TECHNIQUES USING DARK CARDSTOCK FOR CARDMAKING/ Series #3

Colored Pencil Creations

Who knew that colored pencils could be used on black cardstock? The card shown in the example was fabulous! It's amazing what a little doodling can do!

Card made with black cardstock
 doodled with colored pencils

Three separate sets of colored pencils were used as examples of different techniques. Why not color on black cardstock? Let's see what it can do!

Lyra Super Ferby

These pencils have a large triangular shape and a comfortable grip which is particularly suitable for beginners and left-handed people. When applied to the black cardstock they seem to light up as if that's what they were made for! 

Background on dark cardstock
using Lyra Super Ferby pencils

Darice Cardstock, 8.5 by 11-Inch, Black Cat, 50-Pack 

LYRA Super Ferby Lacquered Triangular 

Giant Colored Pencils, Set of 12 Pencils,

Prismacolor Pencils

These pencils have soft cores which seem to glide across the paper!  This makes them easy to blend, shade and layer. Try using a punch to make a stencil to color with these rich colors. Look how the blue butterflies seem to pop off the page!

Punching butterfly to use the negative piece as a stencil!

Look at them playing amongst the stars! All made with homemade stencils and Prismacolor pencils!

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, 72 Pack

Cra-Z-art Colored Pencils

Surprisingly, even the cheapest brand of colored pencils came through with flying colors! They have a wide range of vibrant colors that lay down smoothly on any paper. These colored pencils also work well with others such as the Prismacolor and Super Ferby.

Beautiful flower made with the
Cra-Z-Art Colored pencil set

Cra-Z-art Colored Pencils, 72 Count 

Where did the white come from?

There is a white gel ballpoint pen that is used by artists everywhere for its ability to show a truly opaque white when applied. Sometimes a light hand is needed to keep the ball moving to allow the ink to flow but once it does...POW! 

Look at the samples that were made. Two were backgrounds and one will be used as a focal point. Can you see the white accents?

Uni-Ball Signo Broad Point Gel Pen - White - Pack of 3

Watch the video of Friday Free Play LIVE from Friday, 7/19/2018  at 5:00pm CST and see how easy it can be to create by just doodling! Break out those colored pencils and create beautiful masterpieces! The video will also show you how to use what you have created into simple but amazing, eye-catching cards! 

Techniques Using Dark Cardstock
 For Cardmaking/ Series #3

There was a bonus taught to us. Those of us that have had an ATG (Advanced Tape Glider) gun for a while know how difficult replacing the tape can be at first. After you have done it a few times you'll get the hang of it!😃

Making it so easy to replace the tape in the ATG Gun!

We all look forward to seeing your cards and creations! Please download them into the album for the Techniques Using Dark Cardstock Series. Be an inspiration to us all!

Catch Jen LIVE on Wednesdays at 5:00PM CST for One in Ten by Jen: Card InJENuity from mailbox to masterpiece! where the viewers send in their scraps and challenge Jen to create a card in less than 10 minutes, timed! 

Thank you so very much for the support of the Koala T Crafts Youtube Channel, Facebook Group, Patreon Group, and the Blog! Please remember that you can always ask questions;

1. On the Facebook page, many in the Community are willing to help you out! 

2.  Private Message (PM) Jen Evers (Admin.) or Penny Jo Ratcliff (Admin.), Pamela Wilber (Card Swaps) or Susan Baker (Moderator)

3.  If you are a Patron of Koala T Crafts, you can post your question and the Patron Community will help happily! 

4.  Jen Evers is always available at her email address: koalatcrafts@gmail.com 

What is a Patron?

When you make a monthly, or one-time pledge, for as little as a $1.00, you are able to access special videos, additional swaps and challenges like the Envelope Challenge, receive free monthly digital stamps and just hang out and have fun! Your support helps Jen continue her tutorials! Sign up with Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/koalatcrafts

Remember, great things happen to those that create!
Artistically Yours,

Koala T Crafts Original Store

References:

Amazon.com

LETS COLOR DIGISTAMPS! AUGUST 2018

Coloring Brenda Bovine

A digistamp is a digital image that you can buy (or sometimes download for free) from craft websites. They are also called digital stamps or more often called "digis". Once you purchase your image, it's yours to immediately color and use on your cards! Koala T Crafts has several in their store to choose from!

Koala T Crafts Original Store

First Things First

A great thing about digis is that they are usually high-quality drawings that can be resized without losing print quality! Brenda was chose to be a certain size when the card was designed. 

Brenda was printed on Spectrum Noir cardstock. Printed paper and embellishments were chosen first. This helped to decide what colors the background would be to best offset Brenda! A black cardstock was chosen to help her POP off the card! 

Black cardstock was going to look great with the doily, silver trim and the black barnboard background paper with white polka dots.

Black Cat 8 1/2"x 11" Cardstock

Barnwood Pretty 12x12 Scrapbooking Paper Pack 180 Sheets Chevron, Dots, Roses, 

Gingham, Country, Shabby, Farm Vintage, Old Wood

Trimming

The digi was trimmed then ran through a Sizzix die cutter. A stitched square die was used. 

Resized picture of Brenda Bovine being trimmed to fit through die cut machine

Going through the die cut machine

Perfectly sized with a stitched square die  

CottageCutz Basic Dies (9 Pack),

.5x.5 to 3.5" x 3.5", Stitched Square

Coloring

Poor Brenda needed to be colored! A palette of colors was chosen. Spectrum Noir alcohol markers were used. Her spots were colored using IG1 and IG5 and IG3 was used to shade under the chin.

Spectrum Noir Alcohol Marker Collection

The darkest color, IG5, was applied first then the spot was colored using IG1, right over the darker color. Use small circles to create a soft blend and remove harsh lines.

Markers CR2 and CR3 were used to color the inside of the ears and the snout.

Coloring the spots

Putting it all Together

Now she is placed on a black square of cardstock cut to 2 7/8"x 2 7/8". This leaves an 1/8" border showing around Brenda Bovine. ATG gun (Advanced Tape Glider) was used to adhere the piece of Barnwood paper to the white card base. A doilie was placed in the top right-hand corner and the pieces overhanging were trimmed.

Use of the Advanced Tape Glider (ATG)

Advanced Tape Glider plus two Refills

Silver ribbon from Paper Studio was run through the Xyron Sticker Maker. It easily made the ribbon into a sticker by putting adhesive on the back of it!

Ribbon made into a sticker (make sure that you burnish the edges with a bone folder well before removing the top plastic piece. It will make the adhesive stick firmer and the ribbon easier to remove!)

Xyron Sticker Maker

After applying the ribbon, Scotch foam adhesive was attached to the top and bottom of the back of the colored picture of Brenda. There was a space left to allow for the ribbon.

Adding foam tape to the back of Brenda's picture

All there was left to do was add a sentiment!! One was chosen from the collection Kelly Creates Traceable Letters. This was stamped on the same white cardstock as Brenda. A Micron black Pen was used to create stitch marks around the sentiment. Now it matched the die cut piece Brenda was printed on!

So many Kelly Creates sentiments to choose from!

                   Kelly Creates 346397 17 Traceable Sentiment Stamps

Stitching added

The sentiment was trimmed and mounted on black cardstock leaving 1/8" border. This was popped up with foam tape and placed in the upper right-hand corner on top of the doilie.

Here she is, beautiful Brenda Bovine!

Many, Many THANKS go out to our very own wonderful artist, photographer, and designer, Tammy Sexton!

As always,

Remember, great things happen to those that create!

Artistically Yours,

Many Thanks to:

Tammy Sexton

cardmakingandpapercrafting.com

Amazon.com

STAMP SCHOOL 101

Beginner Stamping

Watching tutorials and demonstrations can be overwhelming for someone that has yet to dirty a stamp. Relax! Let's just chat about stamping and leave all the rest for future blogs!

Wooden block mounted, cling rubber, silicone, acrylic, polypropylene, and clear stamps

Rubber Stamps

Rubber stamps are most commonly found mounted on wooden blocks. They are etched from red (or purple, yellow, green, gray or blue) rubber and attached to a block to make it easier to handle. Most come with a print of the exact image on the opposite side of the block. These stamps have often been mounted with foam in between the rubber and the wood.

Foam mounted between rubber and wooden block

This foam is used to cushion the rubber in order to make a good impression. There is just enough cushion to make sure the stamp surface makes solid contact with the paper. 

There are some rubber mounted stamps that do not have the cushion. In this case, a stamping mat can be placed under the paper to help with a good impression.

Sizzix Accessory Mini Stamper Secret Weapon

Some rubber stamps are considered a cling stamp. They do not have the block but they do have the foam mounted to them. The foam has a surface that allows it to stick or 'cling' to a non-porous surface. 

Cling Rubber Stamps

Rubber mounted on foam that
 is mounted on a film that clings

Stampendous Cling Rubber Stamp, "Stack of Books"

Clear Stamps

Clear stamps are just that, they are made to be able to see through the acrylic block and through the stamp to the spot where you want your image! Clear stamps come packaged between two plastic sheets, one with the image printed on it.  This makes them easy to store and keep clean. 

Clear stamps can be made from different materials, High-quality clear stamps have a pleasant smell about them.  They sometimes become stained after use. Don't fret! This is normal. This quality of stamp is made from photopolymer.

Photopolymer Clear Stamp

There are clear stamps that are made from silicone. These stamps tend to stretch when pulled from the carrier sheet. Occasionally they are difficult to keep attached to your acrylic block. They give a good impression as well as photopolymer stamps.

Silicone Stamp

Hot Off The Press On Butterfly Wings Acrylic Stamp Sheet, 6" by 8"

(TIP: a little bit of Aleene's Tack it Over and Over dried on the flat surface should make it stick and removable. Sometimes just wash it with Dawn dish liquid and let it air dry. Cloths and baby wipes tend to leave small fibers that build up and prevent a clear stamped image.)

It is wise to wash your used stamps right away after use. A baby wipe of any brand or a stamp shammy will do the trick! Don't let the inks or Versamark dry on, time after time. This may prevent a clear image when stamped.

Lawn Fawn Fawndamentals Stamp Shammy 

The stamp shammy will discolor with use, but can be rinsed out in the sink and reused again and again and again!

Future Blogs

Watch for future blogs on how to use the different type of stamps and the different tools that are available. Click on the pictures above to go to more information about each product picture.

If you have any comments, please leave them below.

Thank you so very much for the support of the Koala T Crafts Youtube Channel, Facebook Group, Patreon Group, and the Blog! Please remember that you can always ask questions;

1. On the Facebook page, many in the Community are willing to help you out! 

2.  Private Message (PM) Jen Evers (Admin.) or Penny Jo Ratcliff (Admin.), Pamela Wilber (Card Swaps) or Susan Baker (Moderator)

3.  If you are a Patron of Koala T Crafts, you can post your question and the Patron Community will help happily! 

4.  Jen Evers is always available at her email address: koalatcrafts@gmail.com 

Catch Jen LIVE on Wednesdays at 5:00PM CST for One in Ten by Jen: Card InJENuity from mailbox to masterpiece! where the viewers send in their scraps and challenge Jen to create a card in less than 10 minutes, timed! 

Remember, great things happen to those that create!

Artistically Yours,

Koala T Crafts Original Store