Collage Sheets on Vera Lane

Today we released our 15 image value bundle "Circles and Stems".  These images download in both png and jpg files.  The possibilities are endless with these graphic images to incorporate into your art journals, planners and all paper craft projects. The resize and distort to give you hundreds of variations -- link together to create a header for stationery or note cards.  Use as backgrounds.  Add a monogram.

Next week we will debut our Arthur Avenue collections.  These images are bright and bold, quirky and wonky!  Our team is having a blast working with the images and we are sure you will too.  In addition to the launch we will now be offering limited editions of collage sheets.  These sheets have multiple images pre-colored. Cut and paste for an easy craft fix or enhance with a touch of colored pencil or markers to blend into your art journaling and collages.

We've decided to add a collage sheet for the circle and stem set to introduce you to our new collage elements section. There are 27 colored images in this PDF file. For our limited license fee you may download repeatedly for your personal use.

Please check our shop regularly for weekly updates and new image sets!

Where the rubber meets the digi...

I’m procrastinating a bit this morning.  I should have gone to the gym but I found myself in my studio, imagine that?  I came up with this fast little card, combining a digi stamp and two rubber stamps.

I rarely know what I’m going to do once I get here.   I have cigar boxes with card starts, random scraps glued to a surface, painted borders, partially stamped images, etc.  These are things I would put out for my students in free time, and it was amazing to watch what the children would come up with.  My advice to the kids, was to let the paper choice guide you to your coloring.

So today, I found this embossed white cardstock with a scrap glued in the center. This was going to be my base.  I had one of my ‘Les Chats” digi images already cut.  Using Copics, I pulled some pink form the scrap and added a little accent of green.  I love how the white stays so crisp so I left the cat’s body white.  I decided on a landscape format and attached the cat asymmetrically.  

 There were a handful of green and pink flowers I must have cut long ago. “Play with both,” I would tell the kids. I preferred the green, although I did not care that it would be so close to the green above the act's eye, so I added the white circle, accented with some pink Prismacolor pencil to enhance the edge.  Now it needs a  sentiment – so I stamped “Happy Birthday.”

At this point I am floating the flower element and it is unbalanced. It needs a stem, and for my eyes, it needed color with some black contrast to pull over the cat image.  Does that make sense?  Since the cat is outlined in the black I need to visually balance the composition.  The perfect stem is the Ribbon Border #3 from Stampotique. No need to introduce anymore colors, just repeat the colors in the cat image. 

To begin with boxes of scraps, it is a fast way to create a spontaneous card or little work of art.  This approach is really great fun for the kids. Creating that composition, using balancing skills and making choices about shape, texture, and color, taps into those thinking skills. 

While my specialty has been working with children, I hope some of the process will inspire you too.

Tip:  When printing your digi image, create an entire page and use the sizing handles to alter the sizes.  Rotate the images so you can fit as many as possible on your sheet -- then print on cardstock.  Cut them out and set them aside for later use. 

Happy Friday.

Copic Alternative

I keep my drafting table in my classroom. On occasion, when time permits, I will demonstrate some art techniques for students who complete their projects early. I think it is important to show children the variety of media and the difference in quality. While I have let my students play with Prismacolors, I had to draw the line in freely allowing them to dig into my Copics. They had discovered some of my older Design markers and really liked them, so I needed an affordable alternative.
The BIC Mark-it set is a great value; I have seen the set of 36 for as little as $15.00. It is a perfect gift for young artists. If you are new to markers and can’t afford Copics I think these inexpensive markers are terrific!
While there are only 36 colors, it is certainly enough to blend and get Copic marker effects – in fact, I’ll bet it would be hard to tell the difference on a finished drawing. The BIC Mark-Its work with the Copic “O” Colorless Blender, although it is not necessary.

Working with values is easy to get the hang of. I prefer to begin with the lighter value, while wet ,quickly add/ layer my darker value, then “chase back” with the lighter value for smoothness.
The BICs also work well with the tip-to-tip technique. Hold the lighter value pen to the tip of the darker value to absorb the darker pigment – apply to the paper with the lighter pen – as the darker area blends, continue to go over it with the lighter color.
I have also noticed that the lighter colors can “pick up” dark areas. If you have gone too dark, you can soak the area with the lighter marker until it lightens up in value.
If you are new to markers it is great to start small. These Twinchies (2 inch squares of art) were designed for color practice – all of them are made with the BIC- Mark-its.
If you have any questions, please contact me at: Janet@veralanestudio.com.