Life is like a balloon...... using Molotow Masking Fluid; translucent embossing paste; Copic background and Distress Inks.

Love this sentiment and the image it goes with. Its another of Mo's Digital Pencil images and this sweet little dog pops up all over the place. Here I tried out a couple of different techniques and thought I would give my feedback on what I though of them.

Okay the first is I decided to try using a masking solution so I could colour with the copics and not worry about accidentally colouring over the image as I was using a dark blue copic mix.

I used a new to me product called 'Molotov' Art Masking Liquid. You are meant to use it much like a pen just laying down this blue coloured fluid to protect the area you don't want to get anything else on. I love that its blue therefore you can see where it is.

But it was not so easy to use and I don't know if it was 

a) because I am left handed - don't laugh at that, sometimes things do not work as well for left handers as for right handers because they are designed in particular ways. I am unable to use the Tim Holtz scissors that are designed for cutting out stamps and the foam backing with my left hand, they make a mess.

anyway

b) maybe I was not using the correct way, I did do as directed and found I needed to sort of bounce the tip upland down on piece of paper a number of times before I got a good flow. Then I found it would work for a bit then stop, I would bounce again and end up with too much coming out. Some spots I had to do little blobs rather than pulling the pen along. Some areas I worried were too lightly covered and had to wait for first bit to try before adding more. If I went back too soon it started to lift.

It worker perfectly in protecting the image but when I rubbed it off ready to colour I felt there were little itty bits that would not lift and it roughened up the copic card stock a bit.

Maybe I used it wrong, will have to think on this and experiment some more. Maybe someone out there has a suggestion.

See this image, this was the first dog I coloured in and I cut him out and was going to lay on a coloured background but he fell victim to the flying spots of Brusho's from my previous experiments. Lots of little dark blue spots and when I added just water to some they became yellow (probably they were also Brusho colours lol). So he was for the bin but I used him to mask the dog the second time when I decided to add some embossing paste with a shimmery white from my Silks added to it for stars.

It was translucent paste so the stars are only just visible. I then coloured my dog with barely there grey copics and did my balloons as though you could see the ones behind.

The night sky I did with a mix of blues and I only have one dark colour (soon to be remedied) so mixed the dark with two other blues and a wee bit of purple. I did light around the dog and balloons first then mixed all the colours together. I did this very messy as I didnt want it to be all straight and lined up. I also used the colourless blender on a piece of flannel I have that gives a bit of texture to the sky. I must say I'm not keen on this colouring of a large area with copics, the pens and refills are quite expensive and I love using them but I hate that I end up emptying a pen for a picture.

If I ever get the money I would like to try airbrushing the copics but thats in the future somewhere.

I wasn't happy with this card in the end and cant image giving to anyone as it looks rather thrown together but it has let me try a few techniques and I think by sharing people get to see the not so greats with the happy withs and the love this's.

I have also been playing with my Distress Inks when down at mum and dads and made myself a practice sheet. 

Here I have stamped a beautiful rose stamp I have had forever repeatedly onto this white cardstock. Its not the proper cardstock for what I wanted to do but for some reason I just grabbed it. It is glossy on the otherside and had been marked so I think I was thinking 'waste not, want not'. Anyhoooo I have stamped and white embossed the flower a number of time then decided to add some leaves.

This is one of the more completed roses.  I have used Spun Sugar and Worn Lipstick for the whole project. A bit of Mustard Seed for the centres and Shabby Shutters for the leaves. All done in very very light coats. Mainly because this is not watercolour paper and it just cant be played with too much. To stop it pilling I would only do small bits at a time and really let it dry well between touch ups.

Some of the flowers are nearly completed and others only with shadow added. Don't know that I will ever do anything with this but its been good for practice. The cardstock itself is too think to fussy cut the flowers out.

But I have enjoyed doing this and realise I need to play with my Distress Inks more often. We all spend so much time looking at new products and wanting to have them, forgetting that we have such good multi purpose products in front of us. 

When I think of Distress Inks they were the first coloured inks I bought and I remember pondering long and hard whether to get them. My girlfriend and I made an order for the ink pads and I added the refills. My order was probably twice the size of hers because I always want all the colours. It was such a big thing 'will I use them?' 'is there enough use for them?' 'what else can I do other than just paint and stamp with them' Do I really need the refills?'.

The best purchase I have ever made I think. The ink pads seem to stay juicy forever, the refills are fantastic for other projects. I discovered the art of painting in heavy and light amounts and I discovered that wonderful technique of blending that people were doing. Using the ink pads to stamping over the top of a wash or for no line colouring. I have not used the distress ink pens, just way too expensive for products like that to come to Australia - exchange and postage. Also found I am quite happy with the ink refills. I have a container I made out of an old SU Chalk box I think there are 40 little squares - I cleaned this out and put the inks in - will take a photo and share one day.

I did send a comment to Tim Holtz at one time but never got a response saying that I wish they would come up with a container that could hold all the inks in little wells that would seal air tight - yes I know its probably impossible but it would be nice to take a container with a bit of every colour instead of the ink pads and palette to squish them on or the little refill bottles.

Boy have I waffled today. I am only doing the one link today just to show I have coloured and I hope that someone reads my big blurb, you never know it could come in handy.

The Daily Marker 30 Day Colouring Challenge - Day 18

Thanks for coming to visit and I hope you come again soon.