Card Design: Digi Darla's Challenge #100--My Style

Wow!  Can you believe it?  Digi Darla's Challenges has just reached its 100th challenge.  Congratulations to Kim, Karen, Denise and the rest of my fellow teammies.  I'm thrilled that I am here to help mark this amazing milestone.  And on that note, it is time announce just what this challenge will be.  This week for Challenge #100 the theme is "My Style".

I've certainly come full circle because it was a year ago at this time (minus a day or two) that I participated in my very first challenge representing Digi Darla's and it was a 'my style' challenge then too.  I remember having such a difficult time with this challenge theme.  Back then, I had such a hard time putting a finger on what my personal style was and I can't say a lot has changed in the last year. I still tend to be all over the place. This is what I wrote last year:

I'm interested in everything from soft and subtle to bold and brass; from winsome and willowy to wacky and wild! I like the look of clean and simple but I also like things that are layered and involved. I like to be unique. I try my best to not just be part of the crowd. It is important for me to put my own unique 'stamp' on things with everything I do. So, how do I boil that down into a single card design? ...The best way I can summarize it is to say I'm eclectic and quirky, prefer to move to the beat of my own drum and have a soft and gooey centre.

I still tend to be rather eclectic and quirky, not honing in on any one particular style although I've now added a hankering for vintage to that list.  While my particular card style may not have changed much the way I go about designing them certainly has since now I tend to do a lot more in the way of hybrid cards--part digital, part by hand.  As is the case with the card below.

I've used the following Digi Darla images in my project this week:

• Candy Canes
• Snow Buddies Gift 
• Stockings On Mantle

Here is my project and the details, I hope I haven't forgotten anything... 

General Comments: 

• The card was put together digitally, including all eight layers you see below. The main image on the front and the inside remained as line art and then I coloured it once it was printed.  Both the front and the inside were cut out as one piece and then layered onto the card base.

FRONT

Digital Images: 

• Candy Canes: You can find this image in the DD store by clicking on the image name or watermark linked above.
• This image was coloured digitally in Photoshop Essentials.  While it is hard to see because it was printed rather small, I shaded bits and pieces of it.  The candy canes themselves were altered using layer styles courtesy of Shelby Kate Schmitz of graphicssoft.about.com.
• Snow Buddies Gift:  This image can also be found in the DD store.
• While the sky was added using digital brushes courtesy of Leboef the rest remained lined art.  Once it was printed, I coloured it in with Copic markers.

Digital  Sentiment:

• Merry Christmas sentiment:  The candy cane image was layered on top of a rather versatile circular sentiment that I keep using over and over again from San's Design.  It was picked up as a freebie from the blog a long time ago.

Digital Shapes:

• I created two simple rectangular shapes to add depth and both were adapted using a layer style from The Scrappin' Cop.
• A final rectangular shape was added and this layer was adapted using a layer style from Shelby Kate Schmitz.

INSIDE 

Digital Image: 

• Stockings on Mantle:  This image can also be found in the DD store. 
• I coloured it with coloured pencils.

Digital  Sentiment:

• I just added a simple phrase to the top of image.

OVERALL
 Paper Products: 

• Card base: Michael's Recollection's cardstock, white.

Digital Paper:

• The plaid paper is one from my Holiday Hoopla mini paper kit.

Digital Embellishments:

• The frames used on the front and inside were created using a shape from Shelby Kate Schmitz and also adapted with one of her layer styles.

Challenges I am hoping to enter... 

• Avenue 613 -- Anything Goes with optional twist
• http://www.wordartwednesday.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes
• http://digitallysweetchallenges.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes (All but the main two images have been created and coloured in digitally)
• other challenges may be added to this list...

 

So, how about you come on over and show us what your style is by entering in our current challenge this week over at Digi Darla's Challenges?  While you are there please check out the great projects from the rest of the design team.  We always look forward to seeing the delightful creations you come up with.  

Until next time,