No longer intimidated by Thomas!

Thomas Kinkade, that is.

Yes, I'm still at home...I decided after I woke up this morning and felt like death on toast, that perhaps rushing off this evening to Kalamazoo was probably a very bad idea. I would just get there and have to go to bed and not only that, I hate driving in the dark. My voice is still hoarse and I still feel sick.

Instead, I'm leaving tomorrow right after I drop the kids off, or sooner if I can persuade Dan to drop them off for me. I didn't get much sleep last night and have nightmares of falling asleep at the wheel, so another night in my own bed is my prescription. My in-laws' spare bed, which seems to be fine for children, does not get along with my back. Better to postpone sleeping on it another night.

So this evening, after a full day of running depressing errands, including photocopying a bulletin for tomorrow and shopping for clothes (by far the most depressing errand ever...I hate to try on clothes and I hate dressing room mirrors...I keep thinking I see my grandma in them and it is ME!) I am back at home. I talked to my mom (who sounds a lot better) and my sister had found out that Steve did have a life insurance policy through work, so the funeral expenses will be covered and there will be some left over, which is a relief for my parents.

Last night I was tidying up my stamp room and I really did mean to make another card for this coming Monday. But somehow, the Thomas Kinkade stamps I had bought months before from Cornish Heritage Farms and put on a shelf kept taunting me. "Betcha ya can't color us, can you? Betcha ya can't! You WIMP!"

Yes, I have been intimidated by these things. I mean, LOOK at them! So much stinkin' detail! Why did I ever buy them? I was shakin' in my boots and I know I'm not alone, 'cause I've read similar confessions on SCS. You know who you are!

But last night, I finally decided to spend some time with one of these stamps and really go for the gusto! Why should I let $15.99 in beautiful wood-mounted rubbah go to waste, much less be the boss of me? So I grabbed my TK Village Christmas, got out my new Adirondack Pitch Black pad and some Papertrey Stamper's Select White and got busy.

When I was a kid, I was one of those people who spent HOURS coloring everything just so. In fact, I was one of those people that OTHER kids asked to color in the coloring books so that their favorite picture was done the RIGHT way. YOU know! Where you took your crayon and went over the outlines really heavy, then lightly colored in the insides, making sure all your stroke lines went in the same diagonal direction. At least that's how we liked it done.

Most of the time when I draw, I am a messy scribbley sketcher. When I took 2-D Design in high school, we had to do pen and ink drawings. Some of the girls had these very carefully rendered sketches with all their cross-hatching just perfectly done. Mine always looked very, very scribbled...but I can't do it the other way! I've tried and it just doesn't come out!

Now, that's good, really. Because you gotta be who you are. In fact, when I had my first watercolor class in college, I was trying to paint something really tightly controlled and the professor grabbed the brush out of my hand and slapped in a few lines and splotches and all the sudden VOOM, the whole thing came to life before my eyes. There is a lot of energy in something that is loosely done, rather than tight, so I guess I can be glad to be that way.

But when I'm coloring in someone else's image, I can reign the messiness in a bit. What? Did I hear you say, "Jan, just SHUT UP and post the picture of the card already!!!!!"?

Geez...I thought you'd never ask!

Ingredients: Thomas Kinkade's Village Christmas, Stampin' Up!™ Star-Studded Holiday, Canvas; Paper - Papertrey Stamper's Select White; Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Groovy Guava; Ink - Adirondack Pitch Black, Stampin' Up!™ Blue Bayou, Cameo Coral; Other - Silver cord (retired), tag corner punch, dimensionals, deckle scissors (retired), Prismacolor pencils, Gamsol.

Here's a bit closer:

and even closer:

I decided that the easiest thing to do on the first attempt would be to try to copy as closely as possible the original color scheme of the painting as depicted on the index on the top of the stamp. I think I managed it! In fact I think it's just GOJUS!!!

The problem came after I was done coloring. This is a large image and fills nearly all of a standard cardfront. Where would I put the greeting? Which part of the image did I want to cover (the answer NONE of it...I wanted it all to show!) I dinked around trying vellum overlays and what not and finally decided to make a square card out of it and call it a day. So this is a 5 1/4" square card, which will fit in the 5 1/2" square envelope that SU! sells.

Using my SU! deckle scissors (sadly retired for you, but I still have mine and you will have to pry them out of my cold, dead hands before I let them go!) was a natural to get an old-fashioned photo feeling.

I used my Prismacolors and Gamsol and built up the color gradually. This was FUN! I find coloring very relaxing, so my last stamping experience was blotted out by a very satisfying coloring session and then the card itself didn't need a lot of finishing.

Therapy for my sore and wounded soul, a balm for the spirit, that's what stamping is for me. Most of the time, anyway!

Comments

[Serenity_Stamper]

GOJUS, indeed! Hope you feel better and travel safely.

[Tracy Durcan]

Beautiful card Jan! I'm a little intimidated by these images, but will probably give them a go at some point :)

[Kathi S.]

Watch out Thomas, you have some competition!!!

Drive safely...I will keep you and your family in my heart and prayers.

[Karen M]

Just beautiful. I have purchased the TK stamps also. have not tried to color with pencils or watercolors will try soon. you are in my prayers

[joyk]

Very beautiful! And your coloring is BEYOND GOJUS!!!! LOL. Have a safe trip.

[Michelle Nadraszky]

Amazing, just beautiful Jan! Have a safe trip tomorrow.

[fran]

You can come color in my coloring book anytime! This is beautiful. Be safe tomorrow - you will be in my prayers.

[Jacki j]

Kalamazoo? MI? I just moved from there! You did a great job with that stamp. I've been so intimidated that I havent' ordered one yet...

[Sara Frawley]

love it, Jan! I just love TK... the real thing - I didn't know there were Thomas Kinkade stamps too... geez... must you enable me? LOL... thank you for sharing! Great Job!

[Tandra Boyer]

Beautiful Jan!!

Ill ask my friend about the Flying Monkeys for you!! LOL

[trudee]

Holy crapsticks, Jan this is stunning!!!

[Shannan Teubner]

Just stunning! I hope you feel better before you have to go...thinking good thoughts for you!

[Peggy Maier]

Oh, My! GOJUS is the word! That is ONE fabulous job of coloring, Jan. I have some TK stamps, but tend to use them with one color & forget the detail coloring. Hope your health improves before you have to go!

[Barb]

WOW, this is absolutely stunning!! Thanks for sharing Jan.

Drive safely tomorrow. :-)

Barb

[KT]

Unbelievable and just darn right gorgeous, Jan! Are you sure that was stamped?! - hehe! You definitely got your $15.99 worth of results out of that stamp! Your card should be a demo card for their gallery (where you bought the stamp) ;-)

[Kittie747 Kittie Caracciolo]

Jan....Love all of these. I have yet to try one of these stamps.

PS...I tried to send a pm to you regarding a dd challenge...but it wouldn't go. Check out the Elzybells thread on the alumni forum. You may have already seen it but just want to be sure.

[twinks]

This is too beautiful! I'm sure this soothed your soul a bit.

Travel safely... will be thinking of you!

[paula]

Well Janine, you did it again!! These are awesome. I think I like yours better than mine. Wow, that does not surprise me!! LOL

[kathynruss]

Therapy for the soul! Yep, that covers it. Beautiful card. I've got a TK stamp on its way to me and will try not to let it intimidate me. All I'm going to color is the windows and the rest will be obscured by falling snow! Take care on your way to Kalamazoo!

[Heidi]

I am a huge TK fan, have some of his prints but I too am intimidated. You did an awesome job Jan- so beautiful. I will not buy them until I can at least try to color one. I have my wish on the SCS list so we shall see.
Heidi

[Jana Weaver]

Stunning! An absolutely fabulous job! I hope your drive is save, and that this healing balm of an incredibly GOJUS creation lasts you through til you get home! My thoughts are with you.

[Debra E]

I've not been a big fan of the TK stamps, but what you've done with it is BY FAR the prettiest I've seen. How wonderful coloring is relaxing for you.

[Beth]

Holy crow - this is aMAzing!! Sadly, my coloring talent ended at the coloring book stage - complete with heavily outlined images ;-) But this card is stunning!
Safe travels & sending prayers to you and your family.

[Tina]

Absolutely stunning. You did an amazing job!

[Amy Hoogstad]

Sorry that you are still feeling so sick! Your talent never ceases to amaze me. You did an AMAZING job on this card. Thanks for sharing it!