Think SPRING!

Hello  Everyone!

First, I apologize for my absence.  I fell on the ice at the end of January and what started out as a very minor abrasion turned into an egg size abscess deep in my leg, along with MRSA, a week in the hospital and wearing a wound vac...which I still have on, but I think it's coming off next week!  I am feeling great now, but what a long process!  I sort of lost my creative mojo for quite a while, but it's returned and today I'm bring you a card I made for the Craftin Desert Divas DT.  I used one of their digital stamps.

Supplies I used:

• Computer and printer 
• Faber Castel polychromos colored pencils: 129, 128, 123, 194, 171, 112, 167, 102, 106, 108 111, 225, 192, 154, 153, 155, 132, 131, 130, 138, 136, 249, 180, 280, black & white
• Neenah Desert Storm card stock
• Craftin Desert Divas Inside Scalloped Oval Dies  (http://craftindesertdivas.com?aff=131)*
• Craftin Desert Divas Spring Friends digital stamp set  (http://craftindesertdivas.com?aff=131)*
• Lawn Fawn Spring Fling paper
• Spectrum Noir clear sparkle pen
• Nuvo Dream Drops Fairy Wings
• Gamsol and paper stump
• Fine line black pen
• Black Jelly Roll Glaze pen
• White Jelly Roll pen
• Glue or tape runner
• Scissors

The first thing I did was to compose my images in the computer.  I use WORD to do this.  All of my images were jpgs except for the tulips and those were png files so I could overlap them.  My printer does not like Neenah card stock and will not print on it directly from the computer.  So I printed my image on regular copy paper and then used my printer as a copier using the Desert Storm card stock.

I then did the coloring.  I kept the shading fairly simple: I colored a shape with the lightest color, used the darkest color to shade, blended with the Gamsol using the paper stumps and then let the area dry.  Then I went in with my white pencil and gently used it over the highlighted areas.  On the white daisy there was no shading or highlighting at all.

On some areas - like the majority of the rabbit - I didn't use the Gamsol at all.  The browns I used were so close in color to the paper that I decided they didn't need it.  I did use it on the nose, mouth, and inside the ears.  When I was finished with the coloring my image looked like this:

At this point, I traced around the largest oval die and cut out the image.  Then I traced around the die on a folded A2 size card base made of the same Neenah Desert Storm, positioning it slightly above the fold line so it would stay intact with the fold.  I used the die to cut the floral paper for the frame and adhered it to my colored image.  This completely covers the card base.

After everything was in place I used the Spectrum Noir sparkle pen on the flowers.  I used the black glaze pen on the eyes to define them and added a dot of the white pen to each one - on both the rabbit and the bee.  I used my fine liner pen to make the dashed trail line coming out from the bottom of the bee.  I used the Nuvo Dream Drops (so pretty!!!) in the centers of the bee's wings and that completed my card!  I decided it really didn't need a sentiment!

I love using digital stamps in my creations.  I am able to arrange and size my images in any way I want!  I would love to see your makes!  Tag me on Instagram: #betsybirgeart

Till next time,

    remember... it's just paper!!!

Happy paper crafting,

Betsy

* These are my affiliate links to the Craftin Desert Divas products I used.  I do get compensation when these links are used at no additional cost to you.