Some new colouring techniques

I've recently signed up to the Kit and Clowder Elements of Nature class 

So far I love it! Alyce has such a great way of teaching with her video tutorials and step-by-step instructions. 

I've completed 3 of the lessons so far - 

 This is my dad's Father's Day card - the lesson was colouring the rusty watering can - a technique I've not tried before. I'm so pleased how it turned out.

These Lilies were a joy to colour - Alyce has challenged me to do them as white as I always go for bold bright options!

Here's another new technique - colouring dew drops. Again I loved this and have never been able to create them before. Until now!

I will share some more as I learn. I've used my Copics to colour all of these.

Take care Zo xx

Behind the scenes - notebooks

So I'm here today to share another Creative Together 'behind the scenes' type post this time featuring notebooks.

Last year I decorated notebooks to fundraise for my chosen charity and this year is no different. Profits from every notebook I make are donated to BANES Young Carers.

This wonderful charity supports so many young carers in our area including my own son, Keagan. Their support and the friendships made are invaluable and every penny raised goes towards continuing their fabulous work.

So notebooks - some I buy and decorate. Others I make myself especially plain paged versions. As my Bristol Rovers notebooks were so popular I'm bringing them back for this year. Though I will also decorate different themes I promise!

 So I start by covering the front with Centura pearl card followed by hammered card to create a nice base. I often draw stitches around edge as well.

 I cut out the letters using a Tim Holtz die. I have a little pot that I keep all of my 'Bristol Rovers' letters in. I tend to have a session of preparing lots of letters.

 I use this girl footballer - the image is from Some Odd Girl as you can see I colour up a whole batch all different. I have great fun colouring their hair. Their football kit is, of course, styled after Bristol Rovers home kit.

 As you can see I do have a vast collection of pens so I can pretty much choose any colour I want!

Once the base is dry I add the image. I create a shadow background using grey dots to ground the image so she doesn't look like she is floating.

Here are some of the notebooks I will be uploading to the shop soon.

Thanks for popping by

Take care Zo x

Sunday Show & Tell. Colouring green with pencils.

Like many of us, I love to colour. And yes, I seem to collect various mediums to feed my hobby. Now anyone who knows me will know my preference is Copic markers. And I promise I will share tutorials using them. But today I thought I would just share colouring leaves with Spectrum Noir pencils.

I started colouring the back cover of my new colouring book and thought why not take pics to show you what I do.

 So I chose these four pencils. I always choose at least 3 colours. A dark, medium & light but will often choose 4 or 5 to get a good effect.

This is what I've done so far and here's how I did it!

 So I start with the darkest. I don't over think it when doing relaxing colouring. I just put the darkest where I want the leaf to be dark!

 Then I use the next pencil going over the dark using small circular motion.

 Then the next doing the same as above.

Then I go over it all with the very lightest. To get a smooth look I use a blender pencil over the leaf to finish.

And that people really is all I do! 

When colouring with any medium I follow this same idea choosing 4 or 5 colours from dark to lightest. Some mediums like Copics I work light to dark while with pencils I work dark to light! There really aren't any strict rules. Go with what you feel suits you best.

Enjoy colouring! 

Take care Zo xx

Positivity!

Good morning! 

So another Tuesday has arrived & many are already counting down to Christmas. I'm usually bouncing off the walls with excitement, but with Keagan being away this year, I'm not so bothered. Looking on the positive side of it I don't have to spend as much this year as Keagan won't have space for lots of presents!! 

My daily Q & A journal asks - 

You have no patience for ........?

Well I have to say it's negativity.

Those who know me say I'm one of the most positive people they know. It's how I am. Even before all my health issues I chose to look at life with a glass half full mentality. This has increased since my diagnosis for all my conditions.

I'm the same with football. I look for the positives even in the games that are utter rubbish!!

Crafting too, I focus on my improvements in technique and design rather than worrying I'm not good enough with what I do.

 Am sharing this card I made for my niece as an example of points of view. The positive is the card itself, love what I've done, but if I was a negative person I may say the photography was not so good and I may not focus on the creation itself.

So my challenge to you this week is to see the positives and put them first.  You have to learn to accept the not so good of course, but don't let it drive you. Look for the positives and make that your focus.

Take care Zo xx 

A pin = simple sharing.

Today's Q & A daily journal asks -

What makes you feel wonderful?

Like most of us, receiving compliments from friends and family is always lovely, but for me the one thing that makes me feel wonderful is when you get those compliments from strangers.

Through crafting and colouring we crafters get to 'meet' each other online. Plus many other crafters will pop by our blogs, pin our creations for inspiration etc. This is wonderful.

Only the other day I saw a pin on Pinterest of my colouring combinations that I coloured years ago. I had put it in a Smash book for reference. My colouring has come a long way since then but I still see that pin being repinned often. That is a huge compliment.

This is the page that people keep pinning. This is the original in my smash book! I want to do a more up to date version. I will share that when I do.

Take care Zo xx