What inks are good for no-line coloring? Well there are of course many. But I have a favorite, and if you haven’t figured it out yet – it’s a hybrid ink that’ll work for a bunch of mediums. But to be sure I did a watercolor test too – and confirmed what was a gut feeling I had already.
Supplies for this project are linked at the end of this post. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.
It’s the middle of March…are the birds singing at your house yet!?? I heard one this weekend and my heart was SO happy! Whether or not our feathered friends have returned where you live – these new Dear Friend Robin stamps from Colorado Craft Company are going to bring some sunshine inside!
Video:
This Copic card uses the no-line ink; I think Copic is probably the best medium for fully hiding the lines – but on nice BIG images like this. When it comes to tiny images, the Copic nib is too fat. Pair that with colored pencil or a regular #2 to tidy up tiny spots. ALSO – don’t forget to decorate inside the card like this!
On the left is the watercolor painted over the Pumice Stone distress ink. It muddied up some of the colors a bit – and as you saw in the video, it didn’t stamp evenly, which led to some of the leaves having harsher dark spots too. The one on the right uses the no line ink…much cleaner. I knew this intuitively, but it’s always good to test and confirm what I think will happen.
More new goodies from CCC
Not included in the video – the colored pencil (Polychromos) version…all inks will work great with pencil. If using pigment inks just be sure they’re good and dry. And that robin’s nest stamp? Oh wow. It took a while to color, but it’s stunning! If you don’t want to color it, just stamp it in a soft ink and just color the eggs.
Here’s me coloring the nest – I used a yellowish brown first to flood the whole nest area using Gamsol and a blending stump, then layered different browns to get the depth with negative coloring around each of the little twigs. Ok not each one. I gave up on following the outlines. LOL! You can see a Reel of it on Instagram later on today!
More from this release
You knew I’d be coloring up daffodils right? ha! I love going up to the flower fields in spring to photograph and paint – so I made my own scene! I added a little bit of rocks to the right of the stamped image using a fountain pen with waterproof ink, then the fields and farm buildings too.
Rose Cross is a pretty stamp designed by Australia’s own Sandra Herrgott of Tiny Sparrow Designs! (Her Etsy store and Facebook page are wonderful to go see!) This stamp is just a weeee bit large for an A2 card – it does fit, but without “air” around it like I felt it needed, so I went for a 5″ x 7″ card. I stamped it a second time and cut out the flowers, and a third to cut out and pop the butterflies. And….GLITTER! Yes yes I know. It’s everywhere. HA!
Clean Heart is one of the bookmark stamps…I did a simple watercolor wash over embossed stamps, then painted another layer inside the images. The text is embossed on heavyweight vellum – I tucked it between layers to secure it.
Be Still, another bookmark set, again with embossing and a watercolor wash. Easy peasy!
Hello Bunny will be a tutorial coming up in a week or two once I can get it edited and ready 🙂
Giveaway!
I’m excited to be able to GIVE AWAY two stamp sets each from this new release to three lucky people! Leave a comment here about HOW YOUR STUDIO/WORKSPACE LOOKS TODAY by midnight on the 18th! I actually was brave enough to post GAH video of mine HERE yesterday if you wanna feel better about yours! ha!
I’ll announce winners on Friday the 19th on my blog so be sure to pop back here to see if you won! Also – if you want to be sure you get notified, scroll down just a little farther on this post and subscribe so you’ll get Friday’s post delivered by email!
Supplies
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- Colorado Craft Company Stamps:
- Dear Friend Robin: EH Stamps – EH Dies – CCC Stamps – CCC Dies
- Robins Nest: EH Stamps – EH Dies – CCC Stamps – CCC Dies
- Hello Bunny: EH Stamps – EH Dies – CCC Stamps – CCC Dies
- Spring Season Daffodils: EH Stamps – CCC Stamps
- Rose Cross: • EH Stamps – EH Dies – CCC Stamps – CCC Dies
- Be Still bookmarks: EH Stamps – CCC Stamps
- Clean Heart bookmarks: EH Stamps – CCC Stamps
- Copic Marker card:
- Colored Pencil card:
- Watercolor card:
Your cards are gorgeous!
I forgot to say in my comment what my craftroom looks like right now. I have half done projects on my ping pong table, on my desk, and on my other workspace. So it looks pretty bad.
My workspace is in my dining room table at the moment, as my workspace is my home office, as I telework! Both are a disaster, LOL.
My crafting space is a disaster. I have been moved into my house for over a year and still haven’t gotten it finished. I am crafting in my kitchen for the time being!
Oh my gosh, my crafting space, meaning ALL over my entire house, has swallowed up my car keys 2 days ago. I am not kidding. I have dug done deep into supplies in cubbies, bags, plastic storage, cabinets, drawers, and discovered all sorts of papers, kits, embellishments, stamps, albums (& on & on) I haven’t seen in years!! LOL The sad thing is I still haven’t found my keys & I’m now sitting here shopping CCC. I’m pathetic.
My studio/work place is always a ‘work in progress’. As I try and use new ideas and new products, the work space constantly changes. I like to have many of the frequently used items near by! Thanks for sharing such wonderful ideas for coloring these lovely stamps and thanks for the video!
My craft work space is an old dining table with a broken leg, and a small plastic table with extendable legs. I also use the dining table when I work from home (like this week). I absolutely adore the robin on the branch and that bird’s nest. Just gorgeous!
I laughed when I saw what I was supposed to comment on. My dining room table and the island is strewn with stamps, ink and lots of paper since I am making Easter cards. The remainder of my stash is in the basement and garage.
my work space(s) are in several locations! my husband teases me and asks “what work station is this”? i hope to get all my crafts in one dedicated room…someday!
My work space is on my kitchen table and a fold-up table in my den. I try to keep things a little bit organized, but confess I don’t always succeed! I do have a “craft room” upstairs but prefer being downstairs where my hubby is. So I use craft room to store supplies that I’m not using for my current project.
And I just love your cards! Your coloring is fabulous. The birds are great. Here in NC in my area the birds are singing away! Love the spring time.
My space is my sons room who is serving our country. I have slowly made his room a space where I go and spend time to make cards, paint, color and sew. Creating in my new space makes me feel close to my son while he is out creating his own adventure in life. I tend to keep a tidy work space that’s just my style. But what’s most important is creating. Thank you for all the great inspiration you share with us, your talent is awesome.
A week ago I had it all cleaned up and today it is a hot mess. My kind husband commented, “isn’t that how it is supposed to look when you are busy creating?” I am such a lucky woman!
Beautiful and inspiring coloring and waercolor. My craft space is currently a mess! Iam sharing it with “things” that belong in my sons’ new home. closing Friday!!
Beautiful inspiring bookmarks! I can’t wait to see the bunny tutorial. I am very fortunate to have a craft room. It isn’t fancy but is very efficient and I spend as much time in there as I can. I do create a lot of messes but like to clean and put things away after each project. I work better in a clean space.
Really beautiful projects. Your colouring is fantastic.
My craft area is a mess. I must organize it and my self too 🙂
Thanks for the chance to win.
Valerija xx
Your coloring and video are amazing., Sandi! Everything looks like it’s actually real. You are super talented. My craft room is a mess but it’s my ‘happy place’ so I just work around it. Creative projects are great for the soul! Thank you for sharing your talents with all of us.
I love your video! My space is small. A table with windows that have a view of our alpacas. So, it’s very peaceful.
The Robin’s Nest coloring is simply stunning! Thanks for showing us the difference between the Distress ink and the Ink On 3’ fadeout ink (which is out of stock at the moment). Have you tried Gina K’s amalgam ink (the light-colored ones) for no line coloring? My craft area is the end of our dining table but that’s okay, not being in the US it’s more important that I’m able to purchase the lovely stamps and supplies that YouTube artists feature. Oh, and to have wifi access to the Internet so we can be inspired to create!
My craft cove (named for its beachy colors) is sort of a mess not because of crafting but because I’m reorganizing some things that had been stored elsewhere that needed to be in the craft cove.
I love, love, love your Robin and nest with eggs cards…might have something to do with my name, Robin. ❤️
Your robins & eggs are so gorgeous! My craft room has been transferred mainly to our living room right now because my poor husband broke his arm and is sleeping in the recliner I have in there. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to put everything back & get it reorganized!
Your coloring is amazing! Still have to try the no line coloring. My craft room is semi clean, my work top has lots of paper and bits. My inks, pencils and essentials are an arm lengths away so I try to put those things away after using… not always successfully. But blessed to have a room to play in!
Well, I do try to keep my craft room organized but every time I am in it I seem to organize more. I think that is because I like to refresh my memory on what I have. This helps my creative process.
I really enjoy your videos, especially water coloring, which I am obsessing with right now.
My craft area is a mess as I am in the process of trying to reorganize. Plus there are incomplete projects on my desk.
I love these stamps! My work area is a cart with drawers that moves from room to room when I need it.
I moved all my coloring supplies into the bedroom on a huge desk. That part looks pretty darn good. My crafty supplies remain in the scrap room. At the moment it is a disaster while I clean & reorganize the mayhem.
I’m not brave enough to post a video or pic, but my space is much better now than it was a year ago. My granddaughter is helping me label stamps better and sort scraps better too. Still needs lots of work. But it’s also part of our time together, which I truly love.
Just gorgeous and as always, inspiring! I love that you always give something easy that I feel I can accomplish in a short amount of time like the bookmarks, but your robins and that nest are beautiful!
Oh, and my craft area is relatively neat… today anyway!