Thursday, May 16, 2013

A new tutorial on Splitcoaststamers: Traced Doodling technique :O)


Sorry to be missing from the blog for so long (again) I'm still working on the transition from
 'depressed computer-obsessed hermit' to 'healthier real-world social butterfly' ;o) I'm still looking for my missing 'blog voice'. I really need to learn to keep posts more simple so I can pop in more, but you know me, they always turn into sprawling missives with 100 different things!

Traced Doodle Butterfly Card

Craftwise, I haven't been doing much (the mojo is still hibernating), but I did spend some time
making a new tutorial for Splitcoaststampers. It's kind of a fun way to change up older stamps:
 the Traced Doodling technique...






Traced Doodling was inspired by Lydia's fab "no line coloring" video. Except it's completely reversed: we're adding lines to a solid stamped image and treating it like an outline image instead. 

Lydia (of Understand Blue fame) always inspires me to look at stamps in a whole new way. Lydia was inspired by Holly who was inspired by Zoe. (Don't you just love those chains of creative inspiration?)





There are all kinds of variations to this technique that I can't wait to share with you. I even made a video showing some of them. The video is sort of awful technically, but it was so exciting to finally get over the fear of making my first video. I'll be sharing it soon.

 Hero Arts 'Thank You' die - traced doodling card

Of course, you can trace anything to create the doodled look. This is a Hero Arts 'Thank You' die cut sentiment. (I always feel like the die cut sayings benefit from having something added to them to make them pop so they're easier to read) :-D 

The watercolour effect that is layered under the die cut was created using Distress Paints. To get a softer effect with them, I sprayed a piece of watercolour paper (coldpress 140lb) with plenty of water and then dabbed directly onto that with the Distress Paints (and added another spray of water to blend). If you wanted to, you could get the same effect with Distress Inks, or Stains or other inks and water and a large paintbrush.

True tracing option...


You could use do this Traced Doodling with a light table (by stamping and laying a piece of paper over the stamped image on the light table and tracing the outlines). Then you'd be left with just the clean doodled lines and no stamped ink... but I've done the technique with stamping for those who don't have a light table.


(the freebie digital papers
and tidbits used on these two cards)...


.
How to save one of these papers
(directly from my blog): 


PC users in Firefox/Chrome: right click on the image & choose "save link as"

PC users
in Explorer
:
right click on the image & choose "save target as"

.
Mac users: Visit the flickr set here, click the thumbnail for the paper that you want (to open 
its flickr page) Then select all sizes & click on "download the original size of this photo"
.



soft yellow bold stripe
 A2 card PORTRAIT
soft yellow bold stripe - A2 card PORTRAIT or VERICAL



BOLD STRIPE soft yellow 2.5 inches square 350dpi.



A2 card size Pale Grey bold diagonal stripe paper:
DOUBLE pale grey diagonal stripe bold - A2 card LANDSCAPE or HORIZONTAL

12.5" square Pale Grey bold diagonal stripe paper:

 pale_grey_bold_diagonal_stripes_12_and_a_half_inch_SQ_350dpi_melstampz


And here's the Light Batik flower paper
used to line the A2-size envelope:
batik flower paper LIGHT to fit an A2 envelope for lining
(or you can add it to your faves here on flickr)


This digital work is offered up for free, but mainly for personal use only.



Hope you & yours are doing wonderfully,

P.S. I've bought a commercial license for some butterfly vector graphics to share with you since the BasicGrey Bitsy butterfly is extinct (it retired with the Amrobosia collection). I'll post them here as soon as I convert them. :-)

14 comments:

Unknown said...

Gorgeous card and beautiful papers, too!

Tasnim said...

I just saw your tutorial at splitcoaststampers. This technique is so amazing and the card is gorgeous!! Love your tutorials!

Dawn said...

Good to see you kiddo! Yes, LOVE the tut, beautiful card....and alllll the inspiration!!
oxoxo

Glennis F said...

Off to SCS to check it out - nice to see you back again

Trish said...

thank you for these beautiful digi papers! i appreciate your gerousity and your talent!!!

Craftychris said...

Gorgeous cards and thank so much for the papers. Thank you for the inspiration too! xx

linda from arizona said...

So glad to see you back Mel! Even with no freebies we'd still love to hear from you!

Pat (mspfd) said...

Your card is absolutely gorgeous. I love the butterfly. Thanks so much for sharing this technique as well as your lovely digital papers.

Katarina said...

I always get excited when I see a post from you come up next in my (soon-to-be-gone) Google Reader! Off to SCS to check out your tute, maybe it will revive my hibernating mojo as well!

Dodie said...

Love this card. I have been looking like craaaaazzzzzyyy to find this embossing folder. Could you please tell me the details about it? Thanks!

mel m. m. mccarthy said...

Hi Dodie, Thanks for liking my card. The embossing folder is Provo Craft Cuttlebug 'Seeing Spots.' I got mine here: http://www.simonsaysstamp.com/servlet/the-25070/Cuttlebug-A2-Embossing-Folder/Detail I've 'debossed' it on the card. Hope that helps! :o)

alexandra s.m. said...

Hello Mel,

Thank you for your wonderful tutorial and beautiful art.
I also love your papers! How very generous of you to share them with us all! Merci ;-)

Beth Norman-Roberts said...

Congratulations on having this tutorial published on SCS. You are so very talented. We miss you.

Noreen said...

Thanks for the butterflies!

Noreen
http://craftyjournal.com