Yey! I'm a Spectrum Noir Accredited Alcohol Marker Colorist

Since I found out about Spectrum Noir alcohol markers I've wanted to do the accreditation. When I started crafting I started with ProMarkers, but then won a Spectrum Noir giveaway and was sent a six pack of greys and loved the numbering system (I never knew which pens blended in ProMarkers). I quickly amended my Christmas list and replaced ProMarkers with Spectrum Noirs and my lovely parents brought me my first bulk of Spectrum Noir pens last Christmas. 

I've printed off the accreditation test sheets a number of times but my blending skills weren't great, I'd do two great examples and then mess up the third and then find the test had changed as I'd taken so long to get round to doing it, then I got the latest Crafters Inspirations magazine from Crafters Companion and found the Spectrum Noir CD-Rom so helpful, especially the hair colouring as I could never get the hang of it even though I was watching YouTube tutorials, everyone seemed to do it differently.

Two weeks ago I completed the test, then kept going back to it, then re-did it as I didn't feel happy with it. I was so worried I'd get an email back telling me it was all wrong so thought I'd re-do it until I was happy with it myself. I sent it off and then got an email a few days later and was so worried it was going to say it was wrong, but it just said they'd received it. 

This evening I got an email, and luckily in the preview on my phone I saw it said I'd passed! I'm so happy as I've wanted to do this for ages and I got a certificate too. I love colouring in and now I have something to say I'm good at it with Spectrum Noir pens.

I was given some pointers on the dimension section about blending my dark colours more which was the only bit of the test I wasn't completely happy with myself either so I'm going to be working on that more to improve.

So now I can put my Spectrum Noir blinkie up! Yey! A great start to the weekend. I'm just so happy, it sounds silly, but I really am.

 

You can find out more about Spectrum Noir and the accreditation programme at http://www.spectrumnoir.com/accreditations/

72 Spectrum Noirs and Counting!

This time last year I won a competition on the Spectrum Noir twitter account and recieved my first pack of Spectrum Noir pens. Previously I'd used ProMarkers but after trying SN's I changed my Christmas list on Amazon very quickly! Nearly a year on and I have 72 SN's with another pack on the way (slight error on my part as I ordered pinks instead of reds so had to put in another order whoops!)

Before I use to store them in the box they came in (the big packs) and in pencil cases (for the ones from the smaller packs) but I saw Nikky Hall on Create & Craft and they had Stix2 pen rolls. I do want to get the Spectrum Noir clear storage at some point but haven't the room so brought 2 Stix2 rolls so I can put all the colours in order for ease when shading. These rolls are also great for can keep your pens horizontal as instructed. I can now take my pens wherever I want easily and colour in the living room without dropping my pens on the way or having to pick my favourites.

I didn't realise until I put my pens in order how many greys I have! I started with icy greys but every pack has seemed to have other greys in too but they are really handy for shadows, edging around coloured images and colouring things that at black (ie the tones). 

Promarkers v Spectrum Noir

As you'll see from my previous blog entry, I won a set of Spectrum Noir pens. I'm usually a Promarker user but being fairly new to crafting I only have two sets of Promarkers (stamp colouring sets) and before receiving these Spectrum Noir pens I had out two sets of Promarkers on my Amazon wish list for Christmas...I'll let you know if that changed at the end of this post.

The reason I brought Promarkers originally was because they were always on TV and in craft magazines, I thought they were the only pens around for crafting having not heard of Spectrum Noir pens. When I started crafting I brought pens, stamps and an in pad....a Stazon ink pad, little dd I know you should use a water based one if your colouring in using Promarkers as if not the two permanent inks fight with each other.

My colouring style is mostly block colouring, I've not really tried shading but when I have I've just gone over with the same Promarker again and darkened the colour.

Things I like about the Promarkers:
Ease of getting the right nib without looking (thin nib lid is a bullet shape and the chisel nib lid is flat at the end)
Easy of finding the colour when in a case of box as the colour is down the side.
The lids having a bit jutting out so your pens don't roll off the table.

I saw the Spectrum Noir pens on one of the Crafters Companion shows as though they look expensive and complicated. It was only after winning as try out the cool greys I've figured them out and demos now make more sense. I also love colouring and want to get the accreditation from Spectrum Noir when I get more pens and better at shading and graduation.

Spectrum Noir pens are numbered in their groups and the higher the number the darker the shade. Mine are IG1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. IG standing for Icey Grey I believe. This makes it easier or shading and graduation. Using the rule of thirds you colour the whole area in a light colour, two thirds in a darker shade and one third in an even darker shade then you blend the really dark shade into the medium shade with the medium colour you used, then use the light colour to shade the medium colour into the light colour. Sara Davies explained it much better on TV but hopefully you get my point.

One thing I didn't like about the Spectrum Noir pens, which has now been resolved, was that I kept opening the wrong end since both the fine and broad end have the same lids and I have having to look on the pen each time for the images showing each end.... However I just realised that the casing on the fine nib is grey and the broad nib casing is black so you can see a fine grey line round pen where it meets the cap on the fine end! This makes it far easier now I've realised!

Another great thing about Spectrum Noir (which I don't know if you can with Promarkers) is that you can but ink to refill your spectrum noirs with and each bottle of refill will last for 10 refills which is handy if there is a colour you always use!

Having now used both pens a few times, although I only have grey tones in the Spectrum Noirs, I think I prefer the Spectrum Noirs and quickly popped onto Amazon and changed my Christmas list, removing the Promarkers and adding Spectrum Noirs! I will still use my Promarkers but as a system Spectrum Noir seem much better in my opinion.

What do you think? What's your favourite?

A different Christmas Card

Good Morning!

I'm writing this while blasting my hair dry and suffering with a sore throat!

Last week I retweeted a tweet I saw Sara Davis (of Crafters Companion) retweet as part of national papercrafting day (I think, if I remember rightly). It was tweeted by Spectrum Noir, so I followed them. I've never used their pens before as I've always used Promarkers, but was interested about Spectrum Noir pens)

While at work the next day, after finding out our jobs are going (but there are others we can apply for, phew!) I got a message saying I'd won the prize from Spectrum Noir! The prize consisted on a Mulberry Woods stamp (a lovely Christmas panda scene) a ack of cool grey pens and some card. I thought the card was only a small pack but turned out to be A4 sheets!

I love the stamp as it is a bit different and my friend Annie loves pandas so I'm sure she will love her Christmas card I make. The only thing I didn't like about the stamp was the horrible rubber smell and also u had to find out how to attach it to my acrylic block to use it (I used some see-ds cling stickers which worked for a short while but need some crafters companion spray mount apparently)

Last night I had an evening in the craft room what my husband was out at a stag do (only until 10.30 though..he came back earlier than he thought).

I made this card below using the prize, some Promarkers (for the other colours that weren't grey) and the coordinations card from craft inspirations magazine.

I love this card!

I will post soon about my thoughts on Promarkers versus Spectrum Noir pens

Happy Sunday!

A quick trip to my local craft store turned into two visits!

I went to visit my local craft store yesterday, In2Crafting in Wickford, Essex, for a few bits for my Christmas cards. I'm not making my Christmas cards just yet but wanted to get the design finalised so I know what I'm doing (and don't end up buying more and more Christmas dies when I won't be using them). 

I went with my sister and brought some textured brown card for my reindeer's body (the rough design was just white card coloured with promarkers), sequin dots for his nose, card blanks, Marianne Designs dies (Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings), and some other little bits. We came back home then remembered we wanted some card toppers and also remembered seeing some Christmas toppers which I was wishing I'd brought.....so we went back!

I love In2Crafting as their items are really well priced, it's not too big there and the staff are always on hand to help if you need assistance. I'd had my eye on the Marianne Designs Merry Christmas set but was looking at paying nearly £8 for them, but in the store they were just under £7!

Must now use what I've brought and not go on a spending spree again! (even though my second visit cost me only £4). 

I do still need some other Christmas dies for my parents Christmas cards and for my sisters cards but I'm waiting until we find something we really like rather than just buy things for the sake of it.

Having just searched for In2Crafting online, I've just found they have a blog! Why not head over and pay them a visit http://in2crafting.blogspot.co.uk/

Craft stash storage using old Glossyboxes

I subscribe to Glossyboxes and currently have my craft bits in 4 of them.

Box 1 - Promarkers

Box 2 - card blanks

Box 3 - finished cards

Box 4 - toppers (mostly things from craft magazines)

I've seen on a few cosmetic blogs that people have made drawers from the boxes and use this to store their make up in but I have another use for mine...

My husband (nearly wrote fiancé, still not used to calling him my husband) made some room yesterday for me in the study as I am turning the living room into a craft room! Sizzix dies all over the place, boxes on chairs and under them! I thought I'd make this set of drawers as a neat storage item in the study so everything is in one place without boxes falling over.

I used the below blog for instructions on how to make the drawers:

http://sorjanban.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/re-using-glossybox-es.html

I used silicone adhesive rather than superglue and then tapped everything in place to hold it more securely.

My boxes are all different colours but it doesn't matter as I want to cover mine with craft paper I have from magazines. As you will see from the photos, the top tray has the word 'cards' stamped on it and some drawers have marks on them from colouring on top of them so that's another reason I'm covering them.

I put glossybox ribbon loops on the drawers for handles and punched holes and threaded the ribbon through as the drawers are a tight fit and glued on ribbon would just come off when pulled.

The only thing I would like with these drawers would be to add runners as if you take the bottom drawer all the way out, the top ones would fall down but it's not to bad as I will just move the drawers around.

I'm going to use the top tray for my adhesives and scissors as they are then on hand whenever I need them. The other drawers I will use for my pens, card blanks and toppers. I have another spare box for my finished cards so I can store them separately.

The photos show the progress so far before I cover it with papers and the final product!