Creating masculine handmade cards can feel challenging, but not when you have the Gears and Textures bundle. It makes it easy to create a bold, masculine card even using papers you might normally consider feminine. With the right dies, textures, and layout, you can completely transform the look of any designer series paper.

A Masculine Card with an Unexpected Twist

For this card, I started with the Gears and Textures bundle, a Stampin’ Up! set that is naturally bold and masculine thanks to its industrial gear dies and textured elements. What makes this card special, though, is the paper choice.

The patterned paper comes from Lovely Blossoms Designer Series Paper, which at first glance looks very floral and feminine. But when you flip the sheets over, you’ll find subtle stripes and patterns that work beautifully for masculine cards.

This is one of my favorite cardmaking tricks: always check the reverse side of your designer paper.

The card base is Secret Sea cardstock, folded in half and reinforced with a Basic White insert on the inside. This makes the card easier to write in—something I always recommend when working with dark cardstock bases.

For the background layer, I used the Lovely Stripes Embossing Folder, which creates deep, bold texture. Texture is especially important in masculine card designs because it adds interest without relying on embellishments or sparkle.

I used two-tone cardstock for this layer, choosing the darker side to keep the look strong and cohesive.

Die Cutting the Gears

The star of this card is the layered gear collage created using the Gears and Textures dies. These dies include multiple gear sizes that mix and match easily.

I cut all the gears at once using Silver Foil Sheets, which add shine without feeling flashy. By slightly overlapping the gears and letting some hang off the edge, the design feels intentional and dynamic.

Even though four gear pieces were used, the smallest gear placed in the center of another visually pulls the design together, keeping the layout clean and balanced.

Simple Sentiment for a Masculine Finish

For the sentiment, I reached for one of my most-used stamp sets: Simply Said. This set is perfect to keep on hand because it includes all the basic sentiments you need.

I stamped “Birthday Wishes” onto Cloud Cover cardstock and popped it up with dimensionals. With all the silver elements already on the card, no additional embellishments were needed.

Sometimes, masculine cards really shine when you know when to stop.

Watch the full video here:

Bonus: February Demonstrator Starter Kit Special

At the end of the live, I also shared details about the February Stampin’ Up! demonstrator special.

Anyone who joins as a demonstrator this month receives a brand-new stamping positioner—a $50 value—free in their starter kit. This tool is not yet available to customers and is designed for easy, accurate stamping and restamping.

If you loved tools like the Stamparatus, this new stamping positioner offers similar benefits with a streamlined design and easy alignment for repetitive stamping.

If you’ve ever thought about becoming a demonstrator, February is a great time to do it. I’d love to welcome you to my Jersey Stampers (and Beyond) team. You can see all the benefits here.

Final Thoughts

This project is a great reminder that:

• Masculine cards don’t need specialty paper
• Texture does a lot of the design work
• The right dies can completely change the feel of a card

If you missed the live, be sure to catch the replay and see how this card comes together step by step.

Thanks so much for crafting along with me—and yes, Stormy the cat has officially been removed from the craft room for future lives. 😊

For info about my upcoming in-person and virtual classes, check out my class descriptions here and my calendar here. I hope to see you at a class sometime soon, but you can always find ideas here on my blog as well as on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter at the bottom of this page so you don’t miss a thing!

Gears and Textures Card Measurements:

• Secret Sea Card Base—5 1/2” x 8 1/2”
• Cloud Cover—5 1/4” x 4”, 1 1/2” x 2 1/2”
• Basic White —5 1/4” x 4”
• Lovely Blossoms DSP—3” x 3”
• Silver Foil Sheets—3 1/2” x 3 1/2”

Gears and Textures Card Supplies: