The Male Room Challenge #205 - Christmas Colours

Good morning, 

Welcome to this month's challenge from The Male Room where we have the theme of 'Christmas Colours', specifically red and green.

For this theme of red and green, you don't actually have to create a Christmas card but they are my favourite type of card to make so I did! I used the Waffle Flower Merry Wreath stamp set and matching dies. 

So, are you going to create a Christmas card or just use the theme colours to create something else? Join in over at The Male Room and check out the rest of the Design Team creations while you are there. 

Sadly I have to add to the end of this post that this will be my last one for The Male Room as life has become more busy and I have had to take the decision to reduce my crafting time, and therefore my DT commitments. I wish the rest of TMR team the best and hope to join in future challenges when I can. 

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #204 - Floral

 Hi all, 

Do we have an exciting and maybe a little tricky challenge theme for you this month at The Male Room. The theme is Floral but of course you have to keep it masculine. 

Hmm tricky for sure, so I decided to start with a dark colour for my card base and work with muted tones. I found some floral dies in my stash that were subtle florals and I added a die cut sentiment using Lawn Fawn Happy Birthday die.

I can't wait to see what you come up with for your masculine floral card. Check out the inspiration over on The Male Room blog and join in the fun.

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #203 - For A Baby Boy

Welcome! 

Today at The Male Room we have a challenge theme full of cuteness - 'For A Baby Boy'.

I went with the typical blue colours but of course anything is great for a baby boy. I used my die cutting plate to give a quilted look to the background. I added a die cut frame in a darker blue and stamped the teddy and 'welcome' sentiment from the now retired Uniko Sweet Baby stamp set. Finally I die cut the letters to spell 'baby' and adhered everything in place. 

What colour/s will you choose and what image/s will you select? Check out the fantastic creations by the rest of the Design Team over on The Male Room blog, and of course join in the fun with us too. 

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #202 - Create Your Own Background

Morning! 

Welcome to this month's fund challenge from The Male Room where we are asking you to 'Create Your Own Background'.

Lots of options to play about with here. I went for a technique I saw on Instagram earlier in the year...but of course I can't remember who did it now. Mention it in the comments below if you know who it was!

So firstly I laid down strips of double sided tape and added the green embossing powder. I set this with the heat gun before using an embossing folder to create the leaf pattern. I decided to keep the rest of the card simple with a die cut sentiment and make the background the feature of the card. 

I'm excited to see what backgrounds you come up with and how you choose to create yours. Join in the fun over at The Male Room, and check out the inspiration from the rest of the Design Team. 

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #201 - Universe

Morning all, 

Welcome to this month's challenge from The Male Room which is all about the 'Universe'.

Just like the universe, the theme is vast! 

I created a background using the smooshing technique and distress oxide inks in Black Soot, Hickory Smoke, Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet and Broken China. I then stamped the stars, planets and sentiment from the My Favourite Things Space Explorer stamp set. 

Join in the fun over at The Male Room where you will see further fantastic inspiration from the rest of the Design Team. 

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #200 - Dogs and/or Cats

Welcome! 

The Male Room has a new challenge for you today and the theme is Dogs and/or Cats.

I do love both dogs and cats but chose to focus on dogs for my card as we have a beautiful dog called Elsie as part of our family.

The chair and the dog are both from a stamp set I received with a craft magazine a long time ago. I was looking through my patterned papers for a wallpaper type background but came across the brick wall and thought it worked rather well. 

So, dogs or cats, or both for you? Show us by joining in the fun over at The Male Room blog.

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #199 - Fun Folds

Good morning, 

Welcome to this month's challenge from The Male Room which is all about 'Fun Folds'.

This is always the type of challenge that gets my little grey matter working. I don't often do different fold styles so I have a little browse on Pinterest and see what I think I can achieve! 

I don't even know what this fold style is called so pop me a comment down below if you do. I started with a piece of card A6 in size and scored it into four equal parts along the long side. I adhered this into a square tube using an extra piece of card to attach to the two ends, on the inside. I then cut four further A6 panels, two black and two teal. I decorated each panel with patterned paper, die cuts and sentiments before adhering to the inner square tube. I made my card into a Father's Day card as it's that little bit more special.

Very much looking forward to seeing what you create and to add to my list for the next time we have this type of theme. Lots of wonderful inspiration on over on The Male Room blog so pop over and check it out.

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #198 - Under the Sea

Morning all, 

Today at The Male Room, we have a new challenge for you and the theme is 'Under the Sea'.

It took me a while to decide what I was going to use for this challenge as it turns out I have quite a lot of sea related stamps and dies! In the end I opted for a set I got with a past craft magazine.

I heat embossed the shells and star fish with clear embossing powder before adding a mixture of watercolour inks across the panel. I accidentally got a couple of splashes lower down on the panel but decided to continue because this is the definition of handmade and unique! Finally I added a sentiment from another set in my stash.

I'm looking forward to seeing your creations so pop on over to The Male Room blog and join in! 

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #197 - Geometric

Good morning! 

Welcome to The Male Room challenge #197 for which we have the theme 'Geometric'. 

I was tempted to do some die cutting for this challenge but then I remembered a stamp set I have in my stash that I hadn't yet managed to use:

The stamp set I have used is Uniko Background Builders: Delightful Diamonds. Some of the colourful diamonds have been stamped directly onto the panel with others stamped, fussy cut and adhered using foam pads for added interest. 

I hope you like my card, and go check out the rest of the super inspiration over on The Male Room blog where you will also find the linky to join in with the challenge. 

Challenge entries:

AAA Cards game 287, silhouette and geometric

Addicted to CAS challenge #279

Update: My card was picked as one of the top 3 in the Addicted to CAS challenge. ❤️

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #196 - Mixed Media

Good morning, 

This month at The Male Room we have a mixed media challenge for you.

For mixed media I usually resort to heat embossing and ink smooshing but I wanted to see what else I had in my stash that could mix it up a bit and I've been doing some wax seals recently so I decided to use one on my card for this challenge.

I have embossed the white panel and in addition to the wax seal I have used blue ribbon, orange cotton and a twine bow. The sentiment is even a sticker to add even more mixed media to the card!

Now it's your turn to join in the fun but before you do, hop over to The Male Room blog and check out the brilliant creations by the rest of the Design Team, and don't forget to add our challenge graphic to your blog post to be eligible for votes. 

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #195 - Monochrome

Good morning, 

I'm here today with challenge #195 from The Male Room which has a theme of 'Monochrome'.

I do find this quite a difficult theme and usually cop out by keeping to black and white for safety! But this time I decided to step out of my comfort zone and went with shades of green instead. 

First of all I inked the leafy background onto light green card. I then took three further shades of green card an die cut the Spellbinders Stitched Fall Leaves before arranging them down the left hand side of the panel. Finally I added a sentiment using Uniko Floral Vines stamp set. 

Looking forward to seeing what colour you choose for your Monochrome creation, and of course there's lots of lovely inspiration over on The Male Room blog.

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #194 - Clean and Simple

Good Morning and Happy New Year! 

How exciting to start Jan 1st with a new challenge from The Male Room. Just a little change to the phasing of challenges this year, we will no longer be taking a gap between challenges. So as one challenge ends, the next will begin the following day...even more time for you to join in the fun with us! 

And for January, our theme is Clean and Simple...right up my street! This challenge will run to 4th Feb.

For my card I used a simple one line stamp from Adventures In Ink. I added the sentiment and ice cubes from another stamp set before doing some very simple colouring with pencils. 

I quite like a CAS card as they can be quite quick to make, which this one needed to be as I'm running out of time to get everything done for Christmas before the children break up from school and as I ferociously type this blog post! 

Looking forward to seeing what you create and also what you think of the fantastic designs from the rest of The Male Room design team over on the blog.

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #193 - Anything Goes

Good morning, 

Welcome to the last challenge from The Male Room for 2024...and to see the year out we have an 'Anything Goes' theme.

Rather than make a Christmas card, I decided to try and increase my masculine birthday card stash which is running a little low. 

Here I have used Stampin Up! Foxy Friends stamp set with matching punch. 

Will you have time to create us a card and join in the fun or is the Christmas period too busy for crafting? What will you create for the 'anything goes' theme? Join in over at The Male Room blog. 

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #192 - Kinetic Cards

Good morning and welcome, 

This morning we have a new challenge for you at The Male Room. Challenge #192 is all about 'Kinetic Cards' or cards that move in some way. 

This is my take on the challenge:

Obviously my moving part is the camper van, done using a slider die and a 1p piece! There's not a huge amount of movement in my card but I have wanted to make a slider card for so long so I'm glad I finally got around to it. It's actually easier than I was expecting so I will likely have a go at a few more. The stamps and dies are all from the recently closed down Heffy Doodle. 

There is some absolutely fantastic inspiration over on The Male Room blog so pop over there and check it out, and of course join us by making a kinetic card. Don't forget to share our challenge graphic to be eligible for votes.

Much love

Steph x

The Male Room Challenge #191 - Trees

Good Morning, 

Welcome to this month's challenge at The Male Room.  Challenge #191 has the theme of Trees.

I found this wonderful patterned paper amongst my stash and that gave me the ides of recreating the trees in matching colours using Funky Fossil Quirky Tree dies..

I'm really pleased with how well the die cut trees have matched the patterned paper. I know a lot of people think pink doesn't lend well to a masculine card but I'm not of that view when used correctly. I think the theme of 'Trees' lends a masculine air to this card and challenge.

Now pop over to The Male Room blog and check out the rest of the fabulous inspiration by the Design Team and add your creation to the mix too. 

Much love

Steph x