Day 23 Bookshelf - Starting with Basic Coloring

Hey all - Day 23 of Kathy's (The Daily Marker) 30 Day Coloring Challenge!! Still hanging in there and today I'm just sharing a quick basic coloring of a stamped bookshelf image. Kathy's post yesterday had a lot of photos of each step of her coloring process so I thought I'd try following them over the next few days!

I stamped the main image from Hero Arts CM425 Bookcase Peek-a-Boo Parts using Hero Arts Intense Black Ink. Then I did a quick base layer of Copic markers per Kathy's step one. That's it. Took about an hour. My photo contains just a few of the oodles of markers I pulled for my base layer. To making it quicker, I tried to use the same color at least once on every shelf. Haven't decided how to do the "wall" behind the bookshelf yet - it might stay stark white like the walls at my house....

Hope you have a wonderful day - thanks for visiting!!

Print-making coloring with a twist (Day 22)

Hi friends - another quick post as I'm off to have lunch with friends later today & I need to shop for something to take! It's Day 22 of Kathy's (The Daily Marker) 30 Day Coloring Challenge and I'm returning to the print-making coloring Kathy demo'd on Day 1 (same link as for the Challenge) but with a twist. Rather than using watercolors, I'm using Alcohol Inks!! Here's my print with colored diecuts atop a piece of ivory cardstock:

My friend Cindy (Escape to Stamping) was using AIs on a stencil and I got mine out (see the card I made here). I didn't do anything specifically for the coloring challenge with them until now. I didn't have large sheets of Yupo paper but I found some Grafix Dura-Lar (acetate alternative). I thought it would be fun to try making a print on it with AIs (others have probably done it; I just haven't seen it). I used Ranger's Adirondack Alcohol Ink cardstock to die cut the images because I couldn't find my Yupo after just using it the other day - so frustrating!! Later in the post you'll see some different colored cards behind a couple pieces of print for potential cards.

Here's a photo of the print in process with some of the AIs used (sorry for dark photo - it was taken just after 1am!). The Dura-Lar has a tissue sheet between each piece so I left one behind and then put a couple paper towels on my work surface. Didn't really get any bleeding through. As you can see, I ran out of the thin cotton panels used for inking - no worries, a cotton makeup pad worked fine. I also used a Q-tip for inking the thinner circles. Dies used - Spellbinders Elegant Twist Circles Etched Dies (enabled by my friend Virginia's post) and the same retired Hero Arts butterfly I used on my first print-making coloring on Day 11.

Alcohol ink colors: Watermelon, Red Pepper, Wild Plum, 

Sunshine Yellow, Butterscotch, Sailboat Blue, Stream, & Citrus. 

Plus Gold Mixatives and blending solution.

Finally, I cut up the print into pieces and laid a couple onto different colored card bases with some of the diecuts just so you could see the potential cards. Interesting how the print changes, isn't it?

How about you? What kind of print-making might you try? Distress paints might be fun or crayons? Anyway, this coloring challenge continues to be entertaining to me and you can still join in for the remaining 8 days! Hope to see you there & thanks for stopping by!!

Adding circles behind images - Day 21

Hey there - I'm trying out something Kathy (The Daily Marker) shared on Day 19 of her 30 Day Coloring Challenge, now on Day 21!! She added background circles to her sketch to add some interest. I figured I'd give it a try on a stamped image. Kathy used common household items to trace her circles (roll of tape, etc.); I just used the negatives from circles I'd diecut. I made my panel into a card already:

Supplies - DCWV A2 card; Paper Studio Black;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Stamps - Gina K Designs Stately Flowers 7

Die - My Favorite Things Blueprints 20 (retired)

Other - Copic markers & multiliner; black pencil; 

sentiment strip from SSS as below

I stamped the lady's slipper, masked it & added the wild prairie roses, added another mask to the left rose and stamped the red clover. Diecut the panel with a stitched rectangle. Next I traced my circles and colored them first. Why? Felt like it, I guess! Then I colored the other flowers & added shading and nooks & crannies. The latter made all the difference - sorta wish I had a photo of how it looked before all this detailing!! I thought it was a bit hopeless, especially the clover, but now I like it.

Finally, I'm sharing a card made with the floral panel from Day 19. I diecut the panel with a stitched rectangle, added a sentiment strip from Simon Says Stamp, matted with orange and adhered to a top-fold pale green card. The image is from a 2009 Hero Arts set "A Million Thanks" (retired). Nothing fancy but I zeroed in on the image by cutting off a lot of the white around it. Added some clear Wink of Stella to the flower centers and the interesting leaf veins.

Thanks for stopping and I hope you have a day filled with color!!

Back to watercolors for Day 20

Hey there - it's Monday and off to a beautiful start!! I had lunch with some relatives yesterday in my hometown. About 5 hrs round trip in the car but it was worth it to see the few, socially distant people we could include! My aunt Tia got a new apartment so she gave us the grand tour. She had framed a sweet hummingbird print cut off the front of a commercial greeting card - no idea what brand or by whom, but it inspired me to try a sketch of my own. If anyone recognizes it and can attribute, let me know. I'm just trying out my watercoloring skills for Day 20 of Kathy's (The Daily Marker) 30 Day Coloring Challenge, not copying someone's work for gain!!

Supplies - Strathmore 140lb watercolor paper;

Yasutomo watercolors; green Twinking H20 pot;

grey pencil; various brushes; mister

Here's the wall art that inspired me (sorry you can see my reflection, cell phone in hand). I couldn't read the teensy signature but it sorta looks like didrey...

And here's the rough sketch I did with a light grey pencil to start myself off:

I have loads more to do on this but was able to spend and hour on it today. I'm not artist but thought I was capturing the spirit of the birdie heading to the flower.

Finally, I'll share an Alcohol Ink lift card I made to thank the hosts of yesterday's lunch.

Supplies: Paper - Yupo; Hero Arts pine card (retired)

Stamps - Gina K Designs Natural Silhouettes & Hands of Love 

from the Nature's Touch Kit

Other - Archival black ink; Alcohol inks; Lift ink; Pink and Main heart

Cindy (Escape to Stamping) was playing around with stencils & AIs the other day so I got mine out. I tried a lift with a stencil - if you look closely, you may see vague lines of it. Wasn't working well so I got out a solid floral image and did the lift with it. Stamped a sentiment with archival ink, added to a card base - done! Decided to add a sweet little Pink & Main heart by the sentiment.

That's it for today - have a great day & thanks for stopping!!

Quick coloring for Day 19

Happy Sunday friends - I'm in with a quickie post for Day 19 of Kathy's (The Daily Marker) 30 Day Coloring Challenge. She says you only need to color 10 minutes a day to reap the benefits - that's all I thought I had today (I literally set the timer!). I quickly colored this pretty flower stem from the 2009 Hero Arts clear set "A Million Thanks" using Copic Markers & stretching it to taking 30 minutes. I'll finish it & make it into a card later.

Next, I'm sharing a card I made yesterday using three leftover flowers from Day 14 when I did Yana Smakula's blending-free Copic coloring. I had colored four large flowers that day but only need one for my Day 14 card. For this card, I used a piece of patterned paper, a card base and a sentiment - added flowers & done!!

Supplies: Paper - Paper Studio Bright Green A2 card; 

Doodlebug Kraft in Color 6x6;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb

Stamps - Hero Arts CL443 Good Thoughts and

CL272 All Occasion Messages (both retired)

Other - Hero Arts Intense Black Ink; Copic Markers

Yesterday I ended up watching Vocality's porch concert on Facebook Live - no worries about heat, humidity or social distancing!! If interested, you can watch the recording HERE (singing starts about 2:30 minutes in). Today I'm having lunch with my sister and a couple aunties and I'm glad it's cooler than yesterday!! Have a great day and thanks for stopping!!

Day 18 Coloring and finished line drawing

Hey everyone - for Day 18 of Kathy's (The Daily Marker) 30 Day Coloring Challenge I finished off the tulip scene I started on Day 2.  

Supplies: Paper - Hero Arts pine cardstock; kraft cardstock;

Bazzill brown; Tim Holtz watercolor paper

Stamps - Hero Arts CM420 Hero Florals Tulips &

CL954 Many Everyday Messages

Dies - Hero Arts DI198 Nesting Rectangle Infinity Dies & 

DI345 Nesting Postage Stamp Infinity Dies

Other - Yasutomo watercolors and Twinkling H20s;

Old Paper Distress Ink

I had already stamped and colored the tulip. I added a butterfly without bothering to mask it. It was easy to line up to sit lightly on the flower, using a MISTI. Colored the butterfly, then added the ground and sky to the scene. Added some more shading to the tulip too. I stamped a friendship sentiment so I can add my card to the current Stay Crafty with Hero Challenge #12 Friendship.

Next, I'm sharing the line drawing from yesterday - I finished it last night! Meant to save it and finish today but it's so addictive I couldn't wait!! Here's the finished drawing made into a card (I posted it on Facebook already so you may have seen it there):

Supplies: Paper - DCWV A2 card; Poptone Black Licorice;

Neenah Classic Crest Solar White

Sentiment Stamp - Hero Arts CL272 All Occasion Messages (retired)

Other - Copic Markers; foam tape; black pencil, ruler

With the line drawing and coloring, then assembling of card, this took about 4 hrs. Definitely not one for mass production. Took a break in the afternoon to get a coffee and buy some markers that dried up on me - LOL. The sentiment actually says "you are so special to me" but I did surgery years ago to cut off the "to me". Makes it that much shorter and easier to fit; I didn't want to cover up much of my coloring - worked too hard on it!!

Thanks for stopping!! Hopefully I'll get to hear some music this afternoon - a barbershop quartet called Vocality will perform (socially distant from each other) from the tenor's front porch. Guests sit in the yard on their own lawn chairs, socially distant of course. Or, you can always drive by in your car and listen as you pass!! We'll see what I do... Catch you later!!

TGIF and Day 17 of the 30 Day Coloring Challenge

Hey there friends - aren't you glad it's the weekend?! Well, it's Day 17 of Kathy's (The Daily Marker) 30 Day Coloring Challenge and I'm still hanging in there!

Here's my coloring for today:

I liked Kathy's idea of creating a line drawing and coloring it. I used a 4.25x5.5 piece of Neenah and drew lines with a black pencil & a ruler. I won't say like she does, because hers are so much better!! I colored using Copic markers just to try it. She uses a jumbo piece of watercolor paper and creates amazing art; I was just going for an interesting background for a card. What do you think so far? Here's an early photo:

I used the same black pencil to scribble a little shading around each block - thought it might be fun and easy to blend as I colored. In the above photo I'd done the shading on the top half when I decided it might be a good idea to test out some colors before I continued. What if I hated it?? So I used three lavenders and three teals as the test - like it so I finished the shading. This was early this morning. Then I worked on it another couple hours to get it to the point of the photo at top. Since that photo I did a few more blocks and I'll finish it up tomorrow.

Next I'm sharing a card made with the watercolored floral panel from yesterday. I worked on it a couple more hours after I got home from lunch with a friend. Hopefully it looks better than it did yesterday but I still see some black areas I could soften!! I'm sure there's much more that could be done but I'm done with it - LOL! I stamped a sentiment and a butterfly to the panel, matted it and adhered to an A7 card. Done!

Supplies: Paper - Strathmore watercolor 140 lb; 

Poptone Gumdrop & Paper Studio Brights

Stamps - Gina K Designs + Hero Arts Friendship Blooms;

Gina K Designs Stately Flowers 7 (sentiment & butterfly)

Other - Hero Arts blue ink from some MMH kit; Michael's gem;

white gel pen; Yasutomo watercolors

That's it for now. I'm getting quite the abnormal workout trying to post every day!! Thanks to those who continue to visit me and thanks to Cindy (Escape to Stamping) who continues to be an inspiration, besides Kathy, to keep going with the coloring challenge!! Off to Michaels for more Copics....