OK — it’s a little early. But when your holiday cards are handmade, you’ve got to start early! Besides when you get to work with a simple, but beautiful digi such as Hollyberries by Power Poppy, the holiday season can’t come soon enough.
Supplies
Papers: Bazzill Basics in Avalanche; Black Stripes by Recollection
Digital Stamps: Hollyberries by Power Poppy; Christmas Lodge by Stampin’ Up!; Bright & Beautiful by Stampin’ Up!
Dies: A2 Matting Basics B by Spellbinders
Copic® Markers: R20, R29, R46, R59 (berries); YG21, YG03, YG17, YG67 (leaves)
Nancy, what a beautiful Christmas card, and I just love these hollyberries! Beautiful layout with a wonderful Silhouette-cut shape, and I love the stripes! Yes, it’s time to get started on these, and I am in love with this image! Stunning card! Hugs!
So beautiful! The background and layout let your image speak for itself and show off your gorgeous coloring.
Hi, I love your cards, having just found you!
Your colouring is stunning, so seemlessly beautiful, no harsh lines.
Please could I be cheeky and ask you a question? Do you colour dark to light or the other way round? I don’t have copics, I’ve got promarkers and spectrum noirs, but when I do holly leaves it doesn’t look anywhere near your standard! I even go over with the lightest colour to blend it all.
Any tips you could share would be amazing, thank you 🙂 xx
Hi Debs! Thank you for your kind remarks! I color light, dark, medium, light. I put down a layer of the lightest color on the area to be colored to prime the paper. Then I work with the remaining colors, dark to light. If the darker shades get desaturated, I’ll go over it a second time. With Copics, you’re always pushing the ink so I usually lay down that second coat of the colors with a sweeping motion using the side of the brush to enhance the blending.
I also generally use four colors in the shading instead of three. The extra color really helps with blending since the difference between the individual colors isn’t as great.
Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any questions.
Hi 🙂
Bless your heart, thank you so much for giving me those lovely clear tips! I will give that order of colouring a go!
I hadn’t thought of doing a primer layer first as a base to work on, and I’ve only tended to use maximum of three colours not four. Thank you so much, I will give this another try 🙂
I don’t know if promarkers or Spectrum Noirs aren’t as good for blending as the copics but will keep practicing!
That’s very sweet of you if I have any further questions! I may well do!
Hugs
Debs xx
Debs — I was taught to put down that first layer to saturate the paper because that helps the ink to blend better. I’ve only ever worked with Copics, but assume it would work for other alcohol markets too. I should note that the paper makes a big difference too. I like the Copic X-Press paper but I usually use the Spectrum Noir paper because it’s readily available here.