Welcome!

Hi and Welcome,


This is my very first blog and so I am really trying to find my way around at the moment.  Here in England, autumn seems to have come upon us without warning this year.  Time to curl up with a mug of cocoa and plan new Christmas Card designs!

I have been looking at other cardmaking and scrapbooking blogs and there are some wonderfully talented designers and crafters out there.  I have also found that the more blogs I read, the more techniques I discover and so the more products I want to buy!! Do other Cardmakers and Scrapbookers get tempted as easily as me?  I have found though, that it helps if you have the right tools for the job. I still need to get a die cutter and a heat gun for embossing.  Cardmaking can be an expensive hobby but if you buy a few things each month then you can build up a nice selection of tools, papers, ribbons, embellishments etc. quite quickly.

This month I am experimenting with Promarker Pens v. Copic Pens.  I have so far always used Promarkers purely because they were the first pens I came across.  But I have seen some lovely cards done with Copic Pens and love some of the shades in their range also.  So I have today received my first Copic Pens.  I had a quick go and they seem a lot softer and more like a paintbrush.  Also I think the nib seems a bit finer at the tip which would be good to do very finework. But on both types of pens I have found the secret to doing small areas is to hold the pen vertically upright so that you only get the very tip of the nib/brush and also don't hold the pen down for too long as it may bleed over the lines.  I ordered the E00 Copic colour for skintone and it really is subtle which is nice for faces. But then I also love the Promarker Pens, they have a velvety feel when colouring. For faces, I have been using the Vanilla shade with a blob of Pastel Pink for blush on cheeks which works quite well.   I love the Promarker Brights Selection, especially the Magenta which is lovely and vibrant and cheery on a cloudy/rainy day.  Also today received my new Letraset Promarker Pen Case which is really nice. It holds 24 pens and even has velcro tabs so that you can stand the pens up ready to use and organise them as you wish. You could also store Copic Caio Pens in them and it would probably hold even more as they are thinner.  Do most people stick to one type of pen or the other?  At the moment I am using both as I'm not sure which I prefer.  Maybe I will always use both; time will tell.

I've also bought some Distress Ink, but I don't have a clue what to do with it. Eager to use it, I watched some videos and now realise that I at least need a sponge.  I have been raiding the house looking for some kind of sponge but to no avail - I hope I don't resort to my bathroom one!

My daughter gave me a cosmetic sponge she doesn't use, so I have been trying it out with the Distress Ink Brick Red. I wanted to try and create a really subtle background but it comes out very blotchy.  Seems like I will have to experiment more and watch some more videos for extra tips. So for the time being I am back to using computer software for my backgrounds. I use Seashore Software and create backgrounds with Brush that gives soft airbrush effect.  Then when dry, I stamp onto that.  It gives a nice effect.

Also this month I've also invested in a Martha Stewart Doily Edge Punch as I've wanted one for ages and thought it would look really nice on the Christmas Cards that I'm doing this year.  Hope to hear from you.

Happy Crafting!
Sue  x