Colouring with Copics is such a hoot!!

Oh I have been having fun with the new release at My Favorite Things and here is a little owl for you.

There are never any mistakes in crafting, merely happy accidents!  So if your initial colouring idea does not work out - don't panic, take a deep breath because you can usually figure out a way to save your colouring from diving into the depths of your waste paper basket.  In my case I merely fussy cut both the tree stump and owl.........ta da, saved the day and managed to add dimension to my card - win, win!!

I also did a little bit of experimenting.  How many of you have MFT background stamps, with good intentions to use them, but don't know quite how to go about it?  Well, I took a piece of Copic card and stamped the Hessian background on to it using MFT Natural Hybrid ink - enabling me to colour my free-hand background over the top - if you opt for one of their paler hybrid inks you can easily add your own design with the delicate texture still showing through.  It just adds another dimension to your Copic colouring.

Talking of dimension, the tree stump was simply glued on to the background image, with the addition of shadows to give the impression of depth.  Then I stuck the little owl to the card with thin foam pads.....just enough to make the owl take centre stage!

SUPPLIES:

Stamps: MFT - Critter Clan, Happy Hedgehogs, Hessian Background

Colouring Medium: Copics (see list above)

Tools: Misti, MFT Hybrid ink - Natural, Foam pads

I am really chuffed that I managed to save this little guy from the "blooper bin" and that it inspired me to try something a little different with my background stamp!

Happy Colouring

A budding little picasso perhaps

So lets get down to the arty stuff, right - here is a card that was an absolute pleasure to create:

As you can see I decorated the envelope again, I just splodged on some distress ink.  Oh dear, I need to practice with those little spongy distress tools - there must be a knack to it (sadly I haven't found it yet)

Now, my version looks a little different when compared to the stamp...........adding more detail to the eyes and giving her a mouth as well as using the no lines technique adds a touch of realism to the original image.

Here is a picture of the outside, simple and clean - just letting the image be the focal point.

And here is the inside of the card decorated with distress ink and the paintbrush from Tim Holtz Crazy things collection.

COPIC COLOURS

Background: R0000, R000, E40, E41, E43, YR30

Hair: YR20, E11, E13, E44, E47

Skin: E0000, E000, E00, E40, V20, R20

Eyes: B93, B95, W10

Jeans: B91, B93, B95, B97, C0, C4, C7

Jacket & Beret: YR30, E50, E43, E81

Brush: R27, E43, E40, E41, B02, W2

Palette: E51, E53, E81, E43

Splats: B02, Y35, YG25, YR04, BV02, R27, W2

Boots: E11, E13, E15, E44

SUPPLIES

Stamps: WSD Budding Artist, Tim Holtz Crazy Collection

Paper: Personal Impressions white card, card from stash

Colouring Medium: Copic Markers, Memento Angel Pink ink, Distress ink - Tattered Rose, Caran D'Ache pencils

Tools: Misti

Size: USA A1

Thank you so much for dropping by my blog today, hope you enjoyed the post - until next time...........

Happy Colouring

Happy little hedgehogs :)

We used to get quite a few hedgehogs in our garden when I was a kid, but I don't think we've ever had one here in this garden which is such a shame as they are so cute!

I decided to include a little hand drawn element to my card - I deliberately coloured it much paler than the foreground, giving the impression of distance. (nothing fancy, just squiggles that hopefully look like bushes/trees)

Here are pictures of both the front and inside of the card.....

........and lets not forget the customised envelope

Dependent upon the type of paper the envelope is made of I sometimes use Copics as above, however if the paper is a tad too porous and looks like it will bleed, then I play safe and use coloured pencils.  Here is a little tip - put a scrap piece of paper inside the envelope when using Copics, so if any colour does come through it marks the paper, not the back of the envelope!!

COPIC COLOURS:

Hedgehog: E40, E41, E42, E43, E44, E47, E49, W9, RV32, E99

Toadstool: E21, E23, E25, YR30, E40, E41, E42, W4

Ground: YG91, W0, YG0000, W4, W6, YG93, W1, G40, YG63, YG61

Log: E30, E31, E34, E23, E25, W2, W3, W4

Sky: B0000, B000

SUPPLIES:

Stamps: MFT Happy Hedgehogs

Paper: Navigator Office Card 160gsm

Colouring Medium: Copic Markers

Tools: Grand Calibur, MFT Stitched Rectangles, Misti, Versafine - Vintage Sepia, MFT Hybrid ink - Gravel Grey and Natural, Derwent Graphik White pen

Thanks for dropping by my blog today, hope to see you again soon on Wednesday with another post.

Happy Colouring

Scruffy Mutt!

Well hello there, I thought it was about time I cracked open my new packets of Tim Holtz Crazy dogs stamps.........oh yeah, these called out to me the moment I saw them advertised!

As the owner of a Westie,  I chose the scruffy Terrier as my first image to colour and here are the results:

Now, I have decided to try and up my game a little and not only focus on the card front, but also decorate the inside and inspired by Jennifer McGuire, attempt to jazz up the envelopes where possible too! 

Unfortunately, whilst photographing this little chap, I totally forgot to take a picture of the inside - basically its a replication of the distressed background on the front with a rectangular white die cut insert for a sentiment - I left it blank so I could would be free to use the card for any occasion.

Here is the scruffy pooch in more detail.......To get the texture of all that fur, I went over some of my Copic work with coloured pencil.

Oh and here is a picture of the envelope.  For those of you not too familiar with these stamps, the dogs come in two sizes, the larger ones are just the dogs with a few accessories, the second set are smaller and include the Crazy Cats too, they are also the mirror image of the larger images!

I hope that it makes the recipient smile even before they have opened it and you never know it might give the Postie a giggle too!!!

COPIC COLOURS:

Ground: B91, C00, C1, C2, C4

Dog Collar: B99, B93, B95, B97, N8, YR21, YR27, YR31

Dog: E11, E25, E30, E31, E34, E59, B0000, B000, No, N1, V20, C6, N3, N4, N5, N6, N8, W6, W10

SUPPLIES:

Stamps: Tim Holtz Crazy Dogs and Mini Cats and Dogs, MFT - Distressed Patterns

Paper: Navigator Office Card 160gsm

Colouring Medium: Copics (listed above), Derwent Graphic White, Distress Ink - Weathered Wood, Antique Linen, Caran D'Ache Pablo and Luminance Pencils, MFT Hybrid ink - Insulation Pink, Natural

Tools: Grand Calibur, Misti, MFT Wonky Stitched Rectangles, Stitched Rectangles

Well that is about it for today, until next time..........

Happy Colouring

Harvest is finally over!

Oh my, yes I am finally back in my studio - it is amazing how quickly you get 'rusty' and I admit it has taken me a while to get my hands communicating with my brain again...........but I think I'm just about there!!

Now, I decided as we've been uber busy down on the farm that I'd keep up the theme with an adorable stamp set - The Whole Herd by My Favourite Things.

It also gave me the opportunity to jump right in and stretch those creative fingers that have spent all of August and early September making sandwiches, cooking and delivering dinners out to the men in the fields, oh and I fitted in making a birthday cake too (our son turned 21!)

So here is my entry for My Favourite Things - Card Design Superstar Contest - 2016!!

Have you spotted Ruby, the pesky chicken, who was intent on appearing in every photo! Myrtle the cow got the better of her though.......

     








Inside the card:

Oh look, Ruby is such a cheeky little chicken and wanted to show off the eggs she laid!!














As ny on always these days I chose to use the 'no lines technique' - for those who are new to this, or even my blog........(hello there and welcome) I stamped my images with Memento Angel Pink (couldn't get hold of MFT Hybrid ink in Pink Lemonade) which is pale enough to almost disappear as you add your Copic ink, giving you a much softer, hand drawn look.

Here is a Copic list.......as usual I used quite a few!

COPIC COLOURS:

Background: B0000, B000, G40, G43, G12, W00, W0, W1, YG0000, E81, YR30, E50
Chicken: E11, E13, E15, E17, E31, E34, E37, R32, R35, R37, YR21, YR23, YR27
Pig: R000, R00, R01, R02, YR000, YR00, C0, C1, C2, E70
Goat: W0, W1, W2, W3, W5, E41, E42, E43, TR0000, YR21, YR24, YR27, BG72, BG75
Hay: YR30, E51, E43, E55, E53, E47
Eggs: E40, E41, W1
Chick: Y11, YR21, W0, Y21, Y38, W1
Cow: E41, E42, E43, C00, C0, C1, C2, C4, C6, C8, YR0000, YR000, W0, W1


SUPPLIES:
Stamps: My Favourite Things - The Whole Herd
Paper: Navigator Office card 160 gsm for Copic work, other papers from stash
Colouring Medium: Copic Markers (listed above), Memento Angel Pink ink, Versafine Onyx Black ink, Derwent White Graphik Line Painter
Tools: Misti stamp tool, Spellbinders Grand Calibur, My Favourite Things dies - Precious Polaroids, Stitched Rectangles, Rolling Hills and Blueprints 15
Card Size: A2 (USA)

Well, that's it for today - I had so much fun making this card - so I'm off to enter it in to the competition............but have you seen who appears on the envelope too!!

Bye for now,

Happy Colouring everyone!

Double doggies for Daddy's

I have been a busy bee over the last couple of days........making duplicate Father's Day cards.

A little while ago I saw an amazing card made by Tammie Edgerton, One Happy Stamper who in turn had been inspired by Sandy Allnock and I knew that at some point I had to give it a go myself!  Thank you ladies - you rock!!!

Now I am still a rookie using a Misti and I am sure there must have been an easier way of doing it......but I just could not get my head around how to print the reverse dog (his face) so that it fitted perfectly on to the front one when sandwiched together!  If anyone has an idiots guide as to how to do it please please send me a copy, this idiot would be oh so grateful :)

Here are the 2 fronts.....not too dissimilar, one pooch is a tad darker than the other but hey apart from on here the cards are never going to be seen side by side!

And as for the inside image that caused me so many issues:

As you can see the little pooch got a tad creative himself and used his beloved stick to write my Dad and Father in Law a little message on the fence!

The back page was coloured using a Copic Airbrush with some Isopropyl alcohol on a sponge to sort of create clouds, not that you can see them too clearly in this picture.

Oh and here is one last picture, showing both front and inside, well these cards did give me major brain strain, so why not!!!

COPIC COLOURS:

Background: B00, B01

Dog: E23, E57, E25, E27, E29, E21, E11, E13, E23, E00

Nose: W2, W6, W8

Collar: R27, R89

Ground: E30, E31, E34, E43, W4, W5

Bowl: R22, R27, R89, E18, T8

Kennel: W5, W6, W8, E70, E71, E74

Bone: YR30, E81

Fence: E40, E41, E42, E81, E84

Stick: E70, E71, E74

SUPPLIES:

Stamps: MFT You make my tail wag

Paper: Personal Impressions Premier Quality Smooth White Card, Bazzill base card

Colouring Medium: Copic Markers (colour list above)

Tools: Spellbinders Grand Calibur, L'il Inker Stitched Rectangle die, Copic Airbrush, Misti, Souffle gel pen.

Size of card: USA A2

Hope you liked these, and for all Dad's out there, may I wish you all a very Happy Father's Day!