Guy Greetings and Steampunk Wishes

Well, as you can see, I'm fascinated with Guy Greetings, one of the new stamp sets in the 2015 Occasions Catalogue, from which you will be able to order on Jan. 6!  There is just so many things you can do with it.  One thing I want to do with it is Steampunk cards!  I just wish that Stampin' Up! sold gears and metallic items that would work with steampunk...and copper embossing powder! However, as demonstrators, we are permitted to use other products if Stampin' Up! doesn't carry them, so I'm wishing for some steampunk paraphernalia for Christmas!

I didn't take part in any challenges with this card, I just wanted to create without boundaries today. I'm thinking it might be the prototype for a swap that I have to do in the next two days, but I'm just not sure about it.  You can help me decide.

• This would make a great Father's Day card, or a masculine birthday card, or any masculine occasion. I love the image of the guy showing off his barrel chest.  So manly, and dig that mustache! He is stamped in Early Espresso Ink and his trousers and boots are coloured with the Crumb Cake Assortment of Blendabilities.
• The DSP you see here is from the Flashback Designer Series Paper from the Annual Catalogue. It is masculine but adds a needed bit of colour to the card. I like the argyle pattern. I sponged the edges, as I did with all the edges in this card with Soft Suede ink.
• I used the Labels Collection Framelits and the Woodgrain Embossing Folder to make the wooden-looking plaque behind the man. Sponging it with Soft Suede really brings out the grain lines.
• I created the frame around the image panel with Soft Suede cardstock cut between two successive oval framelits. The World's Greatest Banner was stamped in Soft Suede and hand snipped, to be popped up on Dimensionals.

• Here's where I have a major issue.  The gears were made by taking a scrap piece of Basic Gray cardstock, stamping with Gorgeous Grunge stamps and Versamark ink all over the paper, covering them with silver embossing powder and heat setting it, then cutting them with the smallest Starburst Framelit and the smallest Circle Framelit that sits just inside it.  I also sponged them with Soft Suede to take away the shine of the silver.  
• My dilemma is that I don't know if the Basic Gray works here.  I did it to give the gears a more metallic look, since I was embossing them with silver embossing powder. If I'd had copper embossing powder, I would have used a brown tone. What do you think?

Click on the links below to take you to my On-Line Store, where you can read about, look at, and purchase if you wish, the products used to make this card today! *List does not include Stampin' Up! sneak peek items.  They will be available Jan. 6, 2015. 

Product List

Gorgeous Grunge Wood Stamp Set [130514]	Gorgeous Grunge Clear Stamp Set [130517]	Flashback Designer Series Paper [133699]	Soft Suede 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [115318]	Sahara Sand 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [121043]
Very Vanilla 8-1/2" X 11" Card Stock [101650]	Soft Suede Classic Stampin' Pad [126978]	Early Espresso Classic Stampin' Pad [126974]	Versamark Pad [102283]	Stampin' Blendabilities™ Markers Crumb Cake Assortment [131004]
Silver Stampin' Emboss Powder [109131]	Heat Tool [129056]	Woodgrain Textured Impressions Embossing Folder [127821]	Labels Collection Framelits Die [125598]	Ovals Collection Framelits Die [129381]
Starburst Framelits Die [132967]	Circles Collection Framelits Die [130911]	1-1/4" Burlap Ribbon [132140]	Paper Snips Scissors [103579]	Big Shot [113439]
Stamping Sponges [101610]	Stampin' Dimensionals [104430]

*Guy Greetings Stamp Set