Hi there! Today is a special-ish day for me… it’s my 35th birthday today! This covid-quarantine-birthday with two babies and two medium-sized kiddos is definitely not how I imagined spending my 35th birthday, but we’re gonna make the best of it grilling out and some yummy homemade apple pie! (My hubby makes it for me with extra thick crust. Yummm.) This has been quite a transformative year for me in many ways, including my newfound interest in drawing and stamp illustration! I am so grateful for all of the opportunities I’ve been lucky enough to have over the last year, not the least of which is illustrating six different stamp sets for Honey Bee Stamps! (I’ll link them all at the bottom of the post in case you want to check them out. 😉 ) Today’s card is using one of my newest sets: Darling Dahlias.
I used both watercolors and Copics to color my card sets from last week, so I thought for today’s card, I would do some pencil coloring. The images in the Darling Dahlias set are nice and large and great for use with colored pencils. Let’s get started with the details!
I began by stamping the blooms and foliage on some emerald green cardstock using white pigment ink. I find that the white pigment ink disappears into the pencil coloring quite seamlessly, so I tend to use that for my no-line pencil coloring on colored cardstock.
I love using Caran D’Ache Luminance colored pencils to add really vibrant pencil coloring to my colored card stock. I colored the images, then used the coordinating Honey Cuts to die cut the finished images out.
I stamped an emerald green background panel using the Farmhouse Check background stamp and some darker green ink, then arranged the Darling Dahlias in a swag and adhered them on the checkered background panel using foam adhesive. I added a greeting using sentiment dies from the new Slimline Blanket Sentiments and some gems for sparkle.
Now, to celebrate my newest sets and my birthday, I thought I’d do a giveaway! I will select three winners to receive one of my stamp sets from Honey Bee Stamps. All you have to do to win is be a blog follower (either via email or WordPress) and leave me a comment telling me whether you love birthday cake or pie better! I’m sorry international friends… with the way international postage is these days, I’m only doing continental US for this giveaway. I will leave the giveaway open until October 6, 2020.
Good luck! Thanks so much for stopping by today, and have a marvelous day!
Simply gorgeous! What a lovely flower. Great background!
Love birthday cakes. Happy birthday Emily!
I follow your blog in Feedly …. and I’m always about the Cake.
Happy Birthday! Celebrate every way you can–apple pie sounds just right! Thanks for linking to all your stamp designs. Just added several to my wish list. Stay well.
I love apple pie!
I have long-admired your coloring and this card is gorgeous.
I’m a pie lover – – apple, pumpkin, lemon meringue …
Your card is lovely!
Happy Birthday! Your card is gorgeous. I’ve never used pencils on colored cardstock (maybe once on kraft), but your result is amazing. I love the beautiful Darling Dahlias set! As for my birthday treat preference, hands down it’s cake — the ultra sweet kind with buttercream icing! Enjoy your day with your family and stay safe.
Oh Emily! HAPPIEST of birthdays!!! I don’t like cake or pie… you forgot the best option… ICE CREAM 🙂
This has been quite a year, and it is continuing….I am not a “good sport” about our loss of freedoms, loss of income, faceless people, etc. It sounds like you will be enjoying your birthday–woo hoo!! Happy birthday!!! I really love the Dahlia images. My sister, and my friend both grow a lot of varieties, and REALLY love them, which has made me love them a lot, too. There are so many different types that look very different from each other, which is so interesting. I always take photos of them in botanical gardens so I can send them to them. This looks really gorgeous–how you colored them. I am trying to learn how to color, but am not artistic. I am just happy if the images look good–yours are spectacular. How wonderful that you are designing stamps, also. SO COOL!
Happy Birthday!! I love ice cream cakes for my birthday, but I am a summer baby! Hugs, my friend! ❤️
Happy Birthday – I love Birthday Cake!!!!!
Love your beautiful flower card – lovely work
Happy Birthday. Best wishes for many more.
this has been a crazy year but we’ll just “keep
on keeping on. My BF always made me a
lemon meringue pie for my birthday. Haven’t
had one of those pies for many years but
still remember them every year on my
birthday. Had a delicious cake for my 80th
birthday this year, so I’m happy with either.
thanks for sharing txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com
I get your posts in e-mail but not sure
who sends it every day. Enjoy getting
them. thanks again
txmlhl(at)yahoo(dot)com
Happy Birthday 🎈 dear Emily 🎶Happy Birthday to you 🎵—There is no way I could sing it as beautifully as you but I can bring you such wonderful wishes for an amazing year❣️
These floral designs are absolutely gorgeous 💐Love the Darling Dahlia, Stunning Sunflower, and the honey of a stamp set Harvest Blooms with a beautiful bouquet of exceptionally sweet florals.
You constantly impress with your designs, coloring abilities with several media’s, intellect, communication, and stamina. No one in this field puts in the hours of hard work and raising 2 sets of twins and supporting your wonderful husband as he also supports you. ~I will send my French Apple 🍎Pie recipe to y’all but for my birthday I adore white cake with fudge frosting 🎂
Gorgeously colored dahlia! Happy birthday! I prefer pie to celebrate birthday!
Oh happy day to you!! Isn’t it wonderful to have someone make you a homemade dessert on your birthday?! My mom always made me a homemade cherry cheesecake – my favorite! (Tho I’ve never met a cake OR pie I didn’t like! haha). Your card is as gorgeous as you – have a beautiful day!
Happy Birthday, Emily! 35 is such a good year!! (At least it was for me, many years ago!) 🙂 I hope your day is special! So nice that your hubby bakes for you. I like pie for my bday also ! Peach is my favorite. I love your awesome coloring on this gorgeous card. I have not tried coloring on the darker cardstock yet. Thanks for sharing how gorgeous it can be.
Hi Emily 🙂 I follow your blog by email. Lovely card!!! Beautiful coloring and thanks for the tip on the white pigment ink for no-line pencil coloring…been trying several things lately to see which I like best so I’ll try it too!
(open music) Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Emily! Happy Birthday to you!(close music)
You should be glad that this was in print…LOL! I’ll eat cake…especially cheesecake but I’d rather have pie 🙂 Thanks for your inspiration and generosity!!!
I know the competition isn’t open to me but I can still comment. I love cake, Italian cakes rich creamy alcohol infused lol. I looked and commented on your card on Instagram and I thought you had added a green outline layer, not realising you coloured with pencil in the green. That is amazing fantastic wow. And I want all your sets so will go shopping and get them all xx have a wonderful brilliant day my friend
Happy Birthday! I would rather have birthday pie. Love the colors on your beautiful card.
Happiest birthday, friend! It has been a joy to see your talent (and family!) grow and flourish over the last few years and to see you take this big leap into illustrating. This card is so perfect to showcase your talent. Just beautiful! You have amazed me from the start, and I have no doubt that you will continue doing and achieving so much. PS Pie is my favorite! Homemade apple pie with an extra thick crust sounds fab!
Birthday 🎂 cake or birthday 🎂 pie? YES! haha haha I could go for both, but I prefer birthday cake! Yumm! 💜 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMILY!
Happy belated birthday! I’ll have to put my vote in for cake Now, pie’s not bad, but I love cake and frosting and ice cream! Thank you for the chance at a set.
Happy Belated birthday! hope you had a wonderful one despite this pandemic! I love cheese cake so cake wins in my books!