Making men's cards hard, or not?

It has been said by many people better than me that it is very hard to make a card for the men in your life. When they are boys it is a lot easier but as they get older, i.e. when they hit the teenage years and beyond, it gets very hard to marry image, embellishments and the sentiments, in way that is not too frilly or predictable. Making a card for anyone is alot easier when you know the person, know their likes, dislikes, quirks to their personality etc. However armed with this information can still be a challenge to make a card for a man that is balanced correctly. I have a small section(not small for long) at the moment on my http://www.folksy.com/ page dedicated to the men in our lives and I am trying to offer a selection that will suit all tastes. I have to admit I have been quite predictable with the few that are on there at the moment But I think I have been creative with the embellishments and sentiments that I have paired the images with.

I like using bold images, with strong colours whether the colours match or contrast. A racing car image is predictable yes, but choosing a colour from the main image and then taking that colour to base your embellishments on, is way of taking the card to the next level. I took the green from the grassed area of the main picture and chose plain and patterned to make shapes from my Spellbinder Dies.The wonderful thing about Spellbinder Dies is that they work so well together, so by using different ones you can layer them to make really interesting designs that will complement the images that you choose for your card.

No Mamma's Heart card will be right without a little bling so I added a few green gems on the lattice shapes to bring the 2 shapes together. I matted all of this on some special effect card I got at Christmas which I have been waiting for a chance to use. It is a 350gsm card (very good quality thick card) with silver holographic foiling in a star burst design. I have to say it is quite fantastic but you do have to be careful the way you use it as it can over power a design. I think the overall effect is quite dramatic with a strong masculine feel. It would be perfect for a man that likes cars in a dramatic way. It will definitely make quite an impression, but of course in all the right ways. Again this card is available on my http://www.folksy.com/ page tap in mammasheart in the shop section and it will take you straight there. Or try the button at the top of my home page. This card is only £2.50 with no P&P fees if sent within the UK. There are lots of other cards on the page and gift ideas to, so come over and have a look.
Ta ta for now

B'xxx