Thursday, May 12, 2011

The "Not So Macho Masculine" Card Blog Hop

Welcome to the Sparkle N Sprinkle "Not So Macho Masculine" Card Blog Hop.  If you are anything like me, meaning you cringe every time you have to make a masculine card, then you are in for a treat this month!  This month all the sports, vehicles and school stamp sets are on sale, just in time for Father's Day creations.  If you got here by way of the SNS Home Page then you are heading for a field goal!  If you came directly to me, go back to home plate here at SNS to get all the information you need to be eligible to win a stamp set of your choice and 13 different designer choice goodies!

Throughout my life, I've always been surrounded with sports. Actually, I can't think of many that I haven't tried (well OK. I don't do skydiving, but then I really don't think that should be considered a sport - more like a suicide aid!!).  I grew up with three brothers; enough said!  My Dad is a very keen and reasonably proficient (I would say) golfer.  I met my hubby playing coed softball and my 11 year old is not happy unless there is some kind of sport ball at his finger-tips or toes!  So for me, when I heard masculine theme, I just had to go with Sports.

So for the SNS masculine Blog Hop I decided to highlight Set 257 - Baseball and Basketball.  I have a soon-to-be 11 year old, (next Monday, actually) and his birthday present is going to be a basketball hoop!  Hopefully he'll like the card too!  So, here is my first card, Slam Dunk!

When my hubby and I met, I was the pitcher on the team!  So, I think I'll strike him out again!  Here is my Father's Day card.  For this one I used three of my favorite Sparkle N Softs!  I used Irish Sparkle (for the grass), Blissful Blue (for the sky) and Sparkling Sands (of course for the mound).  Just stick a piece of Tear-ific Tape down and apply the different Sparkle N Softs and you have an instant background!  My personal give-away to add to the Grand Prize today is Irish Sparkle.  Remember to leave a comment at the bottom of each of the blogs and at the home blog to increase your chances of winning!


And for my final card, I thought to incorporate one of SNS's new avenues!  Lately, Sparkle N Sprinkle has been attending Scrapbooking Conventions, so we've been giving a lot more thought to how to incorporate our products in the Scrapbooking World!  Our designers have been been busy showing some fun things to do with photographs, using our embossing powders, glitters and lately, the Copic markers.

I personally love to play with our Embossable Acetate, and that is what I have used in the creation of my final card for you today.  I call it "embossing painting".  You paint the embossable acetate with a Versamarker pen and then "color in" with an Opaque embossing powder.  Layer it over a black and white photograph - e voila!  Click here for complete instructions for this card.







I hope you have enjoyed seeing my projects!  Don't forget - leave a comment here (to increase your chances of winning) and then slide on over to Eleanor to see what she has in the second inning for you!

61 comments:

  1. Shona, your cards are amazing with the techniques and coloring choices used! And your write up is wonderful!

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  2. Those are a great idea. Men are so hard to make cards for. Thanks for the idea.

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  3. what an absolutely cool idea with the acetate! Who wouldn't love all these cards!

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  4. These are just fantastic, Shona~ I love the background on the first BB card, and the SNSoft colors on the next one and the acetate is brilliant. Terrific cards~!

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  5. Thanks for making great cards for the blog hop, Shona!

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  6. My son, Ethan, LOVE basketball and would absolutely love both of those basketball cards. The idea of using the black & white photo in the background of that last card was brilliant! Great job!

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  7. Great cards, Shona. I love what you did with all four cards, especially using the photo for the background.

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  8. Great cards Shona...I always love your creativity with them....love the background to the first basketball card.

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  9. Your cards are fantastic Shona...I have so many MEN in my life...with my husband and 4 sons between us. (That is a lot of sports stuff) and these cards are perfect.

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  10. Shona, the first card with the "Net" background is simply GENIUS!!! I so love that.

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  11. Great sporting cards for the men in our lives Shona.

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  12. Very cute! I love these cards- cute blog hop idea, esp right before Dad's day- my fav design is the first "slam dunk" one :)

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  13. Terrific sports cards, Shona! So creative and fun. Just perfect for those sporty guys.

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  14. Love the scrapbook idea! Great sports cards

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  15. A masculine hop is just the ticket for me as I am still debating what to do for Father's Day cards for hubby and the son and son-in-law. I love what you have done with the sports set. Really neat.

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  16. I absolutely love these cards ... I have great difficulty connecting to my 'inner man' when making masculine cards. Especially love the technique used in the last one w/black & white photo. Terrific!

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  17. Shona, I love the last card especially -- great idea for the embossed acetate. I definitely have to try that technique. I love the ideas you've shown us and will be working on Father's Day cards this upcoming weekend. I appreciate the inspiration!

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  18. your cards are so amazing!! you put so much efford into each one of them, each one is so different with your distinct techniques. Creating a card for a man is so difficult and yet you make it look so easy!
    Alice Weissman

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  19. great set of cards - love the different look of each!

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  20. Shona, what a coincidence to see your cards...we just came back from Scotland, looked for stampin' shops but too busy checking out Lock Ness and several other historical places...your cards are very unique. Are those stones under your "pitching card"? Will check out your site to see what other clever ideas you have.

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  21. Love the sports theme - it fits so well with several of the men in my life. I'm especially intrigued by the embossable acetate. Hmmmmm! Might have to check into that.

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  22. I love the look of the "embossing painting". That's a really cool technique!
    Frann

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  23. The basketball hoop is my favorite of your designs, Shona! How innovative you are! Thanks for the wonderful cards.

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  24. Love the embossed painting and also the netting on the second basketball card. You rock! Brenda

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  25. I particularly like how you used the three Sparkle 'N' Soft colors on your Father's Day card. I also like how you made the baseball player look like a silhouette.

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  26. I am very interested in your acetate technique. I have tried embossing on acetate before but the acetate always seems to warp. Maybe I am getting too close with the heat gun, huh? Sure does work for you! Now I am going to have to give it another try. Thanks for the inspiration.
    Chrisdindy@comcast.net

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  27. Love all the cards - but really like the Dad baseball -- the sky and grass are amazing!

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  28. The cards are all great, but my fave is the embossed acetate. I've never tried that technique and it interests me!

    Lisa

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  29. Beautiful cards! The are so "masculine", which is very hard to do. The last one is my favorite, and I would love to master that acetate embossing technique. good job!

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  30. Love the "painting" technique, now I am looking for old photos to use!

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  31. You have created some beautiful cards - I am very impressed. I really like the basketball techniques. I haven't used flocking yet, but am definitely going to try. I have 2 grandsons who are huge basketball nuts, so am going to have to get that set of stamps and try your techniques. Thanks for inspiring me to try something new.

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  32. You have created 3 fabulous masculine cards. Love them all but the embossing painting really has caught my eye.

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  33. Great cards! Love the technique you used with the second basketball card.

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  34. Embossing painting--how cool! Love your cards.

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  35. Wonderful cards, but really like the embossing painting too!

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  36. Love that idea on the last card. Too fun All of these images are fun. Thanks for the great samples.

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  37. Oh Wow, I absolutely Love the one layered on the black & white photo!!!
    I'm not sure I understand the embossable acetate technique, but this turned out just FAB!

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  38. Your embossing technique is fabulous and will give this a shot. Love all the cards.

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  39. Thanks for some new ideas. I'm going to try the acetate embossing technique today!

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  40. Loved all your cards but the embossed acetate really peaked my interest. Great look.

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  41. I love the way the black and white photo contrasts with the yellow paper and brads. The player looks like he'll jump off the card!

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  42. Wonderful unique effect with embossable acetate.

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  43. Wow - you have something neat going on on every card! Basketball net background on the first-SparklenSoft & white embossing pops on the second-embossing painting on acetate with the picture on the third. What's not to like - really neat ideas Shona!

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  44. Love your ideas!!! The black/white picture card with the stamp is a great idea!!! Just love all the glitter on the baseball card. Thanks so much for such cool ideas.

    Belinda Shupe

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  45. Hi Shona,
    I loved the way you used the Sparkle N Soft products on the second card, very inventive. I also thought the netting background for the first card really made the basketball player stand out.

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  46. Really liked the one with the netting for the background. Great isea.
    Pat

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  47. All of these are great! I love the netting look behind the first one and the real picture behind the last one. What great ideas!

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  48. I love the cool background on the first card. Thanks for the great ideas.

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  49. I liked the first card the most. I love Baseball, but I really liked the whole look of the Basketball technique. All of your cards are great. Thanks for the great ideas. Charlene

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  50. I too have a very athletic family, so I really like the #257 stamp set. But your card closest to my heart is the b/w bball court. I love photography and can already visualize using my SNS stamps on my own black & white photos. Thanks for sharing this terrific idea!

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  51. Oh Wow! I am so in love with the acetate "painting" technique. Embossing is my favorite way to embellish, so it looks like I need to find that acetate on the SNS website. More goodies! THanks for sharing all your great designs. I feel a project coming on!

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  52. Shona I need to try the "embossing painting". I love that background. Wonderful cards.

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  53. Love that last card, what a very clever idea!!

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  54. The final card in the series is a stroke of genius! Too cool!

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  55. Fantastic cards. I especially enjoyed the 3rd card. It might be fun to use a favorite high school, college or professional team as a backdrop. Thank you so much for sharing!

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  56. Love the card. Met Shona at the Expo yesterday and she told me about this great site and the blogs....love

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  57. I love the cards! I always need man card ideas! I like the different techniques you used. Great Job!

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  59. Your cards are fantastic Shona...I have so many MEN in my life...with my husband and 4 sons between us. (That is a lot of sports stuff) and these cards are perfect.

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Thanks so much for stopping by and letting me share in part of your day. I would love to hear what you think about my latest creation!