Monthly Archives: February 2016

44 Different Scriptural Based Coloring Cards printed on one side of a single page card

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Iiiireader

Colorful Blessings: Cards to Color and Share

By: Christian Art Gifts

Rating: 5 of 5

I ordered both this and the companion set from this publisher (Creative Expressions) and I didn’t pay close enough attention when I was placing my order for these cards. I thought that I would be receiving note cards but as it turns out, these are single sided, heavyweight and slightly larger than business cards. There are 44 different designs in the cards.

My recent purchases from this publisher had led me to expect only a few with Biblical reference but it turns out that there are 32 cards with actual scriptural cites on them. There are an additional seven which deal with God or other religious connotations. Finally, there are five general feel-good cards. I was surprised in a very good and happy way to see a larger focus on both Old and New Testament verses.

The cards are 4.25 x 3.25 inches. Most have the designs printed horizontally on the card (29 of them) with an additional 15 vertical designs. The card stock weight is very good and heavy. The front of the cards have a good tooth feel for good coverage for coloring pencils. The back of the card has a glossy finish that feels as if there is some type of coating on it.

I have been pondering how to use these cards and have decided I really like them as cards versus note cards. I can always mount them on blank cards if I wish to use them that way (as I do when I make cards with rubber stamp techniques.) They are also item to have on hand when our church home group meets at our house. It will be a fun way to take a break or to end the evening.

The designs are printed fairly small and I found that using my ultra-fine markers, smaller nib gel pens, and hard lead coloring pencils worked the best for me. Some of the cards have tiny areas to color but that is to be expected with such a small coloring area.

None of of my coloring medium bled through this paper. Not even the alcohol-based markers had a color shadow which makes it some of the best coloring card stock I have used. It is a really heavyweight and will stand up to being carried around for an on the go project. My coloring pencils worked well but there wasn’t really enough surface to do much with blending; however, when I tested them, the soft lead pencils did blend well. In the comments section below, I will list the coloring medium I used to test these cards.

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Imaginative Trip to the Coast and Sea at Tangle Bay printed on both sides of page

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Iiiireader

Tangle Bay: An Enchanting Colouring Book with Hidden Treasure

By: Jessica Palmer

Rating: 5 of 5

I have so enjoyed Tangle Wood by Jessica Palmer, I pre-ordered Tangle Bay without even a peek at what was inside. I was not disappointed. Ms. Palmer once again takes me on trip to an imaginative and creative land this time in and around the ocean at the mythical Tangle Bay. This is a place where mermaids (and mermen) abound. There is lost treasure, birds wearing sunhats, pirate ships, lighthouses, and much more. There’s even a design of The Owl and the Pussycat that is going to be loads of fun to color. All of the designs are hand-drawn for that extra special touch of artistry in coloring your projects.

The designs are printed on both sides of the white non-perforated page. Some of the designs merge into the binding and some of the designs are spread across two pages. In my copy, the two-page spreads align very well. The binding is sewn rather than glued. That means you can remove multiple pages at one time by snipping a few threads and you won’t lose portions of the designs as you would if you had to cut the pages out. As common with sewn bindings, I could break the spine slightly and get the book to lay fairly flat.

Only my alcohol-based markers seeped through the page. My water-based markers (fine, ultra-fine, and brush tips), gel pens and India ink artist pens did not bleed through but my gel pens did require a longer drying time. My coloring pencils worked very well with this paper and behaved as expected for brand and lead type. The soft lead pencils were very easy to blend and my hard lead pencils did not leave an indent at the back of the page.

These are the coloring medium that I use for testing. If there is something else you feel I should be testing, please let me know and I will see if I can add it to my growing pile:

Markers: 1) alcohol-based Copic Sketch, Prismacolor double ended markers (brush and fine point), Sharpies (fine and ultra-fine) Bic Mark-its (fine and ultra-fine) and 2) water-based Tombows dual end markers (brush and fine point), Stabilo 88, and Staedler triplus fineliners

India Ink: Faber-Castell PITT artist pens (brush tip)

Gel Pens: Sakura, Fiskars, Uni-ball Signo in the following sizes – 0.28/0.38/0.5/1.0 and Tekwriter

Coloring Pencils: Prismacolor Premier Soft Core, Derwent Colorsoft, Prismacolor Verithins, and Faber-Castell Polychromos

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Exquisite Intricate Designs and Beautifully Crafted 22 Japanese Coloring Designs printed on one side of perforated page

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Iiiireader

Floating World Japanese Prints Coloring Book: Color your Masterpiece & Clear Your Mind

By: Andrew Vigar

Rating: 5 of 5

This is one of the most beautiful coloring books I have ever seen. It has 22 designs adapted from Japanese master artists, many of which may be familiar to you. The designs are detailed and intricate and include small spaces to color. It may not be the best coloring book for individuals with fine motor skill or vision issues but for those of us who can deal with those tiny spots, it is simply stunning. I have a deep appreciation for Japanese art from learning about it as a child from my best friend’s Japanese grandmother – a woman who had a profound effect on my life.

I have been fortunate enough to own two beautiful Japanese woodblock prints which were passed down to me. My daughters now have them and appreciate the beauty and skill of the artists. This coloring book explains the craft and then goes on to explain the markings that are seen on these prints: Date Seal, Censor’s Seal, Print Title, Series Title, Author Signature, and Publisher’s Seal.

As a coloring book, Floating World is excellent but it is more than a coloring book. For each designs, there is a lead-in page. On the front of the page is information about the artist and about the print. On the back of the page is a frame-worthy full-color print of the woodblock print. Opposite that page is the coloring design. On the back of the coloring design is the artist’s name and information about the print yet again. In this book, you receive 22 coloring designs and 22 full-color prints you can frame, keep, or give away. It is such a value. I would have paid the price for the prints alone or for the coloring designs. To get both is a huge bargain. My husband took one look at it and then decided we had to have a second book for his use.

The book is very well made. It is a slightly taller book than the regular coloring book. The designs and prints are printed on one side of heavyweight micro-perforated white paper. It could almost be considered a light card stock. All of the designs stop well before the perforations so nothing will be lost when you remove pages from the book. You can break the spine to get the book to lay flat. All of the designs have a framing line around the outer edge so you will have a natural stopping point when coloring.

My alcohol-based markers bled through this paper. None of my water-based markers bled through. I don’t use water colors as yet, but I did try my Tombow brush end repeatedly in the same spots (five times) and could not get it to bleed through or to warp the page. I mention this because these designs could be extremely beautiful if done in water colors (I hope someone does some and posts their pictures as I would love to see them.) My gel pens and India ink pens did not bleed through but the gel pens required extra drying time. My coloring pencils worked perfectly with this paper. My soft lead pencils were on thick with hardly any effort and blended with a soft touch. My hard lead pencils did not make dents on the back of the page and I was able to get crisp and clear lines with them.

These are the coloring medium that I use for testing. If there is something else you feel I should be testing, please let me know and I will see if I can add it to my growing pile:

India Ink: Faber-Castell PITT artist pens (brush tip)

Gel Pens: Sakura, Fiskars, Uni-ball Signo in the following sizes – 0.28/0.38/0.5/1.0 and Tekwriter

Coloring Pencils: Prismacolor Premier Soft Core, Derwent Colorsoft, Prismacolor Verithins, and Faber-Castell Polychromos

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30 Modern Folk Art Hand-Drawn Designs of Animals and Flowers printed on one side of white perforated paper

Posted on February 25, 2016 by Iiiireader

Just Add Color: Flora and Fauna: 30 Original Illustrations to Color, Customize, and Hang – Bonus Plus 4 Full-Color Images by Lisa Congdon Ready to Display!

By: Lisa Congdon

Rating: 5 of 5

This is one of three new coloring books by Lisa Congdon and while I like all three and am enjoying coloring them, this one is my favorite. It has the flowers that I enjoy along with some charming animals (I especially liked coloring the hedgehog.) There are scenes of animals and flowers, flowers or plants by themselves, and collages of various items. While I don’t keep bees, I know people who do and as a gardener I appreciate their work on keeping bee colonies viable. I think the design of the beehive is adorable and I look forward to coloring it, too.

I have found that Ms. Congdon’s work has a beautiful open feel to it. I like being able to experiment with color blocks and also to do some shading and blending and her designs are perfect for both techniques. I especially like this book for people who don’t or can’t color books with tiny, intricate spaces. It is a great book for individuals with fine motor or vision issues.

There are four colored samples of pages included in the book each one is placed behind the coloring design it depicts. That actually makes it more difficult to view while coloring if you choose. I don’t intend to use them that way but you can remove them and frame them if you like.

The book is really well put together. The designs are all printed on one side of perforated heavyweight paper. About half of the designs merge into the perforations but nothing essential is lost to that area. If you plan on removing pages, you might want to do so before coloring as it is hard to get into the areas near the binding and you will lose that area when you remove the page in any case. The book is glue bound but as you will remove pages at the perforations, that should not be an issue. I was easily able to get the book to lay flat by breaking the spine.

All of my markers (alcohol and water-based) as well as my India ink pens bleed through or left distinct color shadows on the back of the page. My gel pens all left color shadows as well. Not an issue as you can put a blotter page behind the page you are working on or simply remove the page from the book to color it. Coloring pencils worked really well in this book. The pencils went on creamy and thick without much effort and blending was a breeze. I was even able to blend my Verithin hard lead pencils using a simply Prismacolor pencil style blender. In the comments section below, I will list the coloring medium I used to test this coloring book.

24 Pretty Flower Designs from Leisure Arts printed on one side of perforated page

Art of Coloring Flowers | Leisure Arts (6806)

By: Leisure Arts

Rating: 5 of 5

The designs are full page (edge-to-edge) and many of them are in what I call wallpaper style a design that repeats its elements over and over again. There are a few pages which not in this style, so I appreciate the different styles. Many of the designs are complex and detailed and several have intricate and small details that may be difficult for individuals with fine motor or vision issues.

The 24 floral designs and images in this book are licensed from AE Publications Ltd./Shutterstock, Inc. That may mean that you will have seen some of these images before in other books. I haven’t seen these particular designs before, so they were new to me It is a bit surprising to me that Leisure Arts is licensing images as they have a huge group of designers in other crafts so I would expect that they would do something similar with adult coloring books. Perhaps that will happen in the future.

The designs are printed on one side of the white perforated paper. The binding is stapled rather than glued or sewn. You can easily release the pages all at once by removing the staples but I prefer to remove pages one at a time at the perforations. I can easily get the book to lay flat by opening and pushing down on the binding. All of the images merge into the binding through the perforations. Nothing of importance will be lost if you remove the designs from the book.

All of my markers (fine, ultra-fine, and brush) bled through the paper easily. My gel pens and India ink artist pens either bled through or left color shadows at the back of the page. My coloring pencils worked exceptionally well with this paper. All soft and hard lead pencils went on thick and creamy and I was able to easily blend both types of pencils. If you want to keep the book complete and use some of the medium that bleed through, put a blotter page under the page you are working on to keep the ink from seeping through. Otherwise, you can simply remove each page from the book at the perforations. In the comments section below,

These are the coloring medium that I use for testing. If there is something else you feel I should be testing, please let me know and I will see if I can add it to my growing pile:

India Ink: Faber-Castell PITT artist pens (brush tip)

Gel Pens: Sakura, Fiskars, Uni-ball Signo in the following sizes – 0.28/0.38/0.5/1.0 and Tekwriter

Coloring Pencils: Prismacolor Premier Soft Core, Derwent Colorsoft, Prismacolor Verithins, and Faber-Castell Polychromos

30 Fun to color Hand-drawn Wildflower Designs printed on one side of white perforated paper

Just Add Color: Wildflowers: 30 Original Illustrations to Color, Customize, and Hang – Bonus Plus 4 Full-Color Images by Lisa Congdon Ready to Display!

By: Lisa Congdon

Rating: 5 of 5

It is so much fun to have a coloring book of wildflowers. I love to garden (though I grow mostly vegetables and a few select flowers that grow in our climate.) I love spring when all the wildflowers start coating the mountains and roadways. This is a coloring book that lets me have that feeling throughout the year. There are 30 hand-drawn designs in this nicely made by Lisa Congdon. The Just Add Color line of books is fairly new to me but I am quickly becoming a fan. I really like the whimsy of the designs – they are fun and easy to color. I like that I can to work in big areas of color with markers or choose to use my blending techniques with my coloring pencils. I like this coloring book for individuals who may not like intricate and small detail designs.

The designs in this book are of various wildflowers. I will list them at the end of this review. There are four colored samples of pages included in the book each one is placed behind the coloring design it depicts. That actually makes it more difficult to view if you choose to but for me, it was an interesting sample but not one that I plan to copy.

The book is really well put together. The designs are all printed on one side of perforated heavyweight paper. The designs merge into the perforations but nothing essential is lost to that area. If you plan on removing pages, you might want to do so before coloring as it is hard to get into the areas near the binding and you will lose that area when you remove the page in any case. The book is glue bound but as you will remove pages at the perforations, that should not be an issue. I was easily able to get the book to lay flat by breaking the spine.

In order, these are the wildflowers in the book: Poppy, Aster, Buttercup, Fritillaria, Rose Mallow, Morning Glory, Hawkweed, Anemone, Coneflower, Sweetshrub, Sweet William, Zinnia, Wisteria, Cosmos, Comfrey, Chamomile, Wood Sorrel, Fringed Campion, Wild Rose, Pansy, Crocus, Eyebright, Indian Blanket, Bluebell, Arrowhead, Protea, Sunflower, Pea Flower, Mountain Laurel, and Spatterdock.

44 Coloring Cards

Creative Expressions: Cards to Color and Share

By: Christian Art Gifts

Rating: 5 of 5

I didn’t pay close enough attention when I was placing my order for these cards. I thought that I would be receiving note cards but as it turns out, these are single sided, heavyweight and slightly larger than business cards. There are 44 different designs in the cards.

My recent purchases from this publisher had led me to expect only a few with Biblical reference but it turns out that there are 28 cards with actual scriptural cites on them. There are an additional 10 which deal with God or other religious connotations. Finally, there are six general feel-good cards. I was surprised in a very good and happy way to see a larger focus on both Old and New Testament verses.

The cards are 4.25 x 3.25 inches. Most have the designs printed horizontally on the card with a few vertical designs. The card stock weight is very good and heavy. The front of the cards have a good tooth feel for good coverage for coloring pencils. The back of the card has a glossy finish that feels as if there is some type of coating on it.

The designs are printed fairly small and I found that using my ultra-fine markers, smaller nib gel pens, and hard lead coloring pencils worked the best for me. Some of the cards have very tiny areas to color but that is to be expected with such a small coloring area.

None of of my coloring medium bled through this paper. Not even the alcohol-based markers had a color shadow zip, zilch, nothing. That makes it some of the best coloring card stock I have used. It is a really heavyweight paper and it behaves better than most other card stock I have used. My coloring pencils worked well but there wasn’t really enough surface to do much with blending; however, when I tested them, the soft lead pencils did blend well.

These are the coloring medium that I use for testing. If there is something else you feel I should be testing, please let me know and I will see if I can add it to my growing pile:

India Ink: Faber-Castell PITT artist pens (brush tip)

Gel Pens: Sakura, Fiskars, Uni-ball Signo in the following sizes – 0.28/0.38/0.5/1.0 and Tekwriter

Coloring Pencils: Prismacolor Premier Soft Core, Derwent Colorsoft, Prismacolor Verithins, and Faber-Castell Polychromos

Beautifully Illustrated Flowers and Garden Scenes printed on both sides of page

Joyous Blooms to Color

By: Eleri Fowler

Rating: 5 of 5

I found this gem of a book at a local big box store. It is filled with gorgeous flowers, garden scenes and inspiring quotes. I was a little disappointed that it was printed on both sides until I test my coloring medium (more on that later.) The designs have a good amount of detail but not so much that it is intricate or too small to color. I appreciate the high quality of this book and hope to see more coloring books by both this artist and by this publisher (Harper Collins) in the future.

The designs are printed on both sides of the heavyweight, non-perforated page. Most of the designs merge into the binding. A few of the designs spread across two pages. In my copy, the alignment of the two-page spreads is excellent. The binding is a hybrid of glued and sewn. The sewn binding is the type that has many stitches rather than just a few. Because of the binding and the way the design merge in (though nothing of note is lost in the binding), I will not be removing pages from this book. If you wish to do so, you will have to cut them out and you will probably lose some portion of the design in doing so. I was able to get the book to lay fairly flat by breaking the spine.

Only my alcohol-based markers bled through this paper. I was able to use all of my water-based markers, India ink artist pens, and gel pens without any bleed through. Gel pens required some extra drying time but that is common for gel pens on a good grade of paper. My coloring pencils worked excellently. The soft lead pencils went on thick with full coverage and blended beautifully. The hard lead pencils worked well and did not leave indents on the back of the page. I was especially pleased with the way my TomBow brush end markers worked with the paper. I was able to easily blend in my colors without roughing up the surface of the paper or having ink seep through. If you choose to use alcohol-based markers, it will ruin the design on the back of the page. I would suggest that you use a blotter page to keep the ink confined to just the back of the page and not ruin the following pages.

These are the coloring medium that I use for testing. If there is something else you feel I should be testing, please let me know and I will see if I can add it to my growing pile:

India Ink: Faber-Castell PITT artist pens (brush tip)

Gel Pens: Sakura, Fiskars, Uni-ball Signo in the following sizes – 0.28/0.38/0.5/1.0 and Tekwriter

Coloring Pencils: Prismacolor Premier Soft Core, Derwent Colorsoft, Prismacolor Verithins, and Faber-Castell Polychromos

Heart-warming and lovely story about two women who find their ways while hosting a quilting show

From Here To Home (A Too Much, Texas Novel)

By: Marie Bostwick

Rating: 5 of 5

I have only read one of Marie Bostwick’s stand-alone novels (“The Second Sister”) which I enjoyed so much, I was very happy to pick up “From Here to Home” to read and enjoy. I didn’t realize that it was a second in a series or that Ms. Bostwick is well known for her quilt novels. This is a book that can absolutely be read stand-alone without issue. However, since reading this book, I want to go back and read the first book which is apparently set 30 years earlier and gives a great bit of background on some of the major characters in this story.

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48 Beautiful and Unusual Multi-Cultural Coloring Designs printed on one side of perforated paper

Marty Noble’s Peaceful World: New York Times Bestselling Artists’ Adult Coloring Books (The Dynamic Adult Coloring Books)

By: Marty Noble

Rating: 5 of 5

This is a coloring book of 48 designs which take the colorist on a tour of various cultures around the world. The countries include: Japan, Indonesia, Guatemala, Morocco, Italy, China, Mexico, Thailand, Turkey and more. There are many motifs and artistic styles from these cultures included in the designs. I can only hope that this turns out to be volume one and that more designs of this nature will be available in the future. While 48 designs is a lot, there are many cultures in the world and I would love to color beautiful scenes from more of them.

This book is published by Skyhorse Publishing. I have another Marty Noble book by this publisher (Sugar Skulls) and I have been enjoying it. The majority of my coloring books by Ms. Noble are by Creative Haven and Dover. These are completely different publishers though Ms. Noble’s artwork is as high quality as ever.

The designs in this book are even more intricate than I have come to expect from this artist. While each of the designs are fairly intricate, they are not small to the point of making coloring difficult. I appreciate the detail in these designs as it gives me a great project to think about and color. This is truly an opportunity to try out different colors and to venture into a culture’s color palette.

The designs are printed on one side of a good weight white perforated paper. While the paper is not top grade, it is certainly sufficient for framing purposes. I was able to get the book to lay fairly flat by breaking the spine of the book. The binding is glued rather than sewn but this is not an issue as you can remove a page at the perforations if you choose to do so. The designs all stop well before the perforations and all of the designs have a framing line around them. I try to note whenever an artist takes the trouble to include this framing line as it gives my project a more finished look and saves me time, trouble, and ink by giving me a natural stopping point while I am coloring.

All of my markers, alcohol and water based, bled through the paper. The water based were a little spotty but still came through enough to ruin the next project if you don’t keep a piece of chipboard, heavy weight paper, or card stock below the page you are working on. You can also simply remove the page from the book to color as well. My India ink artist pens left a shadow at the back of the page. None of my gel pens bled through and they did not require additional drying time. My coloring pencils worked well with the paper according to their brand and lead type (soft or hard.) Soft lead pencils were especially easy to blend.

These are the coloring medium that I use for testing. If there is something else you feel I should be testing, please let me know and I will see if I can add it to my growing pile:

India Ink: Faber-Castell PITT artist pens (brush tip)

Gel Pens: Sakura, Fiskars, Uni-ball Signo in the following sizes – 0.28/0.38/0.5/1.0 and Tekwriter

Coloring Pencils: Prismacolor Premier Soft Core, Derwent Colorsoft, Prismacolor Verithins, and Faber-Castell Polychromos

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Monthly Archives: February 2016

Colorful Blessings: Cards to Color and Share

By: Christian Art Gifts

Rating: 5 of 5

Tangle Bay: An Enchanting Colouring Book with Hidden Treasure

By: Jessica Palmer

Rating: 5 of 5

Floating World Japanese Prints Coloring Book: Color your Masterpiece & Clear Your Mind

By: Andrew Vigar

Rating: 5 of 5

Just Add Color: Flora and Fauna: 30 Original Illustrations to Color, Customize, and Hang – Bonus Plus 4 Full-Color Images by Lisa Congdon Ready to Display!

By: Lisa Congdon

Rating: 5 of 5

Art of Coloring Flowers | Leisure Arts (6806)

By: Leisure Arts

Rating: 5 of 5

Just Add Color: Wildflowers: 30 Original Illustrations to Color, Customize, and Hang – Bonus Plus 4 Full-Color Images by Lisa Congdon Ready to Display!

By: Lisa Congdon

Rating: 5 of 5

Creative Expressions: Cards to Color and Share

By: Christian Art Gifts

Rating: 5 of 5

Joyous Blooms to Color

By: Eleri Fowler

Rating: 5 of 5

From Here To Home (A Too Much, Texas Novel)

By: Marie Bostwick

Rating: 5 of 5

Marty Noble’s Peaceful World: New York Times Bestselling Artists’ Adult Coloring Books (The Dynamic Adult Coloring Books)

By: Marty Noble

Rating: 5 of 5

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