Tissue Paper, Gelatos, and Stars - Oh MY! Cardz 4 Guyz GD

Holy flibbertigibbets (which I learned this week IS an ACTUAL word... thanks to what I am assuming is a dictionary editor who got a little tipsy one day)! Have I ever got a textural card for you!!

Well... not literally for you... It's actually for my card stash. But that's not the point. The point is that I'm going to SHOW you a textural card.

This week also marks the last Tuesday of March, which means my Guest Design team with Cardz 4 Guyz is coming to an end. *Insert sad face here* I've so enjoyed thinking about the guy-side of things this month because I so often forget to do that!

The challenge over at Cardz is to use something that starts with an "S". 

Hence: A STAR!!

Whenever I get an order from STAMPlorations, Shery always wraps the stamps in tissue paper. Since I am a weirdo hoarder of all things that could potentially be stuck on a card at some point in time, I have a stack of tissue paper just lazing about unused in my craft room. 

Here's how I made my background:

I began by painting my card stock with a thin layer of Matte Gel and then stuck some crinkled up tissue paper to it. I then painted over it with another layer of Matte Gel and let it dry. Then, because I wanted to use gelatos and didn't want my tissue paper to tear, I painted over the whole thing with gesso. 

Then I applied alternating diagonal rows of bright blue and bright green Gelatos to the base and blended with my finger and some water. 

 Next, I applied some blue ink through a swirly stencil (STAMPlorations Confetti Circles) and then moved the stencil to a different area and applied texture paste. Then I let that dry. (Oh pssssh, yeah right - I totally used my heat gun to speed up the process.)

I sponged the edges and raised areas of the background with Black Soot Distress Ink to really bring out the great texture, and to grunge it up a bit. I added a star from a die cut pack and placed it behind some teal baker's twine. Then I added the In a Word: Happy die from Winnie and Walter and stamped birthday onto the star. 

This is definitely a technique I'll be trying again, because I am in L-O-V-E with all that texture and drama. 

So if you are thinking of the Fellas this week in your card making, put something with an S on it and go play along at Cardz 4 Guyz!

I'm also sending my card over to the following challenges:

Seize the Birthday - Anything Goes Birthday
Addicted to Stamps - Stars
Through the Craft Room Door - Anything Goes
Little Red Wagon - You're a Star
Friday Mashup - Sketch or Masculine project

Thanks for stopping by! Follow my blog or leave me a comment and I'll try to return the favor! Happy Tuesday!

Sailing Along with Cards 4 Guyz - Guest Designer

Man cards. In my magical hat of card designs, pulling out a man card happens fairly rarely. For some reason pink, orange, and flowers reign supreme in the types of things I am attracted to. Consequently, I get an invite to a fella's birthday party and have nothing in the way of cards to give. That's why challenges like Cards 4 Guyz are so great for me - it makes me consciously think about the unfairer sex. And I am so honored to have been asked to **Guest Design** for them this week! 

The challenge this week is Sailing! Now, I haven't been "sailing" proper, but we're right next door to the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes and there's lots of boating going on. Luckily for me, though, I have an awesome stamp set from Inspired by Stamping called Ahoy, Matey. 

I followed the sketch from the IBSIC challenge:

 and stamped the sailboat image using Chipped Sapphire Distress Inks. I also used some double-sided nautical themed paper from Carte Bella. Double sided paper makes everything so easy. It's like "blam!" card done. 

Then I embossed the sentiment - Did you check out the name of it?! Pirate Gold! It's the little puns that matter! 

I made up 4 of these babies, so now I have a whole stash of guy birthday cards! Woop! I'll be guesting all month over at Cards 4 Guyz and would love to have you come stop by and wave a hello. 

I am also going to link this card up to support the following challenges:

Seize the Birthday - Masculine

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday challenge - Anything Goes

Also - just have tell you something kind of cool.

If you follow my blog, first of all - you're awesome, but second of all - you probably saw my coffee card with the faux-chalkboard element. I used Chalk Magic markers and did a review of them.

Well the owner of Chalk Magic, Hans, saw my review and offered to give my readers a $5 off coupon, if they are interested in them! That's pretty sweet, huh? Anywho, the code is DISTRES5 (note, that last character is a number 5).

Have a very happy day!