Prismacolor Coloured Pencil

In a world where Copic marker sales are soaring, you may ask why I continue to love a coloured pencil aka pencil crayon.  Linda Heavens of Heavens Created This is a prime example of how beautiful Copic markers work.  Linda makes me believe I could do beautiful work with Copics, but in the end, coloured pencil wins.  Why?  Coloured pencil takes me back to my childhood where I would spend countless hours colouring.  Child by heart, I get an overwhelming sense of peace and relaxation when I take the time to enjoy colouring with coloured pencil.

If you are following my Coloured Pencil free on-line class, you will need to have 6-10 Prismacolor coloured pencils.  Prismacolour sets may be cost prohibitive, but there is a way around that.  Simply visit your local art supply store (ie. Bear Creek Studio in Sarnia, Dick Blick) to select from a showcase of single coloured pencils.  If you do not have Prismacolor on hand, any brand will do, but it will be necessary to purchase a colourless blender pencil (purchase at local art store, Michael, Hobby Lobby).

What makes Prismacolor so special?

Prismacolor coloured pencils are wax-based and blend with ease.  The bright series has 132 colours, and lightfast has 48 colours.

Coloured Pencil Galleries

Prismacolor website gallery

Colored Pencil Society of America 2009 winners

Colored Pencil Society of America 2008 winners

Monopoly board

Bouquet that resembles a photo rather than coloured pencil

Shiny gold chairs

Alastair Lockwood

Colour Pencil Resources

Scribble

Coloured Pencil book list

Amazon book list

Coloured Pencil Blogs

Nicole Caulfield

Siti Nuriati (beautiful Lady Diana artwork)

Holly Bedrosian portrait artist

Deborah Friedman

Gamsol/Odorless Mineral Spirits

In my coloured photo above, I used Prismacolor coloured pencil with Gamsol.  Gamsol is an odorless form of turpentine.  A little goes a long way, and your bottle will last forever.  You can find this product in the art supply section at Hobby Lobby or Michaels, among the oil paint tubes and watercolour tubes.  Look for odorless mineral spirits if you do not see Gamsol.  Local art stores carry this as well.

To blend your colour you require tortillions, which are tightly wound paper sharpened to a point.  You can purchase a starter kit which will have everything you need to get you started.  If you don’t see a starter kit, have sandpaper on hand.  Stores will have sandpaper hand-held blocks in the coloured pencil section.  If you chose to buy your sandpaper at a hardware store, buy a very fine grit.  Sandpaper is used to sharpen your point and to take off colour in you don’t have enough tortillions on hand.

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S&D Challenge 8: Sweet Tooth

This is a very exciting week for Sunflowers & Dragonflies Creative Designs.  Want to know why?  We are showcasing cupcake stamps drawn by our new artist, Marisa of Elegant Bloggery.  When I came across her cupcakes I asked her to make some for us.  I am sure you will love these just as much as me.   All week I will showcase more projects and cards with these delightful cupcakes.

Cupcakes are stamped out on watercolour paper and watercoloured with Tombow and Stampin’ Up.

The surprises don’t stop there.  Next week we will showcase another stamp line by another artist.  They are darling and will win your hearts.  I know they won mine

Both stamp lines will become available to purchase on my new website which will be unveiled on September 19th.

*  *  * *

Please join us and show off your talent.  Show us a card or project with anything sweet.  You are welcome to use any product. Of course we’d prefer that you use images by Sunflowers and Dragonflies Creative Designs, but feel free to use other images if you don’t have one of ours.  This week’s prize is a set of cupcake stamps and sentiments.

Please post a direct link to your challenge project  (with a link back to the challenge) from either your blog or an online gallery so we can view it, no later than Saturday afternoon.   If you upload to an online gallery, please use the keyword S&D8.

Please check out the challenge projects below from each of our DT members and click on their blog links to find details about each specific project.

Kim created a sweet tooth house

Beth showcases her love for chocolate

Jennifer created a heavenly sugar-coated delight for you

This week’s prize

A complete set of our cupcakes stamps and sentiments

The Magic of Pearl Ex

Pearl Ex is a wonderful, colourful, and magical medium that is used by professional artists and potters, as well as rubberstampers, scrapbookers, and polymar clay artists.   There are a variety of finishes–from metalic to pearlescent and iridescent.  Pearl Ex is safe, non-toxic and archival safe.

Pearl Ex comes in liquid and powder form, but the most versatile is the powder form.

When painting with powder, water and Gum Arabic is added.  Gum Arabic is a binding agent that prevents the powder from rubbing away.  Rubberstampers find that a finishing spray (or hair spray for the thrifty) works just as well if Gum Arabic is omitted from the Pearl Ex powder/water mixture.

There are many ways to use Pearl Ex powder.  It can be used as a colouring agent in embossing powder and polymar clay.  It can be dusted into polymar clay molds before pressing the clay into the molds.  One of my favourite methods of colouring polymar clay is to dust a variety of colours, with my finger, onto the clay prior to baking.  Colours blend beautifully together.  The adventerous are known to add Pearl Ex powder to their eye shadow.

There is a wealth of information on the Jacquard Products website where you will find products, a forum, project ideas, and more.

I hope you are inspired to try Pearl Ex out.  Listed below are lots of tutorials and interesting photos to read, so grab a coffee, sit back, and enjoy.

50 Places to Inspire You

Subscribe to Technique Junkie Newsletter for ideas

Sunflowers and Dragonflies Tutorial (one I posted on my old blog)

Maria’s Bell’s Christmas Ornaments

Maria Bell’s Floor Wax Tutorial

Mel’s Verdigris Embossing

SplitcoastStamper’s Melted Pearls Tutorial

Mini Tutorial by Camp Fire Lady

Background Technique by Inkie Fingers

Polymer Clay Buttons

Crafty Goat’s Notes makes a test strip

Crafty Goat’s Notes organizes jars of PearlEx and Embossing Powder

Amy Celona has a video to share with you

Learn That Craft shares a video

Ars Longa put together a tutorial

Kim shares a tutorial about PearlEx with Gold Leaf

Scrapbook Designs shares a tutorial

Amy put together a wonderful tutorial and Information Sharing

Cindy Lou combines chalks with PearlEx

Pez-A-Doodle Shines

Tanya’s crayon scrappings shine

AMACO describes a technique with Friendly Plastic

Melissa’s Tile Tutorial

Gina P Crafts Shimmering Tutorial

Kim BT’s Tile Tutorial

Scrapbook Studio Gets A Little Messy

Polymer Clay Project Makes PearlEx Paint

After Hours Stamper’s Stained Glass Tutorial

Mona Designs’ Stunning Bracelet

Lisa’s Beaded Necklace

Pearl Ex as Eye Shadow

Polymar Clay Buttons on Flickr

Mikasa Vase on Flickr

Pendants on Flickr

Halloween Trinket Box on Flickr

Flower Pendent on Flickr

Sea Journal on Flickr

Tiles on Flickr

Faux Shells on Flickr

Mermaid on Flickr

Bright Coloured Card on Flickr

Jacquard Projects

Please report any broken links.  Thank you.

What is Watercolour Paper?

One of my favourite methods of colouring a stamped image is to watercolour with Tombow markers, and for that watercolour paper needs to be used.  Whether a stamp artist or professional artist, watercolour paper is all the same; it is personal preference that determines what brand and style of paper is used.

Watercolour paper is paper that has been treated specifically to prevent absorption.  There are three things that determine the weight and feel of the paper, and that is how much pulp is used, how it is treated, and how it is processed.  A hot pressed surface is smooth, while a cold press surface is a little roughter.   On close inspection, each piece of watercolour paper has a smooth side and a rough side.  Again the roughness is determined by the factors discussed above.

Watercolour paper is labelled by weight.  Weight is determined by pounds per ream, or grams per square meter.  The lighter the paper, the higher the tendancy to warp.  

 As a rubberstamp artist, 70 pound paper is acceptable to use because less water is placed onto the paper, thereby decreasing the risk for warping.  I purchase a heavier pound paper in booklet form because it travels well, it  warps less, and book paper goes on sale. 

In summary, picking the right paper isn’t  rocket science.  With the information provided, your next trip to the art store should be a little easier.

Cameo Roses

The minute I saw the video tutorial  for this gorgeous rose on Patty’s Stamping Spot, I put in a Stampin’ Up order that would allow me to create this lovely and elegant rose.  The order included Fifth Avenue Floral stamp set, reinkers, white Craft pad, and Shimmer paper.  This rose is just one of the 24 that I created.

These lovely textured leaves are sold at Sunflowers and Dragonflies Creative Designs.

Thanks to my mom for passing over all her unused lace, I was able to add a little more elegance to the card.

I will add this post to the Tips & Tricks tab at the top of my page, so you can refer back to my card and location of the tutorial just in case you need it again.

Thank you for stopping by.  Have a great day!

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