Bedtime Alligator

     I just love this little Alligator (according to the artist it is a crocodile, but it looks like an alligator from the side to me).  I also love coloring him with Copic markers.  It is such a fun image. I turned the teddy bear into corduroy with a Copic technique that I learned in the Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers class..  I love that effect also.

Baby Crocodile by Beccy's Place 

     I made 6 of these cards so I could have one for my Grandnephew (I changed the sentiment to Get Well Soon because he is having outpatient surgery).  The other five are for Operation Write Home.    I've been hoarding this awesome designer paper with the raised alligator type skin for just this image.

Love Those Flowers

     I just love the flowering branches by Clearly Besotted that we used for our practice sheets in the Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers class.  I don't know the name of the stamp set it came from because it seems to have been retired-at least I can't find it online.

     We were taught several ways to color them . I previously posted another card that I colored as if the sun was shining directly onto it, however, these were colored as if the sun was shining down from the upper left, and they were colored with more vibrant colors. 

     I also colored the mats behind the focal points with matching Copic markers.  I also added white gel pen to the centers to bring out the detail.  The sentiment is from Hampton Art KI Memories Greetings.

Copics Day 10 - Create Embellishments

     For my Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers class today I used my Copic markers to create gemstones the colors I wanted for my Christmas card.

Hero Arts Many Branches Tree
Hero Arts Merriest Christmas Wishes greeting

     I have gems that are purple, orange, clear, lime green and a few other colors.  No dark blue or red though.  I EASILY colored the clear gemstones the colors I wanted.  Whoa - never again will I buy colored gemstones.  Now I can easily get a perfect match.  I also tried coloring adhesive pearl gems but wasn't happy with the results.  At least I know for future reference.

Copics Day 10-White Outline

For the Online Card Classes Copics for Cardmakers lesson today I stamped and colored a leaf image with various fall colors. Then I wet embossed over the top of it in white.  I am shocked that I lined it up so well.

Hero Arts Fresh Pressed Leaf
Savvy Stamps greeting

Copics Day 7 part 2: Blacks

     In today's Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers class we learned some cool tricks for adding details into black designs.  

Tiddly Inks, Robot Holidays

Copics Day 7 Part 1: Whites and Reds

     Today's Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers lesson was on coloring reds and whites.

Flower Image Courtesy of  Kristina Werner

Copics Class Day 6 - Animals, Texture and Colorless Blender

Images courtesy of  Lawn Fawn
Critters in the "Burbs
Critters in the Forest

     For today's Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers lesson I practiced making texture effects and fur effects.  There is even a cute little corduroy stuffed dog texture effect.  This was another fun class.

Copics Class Day 5

     The lesson for Day 5 of Online Card Classics Copics for Card Makers is hair and faces.

Girl image courtesy of Kristina Werrner

     I don't have the proper color copics for hair and faces so I am using purple for the hair, 'cuz hey-people go purple now, and I am using some of my Spectrum Noir markers for facial color.  The Spectrum Noir colors are fine but don't blend as well as copics and don't add much depth.  I can't wait to get hair and face shades for my Copics!

      I need to keep practicing the hair.  I may have gotten it on the fourth try but I need to study the lessons again and keep practicing over the weekend.  Day 6 starts on Monday and I need to keep up my skills.

    

Ballerina image courtesy of Kristina Werrner

Copics Class Day 4

     For day 4 of Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers we learned about lights and shadows and where to put our shading.

Flowering branch image Courtesy of Clearly Besotted

Copics Class Day 3

     On day three of Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers lessons we learned how to get more mileage out of our markers by using gray for shading instead of or in addition to a darker shade of the same color family.
 

Mug image courtesy of Paper Smooches, Umbrella image courtesy of Clearly Besotted 

Copics Class Day 2

     Here is my homework for day 2 of the Online Card Classes Copic Markers for Card Makers class.

Bird Image courtesy of Hero Arts

     I'm really not happy with the blending on my birds because I didn't have a good selection of markers. That being said, I don't think it is awful.  Tip to tip blending kind of worked for me.
   

Butterfly image courtesy of  WPlus9

Online Card Classes Copic Markers for Cardmakers

     I signed up for an Online Card Classes Copics for Card Makers class and need a place to post my homework so I can share it with fellow students.
     The recommended card stock for the class is too thick to feed through my printer.  (Neenah Solar White #110-which I already had, or I could have used a lower weight of Neenah Solar White which I won't buy because I also own Gina K designs and Georgia Pacific and the three serve all my needs.)  I will have to re-do all the homework assignments with stamped images on the recommended card stock in order to see how the markers react to that base.  I am having a lot of bleeding outside the lines because the Georgia Pacific card stock isn't as absorbent as the Neenah Solar White.  I did try my Gina K designs card stock which went through my printer but doesn't seem to blend as well as the Georgia Pacific.  Hopefully when I use stamped images on Neenah Solar White card stock, it will be less likely to bleed out of the lines.

     Before Taking the Class

     I actually had homework before class and learned a few things.

1. When printing digital images at home for my copics I need to set it up for matte card stock and don't use the "best" setting for the ink since it makes the images too wet.  I just need to use the default.
2. I also need to wait two days after printing before coloring or else the ink is still a little wet and will smear.  Who knew?  I knew that I couldn't use it right away or it would smear, and I knew that if I let it set at least a week I could use it.  I had to experiment to find out exactly how many days it takes to dry using the Georgia Pacific cardstock and my printer.  Really?  How come I knew it didn't smear after several days but couldn't figure out it was because the ink was still wet?    

Balloon and Gift images courtesy of Sandy Allnock