At Home with the Old, New, Borrowed & Blue

front of card

close-up of image showing textured glossy

cardstock used for mounting image on

inside of card

close-up showing paper piercing & linen effect

on the blue & pink papers

This was my first experience of a Belles 'n Whistles stamp - one of the photopolymer clear stamps. I have never encountered such quality in a clear stamp as it stamped perfectly & I had none of my usual pressure trouble. Since I'm short with small hands I stamp standing up & (contrary to all advice to stamp on a cushioned surface) onto a hard surface (normally my glass mat). I have tried so many different methods & this one works for me.

The following - in coloured italics - concerns my personal experience using ProMarkers & Copics. I include it as someone may find it useful & I know that I have benefitted hugely from reading of other people's experiences. Nevertheless the section is quite lengthy & can easily be skipped.

The other revelation for me was using my Copics. Having found a number of tutorials using the ProMarkers & that whenever I tried to follow a Copics one, though I have all the Ciaos, I was invariably missing a colour that was being used for it was not available in the Ciao format, I decided to purchase the two Stamping sets of ProMarkers & then the Skin Tones set & to proceed that way. I've struggled with the bleeding over the stamped image edge despite using the "correct" cardstock & also with my limited selection of colours but nevertheless have been thoroughly enjoying the learning process. Lack of pinks, discovering the information on Color me Copic & the gift of a Suzanne Dean on-line colouring class for me to start in August  made me attempt the Ciaos again yesterday. No bleeding, on the exact same cardstock I was using with the ProMarkers & I delighted in being able to cut out my image with a little white border. I did use the white Inkssentials gel pen for edging this time (I'd been colouring outside using a tray resting on my knees & sitting on a hill with a 45 degree gradient) which I prefer not to but that was another difference for the gel pen had been inadequate when used with the ProMarkers. I also love the brush tip of the Copics & the fine detail possible with it.

In an ideal world one would wish to have both a complete set of ProMarkers & all the Copics colours (which are available in the more expensive Sketch format) for the colours are different - the ProMarkers seeming to be more subtle in their colouration - in fact  the pens handle differently too & for some people the ProMarkers will be easier to hold. Basically it is a matter of personal preference & I count myself fortunate to have been able to experience & compare the two.

I have flipped the Sketch Saturday sketch sideways & as there is nothing square about my card I am submitting it to the Cute Card Thursday Challenge #15. The image of the girl hugging her teddy evokes thoughts of comfort & home for me & taking the concept even further I am going to be very "at home" developing my use of Copics & supplementing my Ciaos with Sketch colours.

Recipe
Stamp Belles 'n Whistles Beary Big Hugs.
Inks etc... Memento Tuxedo Black (image). Black Soot Distress Ink & Brilliance Moonlight White, Pearlescent Orchid & Pearlescent Sky Blue for inking cardstock & paper edges.
Colouring Copic Ciaos, Inkssentials White Opaque Pen.
Cardstock Moondust black, textured glossy black, & Moondust white from "stash".
Papers Moondust white & linen effect papers in blue & pink from "stash.
Punches Fiskars (border), Woodware (circle & scalloped circle), EK Success (scalloped corners).
Ribbon Woodware
Pearls Kanban

Challenges Entered
Belles 'n Whistles - Ribbon 'n Punches
Colour Create #46 - Bay Pink & Pastel Blue + Something Soft (the ribbon is my soft element & the teddy bear image is "soft" by association)
Cute Card Thursday #116 - Anything but Square! (my card is rectangular & nothing on it is square in shape)
Paperplay Wk 23 - Home (see above)
Sketch Saturday #107 - Sketch
By the Cute & Girly June Challenge - Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue (old: Brilliance inkpads bought at the very first craft fair I attended 18 months ago, new: the stamp, borrowed: sketch, blue: paper & pearls)