That Ol' BROWN Magic??

I have been watching Karen Barber post some of the most SCRUMPTIOUS cards lately using this what-seemed-to-be-impossible technique (dubbed "black magic" 'cause it is traditionally done on black cardsock - but any dark color works pretty darn well!). I finally p/m'd her the other day to ask her if I could use SU's watercolor pencils to do it instead of the pigment pencils I had read as a suggestion on her blog. She let me know that she had recently tried the watercolor pencils and actually liked them BETTER, so I was tickled to try this technique (finally!)!

It was also surprisingly EASIER than I thought it was going to be! Basically, stamp a solid-type image in Whisper White craft ink (or any white pigment ink will do!). If you are impatient (like ME!) and don't wanna wait for it to "air dry" ... speed up the process by zapping the image with your heat embossing tool. Once it is dry, feel free to color it to your heart's desire .... that's pretty much IT!! Don't be afraid to press down hard and really color that baby!! Shade, color, and shade some more! As this is my very first attempt, it is NOT quite as luscious as I had hoped for, as my learning curve taught me a thing or two! However, it is good to note that accenting the whole image with some strategically placed white-gel-pen highlights really adds to the overall effect. I hadn't looked back at any of Karen's samples before doing this and I got a bit carried away, but I still like the finished product, and I {{{heart}}} this technique!! Definitely gonna try it again ... I think I feel a video tutorial comin' on (since I FINALLY found the new video camera I bought for Christmas that seemed to "disappear" .... HOORAY!). Lovely, eh? (I should also mention that I initially created this for the Free for All challenge over on SCS last Friday - which was to create a "May Day" flower-themed card).

Have a lovely Tuesday!!

Stamps: Watercolor Trio
Ink: Soft Suede, Whisper White, white gel pen
Paper: Tangerine Tango (hooray for its upcoming return!), Soft Suede, Melon Mambo, So Saffron, Whisper White
Accessories: Watercolor pencils, Square Lattice Textured Impressions embossing folder, large oval punch, Whisper White taffeta ribbon