Techniques on Tuesday - Calligraphy Essentials

A quick share today... of where my "Cheat Calligraphy" went next...

The Basic Black marker pen came out... using both the brush end and the thin end (for a  change)... and here you go...

Part Three... with the just the Thank in black...

And then Part Four ... all in black...

Now which one do you prefer...? Part One & Two were shared here...

A few of my favourite... Stamp Sets...

Thought it was about time I sat down and came up with some Top 10 lists for you... always hard for me to decide... as I have to balance products to be used in different classes, my personal tastes (that may or may not be used in classes!!) and products that will be great all rounders for everyone...

So today it is time for 10 of my Favourite Stamp Sets... which doesn't include any to be found in bundles... as I will do those another day!! Product and project photos shared for you too...

First up, Dandelion Wishes . Anyone that knows me knows I have a think about dandelions... and so do many of my crafty ladies...so we can't wait to get this into action... Available in Wood Mount & Clear Mount

 

Followed closely by Bokeh Dots... what an amazing duo of Distinktive backgrounds... still very en vogue Bokeh and teeny tiny stars.... so useful... Again available in Clear Mount & Wood Mount

 

And a video here for you about the range of Distinktive stamps too... 

And then by Itty Bitty Greetings... as I wouldn't be without a teeny tiny greeting stamp set in my life... both personally and for my classes... such a great all rounder greeting set... and a lovely update on the retired Teeny Tiny Sentiments... available in Wood and Clear Mount...

 

Then Handwritten... a background for virtually every occasion you can think of... such an all-rounder product... again Wood Mount & Clear Mount...

Accented Blooms - read more about this one here...

  

Calligraphy Essentials - see and read more about this one here ... but available on its own or with the great Calligraphy Essentials Project kit (as pictured) or as per this video here...

 

Then Wonderful Moments... many images and words for which I have a void in my stock... and reminiscent of Beautiful You that has been so popular around here... Just available in photopolymer...

  

Enjoy Life... something completely different... but you know how I like my silhouette images... thanks to fellow demo Connie Fitzgerald for its creation... available in photopolymer...

Bubbles & Bubbly... not me really...but I know this will be loved by many of my class ladies...as they are self confessed relaxers in baths... especially with candles and/or a glass of bubbly from time to time for the ultimate in pampering! I personally prefer a shower!!! Available in Wood Mount & Clear Mount...

And finally Treehouse Adventure - dont think this will be bought in any great volume unless you have young boys- but I love it!! I always allow myself one stamp set that grabs my heart.. and yes this is the one... Takes me back to my childhood living on the edge of a forest... and spending hour after hour making and chilling in treehouses... again photopolymer only...

 

So that is my Top 10 in stamp sets... off to make the hard decision for the bundled products next... I may be gone a while as we are spoilt with 33 of them to choose from... 

More Lovely Floral & Calligraphy Essentials

So I took the clean & simple card I made yesterday when I shared the Blender Pen Ombre Technique with you... and carried on colouring some of the embossed areas with my Marker Pens... in Soft Sea Foam and Lemon Lime Twist... 

But then I realised that I had packed my Balmy Blue ready for Monthly Training... so Coastal Cabana and the Blender Pen came to the rescue... as the blending of the Soft Sea Foam & Balmy Blue does look more Coastal Cabana....

Very pretty...

And then the Calligraphy Essentials "thank you" greeting came out... and the same techniques were used on this card... though I will admit that the Coastal Cabana marker pen direct onto the large embossed flower didn't make me 100% happy... 

So I quickly coloured over the whole flower using my trusty AquaPainter & Coastal Cabana ink pad (which I have to point out is a returning all time favourite colour of 90%+ of my crafty ladies!!)... which was better... though I warn you that there is a Part 3 to this tale... some time over the weekend me thinks...

Note that the small flowers are Balmy Blue (with Lemon Lime Twist centres) on this card... 

So here you go... a light bright marker pen blended & embossed duo set of calligraphy cards!

Which one do you prefer?

Calligraphy Essentials Kit & Stamps

Have to pop on and highlight this set... as I think it is well & truly en vogue & very clever...

En vogue with the very popular creative theme of the moment of calligraphy...

And very clever in that you can learn & practice calligraphy with the kit... but you can also "cheat" with the words in the stamps!! Yay!

Click on the picture below to go straight to the product video...

First up the lovely Calligraphy Essentials stamp set... which I have had first play with today... and I am loving it... so be sure to carry onto the end of this post for my creative share including a new simple technique to make the words pop...

Wonderfully large sized words... perfect for cardmaking, scrapbooking and home decor... Available in both clear and wood mount

And there is the co-ordinating Calligraphy Essentials Project Kit 

Learn modern script calligraphy while creating a selection of hand-lettered cards. What's not to love...

* Makes 16 cards, 4 each of 4 designs
* Folded card size: 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" (10.8 x 14 cm) 

Kit includes:
* 16 printed card bases and 16 printed envelopes
* 8 sheets of laser-cut labels
* 13 calligraphy practice sheets
* 50 adhesive-backed sequins.

Coordinating colours: Coastal Cabana, Grapefruit Grove, Lovely Lipstick, Pear Pizzazz

Finished off with the co-ordinating Marker Pen duo in new Lovely Lipstick & returning Coastal Cabana

And so back to my first play.... using a bit of Blender Pen ombre technique...  as I have just called it! 

I am sure that I will also be using the Stampin Blends a-plenty with these lovely stamped words.. but as they are not available right now... and I had just opened up my brand new top up markers... it seemed rude not to use Many Marvellous Markers... and I am very happy with the result...

I embossed the panel with the gorgeous Lovely Floral embossing folder...

I used the paler colour Soft Sea Foam marker pen to colour in all the word...

And then the darker Balmy Blue marker ... to highlight the tops of the word... 

 Both to be found in the Subtles Collection pack...

I then grabbed my Blender Pen... and blended the colours ... though I have forgotten to take a close up!!! So look at the S in the picture below... which is the only one blended!!

 And here they are all blended... Blender Pen Ombre...

More on this card  - and a matching pair - another day! But I had to pop on and tell you about the Blender Pen Ombre technique straight away!!