Copic Creations Reflections Challenge

The team over at Copic Creations has presented a considerably tougher challenge with their feature on reflections.  Suzanne Dean, a member of the Copic Creations Design Team, is offering one of her online Copic classes to the random winner of this challenge.  You can find out more about this challenge and Suzanne Dean here.

My craft table has a shiny wooden surface and I often see reflections there.  Silverware and other metal pieces may reflect from the shiny surface of a dining room table.  With that said, here is my attempt at showing the reflective qualities of copper metal onto wood. (See my recent post on Using Copics for Copper Metal Things here.)

This Large Pail stamp is from Stamps by Judith.  I stamped the image first using Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto Bazzill Smooth White cardstock.  I drew a short grounding line on each side of my image using a Copic Multiliner.   To help me with sizing the reflection, I used Memento London Fog ink to stamp the same image onto my Stamp-a-ma-jig mat then quickly turned it over, lined it up with the bottom of the black pail and laid the gray image down.  It gave me a very light outline of the original image in reverse.

I filled the pail and its reflection using Copic colors E33, E37, E39, E02 and a little R37 in the handle.

I used a ruler and Copic Multiliner 0.03 to draw fine lines to resemble wood.  Then I filled the wood area by deliberately streaking E31, E35, E47, W3 and W5, right over my reflective shades.

I used Spellbinders Labels 8 to die cut and emboss around my image.  Using a mask over the pail and wood, I airbrushed a light layer of G24, G21, B21 and R37 for the background.  I used My Minds Eye Penny Lane Free Bird "Beauty" Charmed Stripes to create my card.  After adhering the card elements, I added a few curled paper strips and applied a little Flower Soft in shades of Vintage Christmas.

Here's a picture of the completed card that shows where I think I've fairly represented the reflective qualities of copper metal on wood.  Now, how do I keep my pail from sliding down that sloping surface? - LOL!!!  Woe is me and my Copic dilemmas - LOL!!!

 

 

 

 

"In The Spotlight" Designer Sept 1, 2010 Copic Creations

 

Copic Airbrushing and Embossing Powder Resist

Using Copic markers to fill stamped images can result in wonderful, beautifully blended, very realistic-looking images.  The qualities of the alcohol-based ink can produce enough moisture in your paper to allow additional light layers of darker shading colors and lighter highlight colors to blend smoothly.

Using Copic markers with the Copic airbrush system can result in fabulous layers of colors that can be used on other paper crafting projects too.  The force of the air hitting the tip of the marker will disperse particles of ink into the air that fall gently onto the surface of your project.

I've created this layout using Bazzill Smooth White cardstock, white glossy coated QuicKutz self-adhesive chipboard, and a variety of white buttons.

To add some fun texture to an otherwise flat layout, I used a variety of stamps to create backgrounds on some of these layout elements.  I inked the stamp using a Versamark Watermark Ink Pad and sprinkled Vippies Transcendence (clear) Embossing Powder over the stamped image.  I used my heat tool to melt the embossing powder to a raised shiny image.

Stamp and heat emboss a grid, script and flourish in a few places, off of the edge of a 12x12 piece of cardstock.  Stamp and heat emboss dots, mosaic, distressed background and filigree on smaller cardstock shapes.

Airbrush darker color at edges (RV19, V09 OR BG18) and a coordinating medium color toward center (RV14, V06, OR BG15).

Embossing Powder Resist - Dab or spritz Copic Colorless Blender Refill onto a soft paper towel or tissue and quickly swipe damp towel over embossed areas to remove color and expose melted embossing powder.  If you move the damp towel slowly, more of the colorless blender will soak into spots of the colored area and fade or lighten that area.  Allow your color to remain in tact by moving the damp towel quickly.  You can always swipe the towel again to expose more of the embossed area but it'll be more difficult to add color if you over-fade or -lighten the colored area.

Please note that the heated embossing powder will remain shiny and raised and will not be "eaten" by Copic marker ink.  (See Using Copics with Embossing Powder post here.)

Use glue dots to adhere buttons to a non-stick craft sheet.  The glue dots will keep the buttons from blowing away with the force of the airbrush system.  One quick coat of the darkest colors will work best over plastic buttons.  Allow buttons to dry well before handling (approx. 5-10 mins).  The buttons will transfer easily to your project since they're already adhered to glue dots.

This photo shows how Copic markers and the airbrush system can be a magnificent addition to your paper crafting projects, especially scrapbooking layouts.  (Just click on the pic to see more details of embossed and colored areas.)

If you like what you see and/or have any questions about this project, just send a note and I'll get back to you.

Quilling for the Holidays

With the holidays fast approaching, it'll be fun to quill some pieces that will add special handmade effects to your paper crafting projects.  The color of the paper strips you use will help to ensure that your quilled pieces coordinate with whatever you're working on.

These candy pieces are made from quilled circles that are pinched and squeezed into different shapes.

The quilled circles of this gift were made from graduated color paper strips.

Quilled fruit will make a sweet addition to your projects.

Wouldn't a quilled bunny, made of fringed paper strips, make a nice friend for snow people?

For more ideas of fun quilled pieces to add to your holiday projects, see:  Quilled Flowers, Leaves and Sun, Quilled Things with Wings, and Quilled Insects and Other Creepy Things.

Using Copics for Copper Metal Things

I’ve come across some images that beg to be filled with colors depicting precious metals and other commonly known metals. There’s the heavy cast iron of a witch’s cauldron. How about the cold shiny steel of King Arthur’s sword? Flower arrangements are lovely when sitting in an old country kettle. What colors shall I use to fill an image of intertwined wedding rings and holiday bells?  What do you use when the music hits you and your project includes an image of a musical instrument? The list goes on and on . . .

There’s a lot of thought involved in filling images of metal things. Sure, you could stroke on a layer of gray when you mean silver, or a layer of yellow when you mean gold. Then how will you convey that it’s metal without accenting the shadows and reflective qualities of the shiny surface with some highlighted gleam and shimmer? Making your images look more realistic demands that your metal things look shiny.

I want to match the color of this pretty watering can made of embossed copper that I filled with artificial greenery and other stuff.  Should be easy, right? Not at first.

Copic makes an E18 Copper marker. Naturally I reached for it first. It’s very, very dark and I’ll likely pick it up to use on copper things only if I want to add a very narrow area to my deepest, darkest shadows.

So, which colors will give me the copper I need? I started early in the day and began scribbling color combinations on scratch paper. Only the highest quality scratch paper will work for this – LOL!!! I used left over scraps of the good stuff to get the right color action. After more than two dozen tries, with breaks in between to allow drying time, I finally found a combination that works for me.

E33, E37, E39 Highlight with E02

Copper has a reddish-orange metallic luster. I sought the deep shadow and medium tone of copper with a rosy-peach highlight that best matched my copper watering can and best suited the colors found in a shiny new penny. Here’s what I came up with. Let me know what you think of the colors? When you first see it, do you immediately think, “well, of course that’s copper?”

Now that I've got the colors right, I think I need to find a way to make it shine a little more . . .

If you try my Copic copper metal combination, please share your image with me so I can see how it looks. If you use your own combination, please share that too!

Layout Challenge: Bo Bunny Sun Kissed Plus

My favorite local scrapbook store, the Scrappers Cove in Milltown, NJ, started a monthly layout challenge in May. Participants pay just $5 for a layout package containing products selected by the store then submit their completed layout(s) for a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to be used at the Scrappers Cove. Completed layouts are due by the 15th and a winner is randomly selected each month.

It’s a fun and inexpensive way to try products and combinations that you might not normally choose on your own.

My kit for August contained Bo Bunny Sun Kissed Summer and Adventure double-sided patterned papers, Bazzill in purple and orange, embossed paper flowers (blue-green solids and striped), a large designer brad, self-adhesive chipboard stickers, and a checked grosgrain ribbon.

As soon as I saw the products in this layout package, I searched for the pictures of my dear granddaughter playing in the yard under the hot summer sun. Here’s the layout that I completed using the August kit products:

I really love the look of stitching on projects for its handmade-with-love appeal. I’m just not very good at it. I tried to add a line of stitching along the inside edge of my cut circle then passed the start mark. Oh no. I could have just covered that big mistake with a flower, right? LOL!!! After all, isn’t that what flowers are used for? LOL!!! Instead, I kept going and really messed up the whole stitching line. Now it almost looks like I did it on purpose. Some people call that a happy accident.

I adhered the tree from the patterned paper to a piece of chipboard then cut it out. I adhered it to the page using 3d glue dots to give it a little more dimension. A little glossy accents over the printed bird made that pop a little more. An outline of Yellow Stickles add some extra glam to the tree.

The title piece was also cut from the same patterned paper and more glossy accents cover the insides of the flowers and the little bees. Yellow Stickles adorn the flowers and stems.

The clusters of embossed flowers are also outlined with Yellow Stickles. Various accent brads are pulling the colors from the dots in the patterned paper.

The journaling on this layout will have to wait until my granddaughter sees it. I’ll write the first thing she says after she takes a look at it. This layout is mostly about preserving her memory of this summer day.

Oh yeah.  Here's more flowers.  I think I’ve reached my flower quota for this year . . . LOL!!!

Thanks for stopping by to see what I've been up to.

Copic Creations "Reading" Challenge

Copic lovers over at Copic Creations have sent out a challenge to create a project related to reading (here).  Elizabeth O. Dulemba, award winning children's book author and illustrator from Georgia is sponsoring this challenge.  Elizabeth also provides free illustrations and has cool images for teachers, librarians, book sellers, etc.  She's allowing us to use her images for this challenge too.

It was difficult to choose from such a wonderful assortment of images.  However, I've developed a recent attraction to fantasy images and found a hungry little reading troll calling out my name.  The image is easily resized for any project.

My favorite bookmark is one that hugs my page so tightly that even as I travel with my latest read, and inevitably drop it, my page remains marked.

IT'S DOUBLE THE FUN!!!  Images, phrases and/or designs can be applied to BOTH sides of my favorite magnetic bookmark.


Here's how the printed page looks. Four bookmarks can be made from just one printed page!  I want to have the image and words right side up after folding my strip of paper so I need to have some print upside down.  I was also able to mirror the image for the troll to face the other direction and just needed to tweak Elizabeth's name/site tag so it was readable.

While cutting the 11" lengths to 2" wide, I had to trim 1/16" to 1/8" from the sides of some strips to center the image and words.

I scored the center of each strip, keeping the "mountain" of the score on the blank side so the "valley" of the score is on the decorated side.  I used a bone folder to smooth each folded crease.

1/2" magnet strips are especially helpful here.  I cut two 1 1/2" pieces to adhere to the inside bottoms of my folded bookmark.  When I place it over my page, the magnets hold my bookmark securely in place.



What color is a troll anyway?  Oh, the possibilities are endless!  Being a mythical, mystical or plain ol' fairy tale creature, I guess it can be any color I want it to be.  I filled one image using some earth tones.  I filled the image on the other side using shades of purple.  I'm not concerned about the ink from the markers bleeding to the inside of my bookmark since it's covered when closed anyway.  I airbrushed a frame around the outside of both sides of my bookmark and adhered the magnets about 1/4" from the bottom of each side.

My bookmark is ready for duty.

Which troll will greet me each time I open my pages? Will it be purple? Or, green?

Quilled Flowers, Leaves and Sun

The team over at Ellen Hutson's Classroom (here) is having a week long Flower Parade.  They're inspiring creativity for using flowers in projects and encouraging everyone to leave comments on participants' blogs.  Two winners will receive a $15 gift certificate to use in Ellen's online shop.

I've quilled a variety of flowers.  Each is as beautiful as another.  There are simple pom-pom type flowers made by using a 90-degree fringing tool.  Some have a quilled closed coil center.  The longer the strip of paper used, the more full the flower.  There are also twirly type flowers made by using a 45-degree fringing tool.  All of the flowers have a thin layer of glitter glue rubbed over the surface to add some extra sparkle. (Click on photo for a closer look.)

Expecting that I might also need some leaves, I began to quill and husk different shades of green.  Varying the length of the paper strip results in different sized leaves.  Pinching and squeezing those quilled circles creates the shape of the finished leaves.  The husked leaves are sized by placement of straight pins in cork.  A thin layer of stickles was added to the leaves wherever possible.

I've husked a red heart and placed it above a quilled stem and husked leaf for a flower with a loving touch:

It's easy to give every flower the sunshine it needs with some simple quilling and pinching:

Finally, I used only some of those flowers for my project and made a few more to coordinate.  Here's my version of a Marie Browning card containing stamping along with quilled flowers and scrolls. Look closely to see quilled flowers layered on top of punched flowers for a delicate and very detailed handmade card art design.  The card front is very basic and almost any sentiment can be added for many occasions.

I'll save my other quilled pieces for decorations on another project.  My quilled insects (here) and quilled winged things (here) may find their place among some of these quilled flowers, leaves and sun.

Do you have your flower on?  I'm looking forward to seeing you at the Flower Parade . . .