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Thank you for stopping by...

Thank you for visiting me today, I hope you see something here that you like. I love colouring digital images and I am on a few Design Teams.I am taking art classes with Kit and Clowder, and Make it Crafty. I hope maybe you will get some new ideas here or you can leave comments and links so I will be picking up new ideas from you. Anyway I will put on the kettle and have some cupcakes at the ready...

Monday 25 August 2014

Fantasie En Plume plus Craft Artist tutorial part 3

by Rick St. Dennis
This beautiful young woman with the gorgeous hat is one of a well know series by Rick. There are hats for any occasion.
Printed onto neenah, coloured with promarkers. Embellished in Craft Artist 2
I would like to enter this into the following challenges

 http://throughthepurplehazechallenges.blogspot.co.uk     ch 54 Anything goes

 Craft Artist tutorial

I  hope you all managed to download some beautiful free digikits from Daisy Trail. So if you don't mind I would like to share with you some ways of using the kits.
Open Craft Artist. Choose Blank Project. A5 Portrait. Browse Digikits and click on Water Garden, this is where the fun starts. You can now scroll through the most beautiful images and papers. Take your time... if you place your pointer over the embellishment images they will appear larger, when you find any you like the look of just click on them, don't miss the most beautiful, really faint images of fish, and (something I learned just a couple of minutes ago...) there are 'water drops' near the end of the embellishments.. also please find your way to Brushes and select the second one. All of your selections will be copied into a section on the left of your workspace except the Brushes... they will appear on the right hand side. Now do the same with Backgrounds, Frames and Materials, Letters and Layouts and Brushes.
You will notice that when you click on embellishments/materials/backgrounds etc the images are copied into different sections on the left of your workspace. Click on Done.
So now you should have your workspace in front of you. You can just play with different ideas now. Remember that there is always the undo/redo button.
For instance if you place your pointer over a background, click and drag onto your workspace. The background will now fill up the workspace page for you to add other elements. Personally I find the backgrounds a bit tricky to work with and prefer to use Materials and just enlarge them to fit the page.
Now you can add the elements by click and drag using the edges to resize the images. I had placed the image of a curled frond onto my workspace and placed one of the drops on top of a leaf and Da dah! a dewdrop! Think how many images could have a dewdrop of any size on a leaf.

I think another fun aspect of CA2 are the Brushes. I mentioned before when we were clicking on images to click on one of the Brushes. I chose the second one.... and this is one of the things it can do. If you look to the right of your workspace you will see your chosen 'brush' Place your pointer over the image and left click once. A small box will appear at the top of the workplace - this will ask you to chose a brush. Go to the top of your computer screen where there are tons of icons and click on the little paintbrush. Now when you move your pointer onto your workspace you will see a little circle around it. Place your pointer on your picture, click and drag and you will have a row of bubbles following your pointer. To finish the procedure go to the top of the computer screen and click on Select Tool.

This of course is just a collection of ideas but it might give you an idea of what some of the images can look like. If you want to save your work you can just click on save in the drop-down menu... I prefer to save by clicking on File, Export, Export as Picture. The completed project will then be shown on your workspace, click Export and it will ask you what you wish to name it.

Friday 15 August 2014

Messrs Tweedle Plus Craft Artist Tutorial part 2

by Rick St. Dennis

We are back in Wonderland. Here are the Tweedle Twins looking rather menacing. Rick's take on these characters is so quirky I had to colour each one. I printed the twins onto neenah and coloured them with promarkers, the back ground is from A Very Important Date from mcs. I then imported them into CA2 where I removed the white background and melded and shaded.

If you have a moment would you have a look at the next post down. Jasmine spent a long time colouring the sweet image and I know she would be so excited to get a message. Thank you.


Craft Artist Tutorial to download free kits

On your desktop click twice on Serif Craft Artist
The screen will ask What do you want to do?
Choose the option Blank Project
Left click on A5 Landscape obviously you have many choices but for this example it might be a good idea for us all to be on the same page. You will see an orange box around A5 Landscape. Click OK
Your screen will then give you a choice between Browse Digikits and Browse my items. Scroll down a bit and you will see a section called Latest Free kits from Daisytrail.com Click once on Free kits. For this example please select Water Garden.(if you already have Water Garden... or you don't like it just select another kit) Click once on Download for Craft Artist. You will see a small screen which reads Login to Download either login with your name and password or sign up (This is a good idea as you will get offers and notification of other free kits as they become available.).
When I login it takes me back to Free Software Page. Click once on Water Garden Download for Craft Artist.
The screen will have a box which says CA Daisytrail.watergarden.digikit.exe Would you like to save this file? Click on Save File. On my computer I have a down arrow near the top right next to my Google search box. Click on the arrow and you will see a message which asks you if you want to download. Click on yes This will lead you through the installation process. Click on Next. The message will read User Name. (This is you) Click Next. The screen will then say End Users Licence Agreement. Click the dot next to I accept the terms. Click Next. Click Install. The box will now have the message Daisytrail Water Garden Digi Setup Wizard Complete. Click on Finish. Close the page and you will be back in your Craft Artist with all the Digikits etc. Close the window and you will have a blank work page. On the left hand side near the top you will see Add from Digikits. Click this once. Now, when you browse My Digikits you will find Water Garden. You can now make quite a collection of these free kits

Thursday 14 August 2014

Jasmine with the veggies


by Elizabeth Dulemba
Jasmine coloured this lovely picture to remind her of the fun she had with Grandad picking vegetables for our meals. I don't think the children realised how lovely food is when you've grown it yourself. The message is a special one between me and Jasmine. It is at her request that they stay three nights and she says it in a serious voice.

Jasmine in our greenhouse picking tomatoes

 In the garden with Grandad collecting carrots
plus photographic evidence that Grandad wore his slippers in the garden.
Lettuce for our lunch

This has been a lovely school holiday for us because Jasmine and Jaydn spent three nights with us which means three lots of stories and two breakfasts and all the rest of the fun. We all made loom band bracelets and coloured Elizabeth Dulemba's gorgeous drawings which the children chose themselves. We visited the local park and had fun on the zip wire (no, not me and Grandad) and all the exercise equipment.  We cooked and baked together. Jaydn and Jasmine collected potatoes from the garden and Jaydn scrubbed them whilst Jasmine made sausage rolls. I am fascinated by the way the children concentrate when working with me in the kitchen, they really are so confident and full of joy and they cook and bake so carefully. To see Jasmine break an egg into a cup and beat it to do an egg wash is just amazing.

The Artist Elizabeth Dulemba has featured Jasmine in her newsletter

 Card Makers and Colorers!
     Each week I like to feature a card or coloring page created by one of YOU using one of my images that has been uploaded to my gallery.
     Recently, Jadyn's Grandma shared my garden girl, which Jasmine colored after helping her Grandpa in the garden. She loved experienced food she helped grow herself!
     CLICK HERE to visit my gallery, leave Jasmine a note on her Grandma's blog, and submit your own artwork! (You'll need to post it to your own blog first.)
     If I share your work in my newsletter, grab this badge of honor to add to your blog post or sidebar to let everybody know!

Sunday 10 August 2014

Garden Giggles again plus Craft Artist tutorial part 1

by Rick St. Dennis
I love,love,love this image. A cheeky little Sprite going about her gardening work so happy to be out in the sunshine. I have printed Giggles onto neenah and coloured her with promarkers. The countryside background is from mcs. The unusual frame a freebie from Craft Artist 2. The stencil, shadow and flowers were also made in CA2

Crafting from the heart     31 Anything goes

Craft Artist tutorial
 Starting Monday we are going to work through the basics of how we use Craft Artist 2. I believe it is possible for us to talk you through enough about this program to be able to be really proud of your hobby. So, to get ready please just collect your coloured images in a folder... we are going to go really slow and you can ask any questions and I promise you it will be fun. Carla and I have just learned as we go along and shared our experiences. There are of course many professional how-to-videos especially on the Serif/Daisy Trail site but this way you will know that we are self taught and what we can do you can do. We may cover stuff you already know... but hey... so what. At least you will have the confidence of knowing stuff before we start. So, have fun this weekend colouring and be assured Monday onwards is going to be brilliant.

Thursday 7 August 2014

A Dark Undercurrent

A Dark Undercurrent
by Mitzi
for Aurora Wings

Surrounded by gems and jewels and skulls this Goth inspired mermaid waits for the careless traveller.  I adore these mermaids.. not so innocent.
Printed onto neenah, coloured with promarkers. Imported into Craft Artist 2 for embellishments from the Beaches range.
If you have a moment could you have a look at the post before this. My grandson would be so chuffed if you left a message.
I would like to enter this into the following challenges
The Paper Shelter           168 Anything digital
Crafting for all Seasons     83 feature a creature
The Squirrel and the Fox   75 Inspired by a movie


Wednesday 6 August 2014

A Great Day Fishing by Grandson Jaydn



by Elizabeth Dulemba
Coloured by our dear Grandson Jaydn aged 10. The image was printed onto neenah and Jaydn used my second best pencils to colour this wonderful fish.. I imported the coloured image into Craft Artist 2 where Jaydn chose which background/rocks/shells/weeds/sentiment and other embellishments he wanted around his picture.
This picture celebrates his very first proper fishing trip. We set up at Carleton Fen under some trees Jasmine had a little telescopic rod and caught a Roach and a Rudd within moments.   

The most amazingly beautiful dragonfly landed on Jaydn's leg.

 
Jasmine isn't asleep...just watching her float.
 A really beautiful day, a picnic, and then
 Jaydn caught a 6lb Common Carp and just needed Grandad's help landing it. I grabbed the landing net in one hand to help get the monster safely to the bank whilst holding the hand of one very excited little girl who was tripping and skipping over stuff in her excitement to get a good look. So, to show the size of the monster here are Jasmine's and Jaydn's hand for reference
After some very quick photos the beautiful fish was placed carefully back in the lake and we had two very chuffed kiddies bubbling over with joy. A very, very special, memorable day for us all.


And this appeared in this month's newsletter from Elizabeth Dulemba
Card Makers and Colorers!
      Each week I like to feature a card or coloring page created by one of YOU using one of my images that has been uploaded to my gallery.
     Recently, Jadyn's Grandma shared my carp image, which Jadyn colored in celebration of his first fishing trip. How sweet is that!?
      CLICK HERE to visit my gallery, leave Jadyn a note on his Grandma's blog, and submit your own artwork! (You'll need to post it to your own blog first.)
     If I share your work in my newsletter, grab this badge of honor to add to your blog post or sidebar to let everybody know!

 

Tuesday 5 August 2014

Bitsy on the Beach revisited plus Craft Artist Filter tutorial


 
by Rick St. Dennis
Such a little cutie. Bitsy is on holiday and has sent a postcard. Printed onto neenah, coloured with promarkers. Coloured image them imported into Craft Artist 2 where I used the 'Beaches' kit to produce the frame, embellishments, background etc.


This is something I only found out about a few days ago. I had wondered how some crafter's projects really are so striking. They may use the same colours as me but the colours on the finished artwork just pop! So this may seem a short tutorial but it is great fun and if I have room I will add in something extra.
Open Craft Artist 2. Choose Blank Project then A5 Portrait. It will be highlighted in orange, click on O.K. You will now have a screen which reads Browse Digikits/Browse my Items. For this example I will not be using these kits for a moment. Click on Done. You will now have a blank workspace.
Click on Insert and highlight Photo and click on From File and you will have a folder open with your saved images. If your images are not there just open the folder you have been using to save your images. Click on your image and click on open. You will now see a little cross and shaded box. Move your pointer into the center of your workspace and click. You will now have your project in the middle of the page. Follow the tutorial on how to remove the white background and crop the image. When you're happy with your image this is where the fun starts. Left click on the image.


 This is Bitsy without a filter

Place your pointer on the tab which reads Photolab and down the left hand side you will see little photos, I will use Warmer. Left click on the 'warmer' picture and a tiny picture will zoom across the page and land on the right and all sorts of technical stuff will appear. For this example... Click on OK.  You will have a message on screen which reads Would you like to commit filters in the trial zone? Click on yes. You will see that your colours are bolder.

This is Bitsy with one warmer filter applied
And this is Bitsy with two warmer filters applied
I hope you can see the difference and would like to try this technique. There are so many amazing things you can do with your image in the photolab but I just wanted to get you started. And now, by following the other tutorials you can manipulate, resize and frame your image as you wish. Remembering to use the Export option to save (Till I work out the correct way to do things).



Sunday 3 August 2014

Big Sur Outhouse

by Rick St. Dennis
This is the last of the loo's for a while... there is still a Christmas version I would like to colour up but that can wait a while. I was telling my grandson Jaydn that this is what outside toilets could look like in America... if he thinks this is hilarious then maybe I should show him photos of British outside loos... they are downright ugly.
A typical British outside loo 
Outside Toilets Rear of 162 Burgoyne Rd 1981

at least Americans have style!

Big Sur Outhouse designed and drawn by Rick St. Dennis. Printed onto neenah, coloured with promarkers. Frame from The Range. Embellishments and background made in Craft Artist 2.