Hi everyone! It’s Carissa Wiley here and I’m so happy to be here with you to share some ideas for creating masculine projects. These tend to be the hardest types for all of us to create, and I am no exception. With Father’s Day just around the corner, now’s the perfect time to break ourselves out of our box and challenge ourselves to create the perfect card for the men we love!
I found as I was coming up with my ideas that I was really struggling. And as I thought about the reason, I realized it was because I was trying to make a project that wasn’t necessarily true to me. It dawned on me that sometimes you’ve got to just go with what you know.
Don’t get me wrong! I am all for experimenting and trying new things! But if you find yourself struggling with something…you may also find that it’s because you’re trying to create something that isn’t true to who you are as a crafter. It was at that point I decided that nothing was off limits for my “man cards”. I was going to use things that I love (even if they’re considered girly), but I wanted to use them in a masculine way! This opened up a whole new world for me and freed me in my creative process.
In today’s masculine cards, you’ll find gold, vellum, watercolor and even sequins! Hold on to your britches! These twists on masculine projects may be hard to wrap your head around at first! But I think as I walk you through the projects in the video below, you’ll find that these elements work together and still manage to create a masculine feeling card.
Today’s first card features some real birch wood paper. I love this product for creating faux wood veneer. I mean there’s nothing more manly than real wood on a card, right? This real wood paper is easy to die cut. You can use it with any dies that you may already own. And if you wanna give it an extra special finishing touch, try adding a layer of glossy accents over the top to add even more dimension and shine.
For the second card I decided to add a watercolor background. Watercolor is often thought of as a soft and feminine technique. But when you watercolor using bold colors, you can use it for your “man cards” too! I used the Zig Clean Color Real Brush Markers in Scarlet Red and Orange to create a bold orange background. (Let’s Go Giants!) By adding several layers of color and minimizing the amount of water I used, I was able to create a watercolor background that isn’t too soft for a man card.
Tips For Creating Masculine Cards
- Stay true to you! Don’t try to make something that’s not true to who you are as a crafter. If you’re a clean and simple person, keep it clean and simple. If you like aged and distressed, use it! You don’t have to go outside of who you are to create something that you don’t normally create.
- Nothing’s off limits. If you have particular products that you like…I say use them. Challenge yourself to find a way to use something that you may normally consider feminine in a masculine way. For instance, I used vellum on both cards. I chose a die that was more masculine feeling (the speech bubble) to balance it out and keep it from feeling ultra soft and feminine.
- Play ball! Choose a color palate from his favorite sports team. I’ve shown you two projects here that feature color palettes from the Seattle Mariners and the San Francisco Giants. No over thinking needed. These pre-coordinated color palettes made it quick and easy to pull these cards together.
- Finish it off. Just because it’s a masculine card doesn’t mean you can’t embellish! Use glossy accents to add shine and dimension. Add enamel dots or even sequins (GASP!) in dark colors to add the perfect finishing touch!
In the video tutorial below, I’ll walk you through the entire creation of these two cards and offer you some tips and tricks along the way. I’ve also included links to all the products used in these projects below.
Don’t forget, you can watch the video in HD by visiting our YouTube channel HERE. And while you’re there, don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss any of our video tutorials!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little lesson in manly card making! And I hope you’re inspired to create some masculine cards for the men you love!
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