More Copic Action

I have really enjoyed using my copics. This is an old image from SU and I did not make an index of the colors that I used. I added a bit of shimmer along the wings that doesn't show up in the picture by using the clear, starlight pen by Sakura. You can achieve a subtle look using this pen if you spread the sparkle around using an aqua pen instead of leaving a solid line.

I have also enjoyed using my copic markers to color the Pure Innocence images from My Favorite Things. I have included the finished cards from yesterday as well as the index and finished little girls with their basket of eggs that I am using for some of my Easter cards. 

This next card was done with a technique shown by one of my friends at stamp club this month. She saw the idea online - I will try and locate her source and add a link here. It makes a quick card; basically, we used a die cut to make a mask from a sheet of transparency, sponged on colors (bashful blue, daffodil yellow and an orange) and then stamped a solid image (Upsy Daisy from SU) in black. The verse was stamped and then dry embossed. I layered the card on black and then bashful blue. Be sure to mask the edge of the mask well - it's really easy to get color where you don't want it.

Spring Break!

It's already the middle of March and the third quarter is over. I left this weekend for short visits with family. Saturday morning found me wearing green and in Ocoee having breakfast with Cait and Tony. I left them and headed to Lakeland for a stop at Violette's Scrapbook Store. Had a slight scenic detour because of road construction, but I found them. I meandered toward the coast following 17 instead of heading back to 4. It was scenic, but the best part was the wonderful citrus scent that followed me the entire way down because of all the orange groves. I had the top down on my car and it was a beautiful day. I made it to Ft Myers in early afternoon and spent the next two days relaxing and catching up with my sister. We ate at some of my favorite spots: Skyline Chili, Panerra's and Sweet Tomatoes. Monday found me going across Alligator Alley to spend time with Vince and Jocelyn. We had dinner at Mango's in Ft Lauderdale and played with Vince's new phone. By Tuesday afternoon I was on the road again heading home. It's straight up 95 - not very interesting but at least there wasn't too much traffic so I could use cruise control. A sunburn on my shoulders from driving with the top down and 704 miles later, I was back in time for our weekly "cult" meeting. I am ready for some creative time. I started Tim Holtz's new online class that started Monday and spent this morning catching up. I haven't learned too much new so far since I have been following his blog and  using these products for a while. I appreciate all the work he has done and love the concise way he has of explaining himself. I would recommend this class to anyone who wants a better understanding of how ink works.  Head to the "Charm swap" page: I updated the page with the rest of our flower swaps.

Before I left, I played with different color combinations for coloring faces with copics. Some combinations were ones I had taken note of from researching online. I decided to stay with the tags for my samples.

I picked a face color and played with one of my new stamps from My Favorite Things. I enjoy coloring with the copics. I need to use less ink to blend - I find the color migrating a bit at the edges in places. This is the index of colors that I used. I will post the finished card later.

Post #4: Meeting the Challenge

The St. Augustine Stamp Club meets tomorrow and I wanted to share how I met the challenge to use Flower Soft. The sky is inked using a homemade cloud template of circles and the window is a Memory Box die that I just love and haven't played with yet. I would liked to have added some words to the front, but couldn't find a look that I liked. The grass is a torn and inked piece of green cardstock and the curtain is a piece of Holtz trim.

I had bought several tubs of Flower Soft when it came out, but really don't like to use it so I used one color for my card and gave the rest away to the girls. I now have a free drawer that will house my new distress markers.

I am thinking "April Showers" for the next challenge.

Catch Up Post #3 - More Coloring with Copics

I really enjoyed my day today; I spent it coloring and creating cards. It's been a while since I have just sat down and stamped. I used a HeroArts/Sizzix collaboration set and my new copics for these cards. I love the bright, clear colors of the copics.  I used my markers to color rhinestones and pearls as well as some ribbon. The other dies are mostly from Memory Box.

Post #2: Flower Charm Swaps for March

I shared the packaging for my flower charms on an earlier post. I have the beautiful flowers from the girls in town and we should be receiving our out-of-town swaps any time; I can't wait to see them. Be sure to check out the Charm page - scroll down to "March 2012" - to see the latest additions.

Post #1: Playing With Copics

Time has flown by since I last posted, or been creative - my sister came to visit and then I decided to jump on the copic wagon. I have long admired the beautiful look that so many talented people attain with copics, but when I tried them a few years ago I wasn't impressed with my efforts. The cost - and the time needed to spend learning how to use these markers - did not appeal to me. I was reintroduced to copics in Joanne Sharpe's online letter course and really appreciated how the ink flowed onto the page. I picked up a few at WhimSoDoodle on our last trip to Stamp Fest. I did LOTS of online research on suggested colors for a starter set, then I ordered a bunch from Dick Blick - they had an awesome sale. I am using a storage idea that I saw somewhere online; it is an old Sizzix die holder that I had in storage at school (yes, I have a serious hoarder problem that often pays off). I viewed MANY you-tube videos, bought and read the "Copic Coloring Guide", and took a card class in Jax from Susan to learned how to blend. My markers came in on the day I stayed home from work - it's my first real sick day in years. 

I practiced blending by making swatch tags (Holtz tag die) showing blending combinations from my markers.  I decided that I wanted to identify my markers so I could more easily keep track of them when I bring them to classes and share them with friends so I cut thin strips of adhesive backed vinyl and wrapped it around the brush end of each marker. I know the markers already have a gray band, but the bright yellow band has the additional advantage of making it much easier to identify the brush end. 

This weekend I am finally starting to feel more like myself.  I needed to make more rewards for my students at school so I decided to also practice coloring House Mice with copics.  The design for the two pocket treat holders was made with 6" squares of two-sided paper. I will just slip in a treat behind the mouse and write a brief note for the back pocket.

I am very pleased by how the mice turned out. Here are the markers that I used.

Here are some closeups of the sweet mice.