Category: General Cards

Deckchair Dreaming | LOTV

Published on by Rowhouse Greetings4 Comments

HEY FRIENDS! It’s been awhile since I’ve posted. Lately, my creative flow has hit a roadblock so I decided to shift my focus. I’ve been occupied in my studio, spending time organizing my stash and pulling out stamps and dies that I no longer need. This way, I can make room for new products and hopefully inspire fresh ideas. I’m putting together some inexpensive destash boxes that I’ll be offering here on my blog (more on that in an upcoming post) but for now, I’m just working through all of the well loved and gently used supplies in my studio.

I’ve been adding things to my inventory system and making sure everything is well labeled so I know what I’ve got. I even did a bit of an overhaul of my blog and created a new logo using a hand-drawn image of my own rowhouse created by The Custom Art Boutique over on Etsy. Sometimes you have to take a step back so that you can move forward and that’s where I am right now.

One interesting aspect of this organizing process is stumbling upon stamps that I once purchased with excitement, intending to color them. However, I got distracted along the way and completely forgot about them. Like every other crafter, I then acquired new stamps that sparked a renewed interest, causing the earlier purchases to be neglected. Thankfully, I have only experienced a few moments of regret concerning my buying choices, and instead, I find myself wondering why I haven’t utilized certain stamps yet as I browse through my collection.

Today’s post showcases a digital image that perfectly captures the current mood. I have been fortunate to enjoy some warm and sunny days in Baltimore and I’ve been able to sit out and recharge my Vitamin D. This image by Lili of the Valley just seemed like the perfect image for today’s mood.

I’ve linked all supplies with compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.

Today’s Project – Deckchair Dreaming

Rowhouse Greetings | Deckchair Dreaming | Lili of the Valley LOTV

Featured Products for Deckchair Dreaming

Coloring Notes

This is a digital stamp so I printed the image on Bristol Smooth using my Canon printer. I use Microsoft Word to set up my image for printing and I have two videos showing how I do it, depending on which version of Word you are using.

Now, my Canon is an inkjet printer, but it seems to work with Copics. Not all inkjet printers do and for the most part, they don’t. I also have a Brother laser printer that I could have used, but it’s currently buried as I rearrange my studio. A laser printer is always a better choice when it comes to Copics.

The sentiment is from the I Love You More stamp set by MFT Stamps. That set is currently retired, but MFT often releases older stamps from the vault. So just keep an eye on their website. Also, I did use Versafine Clair to stamp the sentiment which is NOT Copic compatible, so I carefully added color to the sun and clouds, making sure that I did not touch the black ink lines.

That’s all for today!

Rowhouse Greetings | Nancy Sheads

Supplies

COPICS: BV20, R21, R22, Y21, YR21, YR23, YR24, E25 (bear); R22, R24, E21, E23, C1, C3 (chair); B00, B41, B45 (bird); W0 (background) B00, C1, C3, C5 (newspaper) BV20, C1 (shadow)

Rowhouse Greetings | Deckchair Dreaming by Lili of the Valley

[Compensated affiliate links used when possible. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were provided by a store or the manufacturer. All other items were personally purchased.]

Picked Fresh Anemones | Spellbinders

Picked Fresh Anemones | Spellbinders

Published on by Rowhouse Greetings4 Comments

HEY FRIENDS! I’m back today with something a little different. I’m featuring one of the flower images from the Picked Fresh Anemones die set from Spellbinders. No Copic coloring, but a bit of mixed media using dies, inks, stamps, stencil and even my new Betterpress System which was a Christmas gift from my parents. It’s also a little more complex so I’ve provided step-by-step instructions below.

I’m entering this project into the Spellbinders Cardmaking Super Star Contest so check it out if you’re interested!

I’ve linked all supplies with compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.

Today’s Project – Picked Fresh Anemones

Picked Fresh Anemones | Spellbinders

Step by Step Instructions – Picked Fresh Anemones

  1. Cardbase: Cut a piece of Snowdrift cardstock to 4.25″ x 11″ and score at 5.5″ to create a top folding card base.
  2. Base Layer / Sentiment: Cut a Betterpress Cotton Panels to 4″ x 5.25″ and attach to the Betterpress Letterpress platen (clear top plate with registration marks). Position the sentiment plate from the A Friend Like You Bouquet Press Plate on the Betterpress chase and ink with Betterpress Black Ink. Run the Betterpress through a compatible die machine (I used my Platinum 6). Remove the cardstock and set aside.
  3. Support Layers: Cut the cardstock layers from the Everlasting Squares die set as follows:
    • Cut a piece of Snowdrift cardstock using Square 4 (3.5 “x 3.5”).
    • Cut a piece of Pink Sand cardstock using Square 7 (2.75″ x 2.75″). Cut the square in half along the diagonal.
  4. Mixed Media Layer: Cut a piece of Snowdrift cardstock using Square 6 (3″ x 3″) in the Everlasting Squares die set.
    • Using a circle die and a black Micron Pen, trace the inside of the die multiple times, moving a little to the left or right, up or down as you make the circle. I used the Classic Circles die from Spellbinders which is now retired, but you can use any circle die in your stash.
    • Using the Hummingbird Textures Stencil, randomly ink blend the patterns using the following Distress Inks: Salvaged Patina, Twisted Citron, and Kitsch Flamingo.
    • Using Distress Ink in Salty Ocean, press the ink pad into your craft mat so that it leaves some ink behind and spray with a small amount of water. Pick up the ink with a brush and splatter across the background. Blot any excess ink and allow to dry thoroughly (you can use a heat gun on a low setting to speed up the process).
    • Randomly stamp images from the Sign Here stamp set using Archival Ink in Jet Black. Allow ink to dry thoroughly.
  5. Die Layer: Using the Picked Fresh Anemones die set, die cut the pieces for the anemone and stem for the selected flower from cardstock as follows:
    • Cut the front petals from Pink Sand.
    • Cut one set of the back petals from Pink Sand and a second set from Snowdrift.
    • Cut one set of the stem/leaves from Peridot and a second set from Snowdrift.
    • Cut the flower center from Onyx, Peridot, and Snowdrift.
  6. Flowers: Lightly blend a layer of Distress Inks on the die cut pieces as follows:
    • Add Twisted Citron and Mowed Lawn to the Peridot cardstock for the stem/leaves.
    • Add Kitsch Flamingo and Picked Raspberry to the Pink Sand cardstock for the front and back petals.
    • Assemble flower as shown using Connect Glue. I added the layer of Snowdrift cardstock to the back of the assembled flower for added dimension. Glue the Snowdrift cardstock to the back of the stem/leaves before assembling the flower. Glue the Snowdrift cardstock to the behind the back petals after assembling the flower.
    • Add a light layer of Distress Micro Glaze to enhance and seal the ink colors.
    • Embellish with a white gel pen if desired.
  7. Finishing: Assemble layers as shown. I use Beacon’s Advanced Craft Glue for the larger layers.

Hope you enjoyed today’s project!

Rowhouse Greetings | Nancy Sheads

Supplies

[Compensated affiliate links used when possible. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were provided by a store or the manufacturer. All other items were personally purchased.]

Bundle Girl Lily of the Valley | Stamping Bella

Bundle Girl with Lily of the Valley | Stamping Bella

Published on by Rowhouse Greetings2 Comments

HEY FRIENDS! I splurged this past weekend and added to my stash with a few purchases at Goldenhill Papercrafts in Clifton, Virginia. Not that I need any more supplies! But I couldn’t resist this sweet stamp by Stamping Bella – Bundle Girl with Lily of the Valley. It’s been awhile since I used X-Press It Blending Card and I’d forgotten how easily it blends Copic ink. I suspect that I’ll be pulling it out more often.

I’ve linked all supplies with compensated affiliate links used where possible at no cost to you.

Bundle Girl Lily of the Valley

Bundle Girl with Lily of the Valley | Stamping Bella

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Cardbase: For a top fold card, cut a piece of Neenah cardstock to 4.25″ x 11″ and score at 5.5″. For a side fold card, cut a piece of Neenah cardstock to 5.5″ x 8.5″ and score at 4.25″.
  2. Background: Cut a piece of coordinating design paper to 4.25″ x 5.5″ and adhere to the cardbase. I used a sheet from the Colorful Canvas Paper Pad. Cut a piece of Limelight cardstock using the third largest die in the Postage Edge Rectangles set. Cut a piece of Audrey Blue cardstock to 3.5″ x 4.75″
  3. Image Layer: Cut a piece of X-Press It Blending Card using the 4th largest die in the Postage Edge Rectangles set. Stamp the image using Hero Arts Intense Black Ink.
  4. Coloring: Color the image from the Bundle Girl Lily of the Valley stamp set using Copic markers. See list above.
  5. Sentiment: Stamp the sentiment as shown using the “Hello” sentiment from the Stylish Ovals Birthday Wishes stamp set using Versafine Clare in Nocturne. Or – use a sentiment from your stash!
  6. Assemble layers as shown.
Bundle Girl with Lily of the Valley | Stamping Bella

Hope you enjoyed today’s project!

Rowhouse Greetings | Nancy Sheads

Supplies

COPICS: E01, E21 (skin); YG03, YG67, G21, G24 (leaves); BG11, BG15, BG15, BG57 (clothes); BV20, YG01, YG21, C1 (flowers); BV20 (shadow)

Bundle Girl with Lily of the Valley | Stamping Bella | Color Map

[Compensated affiliate links used when possible. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were provided by a store or the manufacturer. All other items were personally purchased.]

Anita jeram Share the Love | Colorado Craft Company

Published on by Rowhouse Greetings26 Comments

HEY FRIENDS! I’m back today with another card featuring the Share the Love release from Colorado Craft Company. The stamps and dies are now available so if you missed the pre-sale, you now have a second chance to obtain the stamps you know and love. Be sure you check out the giveaways and blog hop below!

Share the Love

Two sweet bunnies, quick coloring with a limited set of markers, and a lot of love!

Anita Jeram Share the Love | Colorado Craft Company

Featured Products

Step By Step Instructions

  1. Cardbase: For a top fold card, cut a piece of Neenah cardstock to 4.25″ x 11″ and score at 5.5″. For a side fold card, cut a piece of Neenah cardstock to 5.5″ x 8.5″ and score at 4.25″.
  2. Background: Cut a piece of coordinating solid cardstock to 4.25″ x 5.5″ and adhere to the cardbase. I used Princess Pink from My Favorite Things from my stash, which is currently either out of stock or retired.
  3. Image Layer: Cut a piece of Bristol Smooth cardstock using the Nesting Rectangle Infinity Die set. I used the die measuring 3″ x 4.25″. Stamp the image using Hero Arts Intense Black Ink. Stamp the sentiment using Versafine Clair in Nocturne. Stamp the heart using Distress Ink in Kitsch Flamingo.
  4. Coloring: Color the image using Copic markers. See list above.
  5. Assembly: Assemble layers as shown.

Giveaways — Now Closed

Colorado Craft Company (3C) is doing two giveaways! You can enter to win as many times as you wish. Entries will end on February 9th at Midnight (ET). Winners will be announced on February 11th on the 3C Blog. 
Giveaway 1: 3C will be giving away one clear stamp set per designer to a lucky winner drawn from all the comments left on our social media hangouts. Leave a comment, follow and like! Belle will choose the winners randomly.
Giveaway 2: 3C will also give away be giving away the entire release to one randomly chosen winner that has placed an order using your favorite designer’s affiliate links (HERE’S MINE!). When you visit their blogs you can then hit their links to the 3C shop to be entered.

Blog Hop

Ready for some inspiration? See what our designers have for you!

Adrienne Kennedy
Jennifer Kotas
Kassie Hulet
Kelly Taylor
Michelle Lupton
Nancy Sheads (that’s ME)

INSTAGRAM

Daniel West
Jasleen Kaur
Joe Sysavath
Noga Shefer
Traci Jenkins

That’s all for today! Don’t forget to leave a comment to enter the giveaways!

Rowhouse Greetings | Nancy Sheads

Supplies

COPICS: R20, W0, W1, W3 (left rabbit); R20, W0, E70, E71 (right rabbit)

Anita Jeram Share the Love | Colorado Craft Company | Color Map

[Compensated affiliate links used when possible. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were provided by a store or the manufacturer. All other items were personally purchased.]

Underpainting with Copic Markers

Published on by Rowhouse Greetings4 Comments

HEY FRIENDS! I haven’t been coloring much lately, but I have been watching a lot of coloring videos and Amy Shulke’s YouTube channel has been heavily in my video rotation. She takes coloring up several notches into the realm of realistic coloring by underpainting with Copic markers. Check out her blog and the archive of free resources that she offers.

Amy’s uses underpainting along with colored pencils to achieve remarkable realism in her coloring. I’ve long been interested in the technique of underpainting – applying a layer of color as a base to help define the value of subsequent layers of color. As you know, Copic makes lots of pretty, bright colors, but falls short on the murky colors that create depth and realism. It doesn’t help that Copic classes often teach you to use the darkest value of a given color in the shadowed areas and then calls it coloring with depth and dimension. As Amy would tell you, the shadow of a color is not a darker shade of the same color. It’s a murky, muddy color that Copic probably doesn’t make. That’s where underpainting comes in.

And if you don’t believe me – take a look at this article by Amy where she explains the need for ugly marker colors and how to create the colors that Copic doesn’t make. Be sure to take a good look at the two versions of the image by CC Design. We were all taught in traditional Copic classes to create some version of the first version, but look at the difference in the result when you add underpainting to your coloring.

Now Amy tends to color lots of truly realistic images — check out her cinnamon roll image — and she uses photo references for color selection. I used to color a lot of floral images in my Power Poppy days, but lately thanks to my current design team participation, I’ve been coloring a lot of cute images that are a very different style. But I believe in taking a technique I’ve learned in one situation and incorporating it into what I do elsewhere. So that brings us to today’s project.

Today’s Project

Today I’m coloring a guinea pig contemplating a paint brush. The realism train left the station long before I picked up a marker. And to be honest, I don’t want to make the coloring hyper-realistic because it would be out of character for the image, BUT I can still apply the concept of underpainting and colored pencils to enhance the end result.

Rowhouse Greetings | Anita Jeram Paint the Town by Colorado Craft Company

Featured Products

COPICS: Number in bold italics indicates marker used as underpaint.
YR21, YR23, YR24, B21 (guinea pig); E00, E04 (foot); T3, T5, T7, T9 (handle); C0, C5 (furrell); R12, BG000, BG11, BG23, BG15 (bristles and paint); BV31, R20, R21 (label); BV31, BV34 (shadows)

Rowhouse Greetings | Anita Jeram Paint the Town by Colorado Craft Company | Color Map

[Compensated affiliate links used when possible. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Items marked with an asterisk (*) were provided by a store or the manufacturer. All other items were personally purchased.]

Anita Jeram Paint the Town | Colorado Craft Company

* Anita Jeram Paint the Town | Colorado Craft Company
[ 3C | SBC | SSS ]

Hero Arts Intense Black Ink

Intense Black Ink | Hero Arts
[ SBC ]

Bristol Smooth 300 Series | Strathmore

Bristol Smooth 300 Series | Strathmore
[ BLICK ]

Copic markers

Copic Markers
[ BLICK ]

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencil - White

Prismacolor Colored Pencil PC938 – White
[ BLICK ]

Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencil - Greyed Lavender

Prismacolor Colored Pencil PC1026 – Greyed Lavendar
[ BLICK ]

Nesting Rectangle Infinity Dies | Hero Arts

Nesting Rectangle Infinity Dies | Hero Arts
[ SBC ]

Underpainting with Copics

First of all, I should also note that I have switched to Strathmore Bristol Smooth for my Copic coloring because it is smooth enough for Copic ink but has enough tooth for colored pencil. My supply of Hammermill is weeping, but I’ll use it for other projects.

I still need help picking colors for underpainting so I rely on Amy’s Underpaint Swatches. Here are the three that I used for today’s project.

Vanilla Undercover - Copic -Bosc Pear
https://www.vanillaarts.com/blog/undercover-bosc-pear
Vanilla Undercover - Copic - Peeling Aegean
https://www.vanillaarts.com/blog/undercover-peeling-aegean
Vanilla Undercover - Copic - Rose Whisper
https://www.vanillaarts.com/blog/undercover-rose-whisper

I was attracted to the first color combination because I could achieve a realistic brown without using a single E marker. Not that I have anything against the E markers, but the browns can sometimes look a little flat. Here my Guinea pig has a golden glow that feels more realistic.

Once the Copic coloring was completed, I used Primacolor pencils in PC 1026 (Grayed Lavendar) to deepen the underpainted areas and PC938 (White) to add a highlight on the barrel and furrell of the paintbrush.

Rowhouse Greetings | Anita Jeram Paint the Town by Colorado Craft Company

Hope you enjoyed today’s project. Be sure to check out Amy’s blog, YouTube channel, and classes!

Rowhouse Greetings | Nancy Sheads