Paper Crafting for the Men (Big and Small) in Our Lives

I have been scrapbooking for almost 10 years - and I have to admit that many of my photos involve important men in my life.  I also have to admit that finding things for the men in my life is very difficult, and depending on the trends, downright impossible.  This can be frustrating.  As much as I love my flowers, lace, ribbon, bling, and "gorgeous papers," the men in my life may take a photo featuring them framed in flowers and bling to be not so masculine.  My guess is I am not alone in this.  For those of you like me, you have been around long enough to remember the pre-Tim Holtz days.  Although Tim Holtz has been a huge contributor to products that are both masculine and dainty, sometimes it is still hard to find items that are fitting for the men and all they entail in our scrapbooking.  So today, I want to share with you the things I have learned along the way about scrapbooking for men.

Rule #1: When you find man-themed items, buy in bulk.  Although I have changed my attitude in buying multiple packs of anything these days, this rule of thumb for men has stayed true.  Masculine items seem to come in waves of plenteous bounty followed by dust bowls of great want.  So, when you find things that you like that have masculine flair, purchase what you can.

Rule #2: Go outside the box.  Don't just think about the theme of masculine - think of anything associated with masculine, such as camping, fishing, outdoors, sports, school, fall, Christmas, etc.  When it comes to seeking out things that are masculine, I have found that sometimes the best masculine finds are found within other themes.  For example, in a pack of camping-themed paper you could find some wood grain paper, beautiful plaid prints, and distressed images.  In a pack of school-themed paper I found argyles, plaids, and lined prints that were also fitting for male layouts.

Examples:

• wood grain paper
• plaid print
• lined print

Rule #3: Practice your inner shabby chic.  For those of you who just got frightened by the term "shabby chic," keep reading.  Distressing, rolling, and ripping don't just happen in shabby chic, they also happen in masculine layouts.  Don't forget paint, ink splatters, and all other distress techniques.  Just forget the soft subtle pinks, purples, and periwinkles. Replace the lace and bling with burlap, cardboard, and jewelry chain.

Rule #4: Seek out male crafters.  I mentioned earlier my gratitude for Tim Holtz and all things Tim Holtz, but Tim is not the only male crafter in the scrapbooking world these days. Companies such as Graphic 45, Pink Paislee, and Prima Marketing Co., all have had males apply for their design teams or currently have at least one male on their design teams.  Seek them out, find their blogs and bookmark them.  They are a wealth of information on scrapbooking masculine with products targeted for the female market.