Masculine Monday – Plane and Simple birthday

Good morning! I always like to start the week with a male card and this week I've been inspired by the St Luke's Charity card challenge. This is a monthly challenge set up to raise funds for the St Luke's Hospice in Sheffield - once you've made your card, you send it to the address provided and they are able to sell them. The hospice provides care and support for terminally ill patients and their families and I am proud to participate in such a cause. They cannot have too many cards, so I do hope you'll join in!

The challenge this month is to make a card using a flying theme. Birds, angels, butterflies... there were so many motifs to choose from! But in the end I went with the aeroplane from Plane and Simple to make this bright card:

The acres of cloudy blue sky really pop against the Real Red card stock. To make the clouds I have a mask I made by punching out some different-sized circles and sticking them together so that they look like a caterpillar! You just hold this down and sponge around the curved bits at the top, then move the template to a different angle and sponge again - and so on until you have the effect you want. Here's a closer view:

I stamped the aeroplane onto the sky and added another cut-out one on top for a bit of dimension. There are other details too - like the double line at the bottom and the little stapled tab.

The banner is made with the Modern Label punch - I just trimmed it to shape and sponged it with So Saffron ink before 'tying' it to the plane with a Basic Grey marker.

Here's how to make this card:

• Take an A5 piece of Real Red card stock. Score and fold it in half to make a card base.
• Cut another piece 13.5cm x 9.5cm and stamp the bottom with the double line image using Basic Grey ink. Stick this to the card front using dimensionals.
• Cut a 7.5cm x 13cm piece of Whisper White card stock and sponge with a cloud design using the technique described with the photos above. I used Marina Mist ink for this.
• Stamp a plane in the clouds using Basic Grey ink. Now stamp another onto a piece of scrap card stock and colour it with Marina Mist ink and a blender pen. Cut it out and stick it over the top of the first plane using dimensionals.
• Stamp the sentiment onto a scrap piece of Whisper White card stock. Cut it out using the Modern Label punch. Trim this into a banner shape and sponge with So Saffron ink. Draw two lines representing string coming out of the back of the plane and add dots to the banner where the string would attach. Glue the banner down and add Crystal Effects to the dots.
• Cut a circle of daffodil yellow card stock using a 3/4" circle punch and staple to the edge of the cloud panel. Stick the panel to the card front.

Supplies
Stamps: Plane and Simple
Ink: Basic Grey, Marina Mist, So Saffron
Card stock: Whisper White, Real Red, Daffodil Yellow
Other: Circle punches, a stapler, markers, Crystal Effects

You might have looked at this stamp set and thought it was too specific to be useful, but I can't tell you how much I use this set and for so many different types of card too (like this one, or these, or how about this?!) I don't wish to bore you as I know I've said it before - but the sentiments are brilliant too! As always, I would be delighted to supply you with any of the items you need to make this card. Just send me an email or give me a ring on 01280 820593 and I'll be happy to help.

Oh dear. I have a busy morning ahead trying to put the house to rights after our busy half term so I'm off to do the Dance of the Feather Duster! (I'm just trying to make it sound fun but frankly, it's not convincing anyone is it?!!) See you tomorrow,