Sunday, March 15, 2009

My Design Notes


Here is a sample I shared at the release party using "A Charmed Life" and "A Year of Flowers", but I wanted to give you a few tips for recreating it. This is colored with the peerless watercolors and the Niji waterbrush, just one shade of pink and one shade of green! I used a light gray Copic to add shadows below the flowers and to the glass. Adding the flower laying on its side makes for a nice design instead of just flowers in the vase: instead of just an up and down composition, the second flower creates a triangle for your eyes to travel in.

Something simple that adds a lot realism: I masked the glass with my stamped and cut out image before stamping the stem of rose over the glass's stem so you wouldn't have the black lines going through, but then when I colored it, I painted the very lightest green line behind the stem of the glass lining it up with the stamped rose stem to create the illusion of the translucence of the glass. This is similar to the tutorial where Theresa made the flower show through the glass in this post, just a different way to do it!

Last I popped up the rose in the glass but cutting one out and mounting it on dimensionals. I almost always try to pop up at least one thing on my cards, it makes so much difference in the end!

Notice how the layers here go to the edge of the card, just something different that makes it look "fresh" compared to consistent 1/8" borders which is what I usually do. It's good to change things up! Try this sketch if you want, link it if you do, I'd love to see! (Like playing sketches? Allison is looking for a Guest Designer for April for So Sketchy, details here!)

The digi paper is Emily's "Rich and Shabby", (I will be back to show you a couple "filters" I have on my computer program, I'm sure you have something similar, that really changes the look of this beautiful, leafy print) and the charms are covered with Crystal Lacquer, the little heart hanging from the greeting is a tiny detail that I really like here. And did you see the little music note? Not many stamps out there for music lovers that I've seen, so I hope this included charm is a nice option for many of you! :)

Hope this is helpful to when creating! Have a blessed Sunday!

14 comments:

  1. Awesome card. You did a wonderful job of creating this card. Thank you for the detail about how you made it.

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  2. Wow, this is a beautiful presentation!

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  3. I loved this card when I saw it at the release party, Melanie! Thanks for sharing the tips about how you created it! Gorgeous and so unique!

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  4. Stunning card, love the roses! Hugs, Moni

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  5. Love this card. Thanks for the tutorial too, very nice, and something I will be trying very soon.

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  6. Holy moley, Mel...this is tremendously outstanding and uber elegant. What a great look.

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  7. Beautiful card! Thanks for the tips!

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  8. What a great card love, love , love the new set...


    reflections:0)

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  9. Beautiful...I love roses and your look like I could lean over and smeill them through the screen, LOL

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  10. Stunning! Your colouring is a work of art as usual. Your sets combine SO well together. Crazy gorgeous! :O)

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  11. love the whole design of this card and so pretty
    Hugs
    Norine

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  12. WOWSERS, Melanie! Your new set is wonderful! (as always) I love all the possibiblities! Amazing, just amazing!

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  13. Very stunning layout! Love it! I also love how you share your ideas/tips and how you made it! Thank you.

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Your generous feedback helps make my work and this blog better! Thanks for inspiring and motivating me! :)