Shelley's Musings: February 2017

Monday, February 27, 2017

Sponsor of the Week - LDRS Creative

It's Sponsor Week with LDRS Creative at Passionate Paper Creations and Friends Facebook Group! Now would be a good time to be a member if you're not already because... LDRS Creative has a special 25% off code this week and it's just for members. WooHoo!

So I wanted to create something for Sponsor Week but... I don't have any stamps from LDRS (how did that happen?!) but... I have some truly awesome dies that were calling me. And I needed to show you I'm not just about the colouring lol.

Creative Basics Dies were used along with some retired paper I had at hand. A little bit of Stampin' Up cardstock and some light sponging and I had a quick and relatively simple, and dare I say "elegant"?, card.

Dies Used:

Basic Pierced Flags

Basic Cutting Edge Borders

Dotted Wings

Fancy Rectangles and Layers

Quilted Dragonfly Embossing Folder

That's it from me for now. Hope to see you over at Passionate Paper Creations and Friends Facebook Group.

I follow the Mojo Monday challenge blog and thought I'd play along with one of their sketches, just for fun. Even when their challenges are closed, those sketches are pretty great starts to a card or layout.

~Shelley

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Colouring Pictorial

Edited to show the final coloured image at the bottom of this post. I won't show my steps. You'll have to join the Bloobel Group if you want/need to see 'em ;-)

Well, it's no secret that I'm slightly fond (okay... addicted) to Lisa and her Bloobel Stamps so this week on the Bloobel Stamps Facebook Group, I'm going to be posting a colouring pictorial of Big Girl Bloomers.

Why? Well, 'cause I want to share my love of "art" and the joy of colouring/painting (I really think the Copic/alcohol markers are and can be more than just "marker colouring"... you're blending and experimenting with colour so you're creating an artwork be it on a canvas or paper). I've learned (and am still learning and experimenting) a LOT from the sharing of other artists (there are many great video tutorials and teachers online and I follow many of 'em and soak up and really analyze their completed art) and one of 'em, Rhea, challenged one of our groups (pretty sure it was Passionate Paper Creations and Friends - a group I have belonged to and learned from for a long time) to colour along with her and I jumped at the chance and had a great time (I'd only been playing with my copics about a year and hadn't done any serious colouring). Even using another artists' colours and following along with the pictures (use your eyes to see where they've placed those colours/strokes where the original artist/line drawing did not), you learn a lot and become... dare I say, braver?

Bottom line... there are NO WRONGS. A mistake/boo-boo is just an opportunity to embellish (a physical embellishment or with your colouring medium). I always tell anyone I'm teaching that if someone/a teacher tells you theirs is the only way/the right way to do something... run. That being said, if you're lucky enough to take from a good instructor/teacher/artist, do as they do even if it is "different" to what you would normally - you never know how you will incorporate these new twists and techniques into your own art. You may embrace it, or you may say, it's not for me. But you have expanded your education and skill set.

Sometimes I go light to dark with my markers/colours, sometimes I build up dark to light and sometimes, I start in the middle. Even if you use the same colours, yours may turn out differently as each artist blends differently and lays down colour differently and laying down colours in different orders can really change up the value. I have my go-to skin colours "today" but next week I may have new ones or a new order (and often my "new" colours come from another artist/blog who has willingly shared their "ingredients"; and sometimes I just experiment, or grab what's "close" lol or... make a happy accident). This is what I'm liking now. Experiment. If you don't like a colour, try going over it with another Copic marker colour... they're translucent so pretty forgiving this way and it's often really fun (the very dark colours don't play nice this way lol) - I've been known to start some brown hair, hate where I'm going, and throw a yellow wash overtop; a green outfit might get a wash of blue. There are NO WRONGS.

And what did I do with Rhea? A piece called Goblin Market in February 2015 (two years ago... I'd only had my markers [and a small set at that] since late spring 2014). A very overwheming "beginner" piece lol. I very nearly quit several times but pushed on and was really pleased with it when I called it done. Rhea kept posting to do small areas at a time. Yup. Break your pieces down into manageable areas, it'll all come together in the end. It's something I knew from my Decorative Painting days... it's gonna go thru the uglies before you start being happy with it... keep going.

So, won't you join us over at the Bloobel Stamps Facebook Group? Pick up the Big Girl Bloomers and colour along? It doesn't have to be in "real time" as the steps will be posted in an album but if you have questions, I will try, or someone will try to answer 'em for you. Lisa is even offering a gift certificate for her store for a random participant. And I will offer my completed coloured image to someone who participates - if they want it (I will also use a random generator... or pull a name from a hat lol).

Completed Image:

~Shelley

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Bake Me a...

Cake. I chose cake. I played it safe lol but some of the creations posted in the Bloobel Stamps Facebook Group are hilarious!

So, this is Bake me a Cake for the February Progressive Challenge. If you didn't play in January (I Must Protest image - you can see my entry here), then you can still participate in the Progessive Challenges but you'll have to "buy your way in". That is, you buy the first image (Bake Me a Cake - current challenge image), colour it up and get it on a project and post in the album in the group, and your next month you will get the Progressive Image for free to play again.

Copics Used:

Skin - E50-51-21-11-BV20; E93-RV11

Hair - E41-31-71-74

Eyes - C00-1-3; Y21-E23-39

Green - YG21-17-67-G29-BG99

White - W00-1-3

Cutlery in Pocket - E33-57

Dark Icing - E23-27-29; E41-42-43 (also for the ground)

Plate - E81-84-87

Candle - YR31-15-R05; C00-1-3-E42

Supplies:

Copic Xpress-It Blending Card

Stampin' Up - paper (retired), cardstock, Balloon Pop Up die, Hello You thinlits die; Crazy for You stamp set

Image - Bloobel Stamps, Bake Me a Cake

Also, I'm going to pick an image for next week (week of February 20) and colour it up and post step-by-step photos on the Bloobel Stamps Facebook Group and am challenging others to colour along as well. You need to go to the group, by Friday the 17th of February, and let me know which image to use.

That's it from me for now. Hope to see you join us in the Bloobel Stamps Facebook Group and also the Passionate Paper Creations and Friends Facebook Group. Don't forget that this week it is "Bloobel Week" there and there is a special coupon code for PPCF members.

~Shelley

Monday, February 13, 2017

Sick?

Definitely love sick lol.

It's Sponsor Week with Bloobel Stamps at Passionate Paper Creations and Friends Facebook Group! Join us for fun, inspiration and a special discount for members.

Once in a while I see an image (or two in this case) that helps me get the wheels turning with the design/creating process. These images just needed to be paired together. I have created a Valentine card but the All Shades of Green would be perfect for a Get Well card and Love Sick would be great for any "love" occasion.

I chose Bloobel Stamps, All Shades of Green and Love Sick

I've used Creative Basics Dies and Embossing Folders (I LOVE the deep, textured design I get from these folders; and I'm slightly [okay, a lot] addicted to the beautiful, clean stitching on the dies)

Supplies:

Creative Basics Dies: Fancy Layers and Rectangles, Basic Pierced Ovals, Basic Stitched Flags, Fancy Squares and Little Things and Picnic Quilt Embossing Folders

Images: Bloobel Stamps, All Shades of Green and Love Sick

Stampin' Up: cardstock, Sealed with Love Stamp Set (current), Word Play Stamp Set (retired), doily

Sizzix: Celebration Words dies

Decorative Paper from my never-ending stash

Coloured with Copics:

E50-51-21-11-BV20-YG01 (skin)

Y21-E23-27 (eyes)

E71-77-79 (hair)

R21-24-27 (hearts)

R81-83-85 (outfits)

E42-43-44 (ground)

That's it from me for now. Hope to see you over at Passionate Paper Creations and Friends Facebook Group.

~Shelley

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Girlie Stuff lol

Oh my goodness... did you see the new cuties over at Angels Hearts n' Memories Etsy Shop?!

One word - ADORABLE!

I had to colour 'em up right away. Not sure when they'll get on projects but there are so many possibilities with them. I think I might be transferring the Scrapping Suzy image onto one of my scrapbook bags in future and painting her with acrylic paints or copics.

Coloured with Copics (colours listed under the images). All skin done with the same combo.