Coloring and Cutting: Little Boy Cards

I've been so wrapped up in the joy of creating floral cards...

I haven't given a lot of thought to creating cards for boys...

I can't say that my "little boy stamp" collection is huge....

but I did have more than enough choose from.

I tossed around the idea of a sports themed card...

But then saw this Penny Black "cars" stamp set 

and thought...

That's it!

I was also in the mood to do come alcohol maker coloring...

so I got out my Spectrum Noir markers...

some ink, for stamping...

I stamped out a few images..

colored them...

let the Scan N Cut do the cutting...

picked out some cute bright prints...

got out a few dies...

a few punches

some twine...

got to work...

and this is what I wound up with.

  

Card making friends...

There's lots to tell you about this card.

But I won't (aka "can't") tell you who makes the prints...

because I didn't pay attention to the paper pad...

and therefore...

I have no clue!

I can, however, tell you that the car is one of the great stamps in the Penny Black "Cars" stamp set...

The detail at the top of the chevron print tag was created with a Stampin Up tag topper punch.

I handcut the underlaying dark blue tag layer (no die or punch involved) and the sentiment banner..

and then hand cut the tails on each of the tag pieces and the sentiment banner.

I didn't want to add ribbon to the tag...

(too girly for a boys card, I thought)

And none of my twine was thrilling me for this tag...

but the tag did need "something"...

so...

I created my own "ribbon" from  the same print paper used for the punched out circle on the tag front.

The car was a bit lost against the striped background...

So I hand cut a green rolling hill from another sheet of paper from the same paper pad

(whose name is unknown.....thanks to me not paying attention)

That green "hill" was the perfect background for the car.

Red card stock seemed like the way to go for a base mat...

and a crisp white card also seemed like the way to go...

to keep everything bright...and clean looking.

(which always makes me happy!)

The Happy Birthday sentiment is also from the stamp set...

and...

as always...

an up-close and personal shot..

so you can see the details...

You've heard me say...

(countless times)

That I am a very CAS kinda card making girl 

(Clean And Simple)

I like my cards neat....and tidy...and not overrun with embellishments and do-dads.

even though I love and appreciate cards with lots of embellishments and do-dads...

when created by others.

This being said...

all of these prints and shapes and layers??

Well...

They're a bit beyond my usual creative repertoire.

However..creativity is all about exploring...

trying...

experimenting...

and being a bit daring...

having an idea dance through your head...or being inspired by the unusual..

and then...

being willing to take the risk at either not being pleased in the end...

or to stand back and smile at what you've come up with....

something that surprises even yourself!

This was one of those smiley surprises for me.

and so... 

me and my smile and my uncharacteristic assortment of print paper...

(of an unknown origin)

remained seated at the studio worktable...

and...

I created another card.....similar...yet different)

Wanna see?

Not as busy as the first card..

fewer prints...

fewer shapes...

cute..

but not girly cute

(party banners do not constitute girly-cute...just sayin')

Now I have a few little-boy-cards on hand...

I need to be attentive to that...

(not having little kid cards on hand often)

This was a fun pair of cards to create...

I ventured beyond my usual style..

I got in some coloring time (aka improving my skills) with alcohol markers...

I stepped away from the flowers and water coloring for a little bit

added two boyish cards to my stash...

used a few punches

(a rare event in the wake of the popularity of wafer thin and wire dies these days)

I used up some prints

(origin unknown!)

(*so now I only have 87,435 sheets of prints...

as opposed to the 87,438 that I had prior to creating these cards)

All of this added together  =  card making success!

(oh...almost forgot....here's the close-up)

Thanks for visiting...

Michelle.

Card loving friends...you can find these cards at The Bellissima Card Shop as today's new additions.

Card making friends...there's not much of a supply list...I've noted the name of the stamp set in the blog post...we have already established that I don't know who makes the prints (yikes).....coloring was done with Spectrum Noir Alcohol markers.... the base card is PTI card stock..the red mat is Stampin Up card stock....punches are also mentioned in the blog post..(Stampin Up Tag Topper..and Stampin Up circle punch)...and that's about it...that's everything!