CAS(E) This Sketch: I'm a Guest!

 Hello Crafters!

I am so super excited for today's post! Why you ask?

I'm guest designing over at CAS(E) This Sketch!!! Whoo Hoo! It's one of my favorite challenges to play along with. Their sketches always give me the best jumping off point and their team is wicked talented. When I got the invite I was literally squealing with delight! My poor dog was looking at me like I'd lost my mind. Dogs, they just don't get it it. Whatever. 

Here is the sketch

I loved the off center grouping along with the strip down the side. So many possibilities but you know me . . .I went with flowers :) 

I stamped some flowers from Altenew's Magnolias For Her using masking. This set doesn't come with leaves but it does come with extra petals so I used those to create some greenery. 

I colored them in using copics. Now you might be wondering why my darkest shading is on the outside of the petals. 

Admittedly, I thought it looked weird at first because most flowers darken on the inside and lighten outside. However, I learned to Google pictures of what I want to color before actually doing it and magnolias actually have the strongest color on the outside of their petals. Weird right? But still pretty. 

After I had colored all the pinks there was NO separation between my flowers so I went back in and added some shadows with my warm grays. I was terrified! Ha! I kept hearing Sandy in my head saying "You need bold contrast, but be careful because you can ruin your image." What in the What?! I started light and gradually got up the nerve to add in W5. Sandy was right though. Isn't she always? That brilliant woman. It really needed the contrast. I probably could have gone darker even . . .What do you think? More contrast? Less? Help a girl out :) Oh and I outlined the flower in a very light blue. 

I wanted my flowers to over hang the strip like they do in the sketch so I used my paper trimmer to trim the two outside edges and then fussy cut the actual edge of the flower. I couldn't decide between a pink strip or a green one so I went to my "Help me make a decision, it's 3am for God's sake" friend Linda and we decided on pink. Thank God for those crafty friends!

The sentiment is from another Altenew set Sketchy Rose and I thought it fit perfectly!

Thanks again to the CAS(E) This Sketch girls for allowing me to play along!! I'm so thrilled and honored you let me :) Don't forget to go over and play along!!

Thanks for visiting!

XoXo