My Grandma's Teacups: Copics Club Session 1

Our first Copic club was in August and we had so so much fun practicing colouring random stamped images. We began with an overview of the copic colour code. Bet you didn't know there was a code did you? Well, there is, and once you understand it you will be able to follow the rules or throw caution to the wind and create beautiful pieces of art.

So what is the Copic Colour System?

The Copic Colour System identifies and labels each Copic Colour based on the color’s individual: Colour Family, Saturation Number & Brightness Number.

• The Colour Family indicates what sort of color, i.e. red, blue-green, orange, etc.

• The Saturation Number indicates how “rich” or how “dull” the colour will appear (higher number = more dull)

• The Brightness Number indicates how “dark” the color will appear (Higher number = darker)

Is that all clear as mud? Well as you practice with your markers it will start to make sense. You will recall in one of the earlier posts that I suggested you buy your markers in groups of three. Therefore you would look for 3 markers with the same Colour Family, Saturation Number and Brightness numbers within 2-3 levels of each other. This will give you  a base colour and then two shades for adding shadows and detail.

We started with the Copic Skin Tone Doodle Pack as I tend to have allot of stamps of children that we will be using. These doodle packs make choosing coordinating colours a breeze.

We focused on the three marker technique using the lightest colour as the base and then building the shadows from there. It takes some practice to lay down a perfect base without streaks. Small circles allow you to keep working on the wet edge. We found flicking the darker colours made it easier to place the shadows.

This is a great time to start your copic binder. Print off a free template from the web and practice different colour combinations to see which colour tones you like the best.

My Grandma's Teacups Scrapbooking and Craft Supplies: Copic Resources

Yep, still on vacation with the kids. I can't believe school is just around the corner. Anyone that blogs about great school lunch ideas please get in touch, I dread the idea of all those empty containers to fill with some magical equation of foods that will somehow delight my kids.

It occurred to me that I neglected to tell you that you need to start a binder for your Copic Adventures. You will want to keep a record of different colour palettes and techniques you have tried and liked. Have no fear! Copic had a great library of resources that you can print and use. There are also numerous free printables of other people's creations, but honestly its more fun to make your own.

Free Printable Copic Resources















Don't forget to follow my Copic Crazy Pinterest Board to stay up to date on my latest finds.

Follow My Grandma's Teacups's board Copic Crazy on Pinterest.

Copic Markers

My Grandma's Teacups Scrapbooking and Craft Supply: Alcohol Markers and Prima Stamps = New Summer Hobby

As I told you I have been enjoying my free time at the camp with my family. This year the children are just that little bit older and I am finding that I spend much of my time on my deck overseeing the activities of the kidlets and their friends and less time actually being right on top of them supervising. It has been a strange shift. I have been monitoring the activities of wee ones for so long I don't remember what it is like to just sit and relax. I have to admit, I am enjoying it.

I promised my hubby to limit the amount of craft material that I take to the trailer this year. Last year he would arrive for a relaxing weekend only to find his side of the bed had been taken over by my cricut and loads of paper. This year I stick to one 12x12 thirty-one bag which holds my marker bag, stamp block bag, paper and stamps. The stamps I have been carrying all summer are my Julie Nutting Paper Doll Stamps. I was talking to Julie a couple of weeks ago about the possibility of joining us here on the blog, but lucky for us she is busy with getting the new designs out. Its ok Julie, we love your work!

If you have not tried using alcohol markers for your stamped images yet, you are in for a treat. Alcohol markers are very pricey so if your budget does not allow you to go out and buy a collection there are some great alternative. Bic makes a great line of alcohol markers that work really well. You won't get the colour variety of some of the big lines but it is a great place to start. If you are ok with slowly building your collection, try to purchase your markers in 3s. You always want to have a light , medium and dark for each colour. I started with flesh tones as I am a huge fan of Magnolia Stamps and now all the Prima Paper Dolls stamps. By using the alcohol markers to define the skin tone I am able to use other mediums to colour the clothing and accessories.

These are a few of the designs I have been working on:

Bridesmaids Prom Queen First Day of School

Prima Doll Paper Piecing Prima Doll Paper Piecing Prima Doll Paper Piecing Prima Doll Paper Piecing Prima Doll Paper Piecing

My Grandma's Teacups Loves Small Business :Publicity Opportunity

Many of you know that I have a soft spot for Mompreneurs that are raising families, working and building their business as well. I love to do shout outs about all the new ventures that these amazing women are starting. If you have a small business and would like to feature it on My Grandma's Teacups please email me mygrandmasteacups@gmail.com. If you would be interested in a product review please let me know and I will help you with that as well. I also have opportunities for small businesses looking to grow their facebook and twitter following through giveaways.  Let me help you grow your business.

Some of my favourite small businesses from past posts

Deb Tang : Arbonne Review

Imagine Photography

Susan's Dog Treats

Signed By Barb/ Tilander Mack 
Menswear

A Kid In A Candy Shop


You could be featured next. Contact me for more information.




Part of growing your small business is having a plan. The best way to know if your plan is on track is to constantly seek out new information. One of my favourite resources for small business information is the Scotiabank site

Scotiabank Small Business Resources