Last Post as Guest Designer...

... for the Friday Mashup. It's been a fun RIDE! (Pun totally intended ;) ) This month I was fortunate enough to get one of the Guest Designer spots at one of my fave challenge sites. I can't believe the month is almost over and this means this is my last post in that capacity. I've enjoyed having a 'head's up' on the challenges and having a few days to come up with the perfect design to show off :)

Typically, I'd have this post published on Friday morning. But seeing that my daughter and I are just barely returning to the land of the living from this horrendous flu, we'll have to settle for mid-day Friday. After I'm done posting, it will be naptime... my daughter is already there.

This week's challenge at the Friday Mashup was the 'Boys Will be Boys' challenge:
1. Make a project for that 'Special Man in Your Life'; or
2. Make a project with the 'sketch'; or
3. Mash it up and create a 'Masculine card using the sketch'.

I decided to 'mash it up' (since I love sketches so much' and choose option 3 :) I also did something I very rarely do: I used a retired stamp! Yes, retired! I really try to use current product but sometimes I can only find what I really want in my retired stash. I loved the Motorcycle stamp two years ago when I first lay eyes on it, and I still do. It's especially perfect for my BIL's birthday card.

Sometimes I find blog photography so frustrating... it's not obvious in the above pic, but I embossed the motorcycle and greeting in Pewter Embossing Powder.

Tips & Tricks:

*Who says you have to stick to one type of DSP? I mashed it up some more here by combining a pattern from the Summer Smooches DSP with a pattern from the Floral District DSP. Doesn't sound too 'manly' but I think it works well.
*Sometimes the best card base for a vibrant card it Whisper White Card Stock. I wanted to make sure my DSP and motorcycles really 'popped'!
*I love the thicker look that the Pewter Embossing Powder gives my images. It's great for a strong image such as the motorcycle.

I hope my BIL loves his bday card. He lives in Australia so it's going to be late, but that shouldn't surprise him coming from me ;) 'Til next time, keep letting stamps bring out your creativity!