From time to time, we will feature guest artists who will present their unique designs. We hope you enjoy their work. Please feel free to contact them with your questions or comments.

I am a huge fan of Sharon Harnist and her wonderfully creative designs. Sharon was one the first bloggers I contacted not long after starting the Lockhart Stamp Company. I've asked her to be our first guest artist for 2012. She will explain her Copic Marker blending techniques as she creates a set of refrigerator magnets using four of our stamps. This is one of those projects that can be used to create unique gifts for friends and family.

Sharon Comments:
I have had the pleasure of knowing Karen Lockhart since November 2007, when I the great honor to start designing for her. But, I loved her wonderful, whimisical stamp images long before then, when I first discovered them in Ellen Hutson's online store, in 2006.

I was first introduceed to rubber stamping in February 2004, and immediately fell in love with this form of paper crafting! Shortly thereafter, I became a demonstrator and instructor of rubber stamping, cardmaking and scrapbooking. You can follow my teachings on my blog: www.PaperFections.com, where I use lots of Karen's images.

I am also honored to be on the Copic Marker design and instruction team. Copics are my favorite medium for coloring Lockhart stamps! In this project, I am sharing a Copic blending technique with you that will help give your coloring realistic depth and dimension.

Sharon Harnist
Blog Inspiration: www.PaperFections.com

Blending Technique

To achieve a multi-color 3-dimensional blended cherry, I stamped Karen's Perfect Cherries, #2154, with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Copic X-Press It Blending Card and then used a base coat of Copic Y11 (left cherry below):

I then used the blush-toned R20 marker to pick up color from the darker, more red R22 marker (middle cherry above). By using the lighter marker to color with, the darker R22 color will be the first color coming off the marker tip, gradually blending and fading out to the lighter R20 color, creating a midtone like this:

I colored from the lower left of the cherry (where Karen drew in dots indicating where a show should be) upward to the top of the cherry, stopping to leave some of the previous coart of yellow. The next step was to use YR21 to pic up color from the R24 marker and color the same as above, but only on the lower third of the cherry. You can use YR21 to smooth and blend everything together.

My last step of coloring was to add a bit more depth to the sides and bottoms of the cherries with darkest R29 and a little bit of shadow in the tops of the cherries, near the stems with E35. The leaf was colored YG61, YG63 and YG67.

To finish the cherry image, I hand trimmed it into approximately a 1 7/8" square, leaving the leaf extending beyond the square. Then I colored the edges of an Inchie Arts White Twinchie (2" matboard) Square with YR21 and adhered the cherries to the square.

To finish, I layered red die cut cardstock behind the Twinchie with magnets on the back, to make this a refrigerator magnet.

Three more Refrigerator Magnets
Here are close-ups of the rest of this magnet set, with links to instructions on my blog, PaperFections.

Lemons & Bay Leaves magnet instructions.

Okie Dokie Artichokie magnet instructions.

Perfect Berries magnet instructions.