I'm seein' the world through rose coloured glasses today. The Design Team over at Innovative Stamp Creations is busy welcoming the new sets they're releasing today, and I got to join in the fun as their guest! This is one of the four new releases called "She's So Sweet"---and sweet it is! Don't you just love the expression on her little face?
Chiaroscuro Colouring:
Not sure if this technique is new to the world of stamping (is there such a thing anymore?) I do know it's new to me in stamping, but of course it's old hat in the world of art. I am a'callin' it Chiaroscuro Colouring since that's its artsy name (for art that has high contrast between light & shadow & often features drapery.)
I found that this "She's So Sweet" stamp was like a cross between an outline stamp & an art stamp, with the benefits of both: it has gorgeous folds and shadows, but it also leaves room for your colouring.
The Image:
(and mel the happy chicken)
To be honest, I'm usually majorly intimidated by a full image stamp like this (that's why "She's So Sweet" is the first one of it's type you're seein' on here.) So, I started out nervously, but was so excited to discover that it's such a breeze to work with. The shadows in the stamp take all the tricky guess work out, but happily they still allow you plenty of play! :o) I just used 7 simple colouring steps...
The Colours:
I used CTMH markers, because I wanted to get a range of shadows & highlights. They have different greys and their white marker looks like a watercolour paint, but gives you lots of control. Of course, you could use any medium you like. Watercolours of any sort would be dreamy & Copics would be a blast too.
Markers used: light grey, medium grey, black, white, light pink, dark pink, & light green.
Step 1) Stamp the image in a light black
Step 2) Add medium grey shadows. (I stamped this on Basic Grey paper from their Urban Prairie collection with a black CTMH marjer & just deepened the existing shadows of the stamp image.)
Step 3) Add light gray shadows (I went along the outside of the shadows in the stamped image (easy peasy!) :O)
Step 4) Deepen the shadows with black marker. (The areas I concentrated on were under the arm, under the dress and the hairline. This image really has lots of pop!)
Step 5) Add colour details in a light pink & a deep pink marker. (I coloured her dress, her hat & the sunflowers. I love the way the blooms nod.)
Step 6) Brighten it up with white highlights (in the lighter areas provided by the image.)
Step 7) Finish it off with light green around the leaves.
What a joy this stamp was to play with...
like colour by numbers, only more empowering! ;O)
like colour by numbers, only more empowering! ;O)
The 'Best Friend' sentiment in "She's So Sweet" is the perfect fit for hodge podge hardware! And see those tiny dots on the Cool Caribbean cardstock? That's not fancy patterned paper. It's "Little Specks" (the ISC background stamp equivalent to the Swiss Dots folder!)
It creates the sweetest little dotted pattern. I used it in White craft ink to soften the colour here, but I can't wait to use it with a darker colour to make cardstock more vibrant (and emboss with Swiss Dots after too!)
It creates the sweetest little dotted pattern. I used it in White craft ink to soften the colour here, but I can't wait to use it with a darker colour to make cardstock more vibrant (and emboss with Swiss Dots after too!)
and a little stitching trick:
If you're not sure whether your stitching (real sewing or faux) will come out evenly, then just draw the stitches on the back of you mat/image to check it out. Then you can flip it right side up and sew (or faux) away!
The bottom of this card was embellished with the Fiskars flower scallop punch that my ultra sweet SBS2 Sis Maria gave me. (She made me cry with her generosity & sweetness!) The little tiny flowers it punches out are great for the center of 3 for you flowers & for sticking onto cards (see the cream coloured ones on the bottom there?) :O)
The lovely wee dots of the "Little Specks" pattern shows here too. I predict using that a gazillionbillion times...
Hope you have a rose-coloured kind of day! :O)
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