This year, my heart said, “Not another Papyrus card,” although their designs are pretty wonderful. Since I have started dabbling in handmade cards, I wanted to give that a try. The worst that could happen was that it would be an epic fail, and I would buy a card and mail it. That said, I am liking store-bought cards less and less, especially the sugary-sweet sentiments inside. The ones that begin, “Oh Dad, you have been an inspiration to my entire life,” make me cringe a little. My dad and I are not like that. I love him. We are just not touchy-lovey. And that is ok.

I began with some awesome cardstock by Little Birdie Crafts called Classic Gentleman. The old-fashioned, distressed theme showcasing vintage automobiles and airplanes with men in bolo hats appealed to me, and that style seemed to coordinate well with my Tim Holtz Idea-ology Paper Stash and ephemera. And then I just played. And played. Until the card made me smile. Some might think it’s just cut and paste, but it takes imagination, too. It was my first masculine card. So when I impulsively grabbed a paper flower or a satin bow, I resisted that urge. I studied the paper hoping it would tell me what it wanted. It often does. I created pockets and stuffed them with bookmark tags, embellishing each one with metal gears and photos of my sisters and brother. In the end, I used a window screen patch on the cover. It gave the card the aesthetic I was seeking.

I have added a video. It is my first one with sound! (Baby steps.) So please excuse its flaws. It previews my dad’s card before I added private sentiments from the Tim Holtz Snarky stickers line which were funny, sometimes biting, but decidedly personal and true. For me. And for dad. Enjoy.