Daily Archives: October 11, 2017

Ivy and the Inky Butterfly: A Magical Tale to Color

By: Johanna Basford

Rating: 5 of 5

I will attach a silent, full length flip-through of the storybook/coloring book as well as a few sample photos so you can judge for yourself as to whether or not this coloring book will work for you.

Once again, Johanna Basford is blazing a new path in the coloring genre. With Ivy and the Inky Butterfly, she has published a beautiful storybook about a young girl and her adventures in Enchantia. Along with the lovely story, there are great coloring elements on all pages. Whether the design is merely framing around the words of the tale or if it is a full page (or even a two-page spread) of illustration, Ms. Basford’s signature style is immediately evident. There are beautiful flowers and animals as usual. There are also scenes with a high amount of detail. Some of my favorites are those which feature Ivy, who is a cute little girl. The illustrations are highly detailed and only a very few have smaller and intricate areas to color.
As with her most recent coloring books, there appears to have been a concentrated effort to reduce the elements which span across the binding if the page is a two-page spread designs. In my book, some pages line up fantastic and some are a little off. The only real problem I have with the book is that due to the intense glue binding, it is very difficult to get into the seam unless you, as I did, break the spine. The inherent problem with that is that you risk having pages come loose over time. It seems like the book is glued together much more heavily than previous books by Ms. Basford.
I want this book to be a keepsake I read to my grandchildren and which I plan hand down to my granddaughter once I have finished coloring it, so loose pages can be a problem. I solved that problem by, in addition, buying the UK version of the book which has a sewn binding. I’m waiting for delivery and will include comments about the differences (in the comments below) once it arrives. You can find the UK version of the coloring book here:Ivy and the Inky Butterfly
The paper is ivory as just it has been for the last couple of books. It is not the same color of cream as used in Secret Garden or Enchanted Forest. Nor is it the white color that was used in the first four printings of Lost Ocean. It seems to me that the paper has a smooth side and a slightly rough side and that it alternates in my book.
The cover is attached and has green and gold foil highlights. The inside of the front and back covers have French folds (partial fold-outs.) There is a color palette test page at the back for testing your medium to see what seeps through or not.
This is what I found as I colored in this book and tested the paper with my coloring medium.
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page quickly.
Water-based markers (except for Tombow’s) leave shadows and even spots of color on the back of the page. The brush end of Tombows did not bleed through.
Gel pens and India ink did not bleed through the page.
Colored pencils worked well; however, they worked better on the slightly rougher side of the page. On the smoother side, my oil-based pencils did not grip the page as well but were still acceptable. I tested both oil and wax-based pencils. I was able to layer the same color for deeper pigment, layer multiple colors and to blend with a pencil style blending stick (again, better on the rougher side than on the smooth side.) Pencils did not leave indentations on the back of the page.

Hello Kitty & Friends Coloring Book

By: Various

Rating: 5 of 5

Both of my daughters loved Hello Kitty when they were young and now my granddaughter is a huge fan as well. I’ve always had a soft spot for her and her friends as well. While the focus of the coloring book is on Hello Kitty, there are cute designs of Keroppi, Chococat, Pochacco, My Melody (another big favorite of my kids), Cinnamoroll, Hangyodon, Badtz-Maru, Tuxedosam and Pompompurin as well.

The designs are detailed and are meant for adult coloring though some young kids may enjoy them as well if they can deal with the high level of detail. There are a few areas which are intricate and have smaller spots to color.
I really like the designs. I think that they are adorable and show a good sense of imagination in putting the various characters in backgrounds that will be fun to color and shade. There are scenes which show everything from winter and snow to sushi. There are even a couple of Hello Kitty mandalas thrown in for extra fun.
On the back of the page is a small design element which mimics the full design on its facing page. If you use a medium which does not bleed through, it is an extra little spot to color. If you use alcohol-based markers as I do much of the time, you will, more than likely, be sacrificing those little designs.
This is what I found when I colored in this book and tested it with my coloring medium:
47 full page designs are printed on front of page with smaller designs printed on the back of the page.
Paper is heavyweight, white, slightly smooth and non-perforated
Glue bound
Designs do not merge into the binding. Designs either have a light double framing line or have finished elements at the outer edges.
Book lays fairly flat for coloring if you heavily crease/break the spine
Alcohol-based markers bleed through the page. For this use, I suggest a blotter page of card stock or heavy weight paper under your working page. That will keep ink from seeping through to the next design. If you use these types of markers, you will mar the smaller designs on the back of the pages.
Water-based markers, India ink pens and gel pens do not bleed through or leave shadows on the back of the page.
Colored pencils work well with this paper. It is slightly smooth to the touch but still has enough tooth for pigment. I was able to layer the same color for deep pigment, layer multiple colors and blend easily using a blender stick. I tested both oil and wax based pencils.