Grayscale with a spot of color

I have always been fascinated by photos that are in grayscale, but show off a spot of color. So I decided that I needed to try it out with my pencils.

I used this cute image done by Conie Fong called Bouquet Benny for this technique.

I used French Gray to do the grayscale part of the image as I like the warmer, more sepia looking result that the French Gray colors give. Then I added the bright yellow ribbon to the flower bouquet as my colored focal point.

Using a blended Momento ink frame that I had left over from my Rainbows and Unicorns project, I brought in some more color around the edges before placing the image on a yellow cardbase. I finished the card off with a stamped sentiment and a spot of Wink of Stella on the bow.

General supplies:
Canson XL Drawing paper
Bouquet Benny digital stamp
Prismacolor pencils
Wink of Stella shimmer pen
Momento inks
Stampabilities Everyday Expressions stampset

Calla Lilies...

I love Calla Lilies, known as Arum Lilies in some parts of the world. Their beautiful elegance is timeless.

The class chosen for the June Kit and Clowder Elements of Nature challenge is the Calla Lily class. Since I had already done that class in the original white, I decided to ask Google for some reference images of Calla Lilies in other colors. I found that the selection was endless and the choice was difficult.

My first one is a multicolored lily that shows off beautifully strong colors of pink, white, yellow and green. I opted to color the image on Kraft as I do love how pencil coloring pops on the natural background.

My second one is an elegant white lily with a dark, rich purple center. Again I colored it on Kraft colored paper to help the colors pop.

I mounted the images onto white cardbases but did not add sentiments that this time. I will do that when I use the card so that I can apply the appropriate wording for the occasion.

General supplies:
Strathmore Toned Tan sketch paper for the colored images
Gina Marie designs stitched rectangle die
Calla Lily digi stamp from Elements of Nature class
White cardbase
Prismacolor pencils

The bug challenge

I am sure you are wondering - What is a bug challenge??

That is this month's challenge over at Power Poppy. The challenge is to create a card with any sort of a bug on it and so here is my entry.

This card is a showcase of both the things I love doing, coloring and sewing.

The flowers are gerberas from the Kit and Clowder Elements of Nature class. I did them on Kraft paper as I love how pencils pop on Kraft. I cut the image out with a stitched rectangle die and adhered it to a bright yellow cardbase.

I decided to add a butterfly as my bug, but not as a colored image. The butterfly is an embroidered lace embellishment that I made myself. The wings are a mother-of-pearl organza and the stitching is done with Sulky embroidery thread. I adhered it to the card with Glossy Accents so that it will not go anywhere.

The card is completed with a "hello" sentiment that I cut with my Silhouette machine on black cardstock.

I am also entering this card into The Flower Challenge #9 'Anything Goes' challenge.

General supplies:
Strathmore Toned Tan sketch paper for the colored image
Gina Marie designs stitched rectangle die
Glossy Accents
Black cardstock cut with Silhouette for sentiment
Gerbera digi stamp from Elements of Nature class
Cardbase from Paper Studio Simple Basics collection
Organza and embroidery thread
Prismacolor pencils

Coloring a succulent

One of the lessons in the Kit and Clowder Elements of Nature class is the coloring of a succulent.

This is really a practice of transitioning two very different colors into each other and applying depth to the fleshy leaves with shading.

I had printed this image out a while ago while I was still using the Canson XL Drawing paper and so it was also interesting to use it again for this image. I most definitely prefer the toothier paper that is the Strathmore Paint Pad for laying down layers of color.

General supplies:
Canson XL Drawing paper
Berry digi stamp from the course
Prismacolor pencils