Inspire Me Monday: Wintertime Wishes

 

Hello! Welcome to 2021 and the first Inspire Me Monday of the New Year! My inspiration idea is two-fold. First, I want to inspire you to use some of your Christmas and holiday stamps in non-holiday creations such as thank you notes, birthday cards, and thinking of you gifts. Second, I want to inspire you to USE YOUR PRODUCTS!

I have created a "cool" winter-theme card that could be a birthday card, a thinking of you card, or a thank you note. I used the digital Mittens and Merriment image and a sentiment from the Cozy Cupfuls clear stamp set. Both of these stamp sets are Christmas/holiday style, but both can be used for wintertime wishes!

I printed the image at slightly smaller than 5 1/2" x 4 1/4" using the no-line version. I ended up creating an oval card rather than the standard rectangle. the finished card is 7" x 5 1/4".  The sentiment was stamped in watermark ink and heat embossed with white embossing powder.

To create a wintertime vibe, I used lots of blues, lavender, white, and cool green rather than the tones normally used for Christmas. I have a very pink idea for this image that will be perfect for Valentine's Day!

Now, let's talk about my favorite topic: using your supplies! I am part of many coloring groups on social media, and so many people spend more time buying supplies than actually using them! Myself included! Many folks feel that if they just had "top of the line" supplies they would be a better artist. That is simply not true! Use what you have! Play! Practice! Enjoy the process! Learn! You really do not need a $300 set of pencils to color a great picture!

This image was printed on paper that cost $10.49 for 250 sheets! This is a white cardstock (80lb Vellum Bristol, 175gsm) that is a "normal" weight for cardmaking and has a bit of texture ("tooth" in coloring terms). There is nothing special about this paper! In fact, it is not even my favorite paper, but it is inexpensive, so I can use it up without thinking twice!

The colored pencils I used cost $25.49 for 168 pencils! That is about 15 cents a pencil! (Prismacolor Premiere pencils cost about 63 cents per pencil, for comparison.) The pencils are a VERY budget-friendly, oil-based colored pencil, which work well on my slightly toothy paper! We are in business! 

Because these pencils are a bit on the harder side they hold a fine point for tiny details. They are oil-based, which allowed me to add layers plus the fine details on top of already colored sections. Which is how I colored the ribbon. However, I could also just use a three-color blend, which is how I colored the leaves.

With a blending stump and a bit of blending solution, I was able to color the background with just two pencils! I added a bit of white gel pen to the puff balls and the background. I also allowed the texture of the paper to aid in making the mittens have texture, looking like they were made of yarn.

I did not use any of my more expensive coloring products on this card. I kept true to my own style of coloring and card making, despite using my "cheap" stuff! And I enjoyed myself very much! Which is the most important thing! 

Do not wait to have fun with your coloring supplies! If you have inexpensive tools, you can still color and use all the coloring techniques you are learning! Plus, is you use a lot of paper just experimenting, you only lost $10 of supplies. If you grind up a few pencils, you can buy a whole new set for under $30. If you use some of the student-grade pencils, you can spend even less! I have s set of Crayola pencils that I love to use. (I may show you those next time!)

I confess, I do love my expensive pencils and my Copic markers, but I don't think I have to always use them. I also like to mix and match my supplies. It is true that sometimes the pricey option gives better results, but I am a firm believer in staying within your budget. Learning good techniques is far more important than the price of your supplies!

I hope you are inspired to grab an image and some supplies and just color for the joy of it! Come visit me any time at Scraps of Life Blog!

Note:

Paper used: Springhill White 8.5” x 11” Cardstock, 80lb Vellum Bristol, 175gsm, 250 Sheets (approx. $10.49 USD)

Colored pencils used: Wanshui 168 oil pencils (approx. $25.49 USD)