Coloring Pages for adults, fairy tales and birds

I've been hearing a lot about coloring pages for adults lately.  And last week, in the Parade magazine was this article about them.

Over the last few years, I've been doing what I call "doodle pages" and including them with journal classes and swaps.   Most of mine are done over collaged, vintage text pages, and some are actual pages of tips and how to's on how to make your own. I still have a couple of those kits left here. I also have that info and the pages to download in my online, "Creating an Art Journal" class.

When I was working on these pages for my Birdsong 5 kits, I was enamoured with coloring and had to stop myself from staying at the kitchen table and coloring one page after another, over and over again. I told myself that I was making "examples" for the class...

Yea, right.

I was hooked on the markers and ink.  I was an avid color-er as a kid and apparently, that is not something that you outgrow.

I figure I can't be the only one, and have heard friends talking about coloring pages, listened to a story on NPR about it, then when I saw it in Parade, I knew it was as addictive and fun for others as it is for me.

So, I've added a pair of the collage background, bird themed pages to Etsy.

And I reworked the sketch for this painting to make it "coloring friendly".   Which involved printing the sketch, and removing all the shading, redrawing the black outlines sharper, and using white ink to cover up some areas, then scanning it again, printing it over, and doing that same process again, until all of my lines were the way I wanted them to be and were easy to follow for anyone to fill in.  

I probably should have just started over from scratch instead of spending so much time redoing this page, but this picture of Snow White has a special place in my heart.  And honestly, I wanted to color one myself....

So far, I haven't had a chance to do that.  Things have been busy around the cottage.  Just a typical stuff, like a roof caving in at my son's house, and all of his belongings covered in black mold spores, so that he had to move out and move here temporarily.  It has been rough on his family, but I'm glad that we have plenty of space for them here while they are unsettled and have no roof.

And lucky too, that we have an extra garage that we don't need to park in for summertime so they can store their stuff in it, as well as a big yard to spread out a tarp and let all of their belongings bleach in the sunshine.  They spritzed it all with vinegar and let the sun cure the mold spores.  And are now waiting to see if the landlord will release them from their lease.   

Dewdrop is coming back this week, and Sugarwings was very worried that she would be upset when she heard about what happened to her bedroom.  It was sweet of her to think of her sister's reaction.

 On the other hand, it was a bit selfish of me to be thinking, "Oh goody, we get all the little girls here, living with us again!!"

But back to coloring...if you like coloring too, I have two fairy tale themed coloring sheets available as well as the birdie ones-  right here.  Each pair is $3, and a digital download that you  save to your computer and can print out at 5x7" or 8x10" as many times as you'd like. 

If you are anything like me, you'll be printing out multiples and coloring them over and over again, because you never get the same result twice, and it is a relaxing, creative little hobby.

I hope to have more added in the next few weeks. These are fun to make, as well as to color!

Comments

[jeanie]

Dewdrop back to stay or just a visit? Either way you must be over the moon, and how kind of Sugarwings to think of her and the room.

The coloring sheets are fun. I've been doing more of that, too. Heard the NPR story and have seen some others. It's just relaxing to the max!

[Karla Nathan]

Dewdrop is still going back and forth a few weeks at a time. It is good to have her home for our turn!

[Sandy]

These are just beautiful Karla! You should make a whole color book of your amazing sketches.

[Karla Nathan]

Beth suggested that too, Sandy. Its a good idea!