Coloring Basics with Little Ladybug

Aren't these little ladybugs adorable? You can get them FREE right now through Sale-A-Bration when you host a workshop - virtual or live - totally at least $300. 

Did you know that in the US, you can get stamp sets in French as well as English? While these are primarily for the Canadian market, they will ship to addresses in the US as well. I have a number of French friends, so I love having a few stamp sets in French.

For these samples, I used three different methods of coloring the ladybugs to show you their differences: Stampin' Blends, watercolor pencils, and Aqua Painters with ink from a stamp pad. Each method gives a little bit different look to the ladybug. 

Order Supplies

---

Ladybug Flying:
This first card was inspired by a Fab Friday Challenge. I used the vine cut using the Well Written dies instead of the second strip across the front. 

I colored the ladybug with watercolor pencils. These colored pencils are fabulous because when they get wet, the color softens and looks more like watercolor paint than colored pencil. After coloring, you can use either an Aqua Painter or a Blender Pen to turn it into a watercolor. When doing any type of watercolor, it is important to use a permanent ink like the Jet Black Stazon. As you can see, I colored two different ladybugs. Then, I colored over the one on the left with an Aqua Painter and the one on the right with a Blender Pen. As you can see, they give similar results. 

With the Aqua Painter, you want to make sure that the tip isn't too wet. If it is very wet, the color may run too much. The Aqua Painter is also at a higher price point, but will last for a very long time as you can refill it with water.

The Blender Pen cost less and comes in a pack of three. However, they are not refillable and will eventually dry out. When the pen becomes a little too dry, the pencil lines will not fade away as much and the colors won't blend. 
​

Cardstock:

• Poppy Parade: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" folded in half, 5 5/16" x 4 1/16"
• Granny Apple Green: scraps cut with a circle from the Stitched Shapes and Well Written dies
• Poppy Parade DSP: 3 3/4" x 3/4"
• Whisper White: scraps

Ink: ​​Jet Black Stazon
Accessories:

• Well Written dies
• Stitched Shape dies
• Basic Rhinestones
• Retired Polka Dot embossing folder
• Watercolor pencils assortment 1 & 2
• Blender Pens or Aqua Painter
• Stampin' Dimensionals

---

Ladybug of Happiness:
I also water-colored the images on this card, but I used an Aqua Painter dipped in ink from an ink pad to do so.

First, I heat embossed the images using black embossing powder. You could also stamped the images using Jet Black Stazon ink. Then, I pressed a clear block against an ink pad so that there would be ink on the clear block. I swirled the tip of an Aqua Painter in the ink and then colored my images. When the color lightens, pick up more ink from the clear block. By coloring around the edges when you first pick up ink and then coloring towards the centers as the ink lessens, you can create highlights on your images.

Cardstock:

• Poppy Parade: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" folded in half, 5 3/16" x 3 15/16"
• Whisper White: 5" x 3 3/4", 1/2" x 3 1/2", scraps
• Daffodil Delight DSP: two strips 3" x 1/2"
• Poppy Parade DSP: 3/4" x 1 1/2"

Inks:

• Versamark
• Poppy Parade
• Daffodil Delight
• Granny Apple Green
• Balmy Blue
• Early Espresso
• Crumb Cake

Accessories:

• Black embossing powder
• Whisper White Baker's Twine
• Stampin' Dimensionals

---

Ladybug Luck:
Ladybugs are often considered lucky, and this one is even luckier because she's carrying a 4-leaf clover to say "Bonne chance!" or "Good Luck!"

For this ladybug, I used Stampin' Blends to color the image. These are alcohol markers and are fabulous for blending colors. You can get each color in a light or dark version. The two work wonderfully together to create shadows and highlights. Because Stampin' Blends are alcohol markers, you need to stamp the image with a permanent water-based ink like the Tuxedo Black Memento.
​

Cardstock:

• Granny Apple Green: 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" folded in half
• Poppy Parade: 
• Poppy Parade DSP:
• Granny Apple Green DSP: 
• Whisper White:

​Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
Stampin' Blends:

• Poppy Parade light and dark
• Crumb Cake light and dark
• Soft Suede light and dark
• Daffodil Delight light and dark
• Granny Apple Green light and dark
• Petal Pink dark
• Color lifter

Accessories:

• Red cotton ribbon
• White Polka Dot Tulle ribbon
• 2" Circle Punch