Cherry Branch

Here's another new-to-me stamp (cherries, by Rubber Stampede) - I always get ridiculously inspired by new images. I thought the Technique Junkies Marker Water Coloring technique would be great for this, although I wondered if I could paint in the lines LOL It's in the current (June 2008) issue.

Click photo for more detail

Card measures 5 5/8" x 4 3/8"

Oops, forgot the waterbrush here!

Still on my quest to keep it simple and use what I have. I've always loved fruit images and I really like the branch on this one - very realistic. I followed the instructions for the main panel to a T, using Canson 140lb cold press Watercolor paper. There was literally no warping which tickled me to no end :o) I used a touch of white gel pen on each cherry for a little highlighting. I used some Marvy LePlume II markers from the 'Garden' set - they are the skinny style, and even tho they've been around here forever and a couple were a little dry, they still worked great with this technique!

I ran the panel thru the largest of my circle Nestibilities to cut it, and then emboss a line around the edge. I then laid this circle on my red cardstock and traced around it with a pencil. I used the scallop scissors to trim around this. And speaking of these scissors, the following is for Laurie especially :o)

*tip*

When making scalloped edges on a square/rectangle so that the corners look right, here's what I do:

• trace around the main image panel with a pencil onto colored cs
• starting on a long side I cut a line with the scalloped edge scissors, starting and ending with a full circle at each end
• then I line a circle on the blade up with the last circle on the cardstock and cut a line along the short end
• I do the same thing with the next long side, starting where I just left off on the short side
• when you get to the end of the second long side it's easy to finish the last side doing it the same way

I applied white Uniball Signo gel pen to the scallops as shown, and adhered the main image panel to the red one.

For the striped panel I used second generation Stampin' Up!'s Real Red dye ink on the Hero Arts Holiday Stripe stamp. I used Versamark on the cherry stamp to make a background on darker green cs and then dried it with my heat tool.

I rounded the bottom corners of the background panel and layered it to a reddish brown cardfront with rounded corners. After tying a white grosgrain ribbon around the striped panel I layered it all as shown.

Thanks for looking!