Key to My Heart

A new year has started at CAS Colours & Sketches for challenges!  This month I am the hostess and we're starting off with a sketch.

Here is the posted sketch:

This card is also for this week's color challenge at Splitcoast Stampers - Real Red, Powder Pink and Silver with hearts for dessert.

I colored the main image with Copic markers and color matched them.  Since I wanted to make a background with dye inks and wanted it to be part of my main image (I did not want to cut out right around my image and lay it on top), I knew I had to choose the correct ink for stamping.  My Favorite Things makes a hybrid ink that works well for both Copics and dye inks.  I used it here.  (There are other companies who also make hybrid inks however I haven't tried them.)  After coloring with the Copics, I went back with Prismacolor pencils to add details.  If you do this make sure you are completely finished with the markers.  You cannot go over color pencil with Copics!

When coloring the grey/silver areas, I used both neutral and cool greys.  The neutrals I used on her dress, and the cool greys for the heart, key and shoe embellishments.  Cool greys are a bit closer to silver than neutral or warm greys.

For the background, I made a mask for the girl using Post-It paper and fussy cutting.  Then I made a stencil for my swoosh using a curved die and used Heidi Swap stencil for the background hearts.

The hardest part of this card was cutting the image out from the background.  It is always hard to cut a colored image.  I just can't help but think "what if something goes horribly wrong?"  I have to tell myself that if it does, it's only paper and I have another opportunity to create.

Fortunately, everything came out straight and after cutting the rectangle, I popped it up from the card base using four red rectangles.  I added the silver washi tape to insure that I conformed to the color challenge which had silver in it.  I resisted the urge to add Wink of Stella.  I love my sparkle but sometimes you just have to leave things alone!

As usual, I used a whole lot more markers and pencils than I would have guessed for three colors.  However, I'm pleased with the finished piece and I hope you've enjoyed my card!

Stamp: Stamping Bella Oddball with Lock and Key
Dies: Lawn Fawn Stitched Rectangles, MFT Stitched Curves
Copic markers: R000, R00, R01, R22, R24, R27, C00, C0, C2, C4, N0, N1, N2, N6, E000, E00, E01, E11, E29, E57, E49
Prismacolors: 1059, 1060, 1061, 1063, 1065, 1067, 935, 1024, 923, 924, 1013, 1019, 939, 943, 947, 997, 1033
Ink: MFT Hybrid Black Licorice, Distress Oxide Tattered Rose and Barn Door

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