My Copic cat colouring chart

I love cats and I know I'm going to want to colour a lot of them in the future, but I couldn't seem to find a colouring chart anywhere to help me find the right colours for my moggies. So one of the first things I've done while I've been playing with my Copic markers is to create a colour chart of all different cat shades to use as reference.

The ginger kitty (not the ginger tabby) is the same colour as my cat Kefi, so I expect to be using that colour scheme a lot! I don't have any cool grey shades so the black cat isn't actually black, but it's close enough...

The stamp is from Newton's Nook.

Christmas wreath cat cards

I know it's only January, but I've already started making next year's Christmas cards!

To get me off to a good start I wanted to mass produce some cards that were simple to assemble and relatively quick to make.

I used the cat in a wreath image from Newton's Nook for the main image, stamped out a page full of pictures and coloured them in using Copic markers, then cut them out. The first one I cut out I fussy cut, but then decided it was easier to leave a white border around the edge since it was going to be on a white background anyway.

For the background I did two styles. For the first I die cut circles of white card them embossed them with the snowflakes, stuck them to the base with double sided tape and added Newton with sticky fixers. The second style was to emboss the card base, leaving a gap at the bottom for the sentiment, then die cut circles of tissue paper, stuck them to the base and added Newton with sticky fixers.

To finish I stamped the greeting on the bottom of the cards.

What I used:

• Newtown's Nook Newton's holiday mischief stamp set
• Dovecraft Twelve Days of Christmas sentiment stamps
• Let it Snow embossing folder free with magazine
• A6 card blanks
• Tissue paper
• Copic markers
• Double sided tape and sticky fixers
• Circle die
• Ranger archival ink in jet black
• Big Shot machine and scissors

Taking stock

I thought the start of the year would be a good time to sort out my stash and figure out exactly what supplies I've got, so I bought myself some plastic drawer units big enough to fit A4 paper in to and got tidying.

From bottom to top I now have:

• Paper of all kinds, from patterned paper books and glitter paper packs to cardstock and plain coloured paper for matting things on. I've got some books of colouring sheets in there as well.
• Rubber stamps, paper punches, dies and embossing folders. I didn't realise exactly how many I had, so I'm going to have another sort through at some point and see if they're all things I will use and want to keep. Some have been given to me and a lot I got free with magazines so aren't necessarily things I would use.
• Colouring supplies and blank card bases. I didn't want to put my card blanks with the paper because I didn't want them to get lost, so they're in this drawer. My colouring supplies are a travel Winsdor & Newton watercolour pallet, a pencil case full of coloured pencils, another one full of Derwent Inktense pencils, a pallet of WHSmith watercolour pencils and another pallet of Derwent watercolour pencils in flesh tones. I've got gel pens in various metallic shades, black pens, my water brush and a home made wink of stella-type pen in there as well. And a large clear plastic pencil case for putting things in if I want to take supplies with me, so I can see what I've got in there.
• Top drawer is embellishments, with sequins, buttons, ribbons, etc etc. They're kept with glue, double sided tape and glue dots, and completed coloured in rubber stamp images ready for putting on cards.
• On top of the cupboard is a tin with all my ink pads in as well as my acrylic blocks for stamping. I could have put them in the drawer with the stamps but I wanted to be able to find them easily whenever I need them! My Copic markers are on the top as well because they didn't fit into the drawer in their storage case.
• Down the side of the cupboard I've got bigger bits of equipment that didn't fit into the drawers like my Big Shot, ATG tape gun, cutting mat and blade, and an edging cutter that's quite bulky.
• In front of the cupboard I keep a wicker basket for things that I need to sort or things that I'm currently using, including the latest editions of craft magazines I'm reading, a folder with project ideas in it, half-finished projects and things that I've bought and haven't had a chance to put away yet.

Pic to follow...

A little bird told me...

I always seem to need birthday cards (probably because my parents keep cleaning me out every time they come to visit for their own friends!) and this cute little image was very spring-like.

The text and image stamps came in the same set free with the May 2015 Quick Cards Made Easy magazine. I coloured the image with watercolour pencils then cut out into an oval. I wrapped raffia around a piece of patterned paper and layered it on the card base, then added the image with foam adhesive. I stamped the sentiment onto strips of white card, layered them on to patterned paper and stuck them on to the card, using foam tape to get them to the same height as the image and a dab of glue to fix them to the image. To finish I added the pink gems.

Copics, yay!

I treated myself to some Copic markers this week and I've just finished my first ever try at using them (after watching lots of YouTube videos and reading up on blending theory.

I have to say I love them already! The results are fantastic, especially for a first attempt, and they're so easy to use, with brilliant results. I'm really looking forward to playing with them more and making lots of cards with the results.

This image was stamped in jet black StazOn ink on standard white card stock. I bought Copic Ciao markers - I got the 72B set of 72 pens.

The set includes:
B02 Robin's Egg Blue, B12 Ice Blue, B45 Smoky Blue, B60 Pale Blue Gray, B63 Light Hydrangea, B93 Light Crockery Blue, B95 Light Grayish Cobalt, B97 Night Blue
BG05 Holiday Blue, BG34 Horizon Green, BG49 Duck Blue, BG96 Bush
BV13 Hydrangea Blue, BV17 Deep Reddish Blue, BV23 Grayish Lavender, BV29 Slate, BV31 Pale Lavender
E11 Bareley Beige, E31 Brick Beige, E43 Dull Ivory, E49 Dark Bark, E50 Egg Shell, E53 Raw Silk, E57 Light Walnut, E71 Champagne, E77 Maroon, E93 Tea Rose, E95 Flesh Pink
G000 Pale Green, G07 Nile Green, G14 Apple Green, G28 Ocean Green, G85 Verdigris, G94 Grayish Olive
R00 Pinkish White, R05 Salmon Red, R11 Pale Cherry Pink, R17 Lipstick Orange, R22 Light Prawn, R35 Coral, R37 Carmine, R46 Strong Red, R85 Rose Red
RV000 Pale Purple, RV06 Cerise, RV13 Tender Pink, RV34 Dark Pink, RV95 Baby Blossoms
V000 Pale Heath, V06 Lavender, V15 Mallow, V91 Pale Grape, V95 Light Grape
W1 Warm Gray No.1, W3 Warm Gray No.3, W5 Warm Gray No.5, W7 Warm Gray No.7
Y11 Pale Yellow, Y15 Cadmium Yellow, Y21 Buttercup Yellow, Y28 Lionet Gold, Y38 Honey
YG00 Mimosa Yellow, YG23 New Leaf, YG63 Pea Green, YG91 Putty, YG95 Pale Olive
YR16 Apricot, YR23 Yellow Ochre, YR31 Light Reddish Yellow, YR61 Yellowish Skin Pink, YR68 Orange

2016 crafty resolutions

There are a few things I want to challenge myself to do this year:

1. Try out alcohol markers and see if I can use them and if I like them.
2. Get better at designing cards - try new things and don't be afraid to experiment.
3. Organise my stash so I can see what I've got. Everything is in two large boxes at the moment.
4. Try some challenges like one sketch three ways, or using a limited colour palette or making a card in five monutes, and so on.
5. Do more craft fairs.