A Little Penny Black Magic by Nancy Sheads for the Queen's Ink

Welcome back to The Queen's Inkling!

Nancy here today with another Copic holiday project featuring 

the Joy to the World, Believe, and Joyful Wishes stamp sets from Penny Black and

new holiday design papers from the Vintage Christmas Collection by Authentique,

all available at The Queen's Ink.

I love the adorable cats, mice, and hedgehogs featured in many of the Penny Black stamp sets. I hope you do too because I'm going to be featuring more of them in future blog posts. The images are perfect for someone just starting with Copic markers because they are quick and easy to color with a limited number of markers. I also like to mix and match different styles of paper and stamps. Initially, I thought that I wanted a background that was brighter, contemporary, and more graphic. However, the traditional pattern of Authentique's Vintage Christmas Four ended up being the perfect complement to this fun and quirky Penny Black critter, adding visual interest without competing with the central image. 

Students often ask me about the paper that I use for Copic coloring. I've experimented with various papers suggested for use with Copic markers, including papers by Hammermill, Neenah, Cougar, and Spectrum Noir. When selecting a paper, my testing criteria includes:

1. Does the paper have a smooth surface? A rough or textured paper may create a drag on the marker as you color, affecting blending of the ink.
2. How easily does it blend? Some papers work better than others for achieving a smooth ink blend.
3. Does the ink feather or over saturate the paper? 
4. How well does the paper interact with colorless blender? Important if you are using blender for special effects or color removal.
5. Is the paper acid-free? 

Papers recommended by some of my friends were not necessarily a good choice for me. I found that X-Press It Blending Card by Copic works best with my particular style of coloring so that is the paper that I use for personal projects as well as projects in the classroom.  If you'd like to give it a try, stop by the Queen's Ink where you'll find not only X-Press It, but a wide range of Copic markers and other supplies that the store has to offer.

Supplies

Paper: Neenah Solar White 110# (card base); X-Press It Blending Card by Copic; Bazzill Basics in Devil Red; Vintage Christmas Four by Authentique 

Stamps: Joy to the World by Penny Black (image); Believe by Penny Black (front sentiment); Joyful Wishes by Penny Black (inside sentiment)

Inks: Memento in Tuxedo Black by Tsukineko; Versafine in Onyx Black by Tsukineko 

Dies: A2 Matting Basics A by Spellbinders; A2 Matting Basics B by Spellbinders 

Copics: E00, E02, C3, C5, RV10 (cat); R35, R46, R59, YG03, YG67 (gift); E30, E31 (shadow)