What to use?

[clamar]

Ok I have not made a card in AGES and when I did I didnt really use stamping... however I want to get into stamping.

My question is - what do you use to 'colour' in stamped images? A colleague gave me a selection of stamped images (such as Nellie/Magnolia) and I havent a clue what to use to colour them in.... with being new to it really - it need to be easy to use too!

TIA

[purplefairy]

Hi Claire
Welcome to the wonderful world of stamping.

I started off with water colour pencils. only cheap ones from the shop "that every little helps". then progressed to twinkling H2O, lovley shimmery water colour medium, then using ink pads I had, just love distress inks for this. then tried pro markers and copics (posh alcohol based felt tips) still not sure which ones I like the best our of the markers.
If you are just starting off like you say then the cheapest option is the water colour pensils, used with an aqa paint brush, (one you fill with water) so no nasty pots to spill over.
This is a theraputic past time and something you can do with the kids. usually get them to stamp loads of images onto A4 card pack of crayon or felt tip. and every body get to colour in. great way to spend a wet afternoon.
hope this helps.

[dusty fairy]

promarkers

[tomjacob]

If you do watercolour and the image ink runs then ask colleague to use another ink and tell her you like to watercolour. not all ink is waterproof-need Stazon for example. However, the ink the images are stamped in changes for the medium used-Stazon no good for Copics which you may have heard of! Stamping is tonnes of fun but certainly new skills to learn-you'll have fun.
You can use chalks too-from craft shops, felt tip markers-again from a craft shop/department. Ask your friend what she uses-I know you'll love this though!

[LesleySh]

Hi ladies

Can I jump in here with a question? I have stamped for ages and have tried several different colouring mediums, watercolour pencils on watercolour paper which is nice but I always go over the lines and mess it up, usually right on the last brush stroke. I tried prisma pencils, pricy but everyone was raving about them but I've never had much luck with the pencils and the sansador
(or whatever it's called) and the paper stumps. Is there a specific type of paper I should be using with the pencils to get a good result cos the pencils just sit in a drawer unused and unloved! I regularly use one Prisma pencil to do faces on my Magnolia people but thats it, bit of a waste given the tin of pencils cost about £70.

I tried Copics, which I thought you could use with Stazon inkpads, I love the colours but I find the pen tips a bit floppy and end up again going over the image lines and no idea how to use the blending pen and I also tried Promarkers with a special ink pad I bought at the same time but I struggle to blend colours and the images always look streaky although I like the firm pen tip.

Currently I'm stamping with stazon and colouring with Whispers felt tip pens cos the tips are quite firm and fine so easier to stay within the lines for someone with shaky hands.

I usually stamp Magnolia and Sugar Nellie images but does anyone know how to do the faces in something other than the one prisma pencil and still look like they do in the Magnolia mags? Are there any on-line classes or demos I can use to learn how to shade or just use any or all of the above colouring mediums I have bought and just can't use correctly. I really would love to be able to use at least one of the mediums to a high standard, instead of my images looking like a class of 7 year olds coloured them in.

Thank you
Lesley