Leather Deer Card

This is one of my favorite techniques for a 'man' card, Faux Leather. It's very easy, and looks great. You just cover a piece of neutral cardstock with small pieces of masking tape, then press dark colored stamp pads directly over the tape. Do this with several different colors, wiping the extra away as you go. Once you have the color you like, pour Clear Embossing Powder over the tape (the EP sticks to the texture of the tape, no VersaMark needed), and heat set the powder. Then just decorate your card front, and you have a fantastic card for the men in your life. Also, you could do a pink and black card for a teenager, with hot pink leather! I used Not Quite Navy, Close to Cocoa, and Very Vanilla on this card, the middle image is on dimensionals, and SU Vintage Brads in each corner. Hope you all like it!

Embrace Life Card

This is one of my recent favorites. Sometimes I tend to lose sight of how nice a simple, clean card can look. This one is Chocolate Chip, Mellow Moss, and Very Vanilla. I used a corner rounder on the top left and bottom right of all layers of this card. (You can't tell on the CC layer as much as I scanned this and the black is in the corner.) The Mellow Moss piece in the center is popped up on dimensionals, and IRL has a lot of depth. The technique for the middle is spotlighting. You stamp the same image on two pieces of paper. One is for your card, the other you punch out a circle (1 1/4) and color the image in. Place that circle on a dark circle (1 3/8) and place on main image where it lines up. I finished by tying some Mellow Moss Ribbon around the middle, and adding some Antique Brass HPH on the ribbon. Stamp set is Embrace Life. Hope you like it!

July Swap Card -- Criss Cross

This is one of my favorite card folds, the Criss Cross Card! Supplies needed to make it:

* One sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 CS cut in two pieces 4 1/4x11(Elegant Eggplant here)

* One 4x5 piece of Designer Series Paper (here So Saffron DSP) cut in 1/2 diagonally.

* One piece of 3 3/4 x 5 CS (here Old Olive) for back of insert.

* One piece of 3 1/2 x 4 3/4 CS (here Very Vanilla) for insert.

* One 1 1/2 x 12 strip of CS for band (here Old Olive), I use 11" and glue together under my embellishment. I don't always keep 12x12 on hand, so this is a great shortcut!

* Scraps of CS in the colors you use for punches, ect.

* Ink, stamp sets of your choice (Here Fresh Cuts and Friendship Blooms), adhesive, ribbon (opt), Corner Rounder, and embellishments (brads, etc).

1. Score your 2 pieces of 4 1/4 x 11 CS at 5 1/2".

2. Cut one piece and cut it diagonally from top of score to bottom left corner.

3. Cut the second piece from top of score to bottom right corner.

4.On the back of ONE of these pieces, generously apply your adhesive.

5. Line pieces up, with glued piece in the front, make sure both flap pieces are down, the entire bottom should be a straight piece. Press together.

6.Take the DSP that you cut in 1/2 diagonally and adhere one piece to each flap of the card.

7. Add a strong adhesive (I use Sticky Strip) on the bottom of the middle panel, fold one of your 'traingles' in to begin to form the card.

8. Add more strong adhesive to the bottom edge of the 'triangle' piece that will be your front flap, press down, now you have the Criss Cross part done!

9.Take your CS pieces for the insert, and using a corner rounder, punch the top corners of both pieces.

10. Stamp your images on the top portion of the neutral CS, when finished, glue neutral CS to your color piece, leaving a little bit of the bottom CS showing.

11. Add a tab (Round Tab used here) to pull the insert out, and add your other embellishments as desired.

12. Take your long, 1 1/2 CS and fold over card to make your belly band, attach with adhesive.

13. Use punches (here 5 Petal Punch, Scallop) to decorate the front of your band, and wrap the band with ribbon if desired.

14. Done!

***I use the directions based on the tutorial from splitcoaststampers, these are my words, however, I use the basic directions provided on this site. My directions are changed to explain exactly how I made the card pictured.

I hope you all enjoy seeing this card, and learning how to make one on your own! Feel free to leave comments or questions.