28 April 2012

What's chocolate and pink with a touch of ink?

Well it could be me eating a strawberry creme from the box of Quality Street in my studio as I am always wearing ink!!

On the other hand it could be this creation below:


I thought I would try my hand at colouring on an uber dark cardstock, chocolate brown to be precise, but I could not resist adding a shot or two of pink.

Products used:

Make it Crafty digital stamp - Adele
Faber Castell Polychromos
Daler Rowney Murano Pastel Paper Pad - Cool colours
Dotty paper from stash


If you colour on Kraft cardstock you will have noticed that the colours do tend to stand out more than when using a paler background.  Now with this chocolate I found that the darker pencil colours blended into the background whereas the pale colours really jump out at you!

A word of warning, although I could see the black printed lines to a degree, it is a challenge and it is best to have a clear printed version to hand to save your sanity when you get to a tricky area.

Try it and see what you think ........are any of you brave enough to go dark?

Thanks for hopping by, see you again soon

Crafty Hugs


27 April 2012

Another inked Magnolia....


Hands up if you've had the snuffles lately!
I have, in fact all my family has.

So for any of you out there feeling a little under the weather

Note:
For some reason the photograph has come out much bluer than the actual card which is teal - sadly photography and Photoshop Elements are not my forte!!

Stamps:
Magnolia - Nurse Tilda
Lili of the Valley - Sentiment

Paper:
My Minds Eye - Stella & Rose Hattie Papers

Misc:
Memory Box die - Valencia Border
Flat backed pearls
Ribbon from stash
Sewing machine
Copic Airbrush System

Colouring:
Copics


And here is a close up of Tilda ready to render First Aid,
not sure about the size of that needle though!!!


I had great fun with this particular project, a great excuse to play with my airbrush again.
But here I must make a confession, I had to spray it twice - guess who forgot to put a mask over the image first time grrrrrr!!
Whilst the mask was still in place I used a small natural sponge sprayed lightly with Isopropyl Alcohol, dabbing it on the sprayed area to create a speckled effect.  I then went back over the same area with darker shades of markers dotting around Tilda's feet to create a shadow.
Then I pulled off the mask, adhering it to a piece of tracing paper cut to size and popped it in a storage box so it can be re-used in the future and set to colouring the rest of the image as usual.

I thought I would enter Tilda into the following Magnolia challenges:
TOMIC: Get Well/Best Wishes with picture for colours/theme
Magnolia Stamp Lovers: Stitching real or faux
Totally Tilda: #45 Stitching


Ooh and before I forget, do you look forward to each new edition of
Magnolia Ink Magazine?


I do, and I am thrilled to say that I feature this time as
Blogger of the Month
What an honour!!


Thanks for stopping by the blog and as always should you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

Crafty Hugs

26 April 2012

Tiddly Inks is turning 2

Tiddly Inks
are celebrating their
2nd Anniversary

They kindly asked me if I would like to join them as a special guest to mark the occasion
....... of course I said YES!!



Image:
 Lilli Claire's Bouquet by Tiddly Inks

Paper:
 Forever Friends Spring Time

Colouring:
Copics

Additional:
 Memory Box Tessatina die, Quickutz nesting circles dies, ribbon and pearls from stash, sewing machine and chalk ink.


Here is Lilli Claire in more detail


Why not pay Tiddly Inks a visit, Christy Croll had created some adorable new images to celebrate the occasion!!

I am entering Lilli Claire into the following challenges:
Celebrate the Occasion - Happy Birthday (use ribbon)
Creative card crew - #9 Ribbon
Deep Ocean Challenge - #24 Use punches/dies
Paper and Such Online - Just for the girls
Tuesday Throwdown - Use some sparkle
Emerald Faeries - Dazzle it

Thanks for dropping by the blog today, hope you liked my latest crafty creation ♥


 Hugs


23 April 2012

Magnolia with a difference

OK, now how many of you have seen what my friend Barbara has been doing to Tilda and Edwin of late?

Well I thought I would do something a little different - I have attempted this before but I was not happy enough with the result to share........I hope Pauline will forgive me ♥

I would like you to meet Tilda's cousin!


Anyone have an idea as to what I should call her?

For those interested in how I did it, well I started off by sketching the features lightly in pencil, once I was happy with them I inked in the lines with a Copic Multiliner.
(If you are colouring with Copics make sure you use a pen such as this - or the ink may bleed)

I then shaded the face as I would do for a normal Tilda, but with the added features I was able to give her more depth and most importantly expression.  But I then used my coloured pencils to enchance the features further.

And yeah, yeah, I know it is a Christmas card and it is only April!  But I got caught out last year, leaving it too late to make them all, so I am trying to get ahead of the game and ensure that this year I do not end up buying cards.

Oh and before I forget - does anyone else have this stamp "Holding Tilda"?  If so, what did you have her holding - is there another stamp out there that works for this? 

I'd like to enter her into the following challenges:
(can you believe I found some for a Chrissy card in April!!!)
Cute Card Thursday - #123 Metallica
Moving Along with the Times - Merry Christmas

As always thanks for visiting the blog today

Crafty Hugs

22 April 2012

Outdoor activities anyone?

Over at Dustin Pike's place we are all getting a bit outdoorsy!!

Want to join us?

If so all you have to do is create a card using one of Dustin's Doodle Dragon images with an outdoor theme, post it on his blog and follow the instructions to get a freebie digi.

Here is mine


As you can see I decided to have a bit of fun with my particular image, colouring the small squares and well what do you call the black and white bit - monotonering?????

I then added a little Diamond Glaze to sort of make them look like windows and finished off with a couple of Poppy Stamps dies and some peel-offs.

Now, do not forget that Dustin is currently celebrating his Blogiversary and is offering some pretty fab deals.

I am entering my creation in the following challenges:
Crafts 4 Eternity - #68 Something New (small poppystamps die)
Crafty Catz Weekly Challenge - #129 Stripes or Checks
Fussy and Fancy Challenge - #61 Punches and dies
Stamping for the weekend - #8 Sparkle and Shine
Wags n Whiskers Rubber Stamps - #77 Anything goes
Inspire me Fridays - #55 Anything goes
ATCs with Attitude - #11 Anything goes
Fat Pages with Attitude - #11 Anything goes

Thanks for visiting today

Crafty Hugs

20 April 2012

Some Maggies got inky!!

Oh boy, why is it that so many must have stamps arrive in the post only to be hidden away in a storage box and stay there without seeing a drop of ink................................ the shame!!

So albeit a little late here is my New Years Resolution....
...............to get inky!!!

And this is the first of many projects I intend to share with you all:


As soon as I saw this little dragon I knew she had to join my collection, in fact I splurged on quite a few of the stamps in this particular release!


Here is Lillyrose in for her close up.

Have you noticed that sometimes your images look a little fragmented - no I do not mean your masking has gone wrong,  just that the colours of objects within your project seem to fight with one another for attention and the whole picture fails to gel?

Try this - because I wanted Lillyrose to be the focal point, but not completely overshadow the castle I incorporated her body colours throughout the image - can you spot where? 
Answer at the bottom of the post.

For those of you who like to know which Copics I used brace yourself - there are quite a few!!


as well as....

Memory Box Tessatina border die
First Edition Paper - Animal Antics
Whimsy sentiment stamp
Twine from stash

I would like to enter Lillyrose in the following challenges:
(castles have big gardens AKA Kingdoms)


As always thanks for hopping by and hope to see you again soon

Crafty Hugs

Answer:
For those of you that said "flag" - well done.  But did you spot it in the scene I doodled behind the castle, in both the moat and grassland.  What about the castle rooves - it helped tone down the redness which was drawing my eye away from the dragon and yes I even added a little BG10 to the castle walls too.
How many did you manage to spot?

16 April 2012

Happy Anniversary to me

Well actually to me and my darling hubby Peter.
We got married 18 years ago today!


This is the card I made to celebrate the occassion

I decided to have a little play with my Copics on this one - creating the fur on the bears with dots and dashes - more time consuming than it first appeared, but you know what I am actually rather chuffed with how they turned out.

Good old glitter glue and a pre-embossed pearlised card added a little sparkle.


Crafty hugs


15 April 2012

Dustin Pike April Show and Tell

Hey guys it is that time of the month again when we show you some of the digital stamps currently available at

This adorable little froggie is in the April 2012 Membership

and was coloured using Polychromo's and Caran D'Ache Pablo's on Murano Pastel paper

"Oh - bug - ahh!"


Sorry, I am sure you have had more than enough of my bad jokes lately, but I just could not resist!


Not to mention the fact that I was heard to say that and other rather rude words yesterday when I found the drawer at the base of my range cooker would not open.  I keep all my baking trays in there and one had got wedged so you could only open the drawer about an inch and no amount of jiggling or drawer slamming was budging that tray!

Thankfully, my dear hubby came to the rescue, armed with a torch, a nifty little mirror on a stick and way more patience than I possess!!  After much poking and the death of an aging spatular that was bent, snapped and then bent some more he managed to get the drawer open!! My hero ♥

Thanks for hopping by today

Crafty Hugs

14 April 2012

Make it Crafty Tutorial

Hello everyone

This is my first post for the new
Make it Crafty Store Design Team
ooh before I forget if you have not already done so please check out our new Store Blog where you will find my teamies and I sharing hints, tips and showcasing Make It Crafty products

and I am starting off with a tutorial!!

How to colour skin tones with coloured pencils

for this tutorial I used the following:

Sophie Daydreaming digital stamp by Make it Crafty


Winsor and Newton Smooth Surface Heavy Weight Cartridge Pad
I would not recommend using the same cardstock you use for Copics - it is far too smooth and the pencil will have difficulty adhering to it, it will smudge like crazy (been there, done that)

Faber Castell Polychromos pencils:
101 White
103 Ivory
131 Medium Flesh
132 Light Flesh
178 Nougat
189 Cinnamon

Caran D'Ache Pablo pencils:
404 Brownish Beige

Derwent Artist pencils:
6470 Mars Violet

Winsor and Newton Artists' Fixative

The information in this tutorial can be applied using any brand of pencils, the above list is just a guide and the ones I happen to have.
For those who want to try this with other brands might I suggest printing up the colour charts for the companies above to help you colour match.



 You will also need:

Good quality eraser
Pencil Sharpener
(I personally use a battery operated hellical one)

Sharpen all your pencils to a good point before you begin




STEP 1
Print or stamp your image
For this tutorial I am using just the head portion of Sophie Daydreaming

Now because I am working on a white background I have laid down a very light layer of Light Flesh to indicate where the shaded areas are on the face
(with light source coming from the left)

I did start off with the highlights ie White and Ivory as I often do when working on kraft card only to realise that, doh, I could not see them on this cardstock, so I erased it and started again (see I make bloopers too) 




STEP 2
Go over shaded areas with more Light Flesh if necessary and add highlights with White and Ivory
Do not press too hard - it is better to keep adding layers - and it makes it easier to erase mistakes!




STEP 3
Medium Flesh tone is added now to deepen the colour of the areas that would be in shadow and enhance the shape of Sophie's face.




STEP 4
At this stage more definition is added using Cinnamon and if you notice that your colouring is getting a bit messy, you can even it out by going over the troublesome areas carefully with Light Flesh and or Ivory.  When using good quality pencils they will blend together quite easily giving a smoother appearance.




STEP 5
Now you need to concentrate on the soft shadow areas - so the right hand side of Sophie's face will need additional Brownish Beige, as will her neck, inner ear and area near hairline.



STEP 6
Final stage - I used Mars Violet (cool name eh) to lessen some of the orange tint that flesh tones can sometimes give, but that is just me being picky and then Nougat to add stronger shadows - especially around the ear, close to the hand, her neck, side of her nose and right side of the face.

If you feel the colouring needs smoothing out a bit then gently go over the offending area with Light Flesh as before. 
Can you see the difference a few carefully placed shadows make - just compare Step 5 and Step 6.

And you are done!

Here is Sophie again fully coloured:

Once you have completed your pencil colouring I do recommend you seal it with Artists' Fixative - as an impoverished student I used to use hairspray but the fixative is so much better - it seals your work under a fine layer of acrylic and prevents it from smudging.

I hope you have found this tutorial helpful and that it gives you the confidence to get those pencils out and have a go!

Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask

Happy Crafting

8 April 2012

Dustin Pike Challenge

Hello everyone!

I am back in the studio, woo hoo and desperately trying to locate my crafty mojo - I suspect it is hiding behind the large box of tissues on my desk!


The theme for the current Dustin Pike Challenge is:
"Make Me Smile"


Yeah, I know I am supposed to be making you smile not groan - but believe me when I say that this was not the worst joke I found!!

This little chap is from May Membership 2011
Coloured in Copics

Please post your entries HERE
where you will find some awesome inspirational creations from my teamies

Crafty Hugs

5 April 2012

Where have I been?

Ha ha, I bet you thought I'd got lost!

Nope, I have just spent a few days in Disneyland Paris visiting Mickey, Minnie and the gang!

I will be back shortly with more crafty stuff, but please bear with me as I not only came back with a suitcase full of Disney goodies but a dreadful cold which as you can imagine is playing havoc with my mojo!!!

Hugs