Masculine birthday cards for twins - Gentlemen by Tim Holtz

Hello everyone, I'm here with my first inspirational project for the March challenge of the Country View Challenges. The theme is Birthday card for a man and the lovely Corrie is the hostess of this theme.

Well, for the first time this month I would like to show you two birthday cards that I made for twins, Peter and David. Peter's wife asked me to make a card duo for her husband and brother-in-law's 60th birthday, and I think the Gentlemen die set was just perfect for this occasion.

I'm just saying that the cards are huge, exactly A5 size.

So I cut an A4 watercolour paper (300gsm) in half and blended Weathered Wood ink onto the surface.

Then I spritzed with Speckled Egg Distress Oxide Spray ink.

Then I rubbed diluted white paint onto the surface with a piece of sponge. I like this technique, because with this a mute a little the original colour and it is also a great protection for the colours. When it was dry, I cut the panel a little smaller then inked the edges with Hickory Smoke and Frayed Burlap Archival inks. I finished off the background by splattering it with watered gold paint (Glorious Gold).

Now, the balloons. I cut out for balloons with one of the balloon dies form the Celebration die set. And I coloured them green and blue with the following inks. For the blues I used Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean and Blueprint Sketch, for the greens Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn and Rustic Wilderness. I glued the numbers on the balloons and for the numbers I used added the Alphanumeric Label die set. I also added a layer of varnish to the surface. I applied this with a sponge not with a brush, because with brushstrokes I could wipe off the ink from the surface. Just dab the sealing with a sponge gently.

Each gentleman was cut out three times from 300gsm black paper to give them dimension. I glued them together then I added a black paint sealing to the top layer.

For the nameplate, I cut two strips from grey paper, I blended diluted white paint as protection. Then I glued the letters on it. The letters are from the Alphanumeric Label die set too. I inked the edges with Hickory Smoke and Frayed Burlap Archival inks. Then I put a gold paper underneath which frames the name strip nicely.

The stars are from three different die sets: Crescent Moon, Twig&Stump, Swirling Stars.

The bow-ties from the newly released Tailored die set and coloured them with the same ink combinations that I used for the balloons.

There was one thing that was a real challenge in making this card. What should be the string for the balloons? With the original die you can cut a very short string, the balloons wouldn't have reached over the head of the gentlemen. I was a little afraid that a real twine won't stick perfectly. I was thinking about drawing the strings, but then I thought that a flower stalk might be good.  So I looked through all the flower and leaf dies and I found the perfect, the seven leaved die from the Skeleton Leaves set. I just had to cut off the leaves from the stalk.

What I used:

Sizzix Thinlits die, Gentlemen (666286)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Tailored (666289)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Celebrate Colorize (666285)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Alphanumeric Label (664177)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Skeleton Leaves  (663094)

Sizzix Bigz die, Crescent Moon&Stars (658716)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Swirling Stars (663095)

Sizzix Thinlits die, Twig&Stump (666072)

Idea-Ology, Metallic Kraft Stock

Ranger Distress ink (Tumbled Glass, Salty Ocean, Blueprint Sketch, Twisted Citron, Mowed Lawn, Rustic Wilderness, Weathered Wood)

Ranger Distress Archival ink (Hickory Smoke, Frayed Burlap)

Ranger Distress Spray Stain (Speckled Egg Oxide)

etc.

So if you made a masculine card, please don't hesitate to join our March challenge where a randomly selected winner can have a £20 voucher in the Country View Craft Shop! Good luck!