the creative closet by cindy lawrence

Tiddly Inks & Fun with Screen Tones

Hello friends!

My card today is a very simple one using the Ellie Says Be Happy digital stamp set from Tiddly Inks.  I printed her in black ink on X-Press It Blending Card.  The patterned paper is from Basic Grey's Fresh Cut collection.  I so love the fresh color palette of pink, orange, and bright white!  


I colored the image with the following Copic Markers:


Now, you may have noticed the sweet cherries pattern on her dress.  That was created with a fun product that you may not even realize Copic sells.  That product is Screen Tones, and it comes in an absolute plethora of different patterns!  How does over 200 designs sound to you?  Awesome, right?!

Screen tones are clear stickers containing tone, patterns, or graphic elements which are applied by hand to your work. Each sheet has a useable area of approx. 12.5 x 9".  If you're using them on your cards, one sheet will last you quite a while!

To use: Simply place a sheet of tone over your work and mark areas to be cut. Cut with a sharp craft knife and apply by peeling off lightweight backing.

Let me show you how I did that with this image.  
Once I had the image colored (well...most of it.  ...colored the shoes afterwards), I loosely cut a piece of the Fruit Screen Tone to cover the dress.  


I then peeled off the paper backing and lightly stuck the Screen Tone to the image, being careful to cover the dress entirely.  I then grabbed a cutting mat and my awesome Progear Razor Knife to trim around the edges.  The knife is super sharp, cuts around curves & angles easily, and comes with 16 spare blades.  It is well worth purchasing!  

Once I trimmed around the edges & belt area, I peeled off the excess Screen Tone.



The final step is to burnish the image, thereby permanently adhering the Screen Tone to the image.  You want to put a piece of scrap paper between the Screen Tool and the image, and then rub it until it is secure.  

For a full tutorial on how to apply Screen Tone, complete with photos, click HERE.

As you can see, Screen Tones are a very simple way to add pattern & texture to your image.  There are so many uses for them in many different creative applications!  Have FUN with them!

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit, friends!  Always a pleasure to have you!

~Cindy

 

With Joyful Gratitude

Hello friends!

Today I have a sweet card made using a digital image from Tiddly Inks.  She's called Celebrate Joyfully.  Isn't she darling?!

The card base is a buttery yellow, and the patterned papers are from Simple Stories' Homespun collection.  


I printed the image on my ink jet printer using X-Press It Blending Card, and gave the ink about an hour to set.  I then colored her with the following Copic markers:

It's INSANE how many colors I used on that little image, isn't it?!  Good grief!  Sometimes I just can't help myself, but to play with all the pretty colors. :)

Inside I added a layer of white card stock, a strip of patterned paper, and printed the sentiment in black ink.

That's all, folks!  I do hope you have a spectacular Monday!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Cindy

Copic "Earth Day" Blog Hop & Give Away!

Welcome to the 2014 Copic “Earth Day” Blog Hop!  Earth Day, April 22, marks the anniversary of what many consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.  Over 40 years later, Earth Day has become a global event with over 200 million people in over 141 countries getting involved in the fight for a clean environment. 

Did you know that Copic markers and inks are environmentally friendly? 

    •       Copic Various Inks are non-toxic, so there’ no worry about harmful chemicals getting into the environment. 

    •       Because you can refill your Copic markers when needed, you never have to throw them away!

    •       The Copic Various Ink bottles are recycle-able.

All that refilling and recycling means less garbage in landfills and less negative impact on the environment.

In celebration of Earth Day 2014, the Copic Education Team and Design Team has gotten together for a hop.  Visit each person’s blog to learn personal tips and tricks for refilling and caring for your markers… and possibly some pretty eye candy along the way.

I have a cheerful card to share with you today, made using the darling Monstrous digi stamp from Tiddly Inks.


 I gave those adorable monsters some interest with polka dots made using Opaque White paint, which now comes in this awesome new bottle, complete with fine line brush.  I added some white "hair" to the yellow monster as well.  I gave each of them just a touch of "fur" with a few well-placed strokes of my darker Copic marker shades.

Here are the markers I used:


I colored the balloon with the R32/R35/R37 Copic markers, and then used my Colorless Blender to bleach out the center, giving it more of a transparent look.

The patterned papers are from Simple Stories I {HEART} Summer collection.

Insider, I added white card stock layers, a strip of polka dotted patterned paper, and stamped the sentiment in black.  I outlined the letters with some coordinating Copic colors to gussy it up a bit.

Stop by and see the rest of the Copic team for more eye candy, as well as great tips for refilling and caring for your Copic markers!

• Michele Boyer
• Lori Craig
• Sharon Harnist
• Cindy Lawrence <---You are here!
• Debbie Olson
• Colleen Schaan
• Sherrie Siemens
• Marianne Walker
• Copic Blog

When you’re done hopping, head on over to the Copic blog and sign up to be entered in the Earth Week Giveaway!  5 lucky winners will each receive a 3-piece Blending Trio or Color Fusion set, one Various Ink refill, and a 5x7 sketchbook.   

Thanks so much for visiting, friends!

~Cindy