again, as above, and sponged the edges to give them a 'pre-smudged' look.  Down the spine I have tied some short ribbon lengths, in black gingham, black grosgrain and Basic Gray Taffeta.  A second piece of Designer Prints paper was matted on a distressed Basic Black panel, and layered with two more faux metal tools and a silver embossed monogram rivetted on with some more Jumbo eyelets.

Well that’s all from me. Next stop on the INKlings’ Team Blog Hop is Christie Wallace
for a clever gift card holder and Big Shot card. Have fun and don't forget to leave a comment on each blog to win some great Blog Candy.  Did you add me to your Bloglines/follow list/bookmarks yet? 

List of participants - in case you get lost or something gets broken along the way, you can hop back here and find the next Blog in the chain to visit. The names of the girls are the bloghop posts, and the URLs are their blog home addresses, to make this useful for people who want to do the hop further down the track...

1. Clare McIllhatton http://craftycowcreations.blogspot.com/
2. Janice Spencer http://www.janicespencer.blogspot.com/
3. Dani Holland http://www.daniholland.wordpress.com/
4. Kylie Swain http://kraftykylie.typepad.com/blossom_designs/
5. Amy Anderson http://amyandersonsblog.blogspot.com/
6. Kari Hughes http://www.karigail.wordpress.com/
7. Jayne Mercer http://www.jaynemercer.com/blogs
8. Joanna Wassens http://www.joannawassens.com/
9. Michelle Dyson http://stampinkpaper.blogspot.com/
10. Christie Wallace http://christiescreativecorner.blogspot.com/
11. Ryn Gibbs http://rynscraps.blogspot.com/
12. Fiona Brown http://www.fionajanestamping.blogspot.com/
13. Beth Stewart http://www.elisabethstewart.com/
14. Nicky Adamson http:/nickyadamson.blogspot.com
15. Dani Fender http://danifender.blogspot.com/
16. Michelle Frost-Stevenson http://stampinground.wordpress.com/
17. Rachel Jackson http://havefunstamping.blogspot.com/
18. Rachel Capps http://rachelcapps.wordpress.com/
19. Carolyn Campbell-McLean http://carolyncampbell-mclean.blogspot.com/
20. Michelle Le Breton http://www.michellescraftclasses.blogspot.com/