Leading ladies

 Happy Monday!

Two new sets are live in the Vera Lane Studio Etsy shop!
"Queen of Hearts" and "Coyoacan".

These two sets are are in 300 dpi png format but are available in jpeg by request for tablet users.  The Queens scepter and dagger are designed to fit over the hand. Reverse the images and they can adapt to either the left or right -- use together, alone or without.  "Queen of Hearts" can be used with the other creepy Wonderland characters from Vera Lane Studios.

The Latina Collection is inspired by  a memorable summer living in Cuernavaca using it as a home base to travel.  Coyoacan is a beautiful village and home of Casa Azul, Frida Khalo's home.  This four image digi set is inspired by her love of animals. 


Both sets are open to your interpretation with your paper craft and coloring skills.  Use Vera Lane Studio versatile sets for your art journals, cards, ATCs and more.

 

Blossom is here!

Blossom is a whimsical little miss ready to bring a smile to your crafting table.  She comes with two flowers, a grass patch, butterfly, and two quotes.

Repeat the flowers, reverse, and overlap.  Stretch the grass patch, widen, and layer. Whether you create a lush butterfly garden for Blossom or simply use her alone, my set is designed to give you possibilities to use again and again.

Blossom and other quirky and whimsy characters are exclusively available at my Etsy Shop. 

Like Vera Lane Studio on facebook  for new image updates and samples.  Please feel free to upload your art using Vera Lane characters.


 

New Coffee Cup Collection - Digi Stamps

There are new images in the Vera Lane Studio Etsy shop.  A fun and funky collection of seven assorted coffee cups and mugs and two additional accent stamps.  The loose style lends itself to quick coloring and card making. 

Arrange a page with assorted images of cups. Flip, re-size, overlap, and print.  Place them in a file for a last minute card or tag that can be quickly assembled.  The loose design allows for quick coloring and the simple shapes are fast and easy to cut out. 

See my previous post of how to use colored inks with your digi stamps.  You can easily create a layout and print a set of personalized notes.  Combine with envelopes and tie with a ribbon for a quick and inexpensive gift that was hand-crafted by you!

If you have any questions on how to create your digital layouts please email me.

 

Changing ink colors for digi stamps



There are a variety of ways to work with digi stamps.  Once you

become familiar with the tools in your Word program, the more you will be able to do with your images.  In this tutorial I am using MS Word 2010. 

Since I like to cut out most of my images, it makes sense for me to fill a page prior to printing.  You can take best advantage of your paper real estate by flipping, turning, and resizing your images.  Fill up a 8.5" x 11" sheet --if you are not using all the images right away you have them on hand for quick last minute cards.

Images import in black and print in black, unless you tell your image to print otherwise.  There are thousands of ink colors at your fingertips in your Word program.  Match your favorite chalks, inks, Copics, Prisma, or Bic colors. 

Once you have created your layout click on the image you want in a color.   An icon marked "color" will be a visible tool in the top tool bar.  Click on it and a pull out menu with lots of options will appear. 
In this screen shot I have already selected and colored several images.  Arranging images close is possible with png files.  If you are using jpeg images you will have that white box fixed around the image and waste paper.  Make sure your digi stamps are high resolution and a .png file.


The screen shot on the left shows you the many color options in the pull-out menu.  You will have a choice of tone, saturation, and color fill (which is kind of cool because the outline remains black and the image is a solid fill).
What if you want to customize your colors and go beyond the options in view?
At the bottom of the menu you will discover there are additional tools to select color variations or customize your own colors.

 I like to print on a nice white cardstock that takes media well.  My preference is Strathmore 88 lb. cover Bristol in Ultimate White.  It's an elegant paper and makes lovely note cards as well.

Before you print check your print settings.  To get a deep crisp outline be sure to select best quality  (or photo quality) as many printers have ink saving features and will default to draft print.


Any questions?  Please contact me at:  janet@veralanestudio.com

                                                                                                   

 

Fiddle

Humphrey just got his summer cut -- he is all ears.  With his slender little body he reminds me of "Fiddle" -- little simple stick dog with full floppy ears, a little sweet, a little mischievous. 

Here Fiddle is paper pieced on white on white on white...pretty simple?  I rolled a little Distress marker around the edges but I think I should have just let the shadows create the contrast. The spine of the card has a slit to accommodate the ribbon tuck.

Stand-up Skeleton

I've had these craft sticks and blocks in my studio for some time.  I had

glued them together and painted them in more appealing colors and they waited to be put to use.

After completing a new set of digis based on Frida Khalo, the little Skeleton Toy character was screaming to be cut out.  He's a fast little guy to color -- and I like fast.  A little number stamp around the block , some snips and a little Aleen's Tacky Glue makes for a fun little studio friend.  When you make parts in advance, it makes it easier to put things together.

He's a great little character for Dia de los Muertos, but he's going to hang on my shelf year round.

Skeleton Toy and the Frida set are available for instant download in my Etsy store.  Enjoy!

Let's Chat -- Les Chats

As good as I am about multi-tasking; blogging has slipped the “to-do” list.  My mother’s health rapidly declined since my last post and we lost her at the end of March.  I think my Dad was tired of waiting for her as she passed the day before his birthday.  So I hope they are now guiding me and encouraging me to do the things I love to do.

I never liked to color coloring books as a child, but I did enjoy LOOKING at them. I always loved the contrast of the black line – how clean it was against the light cream page.  I liked whales, Chilly Willy, so the whole black and white thing is a childhood issue for me.  And there is nothing wrong with that.  Maybe that is why I prefer to draw with an inked line rather than color and embellish.

Do I own color? Yes, I am obsessed with collecting color.  From Copics to Lyra pencils, from Caran D’ Ache Neoart to Crayolas, paints, and pastels, chalks, and inks – I have them all.  Paper?  Another obsession, but give me a handful of Pitt pens in jet black and I am a happy one.

My recent black line play has led to the “Les Chats” collection.  Meet Luce, Luc, Marcel and Francoise.  I’m sure there are wonderful things that can be created with this quarto of kitties with colorful imaginations.  For now, I’m going to keep doodling and see what pours out of my pen.