Shamrock Fairy: Copics on PT Iridescent Paper (& faux machine sewing)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
And may the luck of the Irish be yours!

I'm wearin' green are you? :O) This is a wee bit uh sumthin' that I done did draw for me Dah (my Dad loves St. Patty's--we're part Irish.) :O)

May seem kind of strange to have fairies & shamrock flowers on a guy's card, but my dad is a Tree Doctor (aka arborist, landscape architect, & organic gardening spirit of the earth.) He's been practicing organic landscaping in his business, since before I was born (and trust me that was a fair while ago, before it was trendy. Let's just say more than 35 years.) ;o) And he ADORES Saint Patrick's Day, aye to be sure!

The Cardstock:

These images for my dear ol' Dad were scanned & printed on Iridescent Cardstock from Paper Temptress (Poison Ivory.) I am obsessed with all their shimmery papers for embossing digital images. The whole Iridescent family is 40% off right now too! I used them all up & can't stop printing digis, so must get more.

The Colouring:



Step 1) Print & emboss image



Step 2) Colour flowers white (souffle pen)



Step 3) Shade centers of flowers with light green



Step 4) Colour with light green (certain celery)



Step 5) Shade with medium green (little Abyss Green on Colourless Blender)



Step 6) Deepen shadows with pure Abyss Green (blend edges)

The Stitchin':
(faux sewing-machine sewing)

I love the look all you great machine sewing crafters acheive, but I am afraid of my machine (and don't have the budget for enough thread in enough colours for bobbins etc. so I just use embroidery thread or dollar store threads mostly & hand sew.) I find it so meditative (it's actually my favourite part of cardmaking oddly enough)...

so I tried to figure out how to mimick that carefree machine sewing, by hand:



Step 1) Draw a light pencil line & pierce along line (double in some spots)



Step 2) Erase pencil line



Step 3) Flip over to backside & smoosh down stitch holes ( I thought it made the stitching look more sewing machine-ish. It's more subtle anyhow...)



Step 4) Thread a fairly slim needle



Step 5) Adhere thread end on back of card



Step 6) Stitch (every other stitch)



Step 7) Finish stitchin'

...and that's that. :O)
Hope you have the most glorious day!