Thinking Inking

Music

Welcome! I'm back home--great to see my guys again. I haven't gotten back downstairs to work again yet, but I'm hoping to do so tomorrow. In the meantime, I had one card that didn't auto-post while I was gone for some reason, so I'll share it tonight.

Do you love music? I do! I took [enforced] piano lessons for about six years, though I confess that I didn't practice a third as much as I make my own son practice. (You won't tell him, will you?) Anyway, I like music-related stamps.Today's card uses JustRite's Musical Notes Labels Twenty, paired with Shabby Music background . I made some little rolled paper flower with the new Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms set, while the card base is made with Romantic Rectangles.

 

The sentiment is cut with a Labels Twenty die template, while the mat layers are cut with the new Labels Twenty Five set. I used patterned papers from the Melissa Frances Fifth Avenue line. A bit of sewing and sanding and foam tape, and that's it--one music card! Thank you for stopping by.

Day 3 from Anaheim

So, this is my last day at the show. To get back to the U.P. of Michigan from anywhere, you usually need to leave early! It's been fun to see so many of my friends and cyber-buddies, and the temperatures here are not too shabby either. Alas, my family is in "the Tundra," as Benjamin calls the U.P., so that's where my heart is. I wanted to share just a few more pictures from late yesterday and earlier this afternoon.

First, many of you know and love Marianne Walker, Copic's Product Specialist. I caught her coloring a very large piece today and wanted to show you. 

Sorry for the camera angle here, but click to enlarge and see what she was working on. (She started yesterday, and it is a printed sheet of artwork.)

Maya Road always has fabulous projects at their booth. I took a picture of their make and take. That heart shape is like an huge bottle-cap--pretty neat!

You know how Copic Markers and Tsukineko's Memento inks go together--like macaroni and cheese, or peanut butter and jelly? (Yes, I'm hungry!) There are twelve new Memento colors now.

I really liked this line of stamps by Impression Obsession--realistic plants are one of my favorites to both draw and color. Do any of you Southerners spy the dogwood stamps? I grew up with dogwoods growing wild in the woods--love them!

At the  EKSuccess both, they were making these fabulous little felted wool animals using a two-part mold of some sort; I tried to get a video, but that wasn't permitted. They didn't mind my posting a picture however. If felting is your thing, you'd love these!

That's all I have from CHA--hope you enjoyed it!

Day 2 from Anaheim

  

Welcome! I walked the show floor for a while this morning before coloring all afternoon. Julie Comstock at Cosmo Cricket was making flowers with her Glubers and agreed to let me video her for you--enjoy!

Debbie

Day 1 from Anaheim

It's a long way from the land of ice and snow to Anaheim! Seriously, they call this winter? There are flowers blooming in outdoor beds here that I can't even keep alive indoors at home! I colored until 2:oo this afternoon at the Copic booth. It was good to see several of you who stopped by!  After I finished there, I made a quick trip through the whole show floor; I'm hoping to get a chance to go back to some places tomorrow.

This was just too funny NOT to show you. Have you ever told your child, in response to a ludicrous request, "When pigs fly." My son usually says, "Look outside, Mom! Did you see it--that flying pig?" So, I give you When Pigs Fly from Graphic 45. . . I might just have to get some of this paper to make something for Benjamin.

These little hangers in three styles and two sizes at the Melissa Frances booth were darling. I will be buying some. I don't know what I'll do with them just yet, but I need them. Really. I'm guessing that they were about 4" and 6" at the bottom, from memory. 

More Melissa Frances ribbon on my "must have" list. This is so soft and pretty looking!

This little Jillibean Southern Chicken Dumpling pad was so Spring-y, and i have that Papertrey Ink set with umbrellas on it. Kismet? Must be.

I loved the happy colors in October Afternoon's Cakewalk line--vintage sweetness!

I stopped at the Stampendous booth when some fabulous vintage glitter caught my eye. (Think "Squirrel [Glitter], squirrel [glitter]!! Where?") I tried to get a short video of a demo there, so it's below IF it works. I was uploading via phone modem, so one minute took about 45 minutes to upload. I'll have to try to get a faster connection if I post another video!

 

That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by!

A Perfect Reading Nook

Welcome! Before I share tonight's card, I wanted to mention that the Richmond, VA Copic Standard Certification on Friday, February 17 may still have a spot or two left, now that we've been able to get a fabulous assistant. If you were one of the people who missed the initial sign-up, you might still be able to get in. E-mail Nancy Zenke, and good luck!  

I have another stepped-out Copic coloring tutorial for you today; I needed some nicely colored images for the Copic booth, so I took pictures as I worked on the two Mo Manning images. (The Monday's Child muddy boy image was already posted HERE.) This image is called Window Seat.

I started with skin and hair, using the Copic markers shown above. Light is obviously coming in the window, from above. However, we could probably assume a smaller light source inside the room as well.

Next I added sky and tree.

Drapery and a pillow were next.

Here I colored the window seat cushions. Why these colors? I have a pretty piece of patterned paper picked out, and they'll look good with it--trust me!

I colored the structure of the window seat here. I tried adding wood grain, but on a small area, given the thickness of my marker nibs, it looked a bit busy and distracting. I just blended it all away. . . Love my Copic markers!!

Remember that patterned paper? It's Crate Paper Heart, and I think the floral piece is my favorite piece. I also wanted to show you a trick to use with a Spellbinders border die template: this die is from the new S5-080 Damask Accents set that will soon be available. I used a double-sided paper and flipped the cut off edge and pieced it back into the cut.Directly under the die is what it looks like after you cut it, then (using different paper), the border on the piece below it shows what it look like after you put the pieces back to front, puzzle style. (I also used Spellbinders Standard Circles Small die template for the sentiment, shown below.)

Sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's All Booked Up set. I dyed the silk ribbon using Copic R02 and R05, straight from the marker. That's it for tonight--I'm headed out to Anaheim in five hours!

Thanks for stopping by.

Tea for Two

Woohoo--I just finished up my last CHA project tonight! Friday I'm packing. :-} How about some Tea for Two cards tonight? Tea for Two is one of Cosmo Cricket's four new lines. I've used mostly Tea for Two here, including chipboard, stickers, and elements; but I've added some Papertrey Ink sets in as well. The card above uses PTI's Baby Button Bits. That "ribbon" is some 6" tulle that I just folded in half and tied around the card. 

I used my pinking shears on this paper, as well as PTI's Heart border die, Rick Rack border die, and Tiny Tags die. Ribbon is off white seam binding dyed with Copic R43 and R59

This card is my ode to my Swedish in-laws!  All elements are Cosmo Cricket Tea for Two, except for the Papertrey Ink's Half & Half die, vintage button, and twill.

Everything here is Tea for Two, except for the Tiny Tags die (Papertrey Ink), and dyed seam binding (Copic reinkers).

One last card. This one reminds me of cherry pie, with ice cream! All parts are Tea for Two, except for a Papertrey Ink die, Celebrations Frame. Well, that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by!

Easter Blessings

Welcome! I am trying to get a couple of projects finished--still--before leaving for Anaheim this weekend. Warm weather, here I come! The good thing is that I have several things made that I can share, and I'll try to post what I have time to from CHA as well. So, what do you like to see best? Paper lines? Cool tools? I usually post bits and pieces of what I like personally, as long as the booth doesn't mind having pictures taken. (Some don't mind--others DO.) Of course, I'm working too, so it's not all wandering around taking pictures. . . ;-}

Today's card is a made with a  couple of newer JustRite Stampers releases, Spring Words Clear and Classic Scallop Borders Clear. I'm a sucker for a good border stamp, and this one can be cut with a Spellbinders Edgeabilities Classic Scallop!

I used some sweet papers, Head Over Heels 6" x 6" Tiny Tablet by Lily Bee Design. Accessories include Filigree Detail White Embossing Powder, seam Binding dyed with a Copic BG10 reinker, Maya Road stick pins with added pearl beads, Zva Creative Self-Adhesive Crystals (CR01CB115), glue pen, and Prisma Glitter.

For tools I used a sewing machine and two more Spellbinders die templates, Blossom Tag Accents and Standard Circles Large. Okay--that's it for today! Be sure to let me know if there is something special that you would like to see from CHA. No promises, but if I happen to see it and have my camera handy, I'll try! Thanks for stopping by today.

My Little Star

Welcome! I've been coloring today. And since I was already coloring, I took stepped out photos for you. :-) I started with a Mo Manning image, Monday's Child (boy). That sweet face--I just had to color it! For those of you who have asked about printing digital images for use with Copic markers, I explained the process briefly at the end of this post--the red type block. 

I started with the overalls and shirt. All Copic markers that I used are shown with each picture, and you can click on any picture to enlarge it. 

I chose some skin tones that a well-tanned boy might sport (even if it did snow outside here half the day).

I colored the garden hose, hair, and muddy pants and skin in the picture above. I used a Buttermilk Spica Glitter pen to add some subtle sparkle to the hair, shown on the left--hope you can see it.

And here I've added mud, as well as a little bit of grass, (Maybe he didn't dig it all up!)

I added some red Converse tennis shoes and the shovel and garden hose spout. (Come on, didn't you ever have any red Converse tennis shoes? I did--in junior high!)

By the time I finished, I had added some BG000 and 0 to add a subtle bit of sky. Papers are October Afternoon 5 and Dime 8" x 8" pad.  That's about it--have a great day!

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Printing Digital Images To Color with Copic Markers

Your safest printer is a laser printer. Copic markers and laser printers are compatible. Unfortunately, I don't have a laser printer, but it happens that my inkjet works just fine (Canon MG5220--it does NOT like my Mac network, but at does print on X-Press It Blending cardstock). If you have an inkjet printer, you would print on a Copic-compatible cardstock and test it just the way that you do any other unknown ink--using a light marker beside a printed line until it feathers across the line. When it feathers across the printed line, check to see if the line stayed put, or if it started dissolving, moving, etc. If your line stayed crisp, you're probably good. Try coloring and watch to see if the ink smears. If it doesn't, your inkjet  is Copic-compatible. I hope that helps!