Graphic 45 Elementary Master Detective Masculine Birthday Card

Our eldest son grew up reading everything he could get his hands on.  He especially enjoyed reading the Sherlock Holmes novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  When it came time to make him his birthday card I immediately knew I wanted to make this Elementary Masculine Birthday card for him.  

Since his favorite color is green, the wonderful plaid pattern on the B side of the signature page was the perfect choice as the base of his card.  I kept the design very clean so that the wonderful patterned paper and focal image would really shine.

Go Long, My Dear Watson

Changing up the size and shape of a card base doesn’t have to be a major ordeal.  It can be as simple as creating a long, skinny card like this 8.25” x 4.25” top fold card.  Simply score an 8.5” x 11” sheet of black cardstock in half on the long side.  Then fold in half and trim.  

TIP: Layer it Up!

Layers of designer paper add loads of interest to a card composition.  You can make quick work of this by die cutting the layers from patterned paper.  I lay my dies on my card base to make sure they work well together.  Then I die cut, add foam tabs or waste chipboard to the back of each layer and glue in place.  

TIP: Change Direction

I cut two different patterned papers with the same die and matted both on black cardstock.  To add interest to the card composition, one pattern is oriented vertically and the other horizontally.  It’s a simple trick, but really draws the eye to the focal image.

TIP: Stick to it!

The focal image on this card is from the Master Detective Sticker sheet.  I chose it because its long, skinny shape echoed the shape of my card base.  After matting the sticker on black cardstock, I trimmed it out into a rectangular shape.  Then I used a ticket stub punch to shape the corners and a small circle punch to shape the sides.  

TIP: Glossy Accents is the best adhesive I’ve found for attaching metals to paper.  I ran a thin bead around the perimeter and a dot in the center, then held in place for a minute.  Let it dry completely for a really secure seal.

Elementary Masculine Birthday Card:  Won’t you come in?

For the interior of the card, I added a border strip and small envelope to the top half of the card.  I also cut down an ephemera card, rounded the corners and matted it on black paper.This is where I wrote my birthday greetings.  

Our son loved the card.  In fact, the first words out of his mouth were, “Look…it’s Sherlock Holmes!  Cool!”  I love it when a Master Detective plan has a happy ending!

I hope I shared some tips and tricks that you can use in your own crafty adventures.  If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheerio,

kathy

SUPPLY LIST

Graphic 45 Master Detective 8×8 Paper Collection

• Master Detective B Side
• Web of Lies
• Dastardly Deeds
• Sinister Secrets
• Get a Clue

• 12 x 12 Collection
  • Border Strip from Whoddunnit
• Sticker Sheet
• Ephemera Cards
• Tags and Pockets
• Staples Antique Brass Door Knockers
• Staples Clock Key

 

Other Supplies

• Spellbinders
  • Curved Rectangles
  • Labels 20 Dies
• Black Cardstock
• Black and White Houndstooth Plaid Ribbon
• Small Metal Gears
• Glossy Accents for attaching metal pieces
• Scoring tool, Scissors, Adhesive of Choice