Leaf UR Day behind

And enjoy some art, won't cha?

I started tonight's projects feeling very ADD. Google Reader makes it hard to concentrate, with new blog updates popping up like those little moles you have to smash in that video game.

So I, of course, just give in - knowing that I have 90 cards to cut for this weekend's World Card Making Day event (which should be a blast) and 100 cards to make to sell at Maker Faire - and peek at the blogs.

Well that was providential. Because in all the stampy goodness, I found this. Two things I love - Ellen Hutson's site and Sharon Harnist, who thankfully included her Copic colors in her classroom tutorial. She was making an inchie, but I loved her coloring, so I thought I would make a very simple card using her color scheme.

Thank goodness I had this stamp - Lord knows the other 8000 stamps I have wouldn't have been juuuust right, you know?

So, two roads CONVERGED, and I liked this image so much I thought I would make this one of the cards for Maker Faire, so I'd love to hear your opinion as to whether anyone would buy this card. Be honest.

I thought I would keep the card very clean and simple, since the image is so rich and full of color. So the card is just a Very Vanilla card - AND OMG I AM STARTING TO DRINK THE SCORPAL KOOLAID - MORE LATER.

The panel the little Lockhart stamp is on is 2.25 x 1.5, also vanilla. I stamped it in Memento Tuxedo Black and then got to work.

Here is the ticket on the background. I started with this, and I colored the whole thing - and I went over it a few times at the edges to darken the color.

But then, I came back in with the colorless blender and lightened the color right around the dress to give it kind of a halo. Be careful going over the black ink - it can fuzz out if you go over it too many times.
Then, I filled in the dress with orange.

And when you look at this picture - or, you're doing it in real life - it looks a little flat at first.

The ticket to Copics is layering. Oh yeah, and patience. If someone can find out where I can buy some patience online please let me know!

But you also need to work somewhat quickly. As soon as I was done with the orange, I came back in at the edges with the brown. Then I went back over the line where those two met with the orange again to blend.

If they dry completely, blending can be a challenge if not impossible.

You can see from the closeup how the two fade into each other if you work quickly and carefully.

The next step was to go down the center of the leaves with Warm Grey #2.

At this point I have to make a disclaimer - I have no idea if this is what Sharon did - I'm just trying to approach her pretty image! But I put the grey on top - and even though it's a lighter color, Copics are magic, and this warm grey sits on top and adds depth and shading.

Look how pretty and soft they are all blended together.

For the acorn, I used Sharon's two browns - first the light all over, then the darker brown at the edges and on the cap.

Finally, I went over the acorn with the colorless blender pen to lighten the center and give the illusion of light.

My finishing touch was the Spica Glitter pen on the hanger. Sharon was more ambitious and used wire. I'm lazy and used glitter!!

Next, I chose the "grateful" greeting from Small Script. I stamped it in Memento again, but I had to use the stamp positioner. As you can see from this picture - I don't clean my positioning sheet too often, much to the chagrin of my TV producer, who wants all my supplies to look new! :)

But a lot of my stamps are mounted crooked, so a girl has to bust out the positioner when she needs to be precise!

You can totally see the greeting over that pear. Now I'm all nostalgic for the pear!!

I stamped that first because I popped the main image up with dimensionals, so I didn't want to stamp after a 3D item had already been adhered.

Now, when I flip it to stick the dimensionals on, I chuckle at my success! Supposedly, if your Copics bleed through to make a picture on the other side, you're doing it right!!

So I am excited to see this - almost a replica of my main image.

Finally - and this is important - if you are selling your cards, always put your contact info on them. I use tiny stickers and put my name, phone #, email and blog address. It matters! So get your angel policy stamps out and make sure people know who made their cards!!

Congrats tonight to Emily Cannata, who signed up to be a demonstrator today!! Way to go Emily!

She and Micki Daniel, my two newest group members, will be getting my newsletter tomorrow, with projects in it that I only share with my Understand Blue group - they never get posted on the blog! How's THAT for suspense?
I do that so that they can use the ideas in their business and they won't already have been exposed in our wonderful blogosphere and hopefully it will help them in their stamping efforts!

So welcome Micki & Emily and I hope everyone else is having a great night!

Want to buy this card? Click here.