Pamela’s Gallery

First off, if you don’t have the hand color chart for your markers, I highly recommend you print one out and keep it handy! SEE BELOW

Tips:

• Print your color chart on the paper you actually STAMP (or in case of digitals-PRINT) on, so you can see how the markers will actually look.
• Markers react differently to different types of paper, so don’t be afraid to print your chart on several types of papers.
• Write on the corner of the chart what kind of paper you printed it on.
• Doing this ahead of time, helps you to see what the DRIED color looks like too. Much easier to pick your colors this way.
• Here’s a hand color chart for TRIART.  (they don’t actually offer one, so I grabbed their color chart, and created my own spaces for hand color-BOY are there some BIG differences in their chart and my actual colors!!)

Click the image to open full size, then right click and “save image as”. Print out full size,  and use the spaces under each color to color in with YOUR markers. Handy when purchasing more colors too, you can see immediately what you need.

• Here’s one for Copics. (I didn’t have to make this one, they have it on their site)

Since I use both types of markers, I have my print outs in a document protector, one on each side. I have it hanging where it’s easy to grab when I’m coloring too.

Now that we have that out of the way…here’s the link to my coloring video. Sorry I can’t embed it here, seems it’s too big..or I just don’t know what I’m doing…lol…Enjoy!

Coloring Tutorial: I used the buncha daisies digital, I sped up parts of the tutorial so I could fit it all on there. My dd helped me create this, and we set the music to it. (Enya-Lord of the Rings)

Here’s the link for the video. It’s almost 10 mins long, so too big to fit here! TFL

Update: For those of you new to the Copic & Triart world,  here’s some info you may find helpful:

-Triart markers (not to be confused with TRIA markers-which I know nothing about) have three tips on each marker. A fine point at one end, brush tip at the other end, and a chisel tip in the middle of the barrel. (Very handy when coloring larger areas)

-they are alcohol based-permanent markers with low to no odor, light fast, and acid free

-there are several other ‘brands’ on the market ie-Tria,  BIC, Prisma  that also have this type of ink, tho none that are as low in odor (I started with BIC markers, til I decided I LOVED it, and then moved up to the Copics and Triart-which I combine all the time)

-you can color on non porous surfaces like glass, and metal, as well as the basics like paper, water color paper, cardstock etc

-the most popular  ‘types’ of Copics are the Ciao version (so called Kiddie version originally created for kids in Japan-round barrel, lower price point, has  less ink in them and less color choices) and the Sketch version which has a flat barrel (they don’t roll off the table)  and the marker color on the cap ends (which is great when you know the color number you want), and there are lots of color choices.*

-they  blend seamlessly with each other, color in circular motions for larger areas, work quickly and there are no marker lines when you color over an area because they blend so  nicely. you can even create other colors by picking up darker colors with the tip of a lighter color. wont’ permanently harm either marker tip

-the blending pen is NOT for blending. It is really for lifting off color. So if you go a bit out of the line, you can ‘push’ the color back in using the blender pen, you can also create soft highlites on the colored piece by running the tip of the blender pen over the ink.

-there is no WHITE ink from Copic or Triart (at this time). I have heard that BIC recently brought one out, but I’ve not seen it. There are several brands of white gel pen that work great over copic, and stay true to the white color (some pens will absorb the copic ink and turn a tint of white) I’ve had good success with Sakura Gelly Roll white.  You can also purchase white ink in a bottle and apply with a fine brush.

-* altho there are two color lists for the Ciao and Sketch the actual colors (and numbers) are the same, so you can start out with the cheaper Ciao markers and add in the Sketch colors that Ciao doesn’t have.

-can store them vertically OR horizontally and not risk the ink either way (check out my ultimate storage solution idea here!)

-they are refillable. (I’ve not run out of ink yet, so I’ve not messed around with how easy this is….anyone?)

-can purchase other nibs (tips) and change out the tips. so if you ruin a tip, all is not lost.

-can use them with air gun and spray the ink on for wonderful airbrushing

-use dye inks like Memento when stamping. Do NOT use Staz On inks, as Stazon is also an  alcohol ink, and will BLEND with the copics (not what you want when coloring stamped images…lol..)

-you can use them to color digital printed images (some trial and error with what works best for your printer-but there are tons of tips and hints on the web-check out the ones I have right here on the FCD blog!)

-The only CON that I know of is the price. They run anywhere from 2.49 a marker to 6.50 a marker. Shop around. It’s usually cheaper per marker, to buy a set. Use coupons. Joanns Etc. is carrying several of the sets online, and you can sign up for the coupons and use either the 40 or 50% off coupons to purchase.   Other options are EBAY, CarpeDiamStore (my favorite place to purchase both Triart and Copics GREAT prices), Dick Blick, and OOzak. Just google them, lots of options will come up.

TFTI

Reflection Tutorial

Supplies needed: Digital Image, Cardstock, Copic Markers, Blue Ink, Sticky Notes (optional)

Step 1. Print 2 copies of the image (I used Child of Summer in this example)

Step 2. On one of the images, cut the child out.  NOTE:  You will be using both the child  and the water area so you will want to keep the piece with the water area in tact as much as possible.  I just made one straight cut straight to get to the child as noted by the arrow in the photo below.

Step 3. Turn the child cutout over (so the printed side is down) and upside down (so his head is down).  Place the child cutout on the full piece that will become your main image.  Position the cutout as it would be for a reflection matching their legs up.  The legs must overlap a bit….you do not want any gaps here.

Step 4. Turn the water area cutout over and upside down.  Fit it over the top of the child  cutout like a puzzle piece.  You can use a sticky note to hold this in place if you want.

Step 5. Remove the child cutout (but don’t throw him away yet!).  This will expose the shape of the child.

Step 6. Color the child area with Copics.  You want to use light colors here similar to how you colored the main image.  One color per area is fine….no need to shade.

Step 7. Remove the water piece that was serving as a mask.

Step 8. Use the child cutout again and this time place him right on top of the main image of the child so he can serve as a mask.  Sponge blue ink all around the water area.  Yes, even right over the reflection you colored in.  I used a lighter blue ink around the center of the image and then used a darker blue ink around the outside edge about ½” in or so.  I sponged a really dark blue ink at the very edge.  Here’s a close up of the sponging with the child still masked.

Step 9. Remove the child cutout to reveal your beautiful main image panel.

Step 10. Assemble your card as usual.  Here’s the finished card.

by Michelle Bartnett

Hope you’ll give this awesome tutorial that Michelle created a try, and share your art with us!!

TFTI!

Pamela

(I decided to move my tutorial from the blog hop, to it’s own page, so I can link it on the tutorials page)

Faux Embossing/Faux Framing

Digital image used: For the Birds Red rubber used: A little bird told me Paper: Office Max card stock, 100#;  DCWV        Inks: Martha Stewart-wasabi; Adirondack-Lettuce              Printer: Epson all in one-Photo RX 620             Colors: Copics and Triart          Extras: ribbon, bling

Double frame created in Word 2007

Here’s another sample of the Faux embossing

How COOL is this faux embossing??

(You can see the entire card here)

(You have to have WORD 2007 for these effects. I don’t believe they are available in 03)

To choose the frames, repeat the above steps, but after choosing one of the frame options, skip to step 3.

Once you have printed out your images on card stock, use an oval cutter, paper trimmer etc to cut out the images. I LOVE the faux embossed look!

TFL

I was looking on line for ways to create my own light box, and stumbled across these two sites: Digital Photography School and How to DIY-strobis blogspot

After reading thru them, I figured I’d give it a go, with what I had on hand…lol.  Click the thumbs for larger images.

Supplies:

Razor blade (ended up using my dh and his  banana knife)

Box from my new rice cooker (still in the garage-the box, not the cooker)

White tissue paper

Packing tape

Desk lamp tall enough to go over the top of the box (had one in the corner by my embossing station….yeah…gonna be a little dark over there now..lol)

You can see my white paper is not all white and clean like it should be, BUT the colors of my cards are TRUE to life..which is nice! I did use the auto fade correction button in psp tho, so I have to work on my lighting a bit…over all..not bad for stuff I had on hand huh??

Here’s a card sample of the affect I did accomplish.

Digital Image used:  Child of Summer Stamp image used: Doodles Hearts and Scrolls, Solid (small flowers)    Colors: Copics, Triart markers        Inks: Adirondack-Purple Twilight      Paper-Office Max plain white 110# paper, dp-no idea                Extras:  Purple ribbon-JoAnn Etc.; Bling-$ bin Michaels; Die Cut-Nestabilities Label 3       Printer: Epson All in One Photo RX 620

I used a purple marker to ink along the edges of the cs

Digi image-Child of Summer

Close up of corner:

Close up of the bling corner...

TFTI!!

Here’s a card my dd (15) created, using an image I did with a simple mask and the new Heart Strings set. I took a bunch of pix of the masking part, so you can see how easy this really was to do.

Finished card:

Stamp sets used: Heart Strings Digital images: Conversation Heart Words (freebie)    Colors: Triart/Copics    Inks: Memento-Black;  Brilliance-Pearlescent Sky Blue   Extras: ribbon-stash; circle punch 1.5 and 1 1/8″, scallop punch 1.5″

How to create the heart/flower:

Step 1:

Stamp the single swirl image on plain copy paper and cut out. Don’t worry about the dots, just cut out the swirl part and heart.  Use a 1″ circle punch and punch out a mask for the center. I use ZIG 2 way glue on the back of my masks, to make them sticky. (let dry before using or you won’t be able to remove it..lol)*

Step 2:

Place your circle mask in the center of your card stock. Use a transparency to figure out where to stamp your first image. (Stamp the image on the transparency with staz on ink, and lay it over the circle)

Step 3:

Stamp the first swirl.

Step 4:

Now place the swirl mask over the image you just stamped, and carefully stamp the image a second time. I tried to line up my swirls so the base would be at the edge of the circle mask, and the outer edge of the swirl would just overlap the ’stem’ of the previously stamped image.

Step 5: repeat step 4 (carefully moving the mask to the last stamped image as you work your way around the circle mask) Watch the angle of the stem portion of the image, so they lean the right way.

Continue stamping until you have completed the circle.

Step 6:

Remove the circle mask, and stamp the XO image inside. Color as you like. (as you can see in the card above, I cut out this image following the line of the top of the swirl.)

* (For a more in depth masking tutorial watch this video. )

TFTI