Masculine Monday - using Lovely as a Tree

Good morning! Welcome to Masculine Monday, my weekly series of cards suitable for male people! I'm using Lovely as a Tree today - a stamp set I often reach for when making masculine cards. My starting point this week was the wonderful Less is More challenge site which, this week, is asking for one-layer cards with an off-the-edge stamped image.

Here's my take on it:

This is such a simple card with no bells or whistles - the beautiful tree image really speaks for itself! IThe trees are heat-embossed with clear embossing powder which makes the image waterproof and means you can sponge and water-colour over it without smudging the ink.

I added a touch of delicate colour with a sponge and finished the card with doodled birds. This card is for my father's birthday but it would be just as suitable for all sorts of occasions.

Here's how to make this card:

• Take an A5 piece of Whisper White card stock and score and fold in half to make a card base.
• Tap the tree image first into versamark ink, then straight into Early Espresso ink, and stamp slightly off the card front. Sprinkle with clear embossing powder and heat with the heat tool until the image turns shiny.
• Stamp the tree image again on a piece of scrap paper and cut it in half along the horizon to make a mask. Add ink with a sponge to colour the sky and the grass using the mask to make a neat finish. 
• Add spring leaf buds using Certainly celery ink and an aqua painter
• Doodle a couple of birds in the sky with the thin end of a Basic Grey marker.
• Use a stamp-a-majig to stamp a sentiment.

Supplies
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, retired sentiment stamp
Ink: Certainly Celery, Early Espresso, Bashful Blue, versamark
Card stock: Whisper White
Other: Clear embossing powder, Basic Grey marker

Well, some of you may be wondering if I have been having fun with the contents of the large box I was pictured with on Friday's post but the answer is no, not yet! The fact is that my youngest son turned 10 this weekend and, no matter how exciting that box is, some things take precedence! (Which reminds me of that Bill Shankley quote about football, which we can apply to our passion: some people think crafting is a matter of life and death. I assure you it's much more serious than that!) So we enjoyed a weekend of celebratory meals, present-opening ceremonies, cake-baking, fabulous spy parties... and  are all quite exhausted! Hope you all had a great weekend and are ready for the week ahead.

I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who spares the time to come and visit me here and especially those that follow my blog, leave me comments and send me emails. I appreciate every single one and very much enjoy visiting your blogs and responding to your comments.

I have loads more projects to show you this week.  Hope to see you tomorrow for more crafting fun!