One of my favourite crafts is Scrapbooking; not only is it a chance to be creative but it’s a great way to preserve your family history, memories and photos – as well as reliving all the great times as you work on your pages!

Scrapbooking is most commonly done on 12”x12” acid free papers, although some people scrap on 8”11.5”, 8”x8” and 6”x6” as well as mini books – so there is lots of variety for anyone wanting to start out with this craft – if you are already a card maker or paper crafter you probably have most of the materials you need already!

Today I’m showing you how you can incorporate colouring pencils into your scrapbooking. Quite recently crafters have started experimenting more with different mediums on their pages and I wanted to show that your colouring pencils are not limited to just colouring in stamped images to use on your page, there are lots of other uses too. So here is my step-by step scrapbook page…

Supply List – Derwent Coloursoft Pencils, White 12”x12” cardstock, Kraft Cardstock, die cutting machine or punches, adhesive, piercing tool, embroidery thread and needle, black journaling pen, embellishments and a photograph.

First, I cut a piece of Kraft paper to 11” x 5.5”, then using my Cricut Expression (die cutting machine) I  cut some bunting, butterflies and flowers. I’m actually going to be colouring the negative shapes but I kept hold of the die cut butterflies to add to the layout (you could also use punches if you don’t have a die cutting machine.)

Using a piercing tool and ruler I made holes 0.5cm apart all around the Kraft paper and stitched round with 2 strands of coral embroidery thread.

I then rounded the corners using a corner rounder punch and adhered about an inch from the bottom of my white 12x12” sheet of cardstock, I also rounded two of the corners of my photo and adhered next to the die cut area.

Using my Coloursoft pencils I blended the colour carefully through the die cut areas (use a blending stump to get into the small areas) I kept the colours quite fresh, using only one or two colours in each area and blending as I went.

I then coloured in the die cut Kraft paper butterflies, also with Coloursoft pencils and stuck to my layout with glossy accents (by curling the wings up slightly first and sticking just the middle down it gives a great 3D effect to your layout which will also flatten down when you want to pop the layout in your album.)

Using a black journaling pen I doodled over the top of my colouring to add lots of details.  I also added some white gel pen and glitter to small areas to add highlights. One of the great things about Coloursoft pencils is you can draw back over the top of them with a black pen to add details etc…!)

A few finishing touches, embellishments and a journaling card to tell the story behind the picture and my layout was complete!

You could also try…

• Doodling onto your page
• Journaling in rainbow colours
• Stamping and colouring a repeat background to create your own patterned paper

Thanks so much for looking, I hope this inspires you to try colouring pencils in your scrapbooking projects – please do share you links here or on the Derwent Facebook page, we’d love to see them!

I’ll be back soon with more crafty projects!

Sarah x

www.sarahhurley.com

We love crafting here at Derwent, so who better to show us some great techniques and projects than super-crafter Sarah Hurley? Sarah will be bringing us lots of fun and colourful ways to craft using Derwent products so keep your eyes peeled... take it away Sarah!

Today I’m sharing with you a Valentine’s card using Inktense pencils and blocks. They are so versatile and have such bright vibrant colours; I just love using them in my crafting!

I’ll be showing you how to stamp and colour with Inktense…

Supply List – Inktense Blocks, Inktense Pencils, Watercolour Paper, Waterbrush – Derwent, Jar Stamps – Little Musings, Cloud Stamp – Hero Arts, Valentine Stamps – Pink Paislee, Once Upon a Princess Cartridge (Cricut Expression) – Provocraft, Staz-on Ink Pad, Kraft Card, Water Spray Bottle 

Firstly I stamped two jars (in case of a mistake or smudge!) using a Staz-on ink pad (this is a solvent based waterproof ink so won’t run and spoil my image once I start to add colour) onto watercolour paper. Using the Inktense pencils, I added some Bright Blue to the edges and bottom of the jar and some Teal Green to the inside of the jar (very lightly) then, using a water brush I blended the colour out using lots of water as I wanted the colour to be very feint to give the effect of glass.

Once this was dry I added some Black to the edges of the lid and some White in the centre and blended with a water brush. While the lid was still wet I added more White to highlight and blended (the colours are more intense when used on wet paper.)

While the jars were drying I cut a piece of watercolour paper to 13 x 9.5cms, using the Inktense blocks dry I coloured the cloud stamp with two shades of blue (you can add colour to a dry stamp but it won’t stamp until you wet the stamp or stamp onto wet paper) I then misted lightly with water using a spray bottle and stamped onto the watercolour paper – set aside to dry.

I then cut a piece of Kraft card to 14 x 10cms and using my Cricut Expression I cut a heart shape in the middle. I then rounded the corners and used a red pen to doodle stitching round the heart and the edge of the paper.

When the cloud image was dry I mounted it onto a card blank using double sided tape, then using 3D foam I added the Kraft card over the top, allowing the stamped clouds to peek through the heart.

Once the jar was dry I stamped the hearts inside the jar using the same technique with the Inktense blocks – using them dry onto the stamp and then misting with water. If you miss any parts out (i.e. if too much water goes on one area and dilutes / washes away the colour) you can just touch up the area with your Inktense pencils or a corner of the Inktense block.

I then added the jar to the front of the card with 3D foam, and a stamped greeting to the top left corner.

Some of my Top Tips! 

• Using the Inktense blocks directly onto your stamp is a great technique to achieve a watercolour effect for backgrounds etc
• For more precision you can use Inktense pencils onto specific areas of the stamp
• The more water you add, the more blurred and painterly your image will be when you stamp
• Bear in mind as you flip the stamp over some water will run, mixing the colours; if you want to avoid this look then wet the paper instead of the stamp, this will also make your colours brighter.
• For a more intense colour, wet your stamp with the mister first and then add colour to the stamp.

 

I love discovering new things with these pencils & blocks. They are so versatile, I’m sure you’ll be seeing more of my experiments popping up here soon!

www.sarahhurley.com

 

When Derwent first asked me to write a blog piece for them, they said I could write about anything I liked – straight away I thought “Coloursofts”!

 

Ever since they sent me their products to try Coloursoft pencils have been my number one favourite, I love the softness of these pencils, the way they blend so easily & the vibrancy of the colours. They have an almost buttery texture that goes on so smoothly and blends like a dream!  You can see here how you can use the colours to make light and shade leaving no harsh lines and how you can even mix the colours as in the last one using blue and pink to create purple, gorgeous!

 

 

In the craft world at the moment, colouring in is a big trend, its gives us that feeling of a simpler time, when you were little and would sit with a colouring book for hours, it's so soothing to use your stamps and spend a few hours just colouring them in ready to use on cards and craft projects.

Here I’ve used one of the very popular ‘Magnolia’ images of a little girls and coloured with my Coloursofts.

 

 

 

I start by adding the blush to her cheeks using the Red pencil very softly; I then add shading to her face using the Orange and Rust colours before using the Orange pencil very lightly to blend over the whole face, using circular motions to blend the colours as I go.

 

 

 

The face looks a little orange at this point as if my Magnolia has been fake tanned! So I blend the White pencil over the whole face, this tones the colour down, blends all the colours together perfectly (using a lighter colour over the whole area gives it a lovely shiny finish) and used more firmly in area of light, i.e. her nose and forehead gives a highlight to her face.

 

 

 

 

With the hand I don’t colour the whole hand, just the shading, I then use the White pencil to blend the pigment out over the white area to show where the highlights will fall – the pigment is so soft that you can use a white pencil to move the pigment around a little bit and blend outwards – just remember to scribble on some scrap paper between uses so you don’t contaminate your colours!

 

 

 

After colouring her hair and dress I use a soft cloth to gently buff over the surface to finish the blending and make sure there is no stray pigment. I then use the Burnisher pencil (sold separately) very gently over the top to give the image a shiny finish.

 

 

 

Here is the finished card.

 

 

And some more cards made using stamped images with my Coloursoft pencils.

 

 

Bear in mind I’ve only used a set of 12 to do these images, with all 72 colours you could create even more detailed images – the possibilities are endless!

 

 

 

My top tips!

• Start with the darker areas and use your lighter colours to blend into and over them so there are no harsh lines
• Make use of the White pencil – it really is a fantastic tool for blending and moving pigment around as well as for creating highlights
• Blend blend blend! Make sure you keep a soft cloth, blending stump or some kitchen roll next to you as you work
• For animals and surfaces with texture don’t use the Burnisher, the texture of the pencils makes them look almost fluffy and more realistic (as you can see from the chicks on my step by step card)
• Keep your pencils and paper clean of pigment, dust the image lightly as you go to remove stray pigment and clean the tips of your pencils by scribbling on some scrap paper so you don’t muddy your colours
• Keep a light pressure – you can always add colour and build up but its much harder to take it away and tone it down
• Keep practising – there are NO mistakes in crafting only experiments!

Have fun!

 

Thanks so much to Sarah for her fantastic post on just how easy it is to incorporate colour into your crafting projects!

 

For more information on Sarah Hurley visit her website www.sarahhurley.com

Or you can 'Like' her on Facebook www.facebook.com/SarahHurleyDesign

 

 

 

The fabulous Craft Test Dummies reviewed our lovely Inktense Pencils on their blog and kindly let us share it with you!

"One of the most versatile craft products you can have in your studio (right behind a good pair of scissors and a glue stick) is a nice set of watercolor pencils. While “regular” colored pencils are fine in a pinch, water-soluble pencils play “two-fer”: you can use them as both a pencil AND as a watercolor paint.

Recently, the nice folks at Derwent (in the UK, no less!) sent me a set of their Inktense Pencils - as they say, can be  “used to create a diverse range of art from Japanese Manga to vibrant silk painting; traditional watercolours to stunning botanical illustrations.” I thought, sure!

I cracked open the 12-pencil set in a tin and was greeted by the lovely aroma of fresh pencils. Ah, the memories of school came flooding back! But these are FAR and away better than anything I used at school.

So, you know me by now. The first thing I did was a little swatching. AND I made a video!

 

 

You can see that there is some opacity on the darker colors- the yellow on the black cardstock, for example.  I really love how you can see through the pencil in the sheet music sample. And I’ve determined that if you want to use Derwent Inktense pencils as a palette for watercolor painting, use glossy cardstock. It won’t absorb any of the pigment, so you get the best watercolor paint! (Good to know, right?)

The website said that you can use Inktense pencils for painting on silk, so I tried that. Now, I don’t have a set-up for this (no screen) so I just did a little watercoloring on the silk. (The end result is above.)

So what else can I tell you about Derwent Inktense pencils? Good on a variety of mediums, these are now my preferred watercolor pencils to take with my travel journal."

So there you have it! A fantastic and comprehensive review of how great Inktense are for all manner of crafty projects! So the question is: what will you make?

You can follow Craft Test Dummies on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook!

We know how it feels; getting your pencils out and wondering where to start! Faced with a blank page, it's not always easy to know where to begin.

We've come up with some brilliantly simple step-by-step projects for you to learn the basics of everything from sketching to using colour in your work. Derwent teamed up with artist extraordinaire Fiona Peart to create some easy drawings to complete – why not try this one for yourself & see how simple it is to create a striking sketch using just 3 Sketching pencils!

Simply click on the link below & you can download a printable project sheet.

Sketching Project Sheet.pdf (986.28 kb)