Derwent Coloursoft on Kraft

Today I'm sharing a clean and simple card I made for my last Derwent blog post...

I used a Stampin up stamp from a set I bought recently, stamped in black at the bottom corner, with the greeting at the top. I coloured the image using Coloursoft pencils (if you're a regular follower, you'll know how much I love these pencils, seriously, I have 2 sets so I'm never too far away from them!) before doodling around the edge with a black pen to create a frame...

 Here is a little close up on the colouring, the pencils blend so well...

Now, I must get back to work, I'm working on so many new products right now, it's very very exciting here at Hurley HQ! Keep your eyes peeled for sneak peeks... 

Thank you for dropping by today!
Sarah x

A Derwent Christmas

This week my November blog post went up on the Derwent blog, this month, I made a Christmas card using some fabric, Inktense blocks and Coloursoft Pencils, this is how it turned out...

You can see full details and a step-by-step over on the Derwent blog here.

Thank you for dropping by today!
Sarah x

My Illustration Process with Derwent

In all the craziness and excitement of the last week or two I completely forgot to mention that I had a post up on the Derwent blog, this one is sharing my illustration process as I prepared some pieces for the Bologna Book Fair.

You can pop over and see the whole thing here.

Thanks for popping by!
Sarah x

Scrapbooking on the Derwent Blog

Yesterday I was featured over on the Derwent Pencils blog showing how to use your colouring pencils in your Scrapbooking projects. Here is a tiny peek at the layout featured...

You can see the full post over on the Derwent blog here, it shows the complete step by step of putting the layout together.

I also meant to mention yesterday that Jaine has more pages in her fab Steampunk tag album over on her blog - you can see them here, I love what she's done with them! The CD has had such a fab response, you'll be seeing a lot more of it in craft magazines over the next few weeks - yay!


Thanks for popping by today!
Sarah x

Halloween Cuties

This weekend I made this Halloween Easel Card (in the blistering heat I might add, so wrong! where has winter gone??? I'm feeling a bit shortchanged - it's October, I want to wear my coat and ugg boots!) anyway, moving on... ;o)

All the stamps are Penny Black Stamps from The Glitter Pot, the witch, cat and bat are coloured with Promarkers. The house is a silouhette stamp, I stamped it with a black inkpad onto purple bazzill card and then used my Derwent Coloursoft pencils to add the glow of the moon and some highlights to the fence and trees. I love that stamp, it's so versatile and will be a great background for lots of projects!

I have entered this into Fab's Halloween challenge - you can find the challenge here, come and join in! 

Today started with some exciting phone calls and a little chat about my product releases, schedules etc... and I have spent the rest of the day mapping out a plan for the big release at the trade show in Jan / Feb, I have soooo much to do in the next 6 weeks its frightening! Although while I was on one of my many long phone calls today I did take the opportunity to give myself a fun manicure with my two current fave colours of polish...

Now I have about 50 billion emails to reply to and I have a headache (boo to the sun! lol) I just can't operate in hot weather, I need to go and find myself a nice secluded igloo somewhere to live / work in :o) and I'm cooking dinner again, aren't I brave? I think I'm getting pretty good at this cooking malarkey, tonight I'm doing a 'Fake-away' lemon chicken and noodles - wish me luck! (and B of course, he has to eat it, lol)

Sarah x

Derwent Inktense Pencils

Another late blog post, my apologies another manic day! I even roped in B to help me for a bit (and again tomorrow packing your Oz CD orders!!) but enough of that, I'm sure you're not here to read about my manic schedule or how tired I am and how much coffee is propping me up right now!! LOL sooooo, here we go with another project!

As you probably know by now, I just LOVE to colour in, Pencils, Pens, Paints, any medium at all really! because of that I get asked lots of questions about colouring in and colouring mediums. One of my favourite mediums is Colouring Pencils and one of the easiest ways to get the same professional vibrant finish you would get with Promarkers is to use Derwent's Inktense Pencils.

I first used these to do a base for an illustration for the Bologna Book Fair - I worked straight on my illustration without even testing them first - I'm kinda foolhardy like that, I always figure you can slap some acrylic paint or gesso over it if it goes wrong and start again! I started shading with them and honestly, I thought 'yeah, and?' but THEN I added water and they just *Pop* it reminded me of those colouring books you used to get as a kid that were just little dots and when you added water the colour appeared (I hope you know the ones I mean!)

Once they are dry they are like a permanent vibrant ink wash so you can add more shading over the top with other pencils / pens etc.... They are sooo bright and bold and give a perfect blended finish.

On this card I stamped my image (using a Staz-On pad as you will be adding water and, if you're anything like me, going over the lines a bit!) used my Inktense pencils to add the colour, blended with a waterbrush and then when dry I used a tiny bit of coloursoft pencil to the face and jeans to add some extra shading.

Thanks for looking!
Sarah x

Crazy Day!

Today has been a mad day, I stayed up last night til about 2am working on one of my book fair illustrations using my lovely Derwent Inktense and Coloursoft pencils, I can't show too much or I'll be in trouble!! but here is a sneaky peek.

the lovely peeps at Derwent were trying to guess what this could be today, the guesses so far include an Alien Landscape, A mountain scene and a Bird - none of these are correct though! I will reveal as soon as I can! In the meantime please feel free to leave a comment with your guess, if anyone does actually get it I'll be so impressed I might send you a little something... ;o)

I also finished off the two mini collections I was doing today, they might need some changes, I shall wait for the verdict! Will be able to let you know what they are as soon as it's all signed off - yay! I made that deadline with about 3 minutes to spare today...

All in all a pretty good day after a bit of a yucky start (I'm over it now so won't rant again! LOL) Thank you to everyone that patiently puts up with me on Twitter as that usually where my venting ends up! Luckily B came home with a Belgian Bun and some drawing pencils (I'm always losing them!!) so that cheered me up and of course once I start working, drawing and colouring is so therapeutic you can't not be happy!

I'm off for a quick dinner before more drawing!
Sarah x

All work and no play.....

i've been working frantically for the last few days trying to get everything finished for the Christmas break. i'm praying it doesn't snow too hard or it will mess the trains up and I won't get to the 'rents house next week - that would RUIN my Christmas! :o(

I've finally got hold of a diary and started filling it in, it's quite exciting to see how the beginning of the New Year will take shape! All my Christmas cards are done and either sent or ready to be sent. My mum wraps my pressies for me (and OH wraps my mums) so not got to worry about that! My mum is an awesome wrapper-upper (honest mummy I'm not just saying because I know you will read this or anything!)

I've been taking little "play" breaks with my Promarkers and colouring pencils to keep me going, a little bit of fun stuff in between really helps...

Here is another experiment with Derwent Coloursoft pencils onto their Black Book - it will be a Christmas Tree when I'm finished - I'm just trying to get the 'glow' of the lights right....

There is literally just a few days to get free shipping in my shop now with the code FREESHIP

Please pop over to the Challenge Blog to take part in our latest challenge!

Now I'm off to cheer myself up with Tiger Bread, Lurpak, Chicken and Fudge Cake - probably not all at the exact same time! For some reason today I've been RAGING! For no real reason, a few things didn't go quite to plan this morning and what started as a little irritation grew and grew - silly really! After taking a break for some shopping and a nice lunch I was feeling much brighter though - funny how these weird days can hit you, I blame it on the red hair! LOL.

Sarah x

More Colouring Pencil Fun!

Luckily today I was feeling almost back to normal - thank you to everyone for your well wishes! Which means I got quite a bit done (yay!) and even managed to get some alone time with my Derwent Coloursoft pencils (always good!) these pencils are my new obssession I NEED every colour!!!! Here is my latest doodle....

I must also say a big 'Thank You' to Lisa who helped me catch up today by doing the Challenge Blog for me - pop over and take a look - it's a great challenge from Paula our Guest Designer.

Just a reminder there are lots of special offers over on my website and today I added free shipping on everything with the code 'FREESHIP' until 20th December - think my Christmas Spirit has put me in a super generous mood :o)

Sarah x

Colouring Outside the Lines....

Over the weekend I got lots of time to play with the new Derwent goodies, so here are a few initial things to show you...

Firstly, an art journal background with the Aquatone Pencils - these are sticks of pure pigment, unlike anything else I've seen and make great effects, perfect for bright messy art journal pages!



Derwent sent me one of their black paper books - like most illustrators (I'm guessing!) I'm used to drawing on white paper so this has been a challenge to think of some different things to do - I'm working on an illustration at the moment that I'm LOVING but it's not ready to show yet. I had an experiment with the Coloursoft and Metallic pencils on the paper first to get an idea of how they look - a few experimental fireworks....


And finally, a quick sketch with the Coloursoft pencils to test the blending, I love these, they blend like no other pencil I've ever used and yet don't smudge - get them immediately!!!! These could be my favourite of all time! Although I do love those Aquatones......



A few more to try out so I'll report back on those soon!

I've also been doing some new work with my Promarkers - once you start colouring you just can't stop! I'll post some of that in the next few days :o)

And finally..... my little sister Xena, who is only 10 has written a book! isn't she clever? You can get your copy here....


Now I must get on, it feels like someone has shrunk all the days down to about one hour long and there are only 2 weeks until Christmas!!!! I'm sooo excited and yet really really need to get a lot done by then! Luckily I've been having some pretty good days health-wise so I'm getting on OK (touch wood I didn't just jinx myself by saying that!!)

Snow Update - All Gone!! we have none at all now, OH made it to the post office today so if you are waiting for something from me it's now on its way! (that includes the orders of 'Wonderland' up until yesterday - Todays will go tomorrow)

Sarah x