My Hubby Made His First Card!!!

Yes folks, you read that right! Dean got krafty this week to participate in the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps challenge...introducing our "Krafty Dudes"! Our challenge this week??? Get a "dude" you know to make a card using a Kraftin' Kimmie Stamp!!! (how much fun is that?? lol)

This week over on the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps blog, you will see cards by the newest members of our design team, hehe. We all enlisted a guy we know to make a card using one of Kimmie's stamps! Honestly, we've been kind of joking about this idea for quite some time, but with this month's release of "dude" stamps, we thought it would be the perfect time to let some guys in on the fun! These men are such good sports, and they've done a great job on their projects!

So, I am now turning the keyboard over to Dean so he can give you the details on his card!!

Well, I guess after a year or so, watching my wife make cards, I thought I'd give it a try. I'm actually not a terribly creative person visually, which is why I don't attempt visual ( other than photography ) art. I looked at some of Melanie's cards to get some ideas. So here I was with a few choices of stamps from Kraftin' Kimmie and I chose this guy ( Shovelling Miles...uh...almost an unintentional double entendre ) because of the attitude on his face. Really, he's the exact opposite of me. I LOVE winter, and I LOVE snow, including shovelling it...well from my driveway anyways. This is why, despite our recent winter storm, I have the cleanest driveway in town. Bone dry, down to the cement!

Back to the card. I don't know all the technical jargon, so pardon my ignorance. Melanie gave me a quick tutorial on shading, so I used two to three related colour shades, using Copic markers, to provide some depth to the image. I wanted Miles to be colourful, yet matching the colours on the paper I chose. Personally, I wasn't fond of most of the papers and found the card layout to be more intimidating than the colouring. I felt like his expression begged for a story, which could be accomplished with a picture. I looked through my own images, but wasn't satisfied with the composition of any of them to use with Miles. So to Google images I went and found this picture. I think, ironically, it was taken recently from the storm in London last week. I cropped the image to a more panoramic composition and calculated the proper size to fit on the card ( 4"x6" ). The use of a picture was intentional to incorporate my visual artistic passion, being photography. I also had no idea how to fill the card with out it looking stupid.

I originally selected a paper with candy canes on it, but discarded that, and only used this paper with snowflakes and Christmas Trees. I layered accent colours for both the main border paper and for the photo itself. I then thought it would be neat to raise the stamped image off the paper with these little cushion sticky thingies...they work pretty good. Given that it was a cartoonish coloured image on a photograph, it seemed fitting to physically separate it further. I was momentarily stuck on the sentiment, and wanted to make use of Miles apparent disdain for the situation at hand. And then this sentiment came to mind. I wanted a thought bubble, but due to time constraints, I used Mel's CuttleBug and cut out this oval and embossed it for the sentiment. I also raised it using the sticky thingies. Most people where we live would agree with the statement on this card. I, however, do not. So this card is really going out for all you anti-winter, summer lovers.

Really, I couldn't have done this without Mel's guidance. I wouldn't have even known where to start. Thanks babe!

Please enjoy!

I want to say a big thanks to Dean and all the other Krafty Dudes who played along this week! Dean is a pretty creative guy...both with photography and music, so it was fun to see him branch out into a new creative outlet. He cracked me right up when he told me what sentiment he had come up with for this Miles stamp...a little cheeky, but oh so funny!! I also giggled a bit when he asked me for those "cushion sticky thingies" (stampers, we know them as "pop dots", hehe) to pop Miles up from the background!

Ok...you and your dudes have lots of time to play along in this challenge because we are taking a short break for the Christmas holidays. Our first challenge of 2011 will be on January 8th, so that's plenty of time to convince your guys to get krafty! Just link up his creation at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog, and the two of you just may be the lucky winners of this week's prize...Clint The Cowboy!

While you are at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Blog, make sure to check out the krafty work by the rest of our Dudes...and please hop around to leave them some love!! These guys rock, and we want to express our appreciation for their willingness to participate in this hobby that we all love so much. Thanks guys!!!

Just a reminder that today is your last chance to take advantage of the Kustomer Appreciation Special over at the Kraftin' Kimmie Stamps Shop! Also, the store will be closed from December 23rd to December 27th and again from December 30th to January 4th.

Blessings,

Melanie (and Dean!)