Holly and Lights

Hi everyone, for this month's Letraset make I have gone all festive with an early Christmas card. 

I started by roughly sketching out some holly leaf shapes, this is a really easy shape to draw but you could cut one from an old card to draw around, or you could stamp your leaves. I used Letraset fineliners in both 0.3 and 0.5mm to outline the leaves. I also added in 3 tear drop fairy lights. 

I pulled out several greens and blue-greens in my Letraset Promarkers. 

Next I started to colour each holly leaf. Do each half a different shade to add interest, and don't forget the centre vein . 

Here you can see all the leaves done in various shades. Each is done with a darker shade next to the outside edge with a lighter shade blended over the darker one. The red berries are each done with two shades aswell.

Now for a little shimmer, colour the fairy lights using Letraset Metallic markers. 

To create a fineliner to colour the string, I added a Letraset fine nib to a brown Promarker, this instantly makes it a fineliner.. 

Next I scribbled on a craft mat with a green metallic marker, I spritzed with water and picked up the ink on a brush. I used this to fill in the background. 

I finished the background by running a black metallic marker around the edges. 

Now to add the details, I went back to my 0.3mm black fineliners and added patterns to all the leaves. 

I mounted the coloured piece to a white card blank , and added a stamped greeting. 

As a final touch i used a grey Promarker to lightly outline everything, this just makes them stand out a little from the green background. 

I have a pack of Metallic markers to give away.. 

To enter please do TWO things for me. Go to my post on the letraset blog and leave a comment AND add your name to the linky below. 

Wednesday Face..

Pushed for time again this week, seems ages since i had time to sit down and draw properly. I am busy,busy,busy working on super sekrit things for next year. 

Anyway, here is a quickie. I had my metallic markers from a post on monday still out on my desk, so I thought I would just grab those and see what I could do. 

I did a rough sketch, and started to block it in. 

Because these markers are so shimmery I didn't want to go over them with any other medium to shade, so I kept the colouring to simple shapes to define the face. 

You can see how they catch the light..

All done..I don't like the steampunk eyepiece, but I really like the rest of it.

See my previous posts ... HERE...  to be in with a chance of winning some Metallic markers for yourself. You have till midnight Sunday 8th GMT.

Darcy x

Snowflakes

This month for Letraset I have been creating more packaging, you can never have enough at Christmas. first I scribbled on my non porous surface with Aquamarkers

I then dragged some white tags through the ink.

once this is dry I used Promarkers and Metallic markers to stamp my snowflakes.  A quick scribble over the stamp and you are all inked up. 

I also coloured the hole protectors..

I then cut out a little gift box from smooth card, and treated it in the same way as the tags..

Scribbling the Aquamarker, spritzing them with water and dragging the card through the ink..once dry I added the stamped snowflakes. 

once put together it looked a little plain, so I used a regular promarker to ink up a stamp and I used that to make the sentiment. 

Box and tags, all ready for xmas gifts..

I have another set of Metallic Markers to give away this month, perfect for your Christmas cards and packaging. 

To be in with a chance of winning, you need to do TWO things. 

1. Add your name to the linky below

AND

2. Go to my post on the Letraset blog, and leave a comment... CLICK HERE..

Whizz...Bang...Wheee!

Here in the UK we have a tradition of lighting bonfires, setting off fireworks and generally partying on the 5th November..

Remember,remember,the 5th of November. Gunpowder treason and plot...

You can find out about the origins of the tradition HERE...

So for my Letraset blog project this month I decided to create something for a party. This is a cute and quick sign that you can make to hang on your door if you are having a bonfire party.

I started by cutting out these letters, and adding patterns.

I then coloured them using  LETRASET METALLICS...

I then made a background, using acrylic paint. This was mounted onto black card. 

I also mounted the letters onto black card. 

It needed a little more, so I made some arrows in the same way. 

and also a couple of rockets..

Then I glued everything in place and added some string to the top. All ready to hang outside on the night of the party. 

I have a pack of metallics to giveaway...

as usual, I ask that you do TWO things for me. 

1. go over to the Letraset blog and leave a comment on my post over there, click ...HERE...

AND 

2. come back here and add your name to the linky. 

Only names in both places with be entered. The winner will be drawn by random number generator. 

Thankyou cards

It takes a while to get back into crafting mode after the madness of the holiday season, so here are some quick and easy thank you cards that can be made from leftover bits.

Firstly take a look inside your rolls of gift wrap, they always used to have a solid tube in them, but more and more they have a short roll of Kraft paper inside them. This is great paper and can be used for all sorts of things, from matting and embellishments to making pages in mini books. So be sure to save those insides.

It is always rolled up really tightly, but with a bit of folding and trimming you end up with lots of usable pieces..save the end scraps too, they can always be used to make trims and tags.

To keep these note cards as quick as possible, I used the same stamp 3 times. 

It is a fabby little Queen Kat Designs stamp available HERE perfectly cheery as we look forward to brighter warmer days.

Do go and have a nosey around 3dJean's Shop it is a treasure trove of fabulousness, with super quick and friendly service.

For the first card I embossed over the recycled Kraft paper and then added my stamped image, which I coloured with the BRAND NEW FLEXMARKER COLOURS

As you can see I stamped directly onto the Kraft paper, it gives a totally different effect to the colouring, much more subtle and muted. 

For the second card i stamped onto smooth white card, I added a little tape border around the image using  LETRALINE TAPE, the tape I have is bright yellow..easy to alter, I simply ran one of my METALLIC PENS over the tape. 

For card number 3, I again stamped onto smooth white card  and again coloured with the new FLEXMARKERS the image looks totally different with just changing the colours of pens used.

I also used my markers to add doodles around the edge and onto a small tag, remember the left over skinny strip of recycled paper, well it was just big enough to make tags.

and so all 3 cards finished and ready to send out as sweet little thank yous for much appreciated holiday gifts.

WINNER

Winner announcement..

This is my final giveaway this year. Don't worry there will be more next year.

There were 36 entries, some here and some on the Letraset blog.

 I take the list from my blog, and add the extra names on from the Letraset blog to get the final number of entries.


The winner of the metallic marker set is...

The winner is number 33

SANDRA STRAIT.... please get in touch so that I can give your details to Letraset, your prize will be sent directly from them.

Table top tree..

Today I have a little tree project for you, it takes a bit of work, but would make a lovely table top decoration or centre piece.  It is coloured using Metallic markers ..

Here is the finished tree...

if you would like to see how I made it then go over to my tree post on the Letraset blog..

While you are there, leave a comment and then come back here and add your name to the linky widget, and you could win a set of Metallic markers. 

I am giving away this set.

so remember you must do TWO things.

1.  Go to this blog post.. and leave a comment

AND

2. Come back here and add your name to the linky widget below.







Giveaway will end at midnight GMT on Sun 16th Dec 2012

Winner

Ok this is the draw for the first of my December giveaways, to win SET 2 of the METALLIC markers....this giveaway was attached to my Christmas Candle post.... if you didn't win keep watching as there will be two more giveaways this month.

As some people commented but didn't leave their name I couldn't screen cap the list so I am typing it here.

1.Jay	2.Tee	3.Kat Lakie	4.Maz
5. Carlanda	6.Ali	7.Gina	8.Rita
9.Catiecuddles	10.Maisy	11.cardarian	12.Judyta
13.Magda	14.Vibeke	15.Cindy PL	16.Julie
17.Jozarty	18.Karen	19.Cindy.W	20.Rhomany
21.Peggy	22.Shalaka	23.Nikki C	24.Nicky
25.Barbara	26.Suzi	27.Darla	28.Cynthia
29.Jillology	30.Robin	31.Krysztof	32.Jackie H
33.Dawn	34.Artimagica	35.Lily	36.Heather
37.Joyce	38.Solo

The winner is...

Number 17 ... JOZARTY

Please get in touch with your address so that I can forward your details to Letraset. Your prize will come directly from them.

Ornament toppers

So the season is almost upon us, those of you with children or grandchildren might be starting to wonder how you are going to keep them entertained. I have a few festive things that you and they can make.

First up is ornament toppers. I went to my local pound store and bought some cheap,plastic silver  baubles..8 for £1.

Next I drew out my shapes, they can be random shapes, spikey shapes, big or small...

Take your LETRASET metallic markers and colour in your shapes.  Punch a hole in the centre of each when you are done.

Take off the looped cap of the bauble and slip the images over the neck of the bauble .

Pop the cap back on and add some ribbon or string, remember that they too can be coloured using your markers.

there are so many images you could use, from geometric patterns to cute and whimsical..for added sparkle use some glitter glue accents on the man part of the bauble.

I will be blogging xmas ideas twice a week from now till xmas, so keep popping by here to see them and be in with a chance of winning some pens.

Also check out this amazing post by my friend Jay, a very talented artist. Today he played with AQUAMARKERS

Letraset Metallics

You may have recently seen the metallic markers range by Letraset..if not let me tell you a little about them.

They are twin -tipped like all the other markers, and available in 11 colours. There are 2 sets of 6, making 12 in total, but you do get a silver marker in each set.

Like the neon markers they are water based, and so can be blended. you can do this direct on the paper or scribbble onto a non-porous surface and blend on there.

Once dry the pigment based ink is acid free and lightfast. This means they are ideal to use on rubber stamps as the residue will just rinse off and not harm your stamps.

They are great for creating shimmery background that you can layers behind images or use them for accents and edgings where you just want to add a little something extra. 

You would be forgiven for thinking these are just special occasion pens, or indeed only Christmas pens....personally I think it's nice to have a little shimmer all year around. 

So this is what I made...

I was thinking how could I use these pens on an entire project, and not just as a highlight...what could I make that was all metallic???

I got to thinking about 'bio-mech' this is a style of art made famous by Giger and his Alien creatures. Images are part biological.. IE: human or animal..and part mechanical..

So this is my take on that style, though she is more whimsy than human...

Firstly I drew out my image.

Then I started to colour..

Working one area at a time, and blending with a little water in a water-brush...

Building layers to create the shadows..

I gave her the title 'Cutting the ties that bind'

I thoroughly enjoyed making this project, the metallics are lovely to work with..

A couple more close ups..

I was tempted to add an outline to everything using a fine liner, but I really wanted to just use the metallic markers alone..

I hope you will give the metallic markers a try out, and not just on your Christmas cards.