Hidden thanks

12 Feb 2017 4 Comments

by Helen in Cards, Masculine, Thank you

This is a thank you card for a colleague using the colours from Color Throwdown  #429 and Anita’s inspiration card from Muse #202

Here it is:

Using my treasured watercolours, orange and teal blue inks from Hobbycraft (I think I need a newer version of that teal, it’s faded to nearer aqua!), Kanban black pearls, Sheena Douglas Geared Up stamps. I think if I’m going to do this technique again I need to get dies or my old Craft Robo going: using stamps as a template and hand cutting is a bit too naive looking.

Once again we wave,
Thanking you for your good work:
“Au revoir” not “bye”.

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Grumpy numbers…

12 Feb 2017 2 Comments

by Helen in Birthday, Cards, CAS, Masculine

This is a contribution to one of my favourite challenges, The Male Room. One can never have too many male cards.  I often need birthday cards for men, so always need ideas.  This week’s The Male Room challenge is:

…and this is what I came up with. It’s not completely original as there are lots of “loading” jokes around the Internet, but this is my take on it.

Apologies for the dark photo – it’s pretty dark and rainy here.

We haven’t decided whether to give it to its intended recipient. Most people think it’s hilarious but he might not… What do you think?

An explanation in haiku:

 

Looking at the world
Through grumpy young eyes, as if
Spiderwebs obscure

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Nautical birthday

22 Jan 2017 6 Comments

by Helen in Birthday, Cards, Masculine Tags:

A relative’s birthday is coming up and he loves boats, so I was intrigued to try a new technique (to me) from Cardz4Guyz – triple matting. I needed a new idea for a nautical card and I realise it’s not very original to use nautical stamps for this challenge, but I was pleased that I’ll have something different to send this year.

three mat ship birthday

Entered in Cards4Guyz #153 Triple Mat Technique

The sea absorbs drops
My tears vanish on the tide
Emotions washed clean

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Argon winner

02 Dec 2016 Comments Off on Argon winner

by Helen in Cards, Masculine

Really delighted my Argon card won The Male Room Science Challenge  

It’s so nice that there are other science nerds out there – and shows that you can be scientific and creative (of course scientists are creative as well as methodical – it’s how all those discoveries are made!).

I even got scientific with the design, getting out my compass to create the circles for the atom image 🙂  Which is a great discovery because I’ll use that again, so thanks again to The Male Room for this challenge (and for choosing mine as the winner).  (It’s also a little ironic that we have more female scientists than male scientists in this family!)

The Male Room Winner  science card

Science humour

21 Nov 2016 4 Comments

by Helen in Cards, CAS, Masculine Tags:

I have scientists in the family. So a science card is bound to find a home.  I’ve been commissioned to create cards for scientists too, for a doctor marrying a computer scientist, and for a mitochondrial researcher (a graphical representation of mitochondria makes a great zentangle). Mostly biology related science, but today’s card is more chemistry. I asked the science teacher in the family for a joke…

science card

Difficult to do a haiku for this one… but best to adapt the text really!

I wanted to tell
you a great science joke but
the best jokes argon

Entering this one for The Male Room challenge #48

Out of this world

06 Sep 2016 3 Comments

by Helen in Cards, CAS, Masculine, teen

Maybe a boy (or girl for that matter) would enjoy this one!

I don’t have a pink in my watercolour set so I experimented with colours, and when I looked at the result it reminded me of galaxies (or maybe that was just because it’s Star Trek’s 50th birthday and that was on my mind!) The stamp set was free with a magazine, and the planets I doodled myself.

I’m entering this one in the Stamplorations CAS Card challenge for September.

Stamplorations CAS card challenge - pink

I love their mixed media inspiration but CAS is more my style!

I’m also entering Craft Stamper’s Take it, make it “Take a stamp” challenge: Anything Goes

We too boldly go
Experimenting in art:
Aim out of this world…

Flying high

04 Sep 2016 8 Comments

by Helen in Birthday, Cards, CAS, Masculine

I have been trying hard to come up with cards that can be used for boys and men. There are so many easy motifs suitable for women (flowers!), but not so many for males.

This card uses some of the same watercoloured background I used in the Squaring Up card, but in a very different context.

happy birthday kite

I’m entering this in Muse #181 challenge as it’s inspired by Sarah Platt’s stunning card:

Sarah Platt - Razzle Dazzle Crafts - for Muse #181

and also Seize the Birthday (Anything Goes Birthday) 

(edited to add the link – not sure where that went!)

And here’s the haiku:

Are you leaving us?
Fly on: your adventure is
elsewhere. Cut your string.

Sorry you’re leaving

23 Jun 2016 Comments Off on Sorry you’re leaving

by Helen in Cards, CAS, Leaving, Masculine Tags: ,

I need a leaving card for a chap at work.  Tried one yesterday and you know how sometimes the muse just doesn’t come? I ended up with something that looked like a 5 year old had done it. In fact most five year olds could do a lot better. Just didn’t work!

So today I had another go and came up with three. Here’s my favourite.  Watercoloured with post-it masking and Heidi Swapp clock stamps.  I’ve been wanting to try the grey and yellow combination for a while.

Where you’re going to:
Not greener on the other side
but don’t be blue

Hearts mew

11 Jun 2016 Comments Off on Hearts mew

by Helen in Cards, Love, Masculine

I went to a communication workshop at work and they got us to pair up and then try to sell something – a skill or item of our own – to the other person. I sold my card making skills 🙂  I was so successful that my colleague actually did commission and pay for the card (the fee was donated to charity). A card for her cat loving husband: created with hand drawing and fussy cutting, black paint and chalk, and a few glitter stars.

Harvest moon rises
Creeps cat-like through quiet sky
I think you’re purr-fect

Dalek Birthday card

08 Nov 2015 Comments Off on Dalek Birthday card

For a geek Dr Who lover (not necessarily the same thing!) on a special birthday. The dalek is a stencil sold by Lakeland last year intended for cakes I think. Tried to make the bling reflect the design of a dalek…

Time goes by and still
I enjoy your good friendship:
sharing fun and likes.

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Image by Helen

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