Negative Space Coloring + Hop + Giveaway
Welcome! Today’s video is all about negative space coloring — a great technique for getting new looks from your outline images. I am also part of a fun hop for a great new coloring challenge.
[All supplies are linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post. Affiliate links used. To watch the video in HD on YouTube, click HERE.]
Coloring negative space is a great I-don’t-have-to-think-too-much-or-work-to-hard-to-get-good-results technique. I decided to use the new and gorgeous Altenew Botanical Garden and Peony Bouquet stamp sets. (To see a video showing a close look at the other new Altenew stamps, head HERE.)
I share two ways of doing this negative space coloring. The first is with Copics.
I don’t like to use my Copic Markers up against a heat embossed image. (Two reasons: 1. I don’t want want to ruin the tip of my Copics and in the past I did have embossing powder discolor the tips. Be sure to test first. 2. I don’t want my markers to color the embossing powder – I want it to stay true.) To avoid the contact, I first stamped the flowers with a super light Copic-friendly ink (My Favorite Things Grout Gray Hybrid) and then created a blended background of coloring. After doing this, I stamped the image again in the same spot with Versamark and heat embossed with sparkling powder.
Since I used the MISTI Stamping Tool, it was easy to stamp the image in the exact same place on top using VersaMark ink. However, if you don’t have the MISTI, you could look carefully though your block to line it up.
On this one I also added some Wink of Stella to the background for a bit of shine…
A second way to achieve a similar look is to use Distress Ink for the background. I created a mask and placed it on top of the stamped floral image… and then used an Ink Blending Tool and three colors of Distress Inks over the whole piece. The key to getting good coverage is to blend well and overlap the colors.
Instead of using a plain mat under my colored pieces, I die cut pieces with the Memory Box Postage Layer dies. I just adore the look of those detailed edges!
On some of my cards, I heat embossed the Altenew Painted Greetings directly on the colored backgrounds. On others, I stamped an Altenew You Are sentiment underneath using a T-Ruler. (I highly recommend having a T-Ruler in your supplies. It’s inexpensive and helps keep everything centered and straight.)
I hope this inspires you to try some negative space coloring.
BLOG HOP
Today I am part of a blog hop celebrating the kick-off of Kathy Racoosin’s 30-Day Coloring Challenge. I am proud to call Kathy my friend and am continually amazed by her coloring talent. She has really done a great job bringing the industry together for this challenge. The point of the challenge is to simply color a little (or a lot!) each day for 30 days. Be sure to use the hashtag #TheDailyMarker30Day.
The next stop on the hop is the blog of my favorite gal, Kristina Werner! She will knock your socks off – I am sure.
GIVEAWAYS & DISCOUNT CODE
Like the Altenew Botanical Garden stamp set I used in this video? Here is your chance to win it! For your chance, leave a comment below by 11:59pmEST on 2/10/16 telling me your go-to coloring medium. (The winner’s name will be randomly selected, emailed and posted on my “Winners page” after the giveaway closes. International folks are eligible, too!)
Also be sure to head to Kathy’s blog for a chance to win one of four spots in an Online Card Class.
In celebration of the 30-Day Coloring Challenge, Online Card Classes is giving a one-time coupon code for $5.00 off Copic Markers for Card Makers and/or for the Watercolor for Card Makers class. Both class will help build up your confidence when coloring. You can get the code HERE at Kathy’s blog.
SUPPLIES
Interested in the products I used? To make them easy for you to find, I have listed them below. (Affiliate and product disclosure can be found here. All products were personally purchased except those with an asterisk.) Click on the letters below each picture to go to a favorite store: Simon Says Stamp (SSS), Ellen Hutson (EH), Amazon (AZ), etc.