Most recent drawing: Kingfisher

 

Copic Multiliner & markers on Neenah paper. White from Sakura Glaze Gelly Roll, Hybrid Gel Grip, and white acrylic paint.

Another Drawing: Main Street

 

(Ranger Ink Color Washes & Walnut Ink on Neenah paper. Copic Multiliner & Copic Markers, White Sakura Gelly Roll pen.)

The deux chevaux cracks me up! =) But I think my eyes are crooked. Hopefully it just adds, uh, charm. Or something. =)

Another Drawing

Kinda ocean-y with lots of Art Nouveau influence & inspiration.

Copics Multiliner on Neenah paper with Ranger Ink Color Washes, then colored further with Copic markers and Sakura Gelly Roll pen (white).

Feeeeeeeeenershed!

Not too bad, I guess, for a first try... Added Copic markers for color, and White Sakura Gelly Roll. Black lines with Copic multiliner. 8.5x11".

In Progress...

A good chunk of this is done, but I'm not quite sure where I'm going next... =)

(Copic multiliner on Neenah paper with Ranger Color Washes.)

4 Cards

More with Copics--and yuzen washi. *bliss* These are all stamps of my design from Art Neko.

 

I guess I can mostly color inside the lines these days--but forget about keeping things straight! Good grief! ;)

More Copics

While in Portland this week, I dropped by The Paper Zone, which I don't recommend to anyone who doesn't want to hear an enthusiastic sucking sound as the cash flies out your pocket.

I there found out that Neenah's Classic Crest (I picked the whitest, which was Solar Crest) was one of the best Copic papers. 1 ream. Kaching! Then, I just had to get some Kromekote (by SmartPapers) to do all the alcohol ink techniques on glossy paper that I learned at my workshops last week. 1 ream. Kachingggg! Plus, some Tsukineko Memento dye ink--used it tonight with the Copics, and everybody is right, it's awesome and smearless--and a Martha Stewart (yeah, I know) Scoring Board so I could recreate some of the awesome folded cards I learned about. KACHING!

So tonight, I got out my cardstock, the Copics, and the Memento, and made this:

The one thing that did smear when I painted the whole thing with a crayon watercolor wash at the end was their hair. I'm not sure if it was because it was a larger area of Memento ink, or if it was the Copic black marker that I used to darken the hair. Ah well, live and learn... =) The card is kind of cool, as you're seeing a scan of the *inside*. The card opens up like a double door cupboard, and is kept closed with some gold cord looped around two buttons attached to the side panels. The stamp is one of mine from Art Neko.

A Card, For Once

 

Credits: My stamp from Art Neko with Versacraft, embossed with Ranger Clear embossing powder, on vellum. Reverse side colored with Ranger dye inks (Lettuce & Butterscotch). Front then colored in with Copics and white acrylic paint. (Legs and beak were painted in white, then colored with copics, as well as some shading on the bodies.) Fun!

Next 4 Copics Experiments

Stamp (retired) by Tapestry Rubber Stamps. Copics on the flowers, watercolor pencil & paintbrush with water in between. Cougar White paper. Versafine pigment ink with clear embossing powder--disappointed that there's still some smearing this way.

Copics direct-to-rubber, spritzed with alcohol (spritzed the cardstock lightly before impression as well. Watercolor pencil & water in background. Cougar White paper, Penny Black stamp.

Same deal as above, except on watercolor paper, and I also added a light watercolor wash to the background after the stamp was dry. I really like that you can do that without disturbing the stamp! This was actually a second impression from the card above--I didn't add any further ink, just alcohol.

Finally, Adirondack Pitch Black dye ink on Cougar White paper, and all Copic coloring, though I did use some straight isopropyl alcohol on the background. Art Neko stamp.

And now I iz sleepy--nightynight!

An Amazing, Unbelievable Gift Out of Nowhere

Did you hear all that noise? No, no slaughter happening in Oregon, but some seriously intense squealing of excitement and disbelief!

You see, I've been involved with an amazing Yahoo group for many years, Oriental Stamp Art. Throughout the years I've been the webslave, and now that they've transitioned to a blog, I've been involved in that as well (though there's still a whole lot of work to be done!). The members of the group all participate in swaps, general exchange about Asian rubber stamping art, etc. There are some amazing card artists in that group!

So, it appears that with the initiative of Lori A.-O., and Dariel O'H., Sonia E. (the group's "2nd in command") organized a out-of-the-blue love-blitz on little old me! She was very secretive about it all, telling me that I should expect one package from a store, and a 2nd package from her which needed to be opened first. So finally, yesterday, it all came together.

And oh my holy jumping color freak, what should appear to my incredulous eyes but a *waterfall* of cards, each more gorgeous than the next, and....

Do you see it there? A SEVENTY-TWO PACK OF COPIC MARKERS!!!!!!!!!!! Which I never would in my entire life be able to afford, and have been wistful about for AGES. Well, much much squealing and jumping ensued, and the dust has finally settled enough for me to sit still 10 minutes and scan all these cards. I'm so in awe of the markers that I still haven't opened them!! *giggles*

I am amazed and ever so grateful that people who have never even met me in real life should trust me enough, and know me well enough, to give me such a precious gift. THANK YOU, you guys! I am truly blown away by your generosity and kindness!!

And so here are all of the beautiful cards they sent me on top of everything else! My thanks again to each and every one of you (and to the group and its wonderful leader, Annette W.), for your incredible thoughtfulness!

(Alphabetically)

Bonnie B. (TWO cards, both marvels of precision and layering--my scanning cut off a bit *rolls eyes*)

and

Bonnie W. (whom I've actually met--she is a wonderful woman!)

Carla v.d. M. from Holland

Cindy C.

Laurie A.-O. and Dariel O'H., the instigators

Lyn W.

Maggi G.

Margo S.

Minda O., all the way from Newfoundland

Sandra G. (so striking!)

Sandy N. (ibid!)

And finally, Sonia E. with an extra EXTRA surprise inside:

Alright--am I the luckiest girl alive, or what??? Thank you again, everybody!!!