"4th Of July #1" by Leigh Snaith-Brunton (The Sharpie Domino Queen)
Design Team Leader

MATERIALS:
Standard white domino
Sharpies - black, blue, turquoise, marigold, olive and burgundy
Blue metallic Rose Art marker
Star stickers
Red fiber
Metallic star brads - red and blue
Hole punch
White folded card
Cardstock - turquoise, olive and marigold
Fiskars personal paper trimmer
Fiskars Shape cutter and square template
Craft sewing machine and white thread
Clorox bleach pen
Double-sided sticky tape
Gold paint pen
Aleene's Fast Grab glue
Krylon Artist's Workable Fixative
Krylon gloss spray sealer

DIRECTIONS:
For this project you're going to use a standard domino straight from the tin. No surface preparation is needed.

My 'Sharpie Domino Queen' technique using Sharpies to decorate dominoes requires the shiny smooth surface of a new domino. The shiny surface allows you to apply and blend Sharpie colours easily. For more information on my technique please see my website at www.velvetpawcreations.com or read my article in the Alice in Wonderland issue of Somerset Studio magazine, July/Aug 2003.

Start by free hand drawing a geometric design onto the domino using a light coloured Sharpie marker. I like to use yellow. The geometric design I created is centered around the words '4th of July' and 'USA'. Once you've drawn the design start applying the various colours. To highlight certain areas add some detail with a blue metallic ultra fine point marker.

Tip: Create depth and variation of colours by either blending 2 shades of the same colour or adding a touch of black ink to darken other colours.

Also going over the same colour again can give you a darker version of the same marker.

Once you've finished decorating the domino adhere the star stickers. Spray the finished domino with 2 - 3 extremely light mistings of Artist's Workable Fixative to set the inks. Then seal with 2 - 3 extremely light mistings of either a gloss or matte sealer - the finished look of the domino is your preference.

Tip: Make sure you allow each coat to dry before the next spraying. If the inks bleed or run then you've applied a coat of either the fixative or the sealer too heavily. Light mistings and patience is the key!

Wrap red eyelash fiber around the domino and knot to secure in place. Put the finished domino to one side.

Next prepare the cardstocks. Trim a white folded card to size and cut out two panels with a Fiskars shape cutter and template. Cut three wedge shapes from turquoise cardstock and edge with a gold metallic paint pen.

Stitch the two panels together with a Craft Sewing machine. Write 'Independence Day' with a Clorox bleach pen across the two panels. Leave the bleach a few hours or over night to completely dry. The bleach gives the finished card an Americana or Country distressed feel. Punch holes and attach the star brads. Edge the olive panel with a gold metallic paint pen.

Adhere the panels and the turquoise wedges to the folded card with double-sided sticky tape. Apply fast grab glue to the back of the domino and adhere to the assembled card.