Coloring Within the Lines

At the Borders in Pasadena, which is closing, I found a book called "The Great Big Book of Designs -- an Inspirational Source Book" It is filled with pages upon pages of line art - perfect for coloring. I looked for the image that most inspired me to color and photocopied it on my HP Photosmart Printer.

I truly love coloring in images -- I think it reconnects me to my inner child that would be perfectly content to color all day, every day. And, I've recently discovered Copic markers. So, I colored in my image and then because this was a Sakura Design Team project, I went back over the Copic colors with complimentary 3D Crystal Lacquer from the Country Color Set.

I quickly realized I needed a color chart, so I put one in the corner of the page. Copic color, copic color with color crystal lacquer and then the color crystal lacquer by itself. It's hard to see in these pictures, but the color crystal lacquer really makes the Copic colors pop.

Here are the colors I used . . . from the top right

Blue Berry (BV04) Copic/Country Blue 3D Crystal Lacquer

Amethyst (V17) Copic/Berry 3D Crystal Lacquer

Buttercup Yellow (Y21) Copic/Ivory 3D Crystal Lacquer

Mignonette (YG11) Copic/Jade Green 3D Crystal Lacquer

top left

Pea Green (YG63) Copic/Moss Green 3D Crystal Lacquer

Cardinal (R59) Copic/Country Red 3D Crystal Lacquer

I didn't run a test on the Black Copic, but I used regular 3D Crystal Lacquer on the centers of the yellow flowers.

My favorite combined color was the Cardinal Red Copic and Country Red Crystal Lacquer. The photo doesn't do it justice. It really pops off the page.

I did okay coloring within the lines with the Copics and the Crystal Lacquers do sit where you place them; however, my hand was a little less steady, as I was not able to rest my wrist on the page because it was wet.

So, what to do when the Crystal Lacquer goes outside the lines? Use your fingernail to scrape it off the page, right after the mistake happens. It will not even leave a color residue.

Get out your color pens, pencils, etc and start coloring within the lines and accenting your piece with 3D Crystal Lacquer.

Seeing Green

This is my first Design Team project with the Sakura Crafts. I have a certain fondness for St. Patrick's Day, so I pulled together a bunch of green materials to start playing.

I was inspired by the small 2" green frame and metal flower insert that seemed to fit together perfect. I'd found both in the findings bar at Zinnia in South Pasadena.

I had to find a backing that would compliment both and look good with the different Crystal Color Lacquer. The pastel orange piece was the beginning of an ATC which I had painted several years ago using left over oil paints from my pallet. I liked how nicely it contrasted with with the greens and brought out the color from the Country Color set of Crystal Lacquer.

I found the Celtic flower with the lacquer appealing, so I cut out a bunch to try all the different colors in the set.

As those pieces dried overnight, I assembled my little frame and charm. I used the red and yellow color lacquer to fill the in between spaces which gives it a bit of a stained glass window effect.

For the Celtic flowers, I decided I liked the green, best. In the 3/4" round jewelry finding, I put a dark green piece of paper and covered it with the green lacquer. After it dried, I placed the green Celtic image and then covered it with 3D Crystal Lacquer.

For more great ideas, please visit the Crystal Lacquer blog. Have fun creating!