Spring Copic Sale

Hurry while they are still in stock

I went to my local Copic supplier and I was unable to find the colors I wanted. They were out of stock. Parts of the rack looked like the late stages of a going out of business sale. The sales clerk said that even their online store was having trouble keeping them in stock. Yes, Copics are a hot item.

When I got home from my disappointing trip, I looked at the Copic site to see if they had anything to say about the shortage of stock. Well they did, and this is what they said:

"2015 was a very busy year for us. We produced and shipped more product than ever before. The world wide demand for Copic grew well over 30% this year. With this great increase in demand there also came great challenges. As you all know, what makes Copic the best marker in the world is its quality and consistency. Thus, the challenge for our manufacturer in Japan, .Too Marker Products, Inc., has been to increase production without compromising the integrity and quality of our amazing products. There are many parts and pieces that come together to create an unparalleled product such as Copic: ink formulas, printing, nib construction, and the effort of many human hands that go into every single marker.
"Because of this great challenge and the overwhelming popularity of Copic, you have most likely noticed the shortage of supply from nearly every retail location or online store. We understand that this is frustrating, and we apologize. The message that I want to emphasize is that we have been working very hard over the past year to overcome this. Our production has not declined, and we are not going out of business as rumors may claim. The fact is we have simply outgrown, in a very short amount of time, our production capabilities.
"The great news is that .Too Marker Products, Inc., has invested substantially in its processes and people to manage this great demand, without compromising the quality of the product. Due to the great efforts that have been made, everyone should see a substantial increase in the availability of Copic products starting early in 2016."

— John Darland, President/CEO, Imagination International, Inc.

     (exclusive North American distributor for Copic)

I was excited to see Simon Says Stamp was having a Spring Copic sale. Is this the early part of 2016 Mr. Darland mentioned? It may be. Go to Simon Says Stamp now and get your Copic fix.

Happy Crafting,

This post contains affiliate links from Simon Says Stamp.

Marker Monday

It is official. I've known all along that I was certifiable but now the world knows too. I took the Copic Standard Certification in Chicago a couple of months ago and I am now certified. Lori Craig said so. I understand the Copic numbering system, blending families, and how to use blender solution, I even got a taste of airbrushing. I wield my markers with more confidence now. 

I plan to share a Copic tip on Marker Mondays and if I can't be a good example I will be a warning of what not to do.

In the class Lori showed us how to use blending solution on a bit of towel or denim to get a texture on our projects. She had blending solution in a spritzer because you don't need a lot to get results. So I ran home and filled a spritzer with blending solution. I was not ready to cut up my clothes for texture so I thought I'd try using a stippling brush. I spritzed solution in a little container, got out the brush and gave it a go. Well I can tell you that it just makes a mess of your project - don't try it. Like I said, a warning.

The other day I was working with Distress Ink and reached for my water spritzer and a light bulb went out, or did a bell ring, what if I used my blending solution spritzer the same way I use my water spritzer with other inks. So I experimented.

Because I am a novice with the airbrush my color is often uneven with light and dark spots that look, well, terrible. Spritzing the image with blending solution gives it a cool mottled effect and helps even out those light and dark spots. 

Have you ever used blending solution this way? Will you try and share your creations?

Happy Crafting,

Makeover Week Day 3 - Boy Howdy

Unless they are wearing hats the Pure Innocence boys from My Favorite Things are all bald. Have you ever noticed that? Bald. My son has a head full of curly hair so like his mother, the Pure Innocence kid doesn't look anything like him. This wasn't going to work for Scout Thank You cards.

Because he is bald I didn't need to tape off hair I just needed to add it. This Boy Scout stamp set's sentiments had to do with scouting. There was no "thank you" available so I had to go to other Pure Innocence sets. The "thank you" is from Firefighter Girl and the "so much" is from Soldier Girl - both retired.

The second card features a bit more hair and a lot more scenery. The clouds, tents and trees are from an old Inkadinkado set called On the Road Again. And the Sentiment, which echoes through the valley, is from a retired Studio Calico set. 

Unfortunately the Boy Scout set has been retired. I'm seeing a trend of unavailable stamp sets.

Happy Crafting,

Makeover Week Day 2 - Hold It

Yesterday I showed you how to change the hairstyle of a stamped image. Today's cards feature the same tape technique to remove a chalk board. This image called Making the Grade is from the Pure Innocence by My Favorite Things. It's the perfect image for saying congratulations to a student but I saw other things in this girl's future.

In the first card she is missing her jump rope partner on the playground. The textured background was spritzed with red ink to make it look more like bricks. The chalk in her right hand was used as a handle for a jump rope made of embroidery floss. The floss was adhered with matte medium so I know it's not going anywhere unless the recipient wants it to.




The second card features this same little girl walking her Schnauzer. The dog is from Lawn Fawn's Critters in the Dog Park set. It was drawn as a Scottie but as we have a Schnauzer it's tail was cropped further and it was colored as a Schnauzer. The chalk has now become the handle to a leash made of twine.



Both images were colored with Copics and a White Uni-Ball Signo Gel Pen.

Makeover Week Day 3 - Boy Howdy

Happy Crafting,

Amy Tangerine Smile Series

I love Amy Tangerine. Her designs are so cute. I purchased a pack of 8.5 x 11 pattern paper she designed, and couldn't wait to makes cards with the outlined cameras.

How many ways can you color these? How many ways can you resist coloring these? I don't think I'm finished but I love what I've got.

I used every smile stamp I could find in my stash, I even used a chipboard bingo header that said smile.

Here's what I've come up with.

I spritzed them with ink and I masked a couple of cameras.

I used Copic markers to color every camera, and I put shading, with grey Copic markers, on the ones I spritzed.  

I painted every camera with Versamark  reinker and embossed with UTEE before spritzing. 

I tried a crayon resist, and painted through Punchinello over the spritzing, then stamped my sentiment. 

I used a pencil eraser and a cork to try and replicate a Bokeh affect around the camera colored with Copics. I used the Silhouette Cameo to cut out the word, smile, on this card.

What do you think? Which is your favorite card? What's your favorite method of resisting?

After I wrote this, but before I posted it, I saw the Moxie Fab World Clicking Cameras Challenge. I think this series qualifies. 

Happy crafting,

Katie