Greetings! Today is one of my days to post for Taylored Expressions! Welcome! Today's card was made with one of my favorite TE Stamp Sets - Love Grows Here. I adore this set! I used it to make a masculine card today for my boss' retirement. I have a couple of tips for making this set look masculine. This idea for a layout has been in my head since this set was released. Hope you like it!
This was one of those cards I didn't want to make. My boss is awesome...caring and fair and kind. He is the rock of our department and he will be missed. He was in my original panel interview and then hired me. I wish him nothing but the best as he enters this new chapter of his life... I wanted to make him a special card.
I thought a "four seasons" them would be nice for a retirement. I stamped four of the tree images onto the same size cream cardstock base and then colored them with my Copics.
Masculine colors of olive green and brown... You might notice that the tree trunks are all colored the exact same way with the same colors. This unifies the images. I also used the same greens on both of the green trees, for the same reason. I didn't get too crazy with the colors.
The "Happy Retirement" sentiment is from THIS SET...another one of my TE Favorites! I stamped it onto an oval and created my own embellishment. I curved the tips of the brown part up for some dimension. Copper brads also add a masculine touch.
This is how I color!
This card has LOADS of layers on it. Went through a lot of foam tape! LOL.
We had a nice retirement luncheon for him and by next week, he'll be relaxing with his grandkids and doing good works in the world! I mailed the card to him because I knew if I gave it to him in person I would start crying. Best of luck to you CD!
Thank you for coming by today! Be sure to scope out this stamp set in the TE Store!
Had to come over and check out your blog after seeing one of your cards on Lawn Fawn's flickr feed. You are incredibly talented! This card here is a masterpiece! I'm going to stay a while and look around. ;o)
Posted by: Christiana | 03/18/2012 at 09:30 PM
What a lovely card, Wanda! Two colleagues of mine are retiring in June! I'll have to remember something like this for their cards! :D
Posted by: Kimberly Gajewski | 03/17/2012 at 07:32 PM
What a special card!! It is gorgeous!! Love the layout, your coloring, and all the wonderful layers. I bet he loved it!
Posted by: Debbie Carriere | 03/17/2012 at 06:17 AM
Wanda, this is a wonderful idea! Love your retirement card, I'd probably have to mail it, too! Change, even for the better can be so emotional!
Posted by: Natalie H | 03/16/2012 at 10:45 PM
Such a great card...and can be (as you stated) a good masculine card as well. Love it!
Posted by: Fonda Jo | 03/16/2012 at 09:26 AM
This is making me sad!! Just talked to CD yesterday. It may have been the last time too. :*( Great card in many ways!
Posted by: Theresa | 03/16/2012 at 06:33 AM
What a beautiful card Wanda -- your work is impeccable! Your four seasons theme is perfect...thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Shannon Fralish | 03/16/2012 at 06:12 AM
You make me want this stamp set! :) Love the design of your card!
Posted by: Kathy Martin | 03/16/2012 at 05:06 AM
What a gorgeous card, Wanda! Truly a special treasure for your wonderful boss. I absolutely adore your design, and your tips for creating a masculine card are fabulous. Love the 4 season theme. This is perfect!
So sorry that you're losing such a wonderful boss. Happy for him, but hard at the same time. :)
Posted by: Audrey Pettit | 03/16/2012 at 04:29 AM
GORGEOUS and sweet card Wanda..can see you made it with so much love and eye for detail..he will be so happy with it..and touched too!
LOVE the way you store your copics...
Posted by: Holly Saveur | 03/16/2012 at 02:06 AM
Love, love, love this card Wanda! I have a "thing" for anything four seasons. I am also a big fan of lots of layers so this card makes my heart very happy!
Posted by: melissa cash | 03/15/2012 at 08:00 PM
I love it Wanda! I'm always trying to find ideas for masculine cards!
Do you have any ideas for Drs Day cards? I have the stamps of drs (male and female), stamp of a real heart, drs bag, medical symbol and prescription bottle. I need to make 5 cards for male and 3 cards for female drs! Any ideas would be appreciate it!
Posted by: Yvonne | 03/15/2012 at 07:39 PM
LOVE this, Wanda - what a great set, too! Will your boss appreciate all the work that went into this? I do!
Posted by: Lin | 03/15/2012 at 05:30 PM