Get It Scrapped Blog » Craft and Technique

How to Use Copic Markers with Doodling to Create One-of-a-Kind Transparency Designs

askings03 — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 14:19:05 +0000

Hi everyone! I’ve been working on my new class, Creations by Hand, which starts next week and coming up with lots of fun ideas for combining Copic marker techniques, doodling, and handlettering on scrapbook pages, cards, and all kinds of projects. Here’s one way to combine copics and doodling on transparencies for cool-looking overlays.

The beauty of Copics is their ability to work on many different surfaces so I am going to take advantage of that and use three Copics, my doodling sketch marker and a transparency sheet to create an interesting top layer that can be used in a variety of projects.

Step 1- First you’ll want to come up with a design. I knew the general shape of the layout I was adding my transparency to, so I started on a sheet of scratch paper and worked out a rough idea.

Step 2 -Next I laid my transparency on top of my sketch and used a Sharpie marker to draw on the rough side of my transparency. I also tried an American Crafts Slick Writer and a Copic Multiliner, both worked very well.

Step 3- Then I turned my transparency over and added color using my Copic markers. You can do some blending, but on plastics you will not get a smooth transition, the colors push each other around instead of mixing.

Transparencies can be added in a variety of places. This one is going on a scrapbook layout. It is not completed yet but, I love how it runs over the various elements on the page.

Or it could also go on an art journal page as a top layer or in the middle with more collage and paint elements overlapping it.

I hope you all have fun experimenting with this technique on a variety of different projects!

Now you can put your doodles, handlettering and copic-colored images to work on home decor, giftwrap, scrapbook pages, cards, and more, with Michelle’s new class Creations by Hand beginning on Jan 11, 2012 at Creative Passion Classes. If you’ve taken any of Michelle’s previous classes you won’t want to miss out on this one!

Michelle Houghton is a wife, mother and artist living in Iowa. Teaching high school art, doodling, scrapbooking and Copics has been her passion for over 15 years. You can find Michelle’s classes at Creative Passion, her tutorials at Get It Scrapped and Tiffany Doodles, and her blog at Scrapweaver.

3 Ways to Turn Your Home Office Supplies into Beautiful Mini Albums

askings03 — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 13:26:19 +0000

by Amy Kingsford

Many of the products we can buy for papercrafting projects are actually inspired by everyday items. From notion-inspired embellishments to office-inspired papers, we see these items on the shelves of our local scrapbook stores and in our online carts every day

Wouldn’t it be fun to let ourselves be inspired by the everyday items around us and even incorporate some of these very items into our scrapbook pages and projects? Three office supplies that make functional and fun additions to mini albums are:

CDs
Name Badge Covers
Envelopes

Each of these supplies offers durability and versatility for customization. Here’s how to start using them in minibooks today.

CD Mini Albums

The thing I love about using CDs for my mini albums is that they bring a certain “novelty” to the mix–not only because they’re a repurposed item, but, more simply, because they are round! There is something so visually interesting about a round mini album–don’t you agree?

Here are a few tips for working with CDs in your mini albums:

These don’t have to be blank CDs–chances are that you’re going to cover them anyway, right?! Repurpose the sample disks you receive in the mail, movie discs that didn’t survive the wrath of your three-year-old, and outdated program software.

It helps to have a Big Bite or a Crop-A-Dile for punching through your CDs with ease–but if you’re not worried about dulling your basic hole punch, I’m here to tell you that with the right amount of strength it can be done!

Sand the tops and bottoms of your discs before covering so that your adhesive will hold better.

Use 6 to 8 CDs–any more can be a little too bulky.

Try binding your CD mini with a single book ring or even accordion-style to help cut down on some of the bulk and to make it easier to look through.

Name Badge Mini Albums

When I first saw these dangling from their peg at Staples, I knew they were intended for a much greater purpose than protecting the name tags of myself and my co-workers. These nifty little items are the perfect size and shape to act as mini page protectors for your ultra mini albums!

These ideas and tips will have you crafting an awesome album of name badge covers:

There are a few different sizes and types of name badge covers available: choose the size that will work best for your particular project, and make sure that whether they are pin-style, clip-style or lanyard-style that the hardware can be removed easily and without damaging the protector.

Cut your pages and covers for your mini to size before adding your page elements.

Avoid elements that are bulky or that pop out too far from the page.

Resize your digital pages or photo art to the size of your name badge covers to make a simple, but beautiful hybrid mini album.

Your binding choices with these are going to depend on the type of name badge covers you have, but can include book rings, findings, ribbon-tied binding and more!

Envelope Mini Albums

Envelopes can add an element of functionality to your mini albums that you may have been missing out on with simple pages. Envelopes come in many great colors and sizes, and they’re perfect for securing and holding memorabilia, hidden journaling, additional photos and more.

Use these tips to incorporate envelopes into your mini albums:

Make an entire mini album from coin envelopes—it’s a fun size and they are available both in white and manila.

Insert an occasional letter-sized envelope inside of your mini albums to hold memorabilia or to hide your journaling inside.

Use your envelopes as templates to create customized envelopes from patterned paper.

Repurpose colored and specialized envelopes from old birthdays and other special occasions.

Make an envelope mini for your old letters from sweethearts, family members or even pen pals.

For more great ideas on repurposing everyday items and thinking outside the box when it comes to your paper scrapbook pages visit me at my site AmyKingsford.com.

Amy Kingsford is a happy wife and blessed mother from Northern Utah. She teaches at Masterful Scrapbook Design, Creative Passion Classes and also shares ideas, inspiration and instruction on creative approaches to modern scrapbooking and papercrafting at her site AmyKingsford.com

Replicate Digital Looks on Paper Scrapbook Pages with Supplies from the Garage

askings03 — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:22:04 +0000

by Amy Kingsford

As a digital scrapbooker I’m used to having a variety of tools and everyday items packaged in kits that make achieving certain effects on my pages a snap. When I’m making paper scrapbook pages, I often dismiss these looks because they don’t seem achievable or they just don’t fit into my “physical” understanding of the paper scrapbook page.

Below are three ideas for your paper scrapbook pages that are inspired by some of these overlooked techniques and that will allow you to make use of everyday items from your garage in fun and creative ways!

Use steel wool to create a background glow

This unexpected tool can create a nice subtle glow on your background paper–helping you tone down patterns and to draw the eye in. This technique is accomplished digitally through the use of masks and blending–but on paper we’re going to achieve this look with some good old-fashioned elbow grease!

To get this look on your paper pages:

Starting from the center of your paper begin to work the steel wool around in a circular motion.

Apply a generous amount of pressure-but remember you don’t want to tear or wear through the paper.

As you work your way out to the edge, use less pressure and let more of your paper shine through.

Brush your paper off and you’re ready to start building your page.

To really bring out the glow, try dusting a pearlized-powder over the sanded portion of your background.

Make your own screw-top brads

Screws can be a fun way for digital scrapbookers to secure things to their page or to add detail in their layouts. Though there are ”screw-inspired” brads available for paper scrapbookers, why would you look past your own garage? If you have a few screws and a pair of bolt cutters, then you are ready to recreate this look on your paper pages!

To get this look on your pages:

Place your screw in a vice to secure it for cutting.

Using your bolt cutters remove the head of your screw.

Do a bunch at one time–maybe while your husband’s away at work and he’ll never miss them!

You could distress it a bit using alcohol inks if you so desire.

Then adhere it to your page using an adhesive dot.

Create dynamic foundations with spray paint

Paint splatters and sprays are easy to come by in the digital world–but paper scrapbookers, have to be willing to get their hands a little dirty! Like misting, spray paint can be a fun way to add motifs and create visual interest and texture, but with a more dramatic effect. So grab your painting mask and those leftover cans of spray paint and have some fun!

To get this look on your paper pages:

Make sure to wear appropriate clothing and safety gear.

Lay down a drop cloth or several layers of newspaper.

Work with heavier weight papers–like cardstock.

Hold the can further away for a misted look and closer for more intense look.

Tip your page on end to let paint run if you so desire.

Drag the wrong end of a paint brush through the wet paint to create fun designs.

Allow paint to dry before working with a different color or layering your elements overtop.

Now all you have to do is put EVERYTHING back where you found it before your husband get’s home and you’re golden ;) For more great ideas on repurposing everyday items and thinking outside the box when it comes to your paper scrapbook pages–check out my site at AmyKingsford.com.

Amy Kingsford is a happy wife and blessed mother from Northern Utah. She teaches at Masterful Scrapbook Design, Creative Passion Classes and also shares ideas, inspiration and instruction on creative approaches to modern scrapbooking and papercrafting at her site AmyKingsford.com

Use Masking to Combine Stamped Images on Cards and Scrapbook Pages

askings03 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 13:11:34 +0000

by Sharyn Tormanen

Years ago, I attended a home stamping party and the demonstrator taught us about masking: I was in awe.

Masking opens up a whole new world of possibilities for your stamp collection. In fact it has remained one of my favorite ways to work with stamps. Check out these cards to see the cool looks you can get when you mask.

Use masking to put one stamped object inside of another.

Masking makes it easy and quick to put flowers inside a vase event when they are two separate stamps.

Use masking to embed an image into a background stamp.

Could I have stamped the gift onto a separate circle and adhered it over the top of the background as an embellishment? Sure I could have. Sometimes, however, I prefer the look here that masking makes easy to achieve.

Use masking to split an image.

This is one of my favorite ways to use masking. On this card, I was able to stretch out this little monster I’ve named Milo to peek above and below the banner, giving the illusion that he is a very tall creature when in fact he really is quite short.

You can also use masking to:

Create both positive and negative images

Make a forest from a single tree stamp

Make a whole border of connected circles with one circle stamp

Create overlapping titles

and much more!

Masking is a technique that spans all levels of experience–a technique in which the possibilities are endless!

Sharyn Tormanen developed her stamping skills and techniques while designing for stamping companies Close To My Heart and Technique Tuesday. See more of her work and get awesome stamping and memory keeping tips on her blog Live From Tormville.

How to use copic markers tutorial 23 | hedgehogs

askings03 — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:07:06 +0000

by Michelle Houghton

Copic lovers, I have a new image for you to color along with step-by-step instructions. I had a friend request a hedgehog, and because I am always looking to please, I whipped two little critters up for her.

These little hedgehogs are original artwork by me that I am sharing with you. If you use these little critters on a card or project that you post, publish or share please also pass my name and if possible my information on with the image. You can direct them to my blog at http://scrapweaver.blogspot.com or to my home teaching site at www.getitscrapped.com .

Thank you in advance for this courtesy.

Download Free Printable Here

Now on with the coloring! For these images I am using E11, E13, E15, E41, E44, E47 and a black sketch marker. It is not pictured because any black marker will do.

Step #1 – Color the face and soft under body of the hedgehogs with E11. I am coloring both at once to show you, but I would not recommend it. It is very hard to keep both critters going quick enough to keep the ink wet.

Step #2 – I used E13 to add shading to the underside of the profile face, to the bottom edge of the arms, around the fur framing the underside and the sides of the face on the front facing hedgehog.

Step #3 – You can blend your E13 in with Your E11 and then add a third layer of shading with your E15. For this last layer add your color in smaller amounts in the same areas that you added your E13.

Step #4 – Use E13 and E11 to blend the faces and undersides of the hedgehogs. Also use a black marker either Copic or another brand to fill in the noses. Because this is added on after blending and will not be worked over we can use any marker here.

Step #5 – I used my E41 to fill in the quills on both hedgehogs.

Step #6 – I added my first layer of shading with my E44 on individual quills. On the profile hedgehog I hit the bottom half of every quill. The front facing critter had several quills shaded and more at the bottom section. I also realized that I wanted one of the sections I had already colored with the faces to be colored with the quills. This is a great example of how you can sometimes work right over an area a second time. I covered this small section with the E44 as well.

Step #7 – I went right ahead without blending and added my E47 in very small amounts to the areas where I had placed my E44. Note, I did not add E47 to the area near the bottom of the front facing hedgehog that I am trying to change.

Step #8 - Lastly I went back in with my E44 and then with my E41 to smooth the shading on the quills. I hit the section I am changing on the front facing hedgehog pretty hard with the E41 to lighten it further. I also went back in with my E47 one more time under that section of quills to make them look even lighter and like they are laying on top of the very bottom section.

Thanks for coloring along with me! I hope your enjoy your pair of hedgehogs and find the perfect project or projects for them to call home.

Michelle Houghton is a wife, mother and artist living in Iowa. Teaching high school art, doodling, scrapbooking and Copics has been her passion for over 15 years. You can find Michelle’s classes at Creative Passion, her tutorials at Get It Scrapped and Tiffany Doodles, and her blog at Scrapweaver.

7 Ways to Translate the Look of Digital Brushes to Your Paper Pages

askings03 — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:28:12 +0000

By Amy Kingsford

"Summer Love" by Amy Kingsford

Whether you’ve dabbled in digital scrapbooking yourself or only just admired the look of others pages from afar–chances are that you’ve seen and appreciated a page that utilizes what digital scrapbookers call “brushes.” Digital Brushes are often used as a foundation to set a page’s inner canvas or focal elements apart from its background and to give pages a dynamic yet airy feel.

Once I started digital scrapbooking I was immediately drawn to the look of digital brushes. In fact, I was intrigued to the point that using them on my digital pages was no longer enough, and I began to search for ways to translate their look to my paper pages as well.

Suggestive layering is the key to re-creating this light and layered look in your paper pages. So what are suggestive layers you ask? Suggestive layers are produced by combining products and techniques that and allow the colors, patterns and textures of multiple layers to shine through without feeling bulky or overpowering.

Let’s take a look at a few of the ways to go about this with some of the paper supplies you may have on hand.

Start with an extravagant printed background.

Printed backgrounds are a great place to start when looking to create the look of digital brushes in your paper pages. Whether you are going for a whimsical feel or a grungy graphic feel, there are thousands of papers out there that have done the work for you. All you have to do is layer your elements in a way that operates with in the boundaries of the scene that your printed background has created.

In this layout, I started with a background paper that already had a fun and whimsical foundation established. I used the brush-like flourishes of the paper to frame my inner canvas and direct the eye inward to my photo. The pairing of more dimensional accents with my catchy printed background helped the details layered on top really stand apart from the decorative background.

“Cute & Cuddly” by Amy Kingsford

Utilize your transparencies in smaller pieces.

Transparencies can be another great way to re-create that “brushed” look because they allow the other layers on your layout to show through. This mimics the digi scrapper’s ability to change opacity and blending modes to maximize the wow factor of their layers. While transparencies often come in full sheets to used as more of an “overlay,” they can also be used in pieces to create emphasis and maximize their impact.

Keandra’s use of transparencies in the layout below is a perfect example of how smaller sections of transparencies can be used to create emphasis. When used as an overlay, transparencies lend a particular motif or feel to a layout–which is great! But when used in pieces, they act more like a digital brush, in that they can create a dynamic foundation for the important elements on our page, while still allowing the layers beneath to shine. These damask transparencies help to ground Keandra’s photos and title, without covering up all of the rich color, pattern and texture in the layers beneath.

“Sweetness” by Keandra Willis

Create a light and open feel with a little “fussy cutting”

Fussy cutting is the art of removing a pattern or image from a print with a craft knife or pair of scissors. And while it requires a bit more patience than some of the other techniques, it’s a great way to introduce an intricate pattern, while keeping the feeling of openness that many digi scrappers find so appealing in the digital brush.

I love the way that Lisa Dickinson has used this technique to create a sense of movement on her page that not only mimics the movement present in her photos, but that is also highly indicative of a digital brush. Because of their light and open feel, many digital scrappers use brushes to create a sense flow in their layouts, and Lisa has shown us how we as paper scrappers might achieve this very same effect in our paper pages with the help of a little fussy cutting.

“Top of The World” by Lisa Dickinson

Have some fun with paints, inks and mists.

Some of my favorite brushes to use on my digital layouts are all of the splatters, strokes and stains that can make for a very fun and colorful foundation for my page. The great thing is that this look is just as accessible to paper scrapbookers if you’re willing to get your hands a little dirty!

This is one of hundreds of layouts in which Dina Wakley shows us that these beautiful splatters and stains are not out of reach to paper scrappers, they are merely a wrist flick away! Whether you use your paints, inks and mists to create bold foundations or to merely give your page that slightly distressed look–one thing is certain–you are going to have fun bringing the look of these types of digital brushes to life on paper.

“Oh My” by Dina Wakley

Create interesting layers with stickers and rub-ons.

Layering your transparent stickers and rub-ons can be an excellent way for paper scrappers to combine motifs, while giving their layers the distressed or even blended look that can be achieved with digital brushes. Both of these can easily be layered over one another or over other suggestive layers, to create interesting accents and foundations for your paper pages.

If you’re aiming to bring the look of graphic-style brushes to your paper pages then rub-ons and stickers may be the way to go. In the page below I used leftover rub-on alpha sheets to bring some bold and grungy layers to my page’s foundation. This created a one-of-a-kind photo mat, while adding a nice graphic touch that gave my layout a little bit of a boost in the masculinity department.

“The Son and Heir” by Amy Kingsford

Build foundations using stamps, stencils and masks.

Digital brushes were made to mimic these very same products. As a result, stamps, stencils and masks can easily be used to achieve not only the look, but also to re-create many of the effects that are achieved with digital brushes–including fading, gradation, watermarking, and distressing. They also pose yet another way to create a fabulous foundation with lots of layers shining through.

This is a great example by Doris Sander of how a stamp can be used in the very same way a digital brush is used to build foundations, create interest and introduce variance. This series of stamps creates the perfect foundation for Doris’ inner canvas, while allowing the layers beneath to peek through. And though each stamp is the same image and color, there is still evidence of slight variations due the change in pressure in which each of these stamps was applied and embossed.

”The Best” by Doris Sander

Print your digital brushes directly onto your paper pages.

This might be the simplest and easiest way to get exactly the look you are going for if you have even the slightest experience with digital scrapbooking. While it can be fun to experiment with different techniques, sometimes it can be just as satisfying to hit print and be on your merry way. Printing your digital brushes directly onto the foundation of your page saves you the guess work and effort of finding a suitable alternative and allows you to get on with the design of your layout.

In Betsy Sammarco’s page below, she printed this beautiful watery butterfly brush onto her cardstock and then layered dimensional accents over top. This helped her beautiful background to remain dynamic without overpowering her other elements, while establishing a clear sense of flow in her layout .

“Hand on Her Heart” by Betsy Sammarco

Whether you’re a paper scrapbooker or a digital scrapbooker or both, whether you’ve had the opportunity to work with digital brushes or have only admired their many wonders from afar, the fact remains that we all have so much to learn from each other :)

Amy Kingsford is a happy wife and blessed mother from Northern Utah. She teaches at Masterful Scrapbook Design, Creative Passion Classes and also shares ideas, inspiration and instruction on creative approaches to modern scrapbooking and papercrafting at her site AmyKingsford.com

The Copic Markers You Need in Your Starter Set

askings03 — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 13:03:04 +0000

by Michelle Houghton

How many markers do I need in my collection?

I continue to get asked “What EXACTLY do I need to have in my marker stash to color images?” “Do I really need all 344 colors (and more as the collection grows)?”

Sorry, Copic fans, there is no clear cut answer for this. But I can share my common sense approach on how to start your collection.

Your collection should start with a base of 36 markers

Why 36? This number allows you to get one blending set in each color family group with a couple to spare for skin and a gray. Here is the list that I would recommend. The colors I have chosen are some of the most common you will see in crafting and Copic tutorials and it is the reason they are in the base set of 36.

B00, B02, B04 (beautiful sky blues)
BG11, BG13, BG18 (mint greens) OR BG72, BG75, BG78 (sea greens)
BV00, BV02, BV04 OR BV11, BV13, BV17 (both fairly similar blue violet series)
V12, V15, V17 (pretty purples)
G21, G24, G28 (nice rich greens)
YG11, YG13, YG17 (grass greens)
Y11, Y15, Y19 (bright yellows)
YR04, YR07, YR09 (oranges)
R22, R24, R29 (the must have set of reds)
RV63, RV66, RV69 (raspberry pinks–this is a total preference ) OR RV21, RV23, RV25 (if your prefer bubble gum pinks)
E33, E35, E37 (this is a great starter set of Earth tones or browns)
E25, E27, E29, E00, E02 (the standard for skin tones–but there are TONS of options)
N1 (just to have one gray for simple shadows and edging images)

Note: In the starter set above I did not include a Colorless Blender in the set, but I would still consider this to be a must-have, so that is marker number 37.

A few of my favorites

I also have a few favorites beyond these first 36, that that I use FREQUENTLY. Remember: this is a list of my favorites. Every artist–yes that means you–will find a few of their own personal favorites.

E09 is a color I love to add to red hair and brighten up my browns.
YR31 is one I love to use under yellows and yellow reds to warm them up.
B0000 and BV0000 are favorites to fade backgrounds to white and fairy wings of course.
A few more grays to color black and white objects (one series really is enough for most people)

A look at my personal collection

I currently own about 130 markers. Yikes that is a lot! And I am quite happy with my set. It does all that I want it to do and I know I do not need ALL the colors.

In addition to what’s listed above, here is what else I have in my bag:

B21, B24, B28 (royal blues)
B91, B95, B97, B99 (denim blues)
BG (I have both the teens and the 70’s series)
BG93, BG96, BG99 (very dark gray blue-green)
BV (I have both the 0’s and the teens, but really do not need both)
BV23, BV25, BV29 (this is a great set for shadows!)
V01, V04, V06, V09 (not a real big fan of this series I like 04 but by itself)
V91, V93, V95, V99 (a very light grey purple series except for the 99)
G17 (a bright kelly green)
YG93, YG95, YG97, YG99 (a great olive series)
Y23, Y26, Y28 (love this series for blond hair, but do not use the 28)
Y32, Y35, Y38 (yummy golden yellows)
YR14, YR15, YR16, YR18 (very similar to the 0’s but slightly warmer) YR30 (a nice partner to YR31)
R000, R01 (another skin tone)
R83, R85, R89 (a lovely rich wine series)
RV (I have others but honestly the ones that come out of my bag are the 60’s)
E (I have the 20’s and the 30’s and use them both regularly)
E11, E13, E15 (suntan skin)
E44, E47, E49 (my newest additions a very nice gray brown group)
C1,3,5,7,9 (these greys seem to suit me just fine)

I see you counting and it is not adding up is it? I did not list them all. There are a few that I count them in as a part of the whole, but did not list, because I’ve found I simply do not use them.

So there you have it, “Michelle’s Picks”–my personal list of markers. I hope it can help guide you in your choices. And if you have questions as always please ask!

Michelle Houghton is a wife, mother and artist living in Iowa. Teaching high school art, doodling, scrapbooking and Copics has been her passion for over 15 years. You can find Michelle’s classes at Creative Passion, her tutorials at Get It Scrapped and Tiffany Doodles, and her blog at Scrapweaver.

How to use Copic Markers Tutorial 21 | Fish

askings03 — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:10:42 +0000

By Michelle Houghton

Here fishy, fishy, fishy.

Today I have a little fish to share with you. You can use the colors I am using or create a rainbow fish to suit your project.

I am going to do some basic blending but I am also going to do some color pushing, starting with a darker color and adding the highlight with my lighter color. In order to get a more extreme effect I use a marker much lighter then my first layer to add the highlight.

The colors I am using today are BG0000, BG72, BG75, BG96, BV0000, BV25 and my colorless blender.

I have a full sheet of fish for you to print out in a couple sizes and facing different directions, I hope one will work for you.

Download The Free Printable Here

Please remember that if you are using one of my digital images on a project that you post or submit please give credit to me for the art work. You can reference my blog or the copic tutorials here at Get It Scrapped! Thank you so much!

Step #1

Color in the face area and tail with BG72. Remember to really saturate the area with ink coloring in small circles and going over all the areas at least twice, or more.

Step #2

Use your BG75 to add shading to your fish face and tail. I added mine from the bottom edge up, hitting the underside of the big fish lips well and small touches into the bottom edges of the scales. On the tail I worked from the bottom edge of both sections.

Step #3

I blended my BG75 in with my BG72. When I was done I realized I had lost my highlight so I went in with my BG0000 at the top of the fish face and top edges of the scales and the tail. This pushes the color back and adds more of a highlight.

Step #4

Now for the scales, I colored half of them using my BG96. There is no particular rhyme or reason to the placement. I was aiming for randomness.

Step #5

I added a highlight at the top of each of the scales using my BG0000.

Step #6

The highlight was not as bright as I was hoping for so I added a little colorless blender, pushing the color towards the bottom edge.

Step #7

I used my BV25, BV0000, and colorless blender to repeat the same three steps on the second half of the scales.

Step #8

Use your BV25 to fill in the big fish lips.

Step #9

Use the BV0000 and colorless blender to add a highlight to both the top and bottom lip.

Smooch! Smooch! One big fishy kiss to seal the deal.

Happy coloring!

P.S. If you like the fabric in the finished layout stay tuned, I am going to spill the beans on how to do that later this month!

Michelle Houghton is a wife, mother and artist living in Iowa. Teaching high school art, doodling, scrapbooking and Copics has been her passion for over 15 years. You can find Michelle’s classes at Creative Passion, her tutorials at Get It Scrapped and Tiffany Doodles, and her blog at Scrapweaver.

5 Ways to Get Computer-Printed Journaling On Your Paper Scrapbook Pages

askings03 — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:00:43 +0000

By Paula Gilarde

If you’re not a big fan of your own handwriting, or if you just prefer the look of typed journaling, here are 5 ways to get computer printed journaling onto your scrapbook pages–without a wide-format printer.

1. Use printed tags or journaling spots.

Pre-printed tags or journaling spots don’t have to be just for handwriting – you can also use your computer. See “How to Get Computer-Printed Journaling onto Decorative Tags” for step-by-step directions.

Layout by Paula Gilarde

Another option is to use a digital label or journaling spot where you print your journaling directly onto a digital label and print both. You have even more flexibility with this option because you can control the size of your digital element to fit the size of your journaling. Check out “Using Digital Labels and Jounaling Spots on Paper Layouts” for detailed directions.

Layout by Paula Gilarde

2. Use printed journaling strips

One of my favorite methods of adding computer journaling is to cut my text block into strips. When I type up my journaling to use for strips I always make sure that I leave enough spacing between the lines so that they are legible when I cut them apart. For more great ideas on how to use journaling strips on your page, have a look at “How to Use Journaling Strips to Rock Your Page Design.”

Layout by Paula Gilarde

3. Print directly on the canvas.

If you have a wide-format printer, you can print your journaling directly onto the background canvas as I have done here.

Layout by Paula Gilarde

If you don’t have a wide-format printer, don’t despair! Be just a little strategic about your composition, and you have lots of options for adding printed journaling directly to the canvas.

To add journaling to “Storyland,” I cut my background paper into two pieces horizontally — so that either would fit into a regular printer and printed the journaling. I pieced it back together after printing, covering up the seam with a strip of patterned paper that fit with my design. Bet you can’t see it!

Layout by Paula Gilarde

4. Add text to your photos.

Another method of adding computer journaling that requires a little more advanced planning is to add the journaling directly to your photos.

You could use digital word art as I did in on “10 Things to Love About Summer,” or you could even type your text directly on your photo before printing it out.

Layout by Paula Gilarde

5. Use a printed journaling block.

Let’s not forget the most basic of method of adding computer journaling — a text block. Simply type your journaling using Word or Photoshop, print it out, and trim to size before adding to a layout. This is especially useful for longer stories.

Layout by Paula Gilarde

Paula Gilarde is an equal opportunities scrapbooker, spending most of her free time creating paper, digital or hybrid scrapbook layouts. She is on the creative team at Designer Digitals and Jillibean Soup and has been published in all the major scrapbook industry magazines. You can find out more about her and purchase her introductory digital scrapbooking class at her website: http://paulagilarde.com

How to use copic markers tutorial 20 | juicy watermelon

askings03 — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:36:25 +0000

by Michelle Houghton

I am ready for the summer warmth and sun so I designed a watermelon wedge to share with all of you. I will also show you how to add a full watermelon to your page.

I used R22, R24, R29, YG13, YG17 and 110 (special black) on my watermelon wedge. Any black will work including a sketch pen or any other marker, for that matter. I added YG0000 and YG11 to the other YG’s to complete my full watermelon and used a Multi-liner to draw the outline.

Here is the page of wedges ready to print out. I used the blank space on my page to add a couple full circles with my Multi-liner that will become my full melon. Click here to download printable.

Step #1

Using R22, fill in the majority of the meat of the watermelon wedge. I am not worried about going over the seeds. I will be turning them black so it will cover the red.

Step #2

Using R24, feather from the rind inward on the meat of the melon.

Step #3

I added one more shade of red with my R29, again feathering from the rind inward on the melon.

Step #4

Using first the R24 and then the R22, blend the three reds together.

Step #5

Use your YG13 to fill in the outer skin of the watermelon.

Step #6

I added just a stripe of YG17 to the very outer edge of the watermelon and blended it back in with my YG13.

Step #7

To finish my wedge I filled in the seeds with black.

Step #8

I drew a simple circle with my Multi-liner on my cardstock.

Step #9

Using YG0000 I filled in my whole circle. If you do not have this color skip to the next step, no biggie.

Step #10

I used YG11 next and drew curved lines from the top of my melon to the bottom. I used a side to side short sketchy stroke.

Step #11

Next I used YG13 and followed the same arching lines from top to bottom. This layer sits inside of my YG11 layer.

Step #12

YG17 is my last layer and I used the side to side stroke to put one narrow strip down the center of each band of color.

Step #13

I went back through my colors starting with YG13, then YG11 and YG0000 and went over the areas where the colors overlap. I purposefully left the sketchy lines showing so I have the look of a real melon. I just softened where they overlap each other.

Happy juicy melon coloring!

Michelle Houghton is a wife, mother and artist living in Iowa. Teaching high school art, doodling, scrapbooking and Copics has been her passion for over 15 years. You can find Michelle’s classes at Creative Passion, her tutorials at Get It Scrapped and Tiffany Doodles, and her blog at Scrapweaver.