Seashore Collection

I can hardly keep up here with all the new stamps we have coming out.  A couple of weeks ago we released a new Seashore Collection to trade and it’s now all up on the Graphicus website.  In case you didn’t know, the Graphicus site has a “What’s New” page which tells you what has been added to the website and when.  Carrie keeps it up to date when she puts new products on the site.

We have three new A5 sized themeplates with a Seashore theme and they are really lovely to work with.

Underwater

Seashore Scene

Seashell Collage

Here’s another card I made at the open day – a simple seagull on a post with a sea coloured with Copic markers.  The background is another of my ‘mop up’ backgrounds with a seashell stamped over it in black.  It’s funny how sometimes things stand out more obviously in a photograph than they do in the real thing.  Ignore the wonky horizon because that is just a bit of lens distortion from the camera (honest!).  No the thing that struck me when I saw the photo was that the post should have a shadow.   It’s looking a little floaty at the moment.

So out came the Copics again and here it is with a shadow.

I’m still not happy with the wonky words, but I can always re-do those on a separate piece of card and stick it on.

Here’s another card, this time with the Lighthouse, again coloured with Copic Ciao markers.  The orange layer is glossy card brayered with Desert Heat Kaleidacolour.  The little brass charm boat was coloured with the Copic markers – they’re alchohol based so they dry on metal.  The background card is stamped with VersaMagic chalk ink in a colour appropriately named Sea Breeze.

If you take part in the Graphicus Challenges, this card is a classic example of complimentary colours being used to draw attention to the main image.  The orange against the blue draws your eye in and makes the whole panel really pop against orange’s opposite colour, blue.

July’s challenge is to use harmonious colours, but in August, we’re challenging you to use contrasting colours like this.  You can read about our challenges (and how to win prizes) over on the Graphicus Challenge page.

Well I hope you like them, I think they give lots of scope for more masculine cards and of course they can be  used in conjunction with Cuthbert (Seaside Ted).  They’re lovely to play with on Stampbord too – Lynn and I have both featured them in an upcoming Stampbord Masterclass which is coming out in Simply Cards and Papercraft next month (issue 61 on sale 20th August I believe).

I’ve almost finished unpacking from the open days, but it’s a slow process as I keep stopping to make up cards with all the bits and pieces that I produced on the day. I’m sure I’ll have more to show you by the time I’ve finished.

PS: Graphicus Guild members will enjoy a discount on the A5 themeplates in the July issue of the Guild newsletter.

PPS: Derrick (touching anything wooden as I type this) seems to be doing a lot better – many thanks for all your well wishes.