Card Design: Digi Darla's Challenges #51--Make It Masculine

It's Monday morning and time for this week's challenge over at the delectable Digi Darla's Challenges Blog. This week for Challenge #51 the theme is Make It Masculine.  It is time to show us all those cards for the difficult to make for people in your life--your men.  I don't know why, but they just don't seem to appreciate cards with lots of ribbons and bows on them.  Go figure.

Don't forget that one person will be the lucky winner of FIVE Digi Darla (DD) images!  AND any entries using a DD image get entered into a SECOND drawing for 3 images. So, you could technically win 8 images! That is a lot of digital delight!

This week I got to work with:

• Digi Darla's Birthday Boy Wall Art
• Digi Darla's Boy Bearing Gifts
• Digi Darla's Balloons 'N Bow

Here is the front of the card I am showcasing for this week's challenge...

 

 Here is the inside...

Here are the card details, I hope I haven't forgotten anything...
 
General Notes: 

• With Alex's birthday coming up in the second week of March (Alex is big brother to my cousin Blair's twin two year olds that I've mentioned before), it was the perfect opportunity to create a masculine themed card. 
• I'm afraid that I am not at all happy with the shading on the gift boxes.   I know they need additional shading, I just couldn't figure out how and where.  I tried.  I really did.   I practiced shading a little underneath the lid and a bit on the right end (lighting source coming in from left) but nothing I did looked right.  I finally gave up and left them mostly flat.   Okay, so I've found out that there really is a book called, "Photoshop for Dummies".  Has anyone ever heard of one called "Shading for Dummies" because I am in desperate need of it too?!  
• I got to play with a new technique this week that I've never done before.  I did some paper piecing.  That is what it is called isn't it?  I fussy cut some circles from the background paper used on the front and inside and made them my balloons.  Unfortunately, I didn't have the right colours to add shadows to the paper pieces but that is okay.  One step at a time.

Digital Image:

• Boy with presents (front):  The image on the front of the card is Digi Darla's Boy Bearing Gifts.  It was mostly coloured using Copic markers.  Boy:  Y11, Y13, Y15 (hair); E000, E00, E02, R20 (skin).  Clothing:  R22, R24, R29 (sweater); BG70, BG72 (shirt); BG72, BG75, BG78 (jeans); E31, E33, E39 (shoes).  Gifts:  BV000, BV00, E00, E02, E04, Y11, Y13 (boxes); RV00, RV02, RV04, G20, G24, G29 (bows); B00, B02, Y15, Y17 (ribbon).  Grounding around image:  BG10 (around image); grey and black watercolour pencils (actual ground).
• Balloons with bow (inside):  The image on the inside of the card is Digi Darla's Balloons 'N Bow.  As mentioned earlier under general notes, the balloons were paper pieced.  The bow was coloured using BG72, BG75, & BG78.

Digital Sentiment:

• Birthday Boy (front):  One of the sentiments used on the front is Digi Darla's Birthday Boy Wall Art.   It was coloured using Copic markers.  Letters:  R11.  Candles: BG72, Y17, YR04.  Cake: E70, E74.
• It's Your Day (front) & Celebrate (inside): Both of these sentiments are freebies that I got awhile back from Desert Diva.  It is so nice to finally be able to incorporate some of Hannelie's work into my projects.
  

Paper Products:

• Card base: Michael's Recollection's Cardstock, white.
• Designer Papers:  All designer papers used on this card (front & inside)--Recollections Bold Basics Paper Pad.   
• Shadow:  Yellow paper used on front and as a shadow for the inside sentiment--Michael's open stock scrapbook paper.  

Embellishments:

•  Gold rhinestones--from Dollarama.
  

 Challenges I hope to enter include:

• Make It Monday -- MIM #129:  Anything Goes (always)
• Word Art Wednesday -- Challenge #68:  Anything Goes
• Crafter's Digital Art Centre --  Anything Goes 
• Pin & Tack--Spark Your Creativity Now Challenge -- Challenge #6:  Anything Goes
• 613 .Avenue Create -- Challenge #8:  Anything Goes/Pile It On Option
• {PIN}spirational Challenges -- Happy Birthday to Pinspirational

We would be very happy for you to come over and join us at Digi Darla's Challenges.  While you are there, please take a peek and see what my wonderful colleagues on the DT have for your viewing pleasure.  We can't wait to see what you come up with.

Thank you so much for stopping by.  As I've now added to my comment section, whether you are a regular, here for the first time or popping over in your official capacity as a DT member, please know how much I appreciate the words that you leave behind.  Your encouragement helps me to become a better designer.   I try my best to reply to your comments (when an email address is available) but that is getting more and more difficult as my plate fills up with new responsibilities, new roles, and new obligations.  If I don't get the opportunity to thank you personally, know that I don't take a single comment for granted. Thank you for your understanding.

Until next time,

  

Note: I apologize if there are any formatting issues. This is a scheduled post and we all know Blogger has a mind of it's own. If it turns out that something looks wonky, i.e.--part of the sentence a different size than the rest or a different font, I'll fix it as soon as I'm able to.