Crystal Komara
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Dad's Day by Picket Fence Studios

1/22/2021

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Last November when I knew that I was going to start creating more masculine themed cards this month, I went on a bit of a shopping spree.  Okay, it was more like a $140 shopping spree. . . This Dad's Day stamp set by Picket Fence Studios was one that piqued my interest with it's giant burger.  I love a stamp that is unique and not like everything else on the market and this stamp does just that.  
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I like to show you multiple ways to use one stamp set, so here is a look at two other cards I created using the Pink & Main Dad's Day stamp:
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This was a fun stamp set to use for masculine cards, but now I am officially hungry and craving Five Guys!

XO, Crystal 

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Special and Kind

1/20/2021

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Today I am taking a break from sharing #manuarycards and sharing this slimline card featuring the Special and Kind stamp set from 88 and Clear.  I have really enjoyed creating slimline cards (those that measure 8 1/2" x 3 1/2") because I feel as though the larger dimensions allow more space to create on!  Have you tried making a slimline card yet?  
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Card details: 

The base of this slimline card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I cut a 8 1/4" x 3 1/4" piece of green and black plaid paper for the first matted layer.  Because the "Special and Kind" stamp set is a digital stamp, I printed out the images (at 100%) on Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  I colored in the images of sunflowers and leaves with Copic markers.  I used my Brother Scan and Cut 2 machine to electronically cut the images.  I adhered the flowers to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimesion.  Lastly, I added a coat of Clear Wink of Stella to all the flowers and leaves for added sparkle.  
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I hope you have enjoyed this slimline floral card.  Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal 

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D-A-D

1/18/2021

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Could the theme of today's #manuarycards be any more obvious? : )  The large letter dies that I own are, in fact, quite large, and really wouldn't allow me to fit any more letters onto one card, so no "Grandpa, Uncle or Brother."  A simple plaid "dad" card it is!  But, if you have smaller letter dies, you could create similar cards, but have more variety in the words. 
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Card details: 

*Please note all of these cards were made the same way, I simply used alternating color combinations. 

The base of these A2 sized cards are made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  Using the Gina Marie Stitched Rectangle dies, I cut a piece of white cardstock.  Then I die cut the letters "DAD" on the stitched white rectangle.  I lined the back of the letter cutouts with a piece of plaid cardstock (in red, blue or green).  I adhered the white cardstock onto a coordinating color mat before adhering both pieces to a white cardstock base.  On thin strips of coordinating cardstock, I stamped various sentiments in Versamark ink and heat embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder. I notched the ends of both sentiments before adhering them over the word "dad" with 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  
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I mentioned earlier this month, when I began creating more masculine cards, that I found a black, gold and white color combination was an easy way to achieve a masculine look, so I also recreated these cards using those three colors:
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Do you have a preference for one look versus the other? 
Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal 

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Rainbow Tux

1/15/2021

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On Wednesday I shared my first card using this fun tuxedo stamp from Brutus Monroe.  Today I am sharing another very unique way to use this same stamp set!  Now, this card is a bit on the wild and colorful side, so it really needs to be mailed to a very wild and colorful kinda guy!
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Card details: 

The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.  On a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of Yupo paper, I created a background using alcohol inks in a variety of rainbow colors in a diagonal pattern.  I then added splatters of alcohol to create the white dots.  Once this background dried, I then used a bowtie stencil overlay and smooshed Versamark ink through the stencil.  I heat embossed the bowties using black embossing powder.  Once this cooled, I adhered the Yupo paper directly to a black cardstock mat before adhering both pieces to the white card base.  I stamped the tuxedo and sentiment in Versamark ink on black cardstock and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  I fussy cut both the tuxedo and sentiment out and adhered each to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  
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I love that this card is so out of the box for me!  In fact, I have a tiger stripe stencil and I think I just might need to create the same background with tiger stripes in lieu of bowties for an even wilder look! 

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative weekend!

XO, Crystal 

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Tux by Brutus Monroe

1/13/2021

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Hello friends and happy Wednesday!  Today I am sharing more elegant masculine themed cards featuring the Tux stamp set from Brutus Monroe.  I absolutely love this stamp set and think that it could be used for a wide variety of occasions!  If you are looking for a really classic and timeless stamp set to add to your collection for future masculine themed cards, I'd highly recommend this one. 
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Card details: 

The base of this A2 sized card is made from black cardstock.  Using the Diagonal Stripes with Window die from Pinkfresh Studio, I cut the background frame from black cardstock.  I placed a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of light gray cardstock behind the frame.  Using the Gilded Holiday paper pack from Whimsy Stamps, I cut a piece of the gold and black polka dot paper to fit inside the window.   I stamped the tuxedo in Versamark ink on black cardstock and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  I fussy cut the tuxedo out and adhered it to the left side of the card using 3M foam adhesive.  I stamped the sentiment "you're a classic" using the You're A Classic stamp set and coordinating dies from Honey Bee Stamps in Memento Black ink on white cardstock.  I used the coordinating die to cut the sentiment out.  I adhered the sentiment to the card using 3M foam adhesive.  Lastly, I added a couple white sequins randomly to the card for texture.  
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Here is the second tuxedo card I created using the same Brutus Monroe stamp set:
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Card details: 

The base of this A2 sized card is made from black cardstock.  For the first mat, I used a piece of paper from the Gilded Holiday paper pack from Whimsy Stamps.  I adhered this black, gold and white striped paper directly to the card base.  I cut a 4 " x 3" piece of black cardstock and stamped polka dots over it in Versamark ink.  I heat embossed the polka dots with black embossing powder to give it a subtle shine and pattern.  I adhered the black rectangle to the center of the card at a slight angle.  I stamped the tuxedo in Versamark ink on white cardstock and heat embossed it with gold embossing powder.  I fussy cut the tuxedo out and adhered it to the right side of the card using 3M foam adhesive.  I stamped the words "happy birthday" in Memento Tuxedo Black ink on white cardstock.  I used the coordinating die to die cut the sentiment out and adhered it to the card using foam adhesive.  Lastly, I added a couple gold sequins to the card for added dimension and sparkle.  
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Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal 

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More #manuary

1/12/2021

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Today I am continuing on with the #manuarycards and sharing a simple, but elegant golf themed masculine card.  For this card, I used the Golf stamp set by The Frantic Stamper.   Last week I shared these birthday cards also featuring a black, gold and white color palette, which I have found works well for a wide variety of masculine cards.  
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Card details: 

The base of this A2 sized card is made from Neenah Solar White Smoothcardstock.  I cut a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of black cardstock and a 5" x 3 3/4" piece of brushed gold patterned cardstock.  I layered and staggered the black and gold cardstock to the font of the card.  On thin strips of black cardstock, I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  I also stamped the golf clubs in Versamark ink on black cardstock and heat embossed it with white embossing powder.  I adhered both the golf club and sentiment strips to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.  
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I hope you have enjoyed today's card.  Thank you for visiting!

XO, Crystal 

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Kinsley Heart Plate by Birch Press Design

1/11/2021

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Hello crafty friends and welcome back from the weekend!  Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing a beautiful Valentine's Day card featuring the latest new release products.  The focal point of this pink ombre card is the ink blended background peeking through the new Kinsley Heart Layering Plate. ​
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Card details: 

On a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Bristol smooth cardstock I ink blended Distress Oxide inks in the colors Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick and Candied Apple. I began with the lightest color (Spun Sugar) at the top of the cardstock and the richest color (Candied Apple) at the bottom. ​
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Using 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Crest cardstock, I die cut the top layer (Layer A) from the Kinsley Heart Plate. ​
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I placed this intricate heart layer directly over the ombre background adhering it with LineCo ph neutral bookbinding glue (my go-to liquid adhesive). ​
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Using the Lingo Thanks stamp set, I stamped the word "love" in Versamark ink on ballet pink cardstock and heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I used the coordinating Lingo Thanks die set to cut it out.  I also stamped the sentiment "you're in my heart" in Versamark ink on fuschia pink cardstock and heat embossed it with white embossing powder as well. I die cut one large white heart to serve as the center focal point of the card. I adhered the sentiments to the lower right corner of the heart using 3M foam adhesive. Lastly, I adhered a few iridescent sequins with glue dots to the card for added dimension and sparkle. ​
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I really like how this card came out and I think I'll recreate it in a few additional colors and send them out as MY Valentine's Day cards this year!  

XO, Crystal 

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More #manuarycards

1/8/2021

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Hello readers and happy Friday!  I'm not sure if you have noticed or not yet, but with the start of this new year, I have decided to only blog three days per week (most likely it will be on Monday, Wednesday and Friday).  For the past few years I have typically blogged five days per week, but in all honesty, the burnout was real and I was feeling exhausted near the end of last year.  My creativity had suffered and I have been determined to bring back the joy in cardmaking again.  So, my New Year's resolution was to spend less time on the computer and more time in my craft room! 
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Card details:  

Both of these A2 sized cards have a black cardstock base.  I matted the first layer with a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of 80 lb. Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock.  I created two different alcohol ink backgrounds using alcohol inks in browns and golds on Yupo paper.  I die cut the bottom of each alcohol ink piece with a border die and adhered the alcohol ink background directly to the white cardstock.  I die cut the word "hello" or "thanks" from black cardstock and gold cardstock.  I layered the two pieces together and adhered the sentiment to the left side of the card using 3M foam adhesive.  Underneath each layered word sentiment I stamped an additional sentiment in Memento Tuxedo ink on white cardstock.  I adhered this second sentiment directly below the first.  
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*For more information on how to create beautiful designs with alcohol inks to use with your cards, please refer to this basic video by the amazing Jennifer McGuire.   

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative weekend!

XO, Crystal 

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#manuary Birthdays

1/7/2021

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Birthday cards are probably one of the cards I make and send most.  But, how do you make a card for a grown man look classy and elegant?  I found that it's really quite easy with a simple black, gold and white color combination.  Add some balloons and champagne (wine or beer works too) and cheers to the years!  Today's cards will be the first of many cards I share this month using a similar color palette.  
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Card details: 

The base of this A2 sized card is made from black cardstock.  Using the Stitched Scalloped Rectangles from Gina Marie Designs, I die cut the background from Neenah Solar White crest cardstock.  I die cut a half circle in the center of this white cardstock and lined the back with clear acetate in order to make a shaker card.  I lined the back of the hole with a gold foil striped paper.  I added black, gold and white sequins to the shaker.  I heat embossed the word "cheers" in gold embossing powder on the front lower right corner of the card.  I stamped the champagne bottle and two wine classes in Versamark ink on black cardstock before heat embossing them with gold embossing powder.  I fussy cut the images out and adhered them to the card using 3M foam adhesive.  

*I used the "Cheers" (retired) stamp set from 88 and Clear to create both of these cards.  
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Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal 

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Music Speaks

1/5/2021

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At the end of 2020, I started a small movement (for lack of better words) on social media proclaiming that the month of January 2021 would be "MANuary" and that I was determined to make and share more masculine themed cards using the hashtag" #manuarycards."  Today I will begin sharing the first of many cards this month designed for the men in our lives from fathers, brothers, husbands and sons, to grandfathers, friends and more!  Today's cards feature the Music Speaks stamp set and coordinating dies from HoneyBee Stamps and would work well for teenagers and adult men who still yearn to be
​ rockstars too!
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Card details: 

The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock.  On a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of white cardstock, I stenciled the background using the Tiger Stripes Stencil from Whimsy Stamps in Squeezed Lemonade, Pumpkin Pie and Barn Door Distress Oxide inks.  On a 4" x 3" piece of white cardstock, I stamped the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black ink with the word "friendship" in red ink.  I stamped a few music notes in red ink randomly below the sentiment.  I matted a 4 1/4" x 3 1/4" piece of black cardstock directly to this white cardstock before adhering both the background.  I die cut a large star from black cardstock and adhered it to the lower right side of the card.  I stamped the drum, sax and trumpet images in Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored in the images using Copic markers.  I adhered the instruments to the card using 3M foam adhesive.  Lastly, I added some Clear Wink of Stella to the images for added sparkle.  
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I hope you will enjoy seeing a variety of masculine themed cards over the course of this month!  Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day! 

XO, Crystal 

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    Disclaimer:

    I, Crystal Komara, am solely responsible for this blog and all of its content, including, but not limited to designs, concepts, text, images and photographs. This website is for your personal enjoyment, inspiration and to help stimulate your own creativity.  

    If you use one of my posts, images, classes or designs please be sure to give credit where it is due.  Thank you!
    2019 ©


    Disclosure:

    • I participate in several affiliate programs.  This means I earn a small commission when products are purchased using my links (at no additional cost to you). 
    • I do not work for any companies. 
    • I buy all of my own supplies, unless where mentioned in a post that a product has been gifted, or if I am supplied products in exchange for being on a company's Design Team.
    • I do not do sponsored posts (where a company pays me to talk about a product).
    • I do not place ads on my blog.  Ever. I hate them and I know you do too!

    ​Whether gifted, or from my own supply, all of my recommendations are based on items that I use and truly love, and I think you will too. 
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