Coloring for the Holidays 2

Book Cover

Today's coloring assignment came from the coloring book Merry Christmas by Alexandra Dannenmann. I purchased my copy from Amazon for $5.39. There are 30 different designs that all appear on black backgrounds for ease of coloring. The illustrations are simpler in design and not overly complicated which might be more amenable to younger audiences. The book is an odd size in that the pages are 8.5 inches square.

Back Cover

The paper is of a lower quality in that it is a much thinner paper than most adult coloring books. I used Copic markers and Sharpies for my sample. These pages would best be used with non-wet media, like crayons or colored pencils. The paper is super absorbent so blending with wet media doesn't really happen. Wet on wet blending is non-existent. I don't know if blending solutions (e.g., Gamsol) would blend colored pencils very well. Because of the porous nature of the paper, there is some feathering with the alcohol based markers and the Sharpie marker that I used was somewhat problematic. The page is only printed on one side so bleed through is less an issue but you will definitely need a coloring sheet beneath the page you are using if you plan on using markers.

Another difficulty is that the book has a glued spine, which usually isn't a problem, but there are no perforations so the book is meant to be kept whole. I discussed yesterday how I like to separate the pages of my book. When I tried, I got a deckled edge on the left side (glued side) of the pages.

Deckled left edge

As for coloring the page, the illustrations are pleasant enough. In the design below, you can see how blending can become an issue. Originally, I didn't like the dark green color of the holly leaves. To lighten up the color, I used the blender pen to remove some of the color. Then I would normally fill in the lighter areas with a complementary color. As you can see below, after removing the color, the page wouldn't accept another color and I couldn't blend a color either. The paper is so porous I had to leave it as is. While not a catastrophe, it isn't what I wanted.

Also, on the candle, I decided to highlight the artist's design on the candle with a bronze metallic Sharpie pen. You can see how the pen feathered a bit. Granted, I used a fine tip marker. If I had an extra fine tip I might have had a little more control but I think that the metallic extra fine tip markers only come in oil-based paint pens.

Finished page

The first edition of this book was dated 2016 so the publishers should know the expectations of the market when dealing with these books. There should be no reason why a higher quality paper isn't used. Having perforations is pretty standard in these books.

I do like the simpler designs and I will probably color another page or two with non-wet media. I am a fan of the black background because it can hide a variety of coloring sins (especially sloppy coloring).

Note: In an effort for full disclosure, I have purchased all of these items myself and I am not being compensated for my thoughts/reviews.

Coloring for the Holidays

Front Cover

During this holiday season, I will be sharing my thoughts regarding some of the coloring options available for those last minute decorating ideas. I will review coloring books, postcards, gift tags and various other options available through Amazon or Michaels. As an effort of full disclosure, I have purchased all of these items myself and I am not being compensated for my thoughts/reviews.

The first item I would like to share is the holiday coloring book by Design Originals called Merry & Bright. I purchased mine from Michaels but it is also available through Amazon. It retails for $5.99.

Colored by Russ Romano

This is the page that I chose to color using my Copic Markers. The book offers a variety of different styles of coloring from six different artists. You can find designs from Hello Angel, Jenny Newland, Robin Pickens, Thaneeya McArfle, William Vanderdasson and Valerie McKeehan.

The illustrations include bold line designs, lettering, thin line designs, micro coloring, and mandala/zentangle type designs. I will define these terms as I go (these are my descriptions and include my preferences/biases).

The design I chose is by Valerie McKeehan and is in the lettering style. This design is primarily based on hand lettering or font usage. When I need an easier (read faster) coloring assignment, I choose one of these images. There isn't a lot of cryptic deciphering necessary. These are broad areas needing color.

I do appreciate that each page is attributed to its designer and is printed at the bottom of each page.

NOTE: As a courtesy to the publishing company and the artists, I will not be providing an uncolored version of the page. Some enterprising people on the Internet have found ways to take these uncolored images and print them for their personal profit. I do not wish to contribute to that enterprise. As an artist who is dependent on these types of products, I want to support the artists so they can receive what is due them through commissions/book sales.

Inside Back Cover

I have included a photo of the inside back cover so you can see some of the other styles available in this book.

Back Cover

People ask me often why I separate the pages of my book when I color. I primarily use markers for my coloring and many times I forget to insert a coloring sheet. I also like the liberty I get when I can rotate the page without having to worry about spines and resist putting my wrists against a stack of paper. As you can see below, there is quite a lot of bleed through when using alcohol based markers. The quality of paper is good and would probably be good for any non-wet medium. On the back of each page there is a quotation written in light grey ink. There are also lines for writing. I don't know why this is done since it becomes useless when using markers. I am very happy to report that there wasn't any feathering of the ink so the paper receives ink very well.

I really like this book and will eventually color more pages. I also have some ideas for the finished pages that I will share at a later time.

Happy 2014

Welcome to 2014. I will have to say that 2013 was a great year for me regarding crafting, creating, and blogging. As for the successes, I am the most proud that:

(1) I finished the sketchbook project (click on the NYJournal link below to see all of those posts);

(2) I finished all 26 Iron Craft 2013 projects (click on the IronCraft13 link below to see all of those posts);

(3) I shared 52 handmade greeting cards throughout the year (one per week--click on the WeeklyCard link to see all of these posts);

(4) I shared my collection of craft books (click on the BookReview link to see all of these posts);

(3) I blogged every weekday for the entire year;

(4) I blogged all 31 days of October for the Halloween Challenge;

(5) I started linking my posts to Facebook and Pinterest

I will share some of my 2014 resolutions with you tomorrow. Happy New Year and I send you wishes for a great, fabulous and prosperous New Year.

On My Bookshelf

Still reeling from the wonders of Christmas, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite holiday books--Artists' Christmas Cards compiled by Steven Heller.  There isn't much to this book other than a picture collection of Christmas cards curated by Steven Heller who was the former art director of theNY Times Op-Ed page.

There are no explanations or details--just greeting cards circa 1979. Out of print and not a must have but it still is a fun journey into the sentiments of the 1970s.

On My Bookshelf

I am always on the lookout for books dealing with gift wrapping. Whenever I am in a book store of any type, I will search the craft section and the decorative arts sections of the store. This was one of my finds at a discount book store (the great Strand Book Store) in NYC. This is a book by Espen Markussen. There are 100 wrapping ideas that are presented. This is simply a photo book of ideas and provides limited instructions on how to accomplish these designs.

This is a great book for creative motivation/inspiration for some great wrapping ideas.

On My Bookshelf

Today's book is a continuation of my stencil and Japan discussion. The Art of Decorative Paper Stencils by Kanako Yaguchi isn't a book really about stencils; instead, it really is a book about Kirigami (which is Japanese paper folding and cutting).

The author provides patterns based on designs from her worldly travels. She then presents 6 projects that use these "stencils." The book is divided into three sections: tools and techniques; designs, folding and cutting; and projects.

The beautiful of these designs is that the author provides folded and full sized patterns. A great book for reference material and for playing with paper.

On My Bookshelf

Today's selection is a new book to my library. I couldn't continue my discussion of my crafting haul from Japan without a Japan Craft Book to add to the mix. I have collected Japanese craft books ever since I lived there while in the military. I started collecting origami books because you really didn't need to understand the text because the diagrams were enough (Japanese folders where the first to develop the diagram system that is now accepted worldwide as the standard). I then started to collect books on Japanese Mizuhiki (Japanese Paper Cords) and finally I started collecting books on Japanese gift wrapping.

As I was in the airport in Sapporo for my return trip home, I realized that I hadn't had a chance to visit any of the bookstores while in Tokyo. I happened upon an airport bookstore and asked for origami books. Within the selection of books the attendant brought me was this book (roughly translated as Wonderful Disney Cutouts) by March Sakura (I am sure that is a nom de plume).

The book contains 41 cutout projects based on Disney characters. The author provides templates for artwork, ornaments, greeting cards and candle screens. Most of the designs are self explanatory and the cover shows two framed examples of the type of projects available (note: since most of the templates are full sized models, I chose not to share any of the patterns to protect them from being used/distributed online without purchasing the book).

I might have to start collecting a new type of Japanese craft book.

(Disclaimer--I do not speak or read Japanese. I had one of my coworkers translate the title and profile for me).

On My Bookshelf

As you read this, I will returning home to the United States from spending 10 days in traveling Japan. I will have visited Nagoya, Tokyo and Sapporo. Last week, I mentioned an ebook that I purchased as a guide to fabric and notions shopping while in Tokyo. The second book that I purchased was the Kindle version of Tokyo Shopping Guide by Marceline Smith.

This guide is very similar to the Tour Guide Books that are available for any major city but the beauty of this book is that it highlights the craft stores of Tokyo and other major cities in Japan. The book highlights the major, and many minor, craft stores in Tokyo. There are also shopping guides to Tokyo areas for shopping and sightseeing. The author also provides many opportunities for other non-shopping excursions (many of which have the possibility of buying souvenirs). The primary excursion that I tried to fit into my itinerary was the Ghigli Museum.

The author also provides a limited mini-guide to Osaka and Kyoto. Finally, the author provides very insightful tips to make your trip to Japan even more meaningful. Highly, highly recommended.

On My Bookshelf

By the time you read this post, I will have spent almost a week traveling in Japan. I decided to get two e-books to research some of the craft shopping in Tokyo. The first book is Tokyo Craft Guide (available here) by Frances Arikawa and Angela Salisbury. Although the primary topic of crafting is fabric and notions, there are a variety of other crafting supplies presented in the book.

Rather than featuring specific stores, the authors highlight "shopping adventures" that are condensed into 6 shopping excursions. Within each area, the authors list stores of interest as well as other tidbits of information that turn a shopping trip into a shopping excursion. The authors provide information about cafes and eateries, other interesting places to shop, parks and rest areas, kid friendly areas and those secret spots to find air conditioning, dry spaces and heated areas when the weather isn't cooperating.

This is a well researched book and is presented in a concise, friendly manner. A must have guide for those fabric shoppers out there who are visiting Tokyo.

On My Bookshelf

Today's book is a compilation of ideas from PaperCrafts magazine called The Big Book of Holiday Paper Crafts. This isn't so much an instruction or technique book than a gallery of paper crafts--namely, handmade greeting cards (which is the basis of the PaperCrafts magazine).

Similar the to the magazine, the book provides photos of card fronts that are decorated with a variety of styles, ephemera, and techniques--the primary techniques being stamped and college images. There are sections for decorating, gift giving and wrapping with paper crafts.

This is a nice reference book for when you get stuck or are in a creative rut. The beauty of the book is that all cards are required to list the products that were used in each project so if you see something that you like it is very easy to track it down.

Simple decorations:
Cards, glass vase and ornaments

On My Bookshelf

This week's book is another one of those books that offers no new information or techniques but still is a must have. If you have been following this blog, you will know of my infatuation with Image Transfers. This addition to my bookcase is another book to add to my collection without adding a greater understanding of the topic. Today's book is Playing with Image Transfers by Courtney Cerruti.

If you are interested in learning how to play with Image Transfers then this is a great book for you. This is a no nonsense explanation of five different transfer techniques: packing tape, blender pen, acetone, gel skin medium and acrylic transfers. Once the techniques are clearly explained, the author offers 19 projects to illustrate your newly learned skills--or as I like to say, projects upon which to practice. For anyone that has any experience with image transfer will say--you must practice until you master a particular technique or practice until you find a technique that works for you.

The most interesting part of the book for me (since I had already learned, and practiced, these techniques) was the gallery and resource sections of the book.

Gallery Sample

This is a great book for any beginner to image transfers. For those already familiar with the process, this book will add no new content to your library.

On My Bookshelf

Today's book is reviewed in preparation of the upcoming holiday season--Ruby Star Wrapping by Melody Miller and Allison Tannery. The basis of the book is the Japanese concept of gift wrapping--where the wrapping and the thoughtfulness put in the process of gift wrapping are more important than the gift itself.

The authors advocate for using materials that can be re-purposed for future use or wrapping that re-uses or upcycles materials. While most of the project are fabric based, several of the project use paper or can be adapted using paper products. 

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in gift wrapping, recycling, fabric, sewing, or paper goods. Highly recommended.

On My Bookshelf--31 Days of Halloween--Day 25

In keeping with this week's theme of last minute Halloween, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite resource books for Halloween--Spooky Halloween Silhouettes by Jeffery Rudell. There isn't anything extraordinary about this book other than there are actual perforated die cut silhouettes that you can remove from the book and simply place in your window for instant decorations. The book is oversized at 12 inches (width) by 15 inches (height).

A must have for any Halloween decorating addict.

Front Cover

List of available silhouettes

Full Disclosure: Neither Amazon., nor the author, have provided any compensation for this review. This book was purchased online without a personal perusal before purchase.

On My Bookshelf--31 Days of Halloween--Day 18

This week's book is the companion book to last week. This is a continuation of the Papel Picado tradition and is called Making Magic Windows by Carmen Lomas Garza. This book was the book that I was searching for since it actually has patterns available for cutting out. There are 8 projects in the book with patterns. The book contains plenty of illustrations, hints, and pointers on how to cut Papel Picado. My only regret was that there were no Day of the Dead patterns which I was hoping to find for Halloween. Otherwise, a very useful book for those people interested in paper crafts, paper cutting, and ethnic crafts.

Book Cover

Project #1

Full Disclosure: Neither Amazon., nor the author, have provided any compensation for this review. This book was purchased online without a personal perusal before purchase.

On My Bookshelf--31 Days of Halloween--Day 11

Today's book is one in the series of books by Carmen Lomas Garza who is a famous paper artist known for her work in Papel Picado. Her books deal with the artwork called Magic Window or Ventanas Magicas. Rather than the panels and banners normally associated with Papel Picado, Garza works in the window decorations known as Ventanas Magicas.

One of the common themes in Papel Picado is the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) celebrations which is often associated with Halloween in the United States.

The book offers a great explanation of the medium and artwork associated with Magic Windows. The illustrations are colorful and very well done. My only disappointment was that I was expecting patterns and cutting instructions on how to complete the projects presented but unfortunately, this was not the scope/intent of the book.


Full Disclosure: Neither Amazon., nor the author, have provided any compensation for this review. This book was purchased online without a personal perusal before purchase.

On my Bookshelf

Today's book has to be one of my favorite bookbinding books and to me is the gold standard of how craft books should be designed. I must first say that I might be a little biased because this is one of my favorite authors that deals with bookbinding and journaling--Gwen Diehn. I have every book of hers that deals with these topics. Today's book is Real Life Journals--Designing and Using Handmade Books.

What is very special about this book is the way it is laid out. It is the perfect combination of techniques, illustrations, explanations, and examples. The book is divided into six chapters: Design Inventory, The Basics, Binding Instructions (putting the pages together), Cover Instructions (how to add the covers to your bound pages), and Journals Past and Present.

The Instructions and details are well done and illustrated. She includes two mini-booklets titled Choose Your Own Bookbinding Adventure and Bookbinding Essentials. What makes the book most successful, though, are the chapters associated with actual journals that she has designed.

In Chapter Two, she presents journals that she has made for clients. The beauty of this section is that she actually revisits the clients after they have had time to work in their new journal to see what worked and what didn't. I think that this is a brilliant idea. I have often wondered if my clients liked their handmade books after receiving the book. Did you like the covers, were the bindings too tight, did it lay flat enough for your needs, did it splay open when you were finished adding material to it, etc. It was beautiful for her to analyze the books and talk with the clients after they used it.

Another very successful chapter is Chapter Six: Journals Past and Present. The chapter presents profiles of people from all walks of life who journal and they discuss the process of journaling and talk about actual pages from their journals. The chapter ends with a gallery of journal pages.

Although I am a little biased, this book is very, very, very, very (yes that is a fourth very) recommended for anyone interested in bookbinding, journaling, scrapbooking, paper arts, and creativity--that's right, recommended for EVERYONE.

Full Disclosure: Neither Amazon., the author, nor artists have provided any compensation for this review. This book was purchased online without a personal perusal before purchase.

On My Bookshelf

There is so much to like about this week's book--Cut Up This Book by Emily Hogarth. The book is one of my favorite books dealing with papercutting projects. It is one of those books that just makes you happy by glancing through the pages.

The book is divided into four sections--An Introduction and History of Paper Cutting, Techniques, Projects and Templates. The templates are full sized so you are instructed to cut them out for your own projects (not that anyone could ever cut up this book). The techniques are thoroughly discussed and the projects are presented in a clear and well documented fashion. One of my favorite aspects of the projects is that all of them are rated from 1 (easiest) to 3 (most difficult). Most projects are rated 1 or 2 (there is only one project is rated with a 3).

This book is highly recommended for anyone who is interested in papercutting, paper crafts, or scrapbooking.

Sample Project--
Cut Paper Frame

Full Disclosure: Neither Amazon., the author, nor artists have provided any compensation for this review. This book was purchased online without a personal perusal before purchase.

Coming This Week

When time allows, I will try and visit with you over the weekend to preview the coming week so you can plan your daily lives around my future postings. This is the first in the series and we will see how well it works.

For the weekly card, I will share with you the latest Birthday Card that I gave a great friend this past weekend. This was the prototype and I have already designed two separate variations that I will share with you in future weeks.

Another post will deal with the lessons I learned using glitter.

The final posting in Envelope Challenge (Envelope #5) will complete the series and I will share all of the envelopes side by side so you can compare them and see my doodle trends.

I will also share with you some of my inspiration for the upcoming Halloween season. It's not too early to start thinking about Halloween, is it?

Finally, I will have another book review for you.

I hope to see you this week--Russ

On My Bookshelf

The week's book is one of my favorite books dealing with color theory and watercolor. I purchased the book thinking I was going to get lessons in making art journal pages. Most of the book deals with fabric painting but the lessons learned are applicable to making scrapbook/art journal pages. Dreaming from the Journal Page by Melanie Testa is divided into six sections: The What (Basic Materials), Color, Techniques, Drawing, Challenges, and Gallery.

The most helpful sections for me were Chapter Two (Color Theory) and Chapter Six (Gallery). There are a variety of different techniques discussed include color gradation, resists, image transfer, collage, stencils, and rubber stamps. Most of the techniques deal with watercolors (primarily) and fabric painting/dying.

Gallery Page

This book is very helpful for those people interested in creativity, watercolor(s), fabric painting, and art journaling. The illustrations are clear and decisive and are very easy to follow.

Full Disclosure: Neither Amazon., the author, nor artists have provided any compensation for this review. This book was purchased online without a personal perusal before purchase.

On My Bookshelf

This week's book is a recent addition to my growing collection of Origami books. I used to have many more books about origami but I donated a good portion of them years ago when my library was just getting too large to manage. The difficulty with origami books is that you either love them or hate them.

There are mainly two types of books--those that are diagrammed and those that are illustrated (usually with pictures). Either type has its followers and you usually follow one style or the other. If you are well versed in the directions/symbols of basic origami, you tend to follow the first type. If you are relatively new or don't care for the diagrams you tend to follow the second. The difficulty with the second type, for me, is that you really have to compare and concentrate on the pictures to notice the differences between step one and step two in order to know what to do. Today's book is of the second school of teaching.

The Simple Art of Japanese Papercrafts by Mari Ono provides instructions for 24 projects ranging from simple cranes to more elaborate decorative arts pieces. The illustrations are well photographed and easy to follow, although the written instructions are a little bit less successful. The author does provide some non-traditional methods, mainly cutting and gluing, that normally aren't found in regular origami books.

This is a basic book with mainly standard projects that can be found online or in other books. I have used many of the projects for Japanese themed parties to hold food, presents and hostess gifts. Recommended for the novice folder or those wanting to add to their collection.

My only gripe about the book is that it comes with "origami paper" which really is misleading. The 50 sheets of paper provided are not washi (the traditional origami folding paper) but rather plain paper that has been printed with traditional origami designs. There is a difference but unfortunately that difference is lost on the marketers of "origami paper" here in the United States.

Japanese origami boxes

Full Disclosure: Neither Amazon., the authors, nor artists have provided any compensation for this review. This book was purchased online without a personal perusal before purchase.