I don’t mean to get all intensely personal about your creative habits, but have you colored lately? Like you did when you were a kid — gotten into the ZONE? Once or twice a week I have fun sitting and talking with my girls while we draw and color all sorts of things they’re interested in, but this week I got to color in my own coloring book. I enjoyed the look on the girls’ faces when I told them that the new Playful Designs coloring book was for ME. I promise I used standard English when I said “this is MY coloring book” but the looks on their faces told me… no comprendo.
My 5yo sat down next to me and I let her pick a page from my mama coloring book. Guys, I SHARED A PAGE FROM THE MAMA COLORING BOOK. It was hard. HARD. I wanted to keep all of my fancy new markers and fancy new coloring book out of kid hands. What if she smudged the pages? Dripped yogurt on them? Moved the markers out of order? Maybe the worst possible thought – SQUISHED THE POINTY MARKER TIPS?! But I took deep breaths. All of that dang “sharing” role modeling I’m supposed to be doing. I let her have a page. We shared.
There is no shortage of fun stuff to color here, a fun mix of pattern and design.
She chose a mandala sort of thing.
I chose a set of buildings that reminded me of an art installation we once visited. Gah, these windows were so fun to color!
Coloring books for grownups have pages that are only printed on one side and use smoother and sturdier paper than your average kid’s coloring book. No bleed-through from the opposite side and the pages don’t shred as easily with wet marker ink. As soon as I got the e-mail asking if I’d like to join the tour and try it I hopped over to order a set of the markers I lusted after in middle school and can’t remember ever having. I know I used some that belonged to friends – and they’re exactly what they were years ago. Nothing about them has changed. I fought the urge to hug them in appreciation of the happy little flashback they brought. And mildly jealous that they’ve made it through the decades without stretch marks.
Fine tipped markers are a requirement here. And for me they were a joy to use after all of the wide stroke kinds I’m used to lately. On kid markers the points squish pretty easily and the middle school markers are a bit sturdier.
So, head over here or here to grab your copy of Playful Designs, and here (affiliate links) to grab lusty middle school markers. And then jump into your own Playful Designs as soon as you have the chance, because whatever your closest form of interruption is, it’ll catch you soon enough…
Patty Young supplied the coloring book. Opinions are entirely mine! See what others on the book tour have to say!
Monday, November 10th – Patty Young @ Modkid
Tuesday, November 11th – Susan Yates @ Crafterhours
Wednesday, November 12th – Melissa Mora @ Melly Sews
Thursday, November 13th – Heather Valentine @ The Sewing Loft
Friday, November 14th – Teresa Behr @ Dandelion Drift
Saturday, November 15th – Elizabeth Evans @ Simple Simon and Co
Monday, November 17th – Jenny Fish @ Sew Pretty Dresses
Tuesday, November 18th – Courtney Davis @ Sweeter Than Cupcakes
Want to win your own? Enter below! a Rafflecopter giveaway
i love it!
So fun. I love high quality art supplies.
These look really fun! I’m curious as to what age kids would be able to start using them?
My 8yo was busy playing with a friend or I would have been braver and shared with her too. :) I think she’d enjoy it! Check out what the other folks on the tour have to say – lots of different parents, kids, kids ages: http://www.modkidboutique.blogspot.com/2014/11/playful-designs-blog-tour-crafterhours.html
I was just browsing Amazon in search of a grown-up coloring book. Perfect timing! One way or another I will own this…and now I feel like I need the markers, too. Thanks for the chance to win!
Love this coloring book! I think I’d use colored pencils or markers.
Your post cracked me up!! I definitely begged my daughter to share a page with me!!
This book reminds me of one I had in middle school that I hated to color on the pages because then I couldn’t color them again. I had a set of fine tip markers I used for coloring on those pages. I can’t wait to get my hands on this book.
A few years ago, I was bored during the holidays and went and bought some coloring books. They were so much fun! I especially like using them with markers.
Beautiful! I’ve been looking for books like this for my daughter and I to do together : ) She loves Sakura coupy-pencils and I love colored pencils!
Looks like fun :-)
CLEVER & CREATIVE IDEA . . . instead of doodling & nothing to”keep,” one can select own colors of markers or pencils to create a picture! Also, one can do portions now & then until the picture is completed. LOVE the concept of sharing with a young child, too. THANKS for sharing. Sarah in Minneapolis
I like markers or colored pencils
My daughter prefers markers, but I like colored pencils (and watercolor pencils, too)
Beautiful possibilities! And what a great way to scratch that creative itch when I don’t have time to pull out paints or sewing!
I have always loved to color with any type of coloring utensil, crayons, markers, pens, pencils, paints. You name it and I’ve probably tried it…yes, even poke berries.
I love to color with markers and pencil crayons combined.
I love coloring!
ooh, it’s been awhile since I coloured!! but I always preferred good quality, well sharpened pencil crayons :) the book looks great!
I like pencil crayons but if I had finer markers I would probably use them. I do like colouring still and have been known to buy colouring books for my kids on,y to colour several of the pages myself!
Those markers are my favoritw?!
Definitely colouring pens!
Definitely colourings pens!
I like roller ball pens in crazy colors… my notebooks from trainings and meetings are full of doodles
I make cards and usually use colored pencils to color them.
My mom had those markers when I was growing up and it was a very special treat to be allowed to color with them. Although I think I prefer colored pencils now.
whatever’s handy!
How awesome, I’ll have to get one!
Love the adult coloring book. I prefer color pencils.
Markers or colored pencils are my medium of choice. Just depends on the mood :)
Cute! I like colored pencils the best.
I use markers and pencils!
Colored pencils for the win!
coloured pencils
I love colored pencils, but I am not loyal to any particular brand or style of pencils. I use wax-based and oil based pencils, as well as watercolor pencils… mix and match according to the shades and colors I need for a particular picture.
I use plain ol’ crayons when I color with the kids :)
colored pencils for coloring, they are more detailed – I love conte pencils for drawing – I wish I knew how to paint as I loooooove watercolors!
Crayons — I always wanted one of those zillion color boxes that I never had as kid, so I got myself one. :) And shared. And now it is theirs…
I loooove to use colored pencils…but nothin’ beats a new box of crayons for Christmas,,,with some fresh new coloring books!! My Grangirlie & I color together all the time! :)
OhMyGracious – I know what I’m requesting for Christmas!
I’m a marker girl!
Yes, I have lots of coloring tools. I’m excited about all the coloring books for adults that are out now.
My favorite coloring tool is highlighters.
Colring pencils and watercolors! That book looks so so great… Thanks for the chance.