Let's face it, men's cards can be a pain. It's all very well and good if the recipient is into sport or some other masculine hobby like gardening or cars. And little boys can be pleased with something cutesty, but what about when he's too old for cute? It's a constant problem for us card makers.
Papermania have come up with a great solution. These new Urban Print stamps are perfect for the men in our lives. Get your inks out, get messy and have some fun with this vintage style collage card and not a flower in sight!
You can also add interest to a gent’s card by (quite literally) thinking outside the box and creating a uniquely shaped card like these Papermania Never Ending Folding Cards. They may look tricky to assemble but it's actually easy peasy. Do Crafts have created a free video to show you step by step exactly how to assemble your card. There are also clear instructions with step by step diagrams on the packaging.
Once you have assembled your Never Ending card lightly dab every panel with a Cantaloupe ink pad. If your ink pad is new use a makeup pad or sponge dabber to apply the ink. Next use a brown ink pad to ink all the edges of the card panels. Be quite rough with the ink and card to get that vintage distressed look.
Start with the front panel shown in the main photo. Randomly stamp the text image all over the panels in brown ink. Stamp the text onto some Coredinations Latte card stock and tear away the excess card. Ink the edges with Cantaloupe ink and lightly ink the whole piece. The little corner piece is stamped in brown ink and cut out. It has been covered with Anita's Gloss and left to dry.
The two centre panels have been created using the circular image stamped in brown onto Coredinations Cappuccino card stock and cut out with scissors. The edges of the circles have been inked with a brown ink pad.
These stamps are designed to co-ordinate perfectly with the XCut nesting dies. So there's no need to spend time cutting out the postage stamp shape. Use a die cutter and postage stamp die to cut two of the smallest postage stamp shapes from Latte card stock. Stamp each with a different postage stamp shaped image. Ink the edges in brown and stick them to the card. Two little photo corners have been added and glossed in the same way as for the smaller panels.
Now turn your card to the next section, shown in the first small photograph. Use a die cutter to cut eight small postage stamps, four from Latte card stock and four from Cappuccino. Stamp the wall image onto each of them. Then ruin them! Scrunch them up into a ball, rub with a nail file or distressing tool, get them wet, ink them . . . go wild! When you've had enough of destroying your work flatten the pieces out and stick them along the side panels, tucking them slightly under the centre panel. Fold along the two score lines to make sure your pieces are stuck down securely, adding more glue if necessary.
Stamp the With Love greeting onto scraps of Coredinations card stock leftover from the die cutting. Ink the edges in brown and stick them to the card. Cover the letters with Anita's Gloss to make them stand out.
For the top panel stamp the circular image in brown ink onto Cappuccino card stock and cut it out. Ink the edges in brown. Place the text stamp without inking it onto a scrap of Latte card stock. Draw round the shape with a pencil. Ink the stamp in brown and stamp the text. Cut around the shape and ink the edges in Cantaloupe. Stick it down slightly covering the circle image. Next add the For You greeting. Stamp the greeting onto Cappuccino card stock and cut it out. Ink and distress the edges. Stamp the image again onto Latte card stock and cut out just the letters. Stick them to the darker panel and stick it to the card. Add big blobs of Gloss and give them plenty of time to dry.
Fold the card to the next section and stamp the text and brick wall images randomly over any blank areas. Then turn the card to the last section and randomly stamp the Typewriter image over the card panels. Die cut a postage stamp shape from Latte card stock and ink the edges in brown. Stick it the bottom panel of the card. Draw round the writer text stamp and stamp the text in brown ink on Latte card stock. Scrunch up the card and distress it as before. Stamp the typewriter image and cut it out. Cover it with Gloss and leave it to dry. Die cut the smallest postage stamp and stamp it with the brick wall image. When the typewriter image is dry flex the card to crack the gloss. Assemble the collage as shown. Fold your card again and you're back at the beginning.