Art and crafting by Rebecca Davies-Sandall. Art journaling, Spectrum Noir Design Team, Crafters Companion, paper crafting, mixed media, stamping and more.
I’m so excited to show you the innovative new Spectrum Noir TriBlend pens. If you haven’t got into alcohol pen colouring yet then this might be your chance to get on board. Each pen is actually 3 pens in one meaning that you can achieve a perfect blend quickly and easily. The pens have a nice density and sized bullet nib and the launch colours are lovely and vibrant.
US shoppers can find them on www.hsn.com today. UK shoppers we will be getting them soon on Hochanda and www.crafterscompanion.co.uk
Visit www.spectrumnoir.com for more information.
If you haven’t shopped at Hochanda before, use my 30% off promo code on your first order: UFT1TVP9 www.hochanda.com
Tune into Hochanda on Monday 22nd October 2018 at 6pm and 8pm for the launch of the one day special. Shows will also be on the Tuesday. These brand new inks are the same water reactive inks that you can find in Spectrum Noirs very popular metallic pens – but now that they are available as an ink you now have many more versatile options on how to create art and craft with these. They are highly pigmented, opaque on even the darkest background, multisurface, water safe when dry and finish with a matt metallic shine. I’ll talk you through each of my samples to show how I’ve used them…
Find Spectrum Noir at Crafter’s Companion UK
If you haven’t shopped at Hochanda before, use my 30% off promo code on your first order: UFT1TVP9 www.hochanda.com
Top Tip: Although there’s a ball bearing inside the pots – I prefer to stir with a cocktail stick to make the magic happen – you can then draw or drip with the stick or wipe it onto cut and dry foam for stamping or sponging.
On this card I’ve painted and dropped colour onto heat resistant acetate and sprayed with water and sprinkled salt on, then heat embossed stamps by Sheena Douglass on the reverse. I’ve then attached this onto rainbow mirror card. Also on the card I’ve painted black card and die cut leaves and further in the background I’ve sponged onto kraft card.
I have stamped the eagle onto black card using a black ink then using a cocktail stick and fine paint brush I’ve painted him in. The background was stamped by transferring the ink to stamps using cut and dry foam and the flower dies were sponged using a similar method.
Stamps and dies by Sheena.
Today I’m bringing you my finished coloured up digi of Dolly from The Artistic Sloth. Trudie’s store is filling up with wonderful spooky-themed designs and the festive collection are starting to make their way in their too so do check it out. If you’d like a free sample, pop along to the Facebook Fan page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1849482695088470/?ref=br_rs
I’ve coloured this image using my Spectrum Noir pens, inked the background with the Spectrum Noir inkpads and the crackle stamp is by Sheena Douglass.
I’m back with another spooky themed brand new digi from The Artistic Sloth! You can’t get much spookier than a zombie girl with bones sticking out lol! This was great fun to colour in – especially her wild hair! I’ve coloured her in using Spectrum Noir pens, inked around the edges with my SN inkpads and used a Spectrum Aqua pen in a handheld spritzer for splatters.
You can find Trudie’s digi store “The Artistic Sloth” here on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/TheArtisticSloth
Also, if you want to grab a FREE digi gift please pop along to The Artist Sloth Facebook fan group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1849482695088470/?ref=br_rs
Right, that’s it – summer’s over, let’s get festive! If you enjoyed the new Spectrum Noir inkpads then don’t miss the launch of 6 new festive-inspired colours in the Harmony inkpad range PLUS 6 exciting colours in the BRAND NEW metallic inkpad range called Spectrum Noir Midas! There’s so much I can tell you about these Midas inkpads starting with the fact that they are opaque and highly pigmented plus they have an amazing metallic look to them. Because they will layer up in a very opaque way you can stamp with them, do inky background techniques and, my personal favourite thing about these inkpads is that they can literally replace my gilding waxes for papercrafting (plus multiple home decor / mixed media applications too!)
Find these inkpads at Crafter’s Companion and on Hochanda at 6pm and 8pm on Wednesday 20th September 2018, and through the day on the 21st. Also on the show will be Donna Radcliffe’s Christmas Elves stamps and some fantastic festive 3D Embossing Folders from Crafter’s Companion (see below for a sneaky peak)…
Spectrum Noir Harmony, Finesse and Watermark inkpads will be launching tonight on Hochanda at 6pm and 8pm. These really are the new must-have inkpads in my opinion! I’ve created a selection of samples to show the versatility of the Harmony inkpads.
Essentially, the Harmony inkpads are water-reactive dye inkpads for distressing, stamping and blending; Finesse are the permanent inkpads and come in 2 types – water-proof (so that you can use water based mediums like the Harmony inks or aqua pens) and alcohol-proof (so that you can use your Spectrum Noir pens or other alcohol markers). Finally there is also a watermark inkpad for watermark techniques and heat embossing. For more details on the range click here for the Spectrum Noir website or visit Crafter’s Companion to shop.
The main image is using the Finesse alcohol-proof inkpad for colouring with my Spectrum Noir pens. The background is a perfectly blended rainbow using the Harmony inks.
This card was created using a combination of the Harmony inkpads and the Rustic Brown Finesse Water-proof inkpad.
I’m so excited that I can finally tell you that Spectrum Noir is launching BRAND NEW INKPADS! These truly are amazing!
In particular I’ve been playing with the Harmony inkpads which are water reactive and dye based. They are perfect for blending and distress techniques, plus they are slightly slower at drying than other inks which means they are so easy to work with! The collection includes co-ordinated 3-colour palates which means that for each colour you will get a light, medium and darker tone – enabling you to create 3-colour ombres and blends straight away! Those middle tones are soooo vibrant and bright! In conclusion, I LOVE these inkpads and can’t wait to get hold of the storage trays so that they can live on my desk!
The inkpads are launching on HSN on 11th July 2018 and in August in the UK on Hochanda.
All of my samples below were inked onto Sheena Stamping Card.
To create this effect I have used the yellow inkpad as an embossing ink for clear embossing powder. That made the butterflies glossy and resit the rest of the inking techniques. Stamps by Cherry Green and embossing folder from Crafter’s Companion Textures range.
I’ve done a similar embossing powder resist technique on this card but using a stencil. Stamps by Sheena Douglass and quilling flower dies from Crafter’s Companion.
Have you seen the new Crafter’s Companion Subscription boxes yet? Each month they are packed with lots of products to get you started making projects straight from the box. I was lucky enough to be asked to make some samples using the July 2018 box which happens to be based on the Sparkle pens! You get over 130 elements which includes 3 sparkle pens (a yellow, a blue and a pink/red) which are all the colours you need to get started with sparkle pens, cute 4” card blanks and envelopes, clear stamp sheet, plain watercolour card, watercolour card with white embossed images, watercolour card with printed images ready to colour and coloured paper for matting and layering. I wish we had sparkle vision as it never shows in photos – but basically imagine that everywhere these pens have touched is sparkling with microfine glitter.
Apart from glue and foam pads, I’ll mention on each sample if I’ve used anything else in addition to the box…
I’m sharing something a little different today created using the gorgeous 6” Paper Pad, Twine, Lace and Stamp set from the Vintage Tea Party Collection. These papers work fabulous on their own but I’m showing you a few samples on how to make the most of the stamp set in addition. These cards and more have been sent off to be shown on HSN in Germany.
If you are in the UK this collection is already available from Crafter’s Companion directly.
Stamped and coloured using Spectrum Aqua pens. Plus a little Stickles glitter glue.
I created a shadow box for this sample and the image was created by masking a few stamps together and coloured using Spectrum Noir Colourblend pencils.
This aperture card was created by distressing the edge of the paper using Aqua pens and glycerin technique. The image is coloured with Aqua pens.
Brace yourselves – the eagerly anticipated Spectrum Noir Metallic Brush Pens are heading to Hochanda for the UK launch!!! The pens are dual-nibbed with both fine and brush nibs. They are waterbased which allows you to work them the same as your other waterbased pens but these dry fairly quickly and become waterproof! They are highly pigmented and also are very opaque. All of this means that they work on a number of surfaces, including glass, ceramic and embellishments. You can also layer them up very easily. For more inspiration see my samples that I made for the HSN/USA Launch here: Metallic Brush Pen USA Launch
These new metallic pens from Spectrum Noir are amazing! They are highly pigmented and opaque which means they are they can be layered and are amazing on dark backgrounds including black card. They have dual nibs (bullet and brush) which means that they will be a complete game changer for both dark colorista colouring pads AND brush lettering!!! They are water based pens so you can try out your favourite water-based techniques but are stable once dry. The pens come in 2 packs of 6 colours and will be demoed firstly on HSN in USA and coming soon to Hochanda in the UK.
Summary: I LOVED using these pens!
Images from Colorista Dark pad: Under the Sea
Sentiment: brush lettering on top of Crafter’s Companion script lettering stamps.
Coloured with Spectrum Noir Metallic Brush Pens
Embossing folder and stamps/die by Sheena Douglass Day of the Dead collection
Premium black pad from Spectrum Noir
You can stamp or emboss black card for interesting colouring effects. I have also coloured straight over clear embossing with somehow goes super shiny.
After taking a break from making art journal videos to knuckle down and finish my final dance teaching qualifications I’m pleased to say that I am back! I really enjoy art journaling so I’m hoping I can get back into a regular routine for you.
In this first video of the new series I’ve decided to demonstrate some of my colouring techniques with you as this will be my first video since becoming part of the Spectrum Noir design team. This entire spread was inspired by my daughter (who micromanaged the different stages lol x) (Scroll down for video…)
YouTube Partnership Changes
Before we get into it I have a few points to make: firstly, my channel has been affected by the recent changes to YouTube’s policies and now all of my videos that I worked hard to make have become demonetised. This basically means that I can no longer receive ad revenue (which was only pennies on my channel) but it was a very good incentive for me to carry on creating and sharing content. It also helped me justify buying another art journal or replacing supplies that ran out. In order to get monetised in the future I need to greatly increase the number of hours my videos are watched by people. Each video takes several days to create, then edit the footage, produce the final video and give you the blog entry listing all the materials, etc. If you would like to support my channel (for free!) then the best thing would be to subscribe to my channel and maybe watch a playlist or two on there from time to time. This, as well as liking and commenting on my videos, lets me know that you like my content and that you’d like to see more. Of course, if you’re a company and would like to sponsor me to make a video using your products then please get in touch too!
Voiceovers or Background Music
I’ve had a chance to reflect on comments made and there have been some occasions that people have said they would prefer a voiceover and/or more descriptions of what I’m doing to help them make similar artwork or learn from my techniques. I am super happy to start doing voiceovers for you but I also know that other people prefer to have the background music as they find the videos quite relaxing to watch. Therefore, for this video I’ve created TWO versions – one with voiceovers and one without. To help me know which format you would like to see in the future please comment on the video that works best for you.
Materials Used
Video WITH Voiceover:
Video WITHOUT Voiceover:
Which video do you prefer?
I’ve been playing with my artist-quality watercolour pencils by Spectrum Noir this week to create samples for the upcoming shows with Fiona Clayton. She will also be bringing the latest floral stamps by the talented Stacey Barras. All of the stamps on my samples are from this collection and are ideal for watercolour work! I’m also listing all the colours that I used below…
SHOW TIMES ON HOCHANDA: Saturday 17th February 2018 at 7am, 10am and 2pm
Buy Stacey Barras / Crafter’s Companion stamps: https://www.crafterscompanion.co.uk/papercraft/stamping/crafter-s-companion-collections.html
Buy Spectrum Noir: https://www.crafterscompanion.co.uk/brands/spectrum-noir.html
Stamps: Rose Bloom by Stacey Barras
Aquablend pencils: Kiwi, Ruby, Tobacco, Cherrywood, Ruby, Coral, Black Umber, Chrome Orange, Carrot, Honeycomb, Straw, Powder Blue
Watercolour Card, Archival Inks
Candle (Front View) Stamps by Stacey Barras
Aquablend pencils: Sunshine, Soft Red, Carrot, Elderberry, Hyacinth, Tobacco, Charcoal Brown, Cherrywood
Tissue paper and archival ink
Show times on Hochanda: Monday 15th January 2018 at 6pm, 8pm and Tuesday at 9am, 1pm and 5pm.
Spectrum Noir is launching a brand new addition to the Colourista range for lovers of watercolour or anyone who wants to get started with it! Check out the shows on Hochanda tonight and tomorrow to see the amazing goodies including brand new Colourista watercolour pencils, beautiful watercolour pads with pre stamped images, foiling and white work resist, different sized pads including some ready for cards and some ready for framing and, last but not least, adorable watercolour tag pads with foiling and resist.
The picture inside the frame was coloured easily using the Aqua pens. The frame was painted with gesso mixed with the aqua pens and even the flowers were die cut and coloured using the same three pens.
I am very excited to share with you my samples created using the brand new Fairy stamps by Donna Ratcliff and coloured with my Spectrum Noir alcohol pens. These stamp sets are full of everything you need to make full blown fairy-scape scenes or stamping over pretty backgrounds using the silhouette stamps that are also included. I absolutely love these stamps and they are my favourite release in a long time! There are so many ways of using them!
Show time on Hochanda: Sunday 17th December 2017 at 6pm and 8pm then Monday at 9pm, 1pm and 5pm.
Spectrum Noir at Crafter’s Companion UK: https://www.crafterscompanion.co.uk/art-colouring/spectrum-noir.html
Stamps at Crafter’s Companion UK: https://www.crafterscompanion.co.uk/new/new-in-papercraft/new-from-crafter-s-companion/stamps.html
Stamps by Donna Ratcliff: Fairy Garden, Toadstool Home, Sparkle Garden and Fairy Magic
Spectrum Noir: Toadstool: DR7 + 5 + CR7 + 10 + 1 + 2 + TN9 + 7 + 5 + 3 + 1 + TB1 + EB4 + 3 + 2 / Seedpods: MB4 + 2 + 1 + DG4 + 3 + 1 / Bluebells: HB3 + 2 + BG2 + Blender / Grasses: DG4 + 3 + 2 + 1 + JG7 + 1 + DG2 / Sky: TB1
Neenah card stock and luxury ice blue glitter card.
For this card I created my own scene using Pebeo during gum to layer up the images.
Stamps by Donna Ratcliff: Magic Garden, Sparkle Garden and Toadstool Home
Spectrum Noir: TB3 + BP1 + CT4 + Blending Solution refill
The background technique of this one is very effective. I have a tutorial coming soon on how I created it
Spectrum Noir are showcasing their amazing sparkle pens again this week on Hochanda. As always – I wish we had sparkle vision on computers but please believe me when I say these are SUPER sparkly in real life! Here are the samples that I have recently made…
Show times: Sunday 19th November 2017 at 11am and 3pm.
Crafter’s Companion <--- UK website
Stamps: Hydrangea Heart by Cherry Green
This first card is actually coloured in with the Spectrum Noir alcohol pens but then I have used the clear sparkle pen as an overlay on the butterfly and the flowers.
Stamps: Macaroons by Donna Ratcliffe
This is a more pastel hue card using the paler seasons colours.
I’ve been having a play with the Call of the Wild stamps and dies by Sheena Douglass. The two cards I made below both used the same colouring mediums (a hat trick of Spectrum Noir pens!):
If you love your water colour pencils then you are going to absolutely need these new additions to the Spectrum Noir range! These pencils are very unique in the fact that they are graphite based water soluble pencils and the colours are dark tints. They work beautifully dry or wet and all of your normal water colour pencil techniques will work with these. Only two 12-pencil tins are being released at the moment but the tones are plentiful and will obviously play nicely with your Aquablend pencils. You can catch these launching as a One Day Special on Hochanda from Saturday 4th November alongside some perfectly-matched stamps by Sheena Douglass that have never been seen before!
Show Times on Hochanda: Saturday 4th November 6pm and 8pm, Sunday 5th November 9am, 1pm and 5pm.
Also coming soon on HSN in the USA!
Spectrum Noir at Crafter’s Companion: https://www.crafterscompanion.co.uk/brands/spectrum-noir.html
If you’re into adult colouring at the moment and you haven’t tried the Colorista Dark colouring pads with the Metallic Pencils from Crafter’s Companion then you are definitely missing a trick! I was fortunate enough to get to create some cool samples using the Floral Boutique 6x6” paper pad for the recent show on HSN in North America. You can also find my previous Floral Boutique/Colorista Dark samples here made for the UK here. What’s nice about crafting from a colouring book is that you can colour very portably – for instance, I coloured up my pads whilst I was on vacation in Mallorca, then when I came back home I got out my sentiment stamps and dies to create what you can see below…
This is an altered MDF heart.
The front of this card has been made from acetate.
