Dude.

This week, the Simon Says Wednesday challenge is called "It's a Guy Thing". Is it just because the majority of cardmakers are female that masculine cards seem to be a challenge for so many? And how about a double challenge... needing a sympathy card to send to a man? The fallback floral theme just might not cut it. Here is my solution: 

Yep, swap out flowers for fern fronds, go monochromatic, and it suddenly becomes more of a guy card. I confess, I hadn't picked the fern stamp when I made my little trio of background squares, and were I to do this over, I would likely just have a rectangle instead. But let's pretend I was inspired by the patterned paper to use squares. Yes, when you look closely, they're circles... what's your point?
And since it just so happens I hadn't used the fern stamp or that patterned paper before, I am also linking up to this week's CASology cue word, and Darnell's NBUS (never-before-used-schtuff) challenges.

Supplies: Stampin' Up old olive cardstock, Strathmore mixed media paper, Stampin' Up patterned paper (bought at a garage sale, so no idea what collection), Local King Rubber Stamp music background, Memory Box fern & Hero Arts chandelier with birds stamps, bundled sage, shabby shutters, peeled paint & antique linen distress, Versamark & Memento cottage ivy inks, Zing clear embossing powder, EK Success 1 1/4" square & Stampin' Up ticket corner punches, pop-dot tape