Color a Card with Cut 'n Color Stamp and Die Sets, Tree of Life

Hey everybody, I hope you're having a great day! I am having an artful day in my workroom, creating shaped cards with my newest die and stamp sets...this set is called Tree of Life.  You can use the stamp and coordinating dies for lots of projects ranging from cards to mixed media art.

These sets are beautiful and intricately detailed.  I designed them especially for coloring.  You can color with Color Burst, watercolors, or your favorite markers.

To get started, I stamped the Tree of Life image on my Water Media Paper from Canvas Corp. with Archival Ink.  You'll want to use a permanent ink that it waterproof and won't run when you color over it.

 



 Then, I colored using my newest Color Burst colors, Rich Moroccan Shades.  The color palette is beautiful and includes Cadmium Scarlet, Cerulean Blue, Gamboge, Olive Green, Burnt Umber and Lamp Black.  And, I colored with a watercolor brush and water. 

 

When I'd finished coloring, I cut a shaped card from my Water Media Paper and cut out the colored image with the die set. Before I cut the die, I applied Stick It adhesive to the back side of the Water Media Paper...it really makes gluing intricate die cuts very easy. 

I made a couple examples for you to see...one with a background of Cerulean Blue, and one with a background of Gamboge.

If you'd like to see how I made these cards, please watch this Facebook Live broadcast from my Facebook page Ken Oliver Crafts. And, make sure to LIKE my page.  

The stamps and dies are brand new and will ship next week, so make sure to ask your local retailer to pre-order them for you.  You will love coloring and cutting these dies! 

 Thank you for stopping by today!  I hope you have a wonderfully crafty day! 

Ken

Color Challenge: Turquoise, Chartreuse, Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber

Hi everybody,
This past week, our color challenge was to use the colors Turquoise, Chartreuse, Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber on a project or work of art.

It's a great color palette to use and a little unexpected...

...but it works because it's an analogous color palette, or, the colors are beside each other on the color wheel.  (Burnt Umber is neutral). 

And, I've been amazed by the projects that everyone has submitted.  They're all just stunning.  At first, I thought I'd randomly pick a winner.  But, the works are all so beautiful, I couldn't choose one myself, so I would like to put it up for a vote.  Please vote for your favorite by commenting with the Number and Name of the project that you would like to vote for.

1. Milagros C. Rivera

 

2. Milagros C Rivera

3. Lauren Bergold

4. Lauren Bergold 

5. Kathy Davis

6. Emilee Grupp

7. Pam Miner

8. Lisa Smith 

9. Ayoti Mittra

The voting is now open and will remain open until noon, 12:00 pm, August 31, 2016, so you only have 1 day to vote.  Feel free to share this blog post with your friends to let them see the color palette we worked with and give them the chance to vote for their favorite.  Tomorrow, I'll count the votes and name the winner here and on my Facebook Page. The winner will receive a set of Color Burst Caribbean Brights. 

Thank you again to everyone who took my color challenge this week. I'm planning to have another color challenge really soon!

'til next time, 

Ken

Mixed Media Monthly Challenge: Coloring with Color Burst and Stencils

Hey everybody, this month, I was asked to be the guest artist for The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge.  I was super honored to be asked because I know thousands of viewers read their blog every day to mixed media inspiration! And, some of the best artists around post amazing art there all the time!

This month's challenge is "Butterflies and Blooms." It's spring and I couldn't wait to get started.  But, I wanted to do something a little different for this challenge.

I created an 8"x10" photo frame using one of my Mixed Media Photo Mats. The mats are really great, they're heavy weight mat board that holds up to water media without warping. The front of the mat board is covered with smooth watercolor paper, so it's great for watercolor, or coloring with your favorite coloring medium, whether it's markers, colored pencils or inks. 

And since "coloring" is so popular, I wanted to show you how you can create your own coloring pages or projects using stencils that you may already own.

I simply used a stencil from The Crafter's Workshop to create a back ground design by tracing the shapes of the stencil with a sharpie onto my mixed media board.

I layered traced shapes on top of one another making sure to keep in mind which traced flowers were foreground, mid and background.  It gives the illusion of depth of field in the composition.  Here's a tip when using stencils for a background pattern like this, rotate or angle the stencil in different directions as you trace the image.  It appears that the flowers are all different, just by changing their angle or position.

When I'd completed tracing my background, all I had to do was "color" each image with Color Burst, a brush and water.  As you're coloring with Color Burst, there's no need to stay in the lines perfectly.  Afterwards, you can go back with a sharpie to redraw the lines a bit.  It looks pretty cool...and watercolory!

I gotta tell you, I love coloring with Color Burst, because it's a powder, you can get really intense colors and blending with a brush and water lets you get very interesting shading and highlights. I painted the flowers with Fuchsia, Tangerine and Lemon Yellow.  When I'd colored all the flowers, I used a light wash of Chartreuse to fill in the background.  When everything was colored, I went back to the surface with a fine tipped Sharpie to redraw the flowers for added visual interest.  I finished the surface with a waxing medium to protect the watercolor. 

Now, you have to check out the projects over at The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge!  The mixed media art on the blog is incredible! And, take the challenge to create a mixed media piece! It's always good to challenge your self to create something new.  When you take the challenge and post it...you'll have the chance to win a set of Color Burst Caribbean Brights!  Make sure to read the rules and requirements for eligibility...I am telling you, you will love the art you'll find there!

Here's what I used to create this piece:
8"x10" Mixed Media Mat Board
Caribbean Brights Color Burst
Fine Tipped Sharpie
Watercolor Brush
Water
Wax Finish

Thank you for visiting my blog today and make sure to take the challenge at The Mixed Media Monthly Challenge! 

Until next time, 

Ken

Cut n' Color Stamps and Dies...Floral Banner

It's that time of year when we all start longing for spring and look of a pop of fresh color to brighten the long days of winter. 

I've got a banner project today that you are going to love.  It's bright, cheery and sure to chase away the winter blues!

 And, I am super excited about it because I got to try out something brand new! I've got some new coordinating stamp and die sets that were launched in January, and I am just now getting a chance to create something with them. 

They're called Cut n' Color Stamps and Dies, they're specially designed for coloring, and cutting! Whether you color with markers, colored pencils, watercolor pencils, or Color Burst, these sets are great! And, after you've colored 'til your heart's content...

 

You can cut out your coloring creation with a coordinating die template. I love how these sets are going to let me take something I already love (water) coloring...and do something completely new with it. 

So I stamped up a few images with the Poppy Mandala stamp, I stamped them on my new Water Media Papers from Canvas Corp.  

 

And cut them out with the matching die.  I stamped first, then die cut...and saved the coloring for last.

I gotta tell you...I am in love with this Poppy Mandala set.  The images are perfect for coloring.

After, I'd cut out all the stamped images, I colored them with some of the newest Color Burst colors, Turquoise, Tangerine, and Chartreuse...it's a color combination that will make you forget all about winter!

Are you with me? The color combination is luscious.

 

I colored 5 mandalas and 5 backgrounds. 

After I'd colored all the stamped images, I teamed them up with my new Water Media Banner Kit.  I colored each of the banner pieces with Fuchsia Color Burst, 

And attached a little yellow crepe paper that I'd accordion folded with hot glue, then used mini clothes pins to create the banner.  

This little banner just added that pop of spring color that I needed over my fireplace...it had looked a little barren since I'd taken down my wreath after the holidays.

I can't wait for you to try these stamps and dies, but here's the deal, they're not shipping until April, so ask your local scrapbook shop or stamp shop to pre-order them for you! You'll be sure to get them then in time for spring.

Here's a quick look at the other stamps and dies in the assortment....the butterfly is really cool, and the individual flowers are going to be great for spring cards!

Thank you for stopping by today...make sure to pre-order the stamps and dies with your local shop...if you like coloring, and like die cutting...I know you're going to love them! 

Color Burst and Jamie Dougherty's Newest Bloom Girl

You know I get super excited about Color Burst...especially when see it paired with something wonderful! 

Today, designer Milagros C. Rivera creates a beautiful art journal spread with the newest Bloom Girl from Jamie Dougherty!  I met Milagros this summer and was instantly entranced by her style.   

She shares her process to create this Color Burst journal spread today at Jamie Dougherty Designs...please go have a look, because you'll want to get the stamp and create this for yourself! She shows stenciling techniques, printing techniques, and shows how to color with Color Burst!  

You will love Jamie's new Bloom Girl too!  She's called Goldie.  

 

If you really like this project, Milagros is going to teach it LIVE tomorrow on Periscope at @jaylynnscraps at 10:30 Eastern.  (if you don't have Periscope, simply download the app to your smartphone and follow @jaylynnscraps to see the broadcast.) It's super easy and lot's of fun because you can chat and ask questions live during the broadcast.  

Don't you love this?  Make sure to visit Jamie's blog too so you can see step by step how Milagros uses the new Bloom Girl and Color Burst! 

Thank you for stopping by today,

Ken