Phases

Do you find that you go through phases with your stamping style?  Not necessarily major differences, but perhaps types of images (and coloring methods) that you gravitate toward in stages. I've been moving toward coloring images with pens and pencils and away from a looser interpretation with color washes and collage-y type elements.  I wonder if I'm the only one?
Don't get me wrong, I've always *appreciated* a gorgeously illustrated and colored image.  But I was never very good at coloring, shading, highlighting - in other words, making it look good! ;)  Now that I'm (much) older I really appreciate the time and effort that it takes to learn how to do it well.  I only wish that I'd gotten started sooner and had more time to practice.
This card is the reason why I ask!  I feel like I've breached a wall, made it into that 'zone' where colors come together the way they're supposed to! :)
(As always, click for a larger view.)

Unfortunately (as ever) the picture really doesn't do this card justice.  She (ching-chou kuik's Serenity) looks pale and, umm, uninteresting here.  IRL she is quite lovely - with the most delicate shading I've ever managed.  This lovely lady is actually a mermaid, but I wasn't feeling very mermaid-ish so I used a circle Nestie to cut out the main portion of the image.
The base of the card was cut from thick black card stock, then embossed with a Cuttlebug folder.  I dabbed on two colors of green and rust Opalite ink (remember those?? LOVE 'em!) for a little extra color.  The shimmery gold card stock wasn't exactly the right color - so after cutting it with a Nestie, I ran a Copic around the outside edge to make it match her robe better.
The vines were, ummm, interesting! ;)  These were all cut from black paper using one corner vine die from Cuttlebug.  I think I used six?  Maybe seven.  Either way, once they were all cut out I snipped them apart and arranged them around the main image panel.  Trying to get them arranged in a pleasing way took a *very* long time.  Well over an hour - and it's not that big!  In hindsight, I should have dabbed the vines with Opalite ink *before* adhering them down, but I didn't.  I was just extra careful not to get ink all over!
Serenity was colored with a multitude of Copic markers and a variety of other goodies. :)  There is a hint of Pearl colored Perfect Pearl spray painted on where the light from the candle shines.  There are touches of green smooch on her robe (which show up as black in this pic)(*sigh*).  There is quite a bit of gold, yellow and tan Spica marker around the gold edges of her robe.  Some Glimmer Mist along the leaves and vines surrounding the moon and a little dab of Glossy Accents wherever there were beads in the image (hair, necklace, earrings, etc).  Here's a little better side view:

Thanks so much for dropping by!