JUST ADD INK #28

The fabulous team at Just Add Ink have come up with a double challenge this week - to incorporate these yummy colours

  





in a man's card.  Now, that in itself is not really a challenge, because I love making cards for men and boys, and these are some of my "go-to" colours.  However, in the process of making my card I learnt the value of "less is more".  I'll explain.  I had a very clear vision in my head of what I wanted this card to look like.  You know, simplistic design, grungy and distressed looking background, bit of edge distressing and some faux stitching (all staple elements in many of my male cards). 

I started off with a panel of Kraft card, and stamped the Sanded background in Sahara Sand.  Nice, subtle, texture, and I should've left it at that.  But, no, I decided to over-stamp it with Sanded again, in Baja Breeze.  Hmm ... not quite the look I was going for.  I applied a bit of Chocolate Chip ink with a sponge, to my stamp of choice (the brocade image from Friends 24-7), to give a subtle, masculine look to one side of the card.  In an attempt to cover up the Baja Breeze stamping I'd regretted, I stamped Sanded AGAIN, this time with Chocolate Chip ink.  This detracted from my subtle brocade-y pattern, so I stamped the brocade bits again with full-strength Chocolate Chip ink.  Now the card just look imbalanced, so I proceeded to stamp the brocade pattern all over my card (with ink sponged onto the rubber, so it wasn't toooooo dark).

What I've ended up with is a card that very nearly got thrown in the bin.  However, because I've been rather short on "stamping just for fun" time, I decided to share my creation with you instead!  I'm hoping I'll get a chance in the next few days to make another card that is more to my liking.

I don't have my grandfathers any more, but my boys do, so one of them might just be lucky enough to receive this card one day, LOL.

Oh, to top off the "this isn't working out as I'd planned" experience, when I stamped "Wonderful", I got a small line of ink where I didn't want it.  Hence the lightly ruled line underneath that word - it was an attempt to salvage the Baja Breeze panel.  There are no mistakes in stamping ... just creative opportunities!

Here's what I used to make this card:

Stamps: Sanded, Friends 24-7, Wonderful Favourites

Card: Kraft, Chocolate Chip

DSP: Parisian Breeze and Baja Breeze Patterns Designer Series Papers

Ink: Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze and Chocolate Chip stampin' pads, Chocolate Chip stampin' write marker

Other: Stamp-a-ma-jig, Jumbo brads, mat pack and paper piercing tool, sponge dauber, edge distresser