Bold & Beautiful Poppies

Wednesday's Noon Time Challenge for Flourishes release week is 'Bold & Beautiful' ie. use a colour that is bold and beautiful. I love the colour orange and I knew that the stamp set Poppy Patch would be perfect for showcasing that colour. I paired the image with some designer paper from CTMH that featured a bright and bold shade of blue and of green that complemented the colours of the poppies.

I created a card a couple of months ago using this stamp set and the same papers. In the end I was unhappy with the card because the image wasn't balanced and I hadn't stamped any leaves, leaving the skinny stems just hanging in mid air. I tried shading the image with a blue-green copic (after the card was put together), but hated the card even more after that. So, I took off the ribbon and embellishments and set them aside to try again later. Today seemed to be a good opportunity. I stamped the image with leaves this time and centered it better on the cardstock. I am still wary of shading around images (I usually hate the results) so as you can see I have left this one unshaded. The ribbon grounds the image somewhat. If any of you talented women out there can give me some hints to help with shading they would be much appreciated.

Supplies - All product CTMH except where noted

Paper - Dotty For You, Neena Classic Crest Solar White (for image)
Stamps - Poppy Patch (Flourishes), Enjoy Every Moment
Ink - Memento Tuxedo Black, Lagoon re-inker, Pear, Copics - R02, R14, R27, YG11, YG13, YG17
Accessories - Color Ready Seam Binding, Dimensional Element tag, Black Waxy flax, Designer Rhinestone brads, Bling assortment, 3D foam