Father’s Day Cards with the Plastic Wrap Watercolor Technique

Video Tutorial

My goal is to inspire you and help you with your cardmaking. I invite you to watch me on my YouTube Channel every Monday night at 7:00 PM Central…the live chat community is amazing and you are invited to be a part of it!

Creating the Water Background

The star of this card is the Plastic Wrap Technique.

This technique is one of my favorite ways to create unique watercolor-style backgrounds because no two pieces ever turn out exactly alike. By applying ink and using crumpled plastic wrap, you create beautiful movement and texture that resembles rippling water.

For this card, the deep blue tones worked perfectly with the waterfront theme from the Relaxing Waterside Bundle. The resulting background almost looks like reflections dancing across the water.

One of the things I love most about this technique is that it doesn’t require perfection. The random patterns created by the plastic wrap do all the work for you!

Turning Designer Series Paper into a Deck

The detail that really brings this card to life is the deck beneath the chair.

I used the Wood Grain Wonders Designer Series Paper to create the appearance of wooden deck boards. Instead of using a single strip, I cut the paper into narrow planks and layered them across the card front.

This simple step adds dimension and instantly creates the feeling of a dock, deck, or boardwalk overlooking the water.

A few small details make a big difference:

• Cut the woodgrain paper into individual boards
• Leave tiny gaps between the planks
• Alternate woodgrain patterns when possible
• Add small dark dots to mimic screws or nail heads

These little touches help transform flat paper into a realistic-looking deck.

Easily Change It Into a Birthday Card

One of my favorite cardmaking tips is to get more mileage from a design.

Simply swap the “Relax Dad” greeting for:

• Happy Birthday
• Thinking of You
• Enjoy Your Day
• Retirement Wishes
• Father’s Day Greetings

The same layout works beautifully for masculine birthday cards, retirement cards, and encouragement cards.

That’s one of the reasons I love creating masculine card designs—they often work for multiple occasions with just a quick change of sentiment.

Remember, there is no stress in cardmaking. Use what you have, try new techniques, and don’t be afraid to go rogue!

More Masculine Card Ideas with the Waterside Retreat Collection

In addition to my featured Adirondack chair card, I created four more cards using the beautiful Waterside Retreat Collection from Stampin’ Up!

One of the things I love about this collection is how easy it makes masculine cardmaking. The peaceful lakeside scenes, fishing images, cabins, and waterfront views do most of the work for you, making it simple to create cards that men will actually enjoy receiving.

Cards Featured in This Collection

• Father’s Day Card with Adirondack Chair
• Father’s Day Fishing Card
• Relax Z-Fold Card
• Lakeside Cabin Father’s Day Card
• Waterfront Birthday Card

Why I Love These Cards

The Waterside Retreat Designer Series Paper is perfect for:

• Father’s Day cards
• Masculine birthday cards
• Retirement cards
• Thinking of You cards
• Encouragement cards

The scenic images are beautiful enough to become the focal point of the card, allowing you to create impressive projects with minimal stamping.

My Favorite: The Z-Fold Card

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I love a good fun fold!

The Relax Z-Fold Card is probably my favorite from this collection. I enjoy making fun fold cards for the guys in my family because they add a little surprise without being overly fancy. The fold is easy to create and really showcases the gorgeous waterfront scenery.

June Class Bonus

These four cards, along with my featured Plastic Wrap Background Technique card, are all included in my June Class.

Place a $50 or more order through my Stampin’ Up! website during June and you’ll receive the PDF tutorial FREE!

The PDF includes:

• Step-by-step instructions
• Full color photos
• Measurements
• Supply list
• Tips for recreating each card

Whether you’re making cards for Father’s Day or masculine birthdays throughout the year, these projects are easy, relaxing, and a wonderful way to put your Designer Series Paper to work.

PINTEREST-ING!

Follow me on Pinterest and save these card ideas to your favorite Stampin’ Up! card ideas board.