Thinking Inking

Hand Lettering with a Copic Doodle Pack

Welcome! In addition to today's hand lettering post, I have a couple of small gifts to share--one piece of free downloadable line art (at the bottom of my post), and a chance to win a Green Copic Doodle Pack as shown above.

I have a favorite little idea notebook that usually goes with me anywhere that I might have a few minutes to sketch ideas. Lately I've been using it mostly for hand lettering rough drafts. When I see a quotation that "speaks to me," I jot it down at the top of a page. Then when I have time to work on it, I have several to pick from and can work on any of them that I wish. I usually use pencil in my senseBook, so when I am ready to start adding color and firming up my designs, I photocopy the page from my senseBook and use that copy as the beginning of my second draft--shown above on the right.

My favorite way to transfer for a third draft or even a final draft is to use a light box. I can transfer just the clean lines that I want to keep, and tweak the parts that aren't quite working for me. On the draft above, I needed to move the "Y-O-U-R"  line down a bit, work on the placement of the  "UTU" in "Future," and use the bottom line for the author's name--all simple changes to make by just moving my top paper to the correct place.

To render my letters, I used a Green Copic Doodle Pack, which contains two Copic Ciao markers (YG41 and G14), as well as a dark green (Olive) Spica Glitter pen and a dark green (Olive) 0.3 Copic Multiliner--all color coordinated and easy to toss in a "to go" art bag! I cheated just a little bit on Copic colors, because my banner was too plain: I used a Copic W0, W2, and W4 to add dimension to the banner.

I am making a black line version of my finished line art available here in case anyone wants to color it with your Copics:  View this photo (Click on the "view this photo" to download the .jpg file.) If you'd like to have a chance to win a Green Copic Doodle Pack, leave a brief comment on this post, and I'll let Random.org choose a winner from the comments left by 10pm Central time on Friday, June 2. I'll post a winner some time Saturday evening. 

I will be in Dallas/Irving, Texas next weekend for my LAST Copic Workshops before Summer vacation--hope to see some of you there! Late tomorrow night I will have the first of my June MFT Release posts up. Thanks for stopping by,

Playing with Tommy Paints Tonight. . .

Welcome! I have a different kind of project to share tonight. Do you ever lose your keys? On occasion I'm both a key loser AND a glasses loser! I ran across a little wooden keys sign at a big box store several years ago and relegated it to the "someday I'll paint this" stash. Today was finally the day. . .

I painted this thing twice today--seriously! My first idea was to paint it that beautiful Tommy Paints Pale Blue that you see in the jar above. Tommy Chalk Colors are a lovely chalk-based mineral paint with great coverage on a TON of surfaces--wood, paper, glass, and metal, to name a few. So my first coat went on without incident and covered fully. But after it dried, I stamped cute flowers all over it, and immediately knew that it was way too cute and girly to hang in a public space at my house. Yes, thinking that through beforehand would have been a better idea. And I do love cute, girly flowers. . . on cards. . . but not on my wall, evidently. ;-)

Remember that awesome coverage that I mentioned with Tommy Chalk Paints? That is ONE coat of Plum paint over a coat of Pale Blue. And it covered my Pale Blue lapse in judgment beautifully. (The paint is still wet above; when it dries, it has a chalky matte finish.)

This time, instead of stamping cute flowers in it, I dug through my old stencil stash and found an Idealogy Mask scroll stencil that was a little more in keeping with the rest of my house.

I used an Inkssentials ink blender to pounce Tommy Lavender Chalk paint around my stencil.

It blended easily--like butter on warm toast--and it was definitely more my speed!

After it dried--which took fewer than ten minutes--I used a sanding block to sand the sharp edges off and give it a vintage feel. Just a hint of the original Pale Blue paint showed through after sanding, but no cuteness, thankfully! I'll hang it on a cement gray wall. Now I just hope that I remember to hang my keys there. . . and to save cuteness for my cards. ;-}

Thank you for visiting today,

This and That: Dallas Classes and X-Press It Foam Mounting Squares

Welcome! I'm working on cards for the next MFT Stamp release right now, so I can't show those just yet; but I do have a couple of "this and that" items to share! With one more set of New Copic Workshops to teach in Dallas (June 9-10) before Summer vacation, I'm still adding projects to my class notebooks. Today's project is an illuminated letter for my Hand Lettering portfolio. I had searched for "Floral Illuminated Letters" and Floral Monograms" on Pinterest and found so many pretty inspirational pieces that I knew I wanted to try a floral illuminated letter. (Want some Inspiration? Check out Megan Wells on Instagram!)

Before I show you my process, I wanted to tell you that Sherry is the winner of the Copic Sketch Pad and Doodle Pack Giveaway--you can find Michelle's post and contact information HERE if you are Sherry. :-}

After finalizing my artwork and cleaning up a couple of stray lines in Photoshop, I printed two copies on X-Press It Blending Card so that I could layer some of my flowers. I decided that the lower right corner needed another flower as well, so I just colored an extra flower like the one on the bottom to layer on top of the greenery there. (Yes, you've got to love foam mounting squares!)

Here I have attached one of my flowers with X-Press It Foam Mounting Squares. I left the other three turned upside down so that you could see the foam mounting squares; if I can fit a full 1/4" square in an area, I usually use a while one. But they are easy to trim down if I don't need a whole square too. I'm a foam mounting squares fan. . . One of my Copic class mottos is "if you can't fix it with Colorless Blender, there's always foam tape/squares!"

Here is my finished illuminated letter--all ready for Dallas! ;-) Thank you for visiting,

A Fond Farewell and a Big Hello!

Welcome! Today I have some Copic teaching team news to share, along with a small giveaway to announce. Our Copic teaching team has always been a closely-knit group. We've shared work, laughter, goals, dreams, joys--okay, and occasionally stress too! :-) It's been overwhelmingly good though, truly. One of the constancies in life, however, is change. Today we have a couple of changes to share.

First, Lori Craig has accepted a new position with the Tommy Paints division of Imagination International, Inc., one for which she is beautifully suited; so while we will miss having her on our teaching team, we know that she is still part of the III team and never more than a text, an email, or a phone call away. Lori has been a voice of wisdom and and kindness over the years.

One thing that especially stands out me in Lori is her genuine love for people. She remembers people--their names, their children's names, their unique situations--all of those little things that speak volumes about about whether one is listening with her heart, or merely being polite. She is the real deal, and I will miss her!

Since Lori's new responsibilities leave a gap in our teaching team, that gap needed to be filled. One name that had come up time and time again as an energetic, mega-talented Copic teacher was that of Jennifer Dove. The first time I met Jenn, I was teaching a Copic Intermediate class in Phoenix, walking around the room to see if anyone needed help or wanted some feedback. As soon as I got to Jenn's desk, I knew that I'd probably be able to learn more from her than she would from me that day!

I'm sure you've seen Jenn's work, from her iconic combat boots in her Copic "Boot Camp," to her color combination swatches that dot Pinterest boards everywhere. Besides being fantastically talented, Jenn's a character, and I am sure that there will never be a dull moment in one of her classes--welcome, Jenn!

Speaking of classes. . . HERE is a link to Copic classes for the rest of the year! We don't have many left before Summer break, but we start right back up in the Fall. I still have a set of the NEW Workshops left in Dallas on June 9-10.

Please join the Copic teaching and design teams  in wishing both Lori Craig the best as she takes on new job responsibilities, and Jenn Dove a huge welcome as she begins teaching for Imagination International in addition to her current teaching schedule.  Everyone below has a few words to say to both Lori and Jenn. 

Sharon Harnist
Michele Boyer
Lori Craig
Cindy Lawrence
Debbie Olson ((HERE)
Michelle Houghton
Jennifer Dove

Finally if you'd like to leave a comment on this post or any of the other posts listed below, you will be entering to win a new Copic Sketch pad and Doodle Pack (in a different color, however). This giveaway end at midnight, Eastern time on Sunday, May 28, with the winner to be announced on Tuesday, May 30.

Thank you for stopping by today!

YOU Are Beautiful: MFT Sketchy Flowers Card Kit Release

Welcome! [Drumroll Here] The My Favorite Things Stamps Sketchy Flowers Card Kit is now available! I thought that this might make a good card for a beautiful lady whose birthday is coming up next week. (Hope it gets there in time, Mama!)

I chose colors from the kit for tonight's card. They aren't colors that I  would have thought to use together on my own, but now that I've seen them, I really love them, and I'm sure I'll be using this color combination again. The clean, graphic look of the Sketchy Flowers set--whether colored or simply stamped with the inside solid shapes, combined with the usefulness of the All About You set, make this a great kit. 

Be sure to stop by the MFT Stamps Blog for more inspiration using the Sketchy Flowers Card Kit which is now available HERE at MFT Stamps! Thanks for visiting,

http://www.mftstamps.com/sketchy-flowers-card-kit	Die-namics Blueprints 15	Die-namics Stitched Scallop Basic Edges	Black & White Basics Paper Pack	Hybrid Ink Pad Black Licorice
Persimmon Premium Dye Ink Pad	Limelight Premium Dye Ink Pad	Wild Wisteria Premium Dye Ink Pad	Lavender Fields Premium Dye Ink Pad	Versamark Ink Pad
Cool Diamond Microfine Glitter	Quickie Glue Pen	White Detail Embossing Powder	Wink of Stella Brush - Clear

InLinkz.com

So Happy for You: MFT Sketchy Flowers Card Kit Countdown

Welcome! It's almost release time for the My Favorite Things Stamps Sketchy Flowers Card Kit, which is available tonight (Tuesday) at 9pm Eastern Time. For tonight's card, I stuck with kit colors, adding only some Die-namics that I already had, and a spritz of airbrushing with my Copic BG02 and Airbrush System. (But you could use sponged inks if you don't have an airbrush!)

I added just a touch of glitter glue to my round flower centers, as well as some foam tape to add dimension--easy-peasy, and no coloring involved! ;-)

I hope you get a chance to visit the MFT Stamps blog for a complete list of participants in the Sketchy Flowers Kit Countdown--I know that you'll see some great ideas! Again, the Sketchy Flowers Kit will be available tonight (Tuesday night) at 9pm, Eastern time. Thank you for visiting today,

http://www.mftstamps.com/sketchy-flowers-card-kit	Die-namics Blueprints 27	White Detail Embossing Powder	Versamark Ink Pad	Nuvo Glitter Drops - White Blizzard
Foam Mounting Tape 1/2"	Wink of Stella Brush - Clear	Limelight Premium Dye Ink Pad	Wild Wisteria Premium Dye Ink Pad	Lavender Fields Premium Dye Ink Pad

InLinkz.com

Hugging You with my Heart: Sketchy Flowers Countdown

Welcome! It's time for the My Favorite Things Stamps May Kit Countdown, and I'm happy to be  sharing a card using the Sketchy Flowers Kit today! This kit also includes a fabulous word set, All About You. I used it on my next two countdown cards, but not on this one. For this one, I chose a sentiment from the Lots of Hugs set.

Shown above are the Copic markers that I used to color my Sketchy Flowers. (Each flower has solid stamp shapes with which to fill in the colored part, so you wouldn't have to color them if you didn't want to.)

I used dies from a couple of my Blueprints sets (15 and 29), as well as a Square Peek-a-Boo Window die to frame my Sketchy Flowers. Again, my Tuesday cards use both kit stamps sets, as well as kit colors--this card is my most out-of-the-box one. Be sure to visit the MFT Stamps Blog for a full list of people participating in the Sketchy Flowers Kit Countdown today! Thank you so much for visiting,

http://www.mftstamps.com/sketchy-flowers-card-kit	Lots of Hugs	Die-namics Blueprints 15	Die-namics Blueprints 29	Hybrid Ink Pad Black Licorice
Die-namics Square Peek-a-Boo Window	Foam Mounting Tape 1/2"	Wink of Stella Brush - Clear	Glossy Accents	4mm Clear Droplets

InLinkz.com

Hey Sunshine: MFT Stamps May Release Replay

Welcome! It's Release Replay time for My Favorite Things Stamps, and I have a beach-y keen card to share today. 

Shown above are the Copic markers that I used to color the Beach Day images and to airbrush the background pieces from the Beach Scene Builder Die-namics, also cut with the Stitched Dome Stax. I also really liked the nautical feel that the new Bold Stripes Cover-Up gave!

I hope you get a chance to visit the MFT Stamps blog, where you will find links to all of the other Release Replay posts for May! Thank you for visiting today,

Pure Innocence Beach Day	Die-namics PI Beach Day	Die-namics Bold Stripes Cover-Up	Die-namics Stitched Dome STAX	Die-namics Beach Scene Builder
Smooth White Card Stock	Sno Cone Card Stock	Foam Mounting Tape 1/2"	Hybrid Ink Pad Black Licorice	Mini Multi Medium Matte Glue
Quickie Glue Pen	4 mm Summer Mix

InLinkz.com

Coloring Cats and Dogs. . . or Foxes!

Welcome! I've been continuing to prepare for my new Copic Workshop classes coming up soon in Detroit and Dallas. Sample books evolve, obviously, but I wanted to add another sample to my Animals class book. I also wanted to  introduce you to Imagination International's Tracing Memories Application. This app is for those of you who say, "But I can't draw!" (I really think that drawing is a teachable skill, just like handwriting, but I won't argue that point right now.) Even if you do not currently draw, you can still use your Copic markers to color images that are important to YOU. Finally, just a little plug here for Marianne Walker's Coloring Dogs and Cats Copic Foundations Book. If you're not sure where to start, this book will help!

Back to the fox story: we have fox kits in the woods behind our house. I've never gotten close enough to get a good picture, so I looked online for a good reference photo. Talk about cuteness overload! This little curled up, sleeping fox kit said "Pick me, pick me!" And I couldn't resist. . .

I started with a photo from HERE and opened it in Imagination International's free Tracing Memories App (or HERE is a direct link to Tracing Memories in Apple's App Store). When the app does its magic, you get a window like the one above (on iPad or iPhone. I used my iPad because I wanted screen shots that were larger.)

I lightened the contrast of the lines just a little, wanting to keep them subtle.

Next I used the eraser to remove the sky and shrubbery. I wanted something subtle up there, but I wasn't sure what. Erasing it entirely seemed like the way to go. 

I also used the eraser on the rock that he was curled up on to round and soften the edges. It was then ready to save and print.

I printed the resulting Tracing Memories image on a laser printer using X-Press It Blending card for paper. The top image is what I started with, and the bottom image is my finish line.

Shown above are the Copic Markers that I used to color the sleeping baby fox image. 

Here's one process photo: I still needed to darken several places on the fox, on the rocks, and in the forest-y background.

And here it is all finished--for now anyway! I'm an incorrigible fiddler, so I may fiddle with it more if I decide it needs something else.

Now, if you could use some help in figuring out just where to start (after you print your image from Tracing Memories), I would suggest Marianne Walker's Coloring Dogs and Cats Copic Foundations Book. But it's a FOX, you might say. I know. Fox, dog. . . close enough to get ideas right? I treated the texture on the fox a lot like Marianne treats the texture on long-haired dogs. I just had the added benefit of having some of the texture there before I started--a mixed blessing since you need to work WITH the printed texture rather than fighting it! 

That's it for tonight. I'll be back in a couple of days with an MFT Stamps Release in Review card--it's on my tomorrow to do list. Have a lovely weekend!

Hey, Gullfriend: MFT May Product Launch

Welcome! The My Favorite Things Stamps May release is now available! I saved my Seaside Seagulls card to share tonight because I had so much fun making this one. 

Shown above are the Copic markers that I used to color the Seaside Seagulls images; I paper pieced the sky and water with papers from the Watercolor Wash paper pack and dotted the shoreline with white gloss and Glitter White Blizzard Nuvo Drops. 

All of the new May products are now available, and the links below should all work. Each of the MFT Design Team members will have projects to share tonight, so please check out the MFT Stamps Blog for many more cool projects and products, as well as a chance to win fabulous prizes. Good luck, and thanks for visiting!

Seaside Seagulls	Die-namics Seaside Seagulls	Die-namics Inside & Out Stitched Rounded Rectangle STAX	Die-namics Blueprints 25	Die-namics Stitched Sentiments Strips
Die-namics Beach Scene Builder	Smooth White Card Stock	Blending Card by X-Press It	Natural Heavyweight Card Stock	Hybrid Ink Pad Black Licorice
Berrylicious Premium Dye Ink Pad	Cornflower Premium Dye Ink Pad	Thick & Thin Paper Pack	Watercolor Wash Paper Pack	Nuvo Crystal Drops - Gloss White
Nuvo Glitter Drops - White Blizzard	Foam Mounting Tape 1/4"

InLinkz.com

Bits and Pieces: Kirarina Oil Based Pens

Welcome! I'm back home from my Copic Certification weekend in Pittsburgh with some fabulous people! Tomorrow I'll have one more MFT Stamps May Release post, but tonight I thought I'd share a crafty project that I whipped up right before I left for Pittsburgh. I've been playing with a variety of lettering projects and tools in preparation for the new Copic Workshops; so when I needed an envelope for a special girl's birthday card, I decided to make one with the WeR Envelope Punch board that has been sitting unopened in my cabinet for a few months. That is a cool tool!! Now that I know how to use it, I'll definitely be making more envelopes. NOTE: This is actually a REDO of my envelopes with some of the information changed, since I didn't think I should be sharing an unedited name and address online. I didn't want anyone to panic about that!

After punching my envelope, I pencilled in my guidelines and roughed in my lettering. Next I used my Kirarina 2Win Oil Based pens to letter on my envelope I chose three different pens to give it some color variety: Royal Blue, Aqua, and Emerald. One thing you should be aware of is that you can't totally erase guidelines after marking over them with the Oil-Based Kirarinas. So be sure to pencil those guidelines in lightly.

Next, I thought I would experiment on a clear envelope since those are sometimes a challenge to address. (I've always just used labels on a clear envelope before.) What do you know--it worked! I did have to use the darker colors for them to show up well; but after they dried, the ink seemed like it would stay. (Drying was fast. I rubbed across the address hard several times with my fingers before noticing any tinge of color on my fingers, and the address was still quite legible, as you can see.) I also tried them on a scrap of vellum, and they dried quickly on that too.

I'm headed to Detroit on May 19-20 for three new Copic Workshops: Coloring Animals, Coloring Landscapes, and Hand Lettering. Three weeks after that, I'll be back in Dallas for these same Workshops (June 9-10). Those are my last two class trips until Fall, and I hope to meet some of you there! 

Thanks for stopping by today,