coloring for adults Archives

Colorizing CHRISTMAS with Ready-to-Color Christmas Greeting Cards

6 March 201824 November 2016 by Dr Lewis

CHRISTMAS IS BUSY

Christmas is coming. Oh, don’t we know it! One look at the calendar got me thinking about our family’s Christmas card list – not an email list, mind you, but an old fashioned list of names and addresses. This paper list brings together people we like to bless with a genuine paper Christmas card. That, in case you don’t know, is the kind of card that required a tree to sacrifice its life, so it’s a special thing.

It is astounding how quickly people ditched this tradition of sending paper cards in lieu of a generic email one-liner sent at the last possible moment. Yes, postage isn’t free (but you could trade one cup of Starbucks coffee this year for quite a few stamps). Yes, some places have unreliable postal services (and perhaps some of your greeting cards may not be delivered, but what is life without a wee bit of risk). No, you don’t have less time in the day than anyone else. Everyone everywhere is BUSY. (If you are not busy most of the time, take a moment to share your secret for extra hours in the day in the comment section below – I know we all need to find more time in the day.) Here is my challenge for you this Christmas: how about embracing a new thought this festive season?

Consider this idea: This year I will spare a few minutes to send a physical greeting card to someone I care about. Is that a crazy idea?

READY-TO-COLOR CHRISTMAS GREETING CARDS

For those creative folk who have a few extra minutes to invest in others, as well as in their own sense of well-being, ready-to-color greeting cards are ideal. Buying a few packs of ready-to-color cards should definitely go on your “Christmas preparation list”. (Santa could use an efficient “list” person like you on his staff!)

Ready-to-color Christmas cards are a lot like traditional greeting cards. The big difference is that the color in the feature illustration is applied by you, and not by a printing press. You can use paint, markers, or pencils to add color to printed coloring cards. With digital coloring cards, you will use software to fill spaces in the digital card with color, and then you can print your finished work.

NEW CHRISTMAS DESIGNS

Recently, I was busy working on a new range of coloring card designs when a customer approached me to ask for Christmas versions of the cards. I had not initially planned to release any coloring Christmas cards this year, but the customer’s request got me thinking about how Christmas coloring cards could be more than just greeting cards. I imagined how a Christmas card coloring activity could provide hours of fun for families, friends, church groups and more. So I put aside my planned designs for a while, and improvised some Christmas designs for cards. Zisubu Artique now stocks sets of coloring Christmas cards.

PRINT AND COLOR GREETING CARDS

For those who like to do all their crafting from scratch, there are the “print and color” Christmas cards. You simply print the PDF card pages on cardstock – each page has two cards – and you are on your way to making hundreds of Christmas greeting cards (or just a few, if your Christmas list isn’t too long).

Not everyone likes to wrestle with their home printer – I know mine is rather temperamental about processing card stock. (Some days is plays nicely, and others it makes a big mess of the card projects I try to print.) If you don’t want to waste time loading cardstock one page at a time, printing, cutting the cards, going shopping for envelopes, and then FINALLY sitting down to relax with a coloring activity, the “ready to color” Christmas cards are perfect for you. The price of the “ready to color” cards includes all the craft work, so all that is left for you is to open your box of crayons and start coloring.

START A NEW TREND

Start a new trend in your family or business this year. Send Christmas cards that are colored by your family, your friends, or your business’ staff members. Or send an uncolored coloring card with a little note that encourages the recipient to sit back, relax, and enjoy coloring as they count down to Christmas Day.

Colorable Christmas Cards in the Color the Carols BIG COMBO

26 October 2016 by Dr Lewis

Colorable Christmas Cards in the Color the Carols BIG COMBO Christmas Gift Set The Color the Carols BIG COMBO is a sensory experience that focuses on coloring and listening. This COMBO includes a colorable Christmas card, in addition to a Christmas-themed, adult-friendly coloring book. This post addresses some of the questions asked about the Christmas cards included in the BIG COMBO.

1. How many Christmas cards are in each BIG COMBO?
The BIG COMBO packs are created by including ONE A2-sized colorable card from a set of my Christmas designs. Although the theme is still Christmas, these designs are not repeats of what you will find in the COMBO’s COLOR the TRUMPET CAROLS Christmas coloring book. Each BIG COMBO has a randomly selected card design, so there is no way to guess which card is in your pack until you open your package.
Is there a message inside the card?
Each card design incorporates a Christmas-focused scripture on the front, and the card is left blank inside so you can add your own personal message. The designs are easy to color, so feel free to pass the coloring task on to one of the younger members of your household, if you don’t have time to fill the card with color. You might even twist the little someone’s arm to write the message inside for you. Seeing your child’s handwriting in a greeting card can make the experience of receiving a card in the mail an extra special experience for a loved one.
“What will the design on this mystery card look like?”
I thought it best to let the set of six designs speak for themselves. Two of the six designs are in landscape format, and four are portrait styled designs. There are angels, Mary with the baby Jesus, word play abstract designs, the wise men, and a three-panel nativity scene. The COLOR the CAROLS BIG COMBO will only contain one randomly selected, colorable card. If you would like to purchase the complete set of cards, they are available from my ETSY store. (I packed six designs in the set, so the whole family could sit around the kitchen table and color together. If your family has more than six members, order a couple of packs, invite the neighbors, and turn it into a coloring party. Or cut costs by printing a set of colorable cards on your home printer. )

Bigger is Better for Christmas Gifting

24 October 2016 by Dr Lewis

#ColortheCarols - Color the Christmas Carols COMBO Comparison If you have spent any time with me, then you know I struggle to get through a conversation without asking questions. How. Why. When. But it seems I am not the only one with a case of the dreaded questionitis. You have questions, too. And it only seems fair that I should spend some time answering your questions. (By the way, if you would like to ask me a question, feel free to use the contact form on this website to connect with me.)

I am going to devote a few blog posts to answering questions about our family’s newest creative project: the Color the Carols COMBO. If you are not already familiar with this product, you can read more about it how this project evolved in earlier posts on this blog. In this post, we are going to explore why there are TWO versions of this COMBO, and which one is the best fit for YOU.

Why create TWO versions of COLOR the CAROLS COMBO?
It is said that variety is the spice of life, is it not? We know people like to be able to exercise their freedom of choice, plus we wanted to create variations that would work for a variety of different folk. But we didn’t want to offer too many choices – that makes shopping stressful, and this COMBO is all about de-stressing. So we settled on two variations: the basic COMBO, and the BIG COMBO. Both COMBOs are currently sold and shipped (domestically and internationally) by the Tiger Music Store in Texas. Both COMBOS are ideal as gifts (or to treat yourself) – the BIG COMBO simply packs a few extras into the parcel.
What is the difference between the COMBOs?
The basic COLOR the CAROLS COMBO includes the following items: a copy of the UNADORNED TRUMPET CAROLS CD, a copy of the COLOR the TRUMPET CAROLS adult-friendly coloring book, an insert that lists all 49 tracks from the album in alphabetical order (so its easy to find your favorites quickly), and a letter from the creators of the product.
The COLOR the CAROLS BIG COMBO includes the following items: a copy of the UNADORNED TRUMPET CAROLS CD, a copy of the COLOR the TRUMPET CAROLS adult-friendly coloring book, an insert that lists all 49 tracks from the album in alphabetical order (so its easy to find your favorites quickly), a letter from the creators of the product, PLUS a set of colored pencils, a pencil sharpener (because it’s easier to color with sharp pencils), and a ready-to-color Christmas card (and envelope – so you can mail it as soon as you have finished coloring the card).
Which COMBO should I get?
The COMBO you select for yourself depends on what you already own (or can borrow from your children’s school supplies). If you already own a box of colored pencils or markers, then you probably don’t need a set that contains these items – the basic COMBO will suit you. The colorable Christmas card is a fun item to add your own creativity to, but note that the BIG COMBO only contains one such Christmas card. (The basic COMBO does not include a colorable card.) Need more than one card? You can buy a family-sized set of these ready-to-color Christmas cards directly from my ETSY store.
If you are buying a COMBO as a gift, and don’t know the recipient too well e.g. you have no idea if they already do a lot of coloring or not, consider buying the BIG COMBO. It includes everything the gift recipient needs to get started right away with coloring. (A coloring book without crayons is a bit like a battery-operated toy without batteries – not so much fun.) The major advantage to purchasing the BIG COMBO is that you can start coloring as soon as you unpack your order. No need to make a trip to the store to get colored pencils or a sharpener. You are ready for coloring action, so there is no excuse to put off starting your relaxing countdown to Christmas.

National Color Day – 22 October

22 October 2016 by Dr Lewis

Happy National Color Day! Today we celebrate color, how it influences us, and how it allows us to express ourselves. Ditch the black and white outfit for today, and wear something vibrant – choose a color that says, “I am alive and loving life!” Then take another bold step and use color to be creative. #NationalColorDay is a day to indulge in activities like painting or coloring. If you have never colored as an adult, today is the ideal day to give this relaxing activity a try. You can try your hand at coloring, and it doesn’t need to cost you a cent. Feel free to download a FREE coloring page here, pull out that dusty box of crayons, and fill spaces with crazy blends of color. Perhaps share the LOVE – invite a friend or family member to color with you.

Or turn over a new leaf today, and invest in your wellbeing. Challenge yourself to 30 days of coloring, starting today. Download a meditative, scripture-inspired coloring book that lets you soak up inspirational scriptures while you start your journey into the world of colorful expression. Or take a moment today to place an order for a physical coloring book – for yourself or as a gift to inspire someone else.

How we experience life is often the result of how we to choose to see it. You can choose to view the world as a miserable, unkind, grey world – or you can choose to paint over the greyness with your choice of vivid colors, and learn to LOVE LIFE. You choose.

To celebrate #NationalColorDay, here is a video (MOVING in MIRACLES by Eddie Lewis) that let’s you flow with a river of color:

MERRY CHRISTMAS Family Coloring Pages

6 March 201821 October 2016 by Dr Lewis

Coloring is not just for kids PLUS it’s good for your health. How many times have you heard that said recently? You know it’s true, but your nine-year old is adamant that he is too old to color, and dad… well, dad thinks he outgrew crayons before the turn of the century. Then grandma wants to color, but she says the adult coloring books are too detailed for her eyeglass prescription strength. The solution?

FAMILY TIME

The MERRY CHRISTMAS FAMILY COLORING PAGES were created to bring families together around the kitchen table (or on the lounge floor if you don’t have a big table). The set of pages uses just one basic illustration built on the words: MERRY CHRISTMAS. The basic illustration is further evolved to include three additional skill levels. The result is an easy-to-print, coloring activity that is suitable for the whole family. Print one page for each member of the family. Choose the page that is appropriate for each person based on their age, attention span, dexterity, and ability to take on a challenge.

BEGINNER LEVEL

BEGINNER (Level 1): This is a basic, broad-lined illustration built on the words “MERRY CHRISTMAS”. There are large open areas to color, and the shapes are a mix of gently rounded and facetted. This illustration can be comfortably colored with wax crayons and colored pencils or markers. This illustration is best for the youngest members of the family or those with impaired eyesight.

INTERMEDIATE LEVELS

INTERMEDIATE I (Level 2): The BEGINNER illustration is upgraded to include some smaller areas. The use of wax crayons may become more challenging with this illustration. This illustration is best for colorists who are comfortable with staying inside lines and need a little more challenge than a BEGINNER colorist does.

INTERMEDIATE II (Level 3): The BEGINNER illustration now has many small regions begging for color. Fine pointed pens or pencils work best for this illustration.

ADVANCED LEVEL

ADVANCED (Level 4): This page takes the BEGINNER design to new heights. You will find LOTS of small details to color on this page. The small, open areas seen in the other illustrations now boast small patterns and embellishments. If you have a family member that thinks coloring is for little kids, THIS is the page you hand to them. This is a very detailed page and likely to be overwhelming for the youngest members of the family.

MAKE IT A GAME

Get the family together, open that extra big box of colored pencils (or invest in a couple of 12-pencil sets so there is no fighting at the table), and distribute the page assignments. The entire family will be working on the same illustration, just in varying degrees of detail, so everyone can feel that they are part of the same project. The activity can be made more fun by adding restrictions for the older family members. For example, let the youngest colorist choose the colors of the letters. Everyone else must stick to this color choice for their bases colors, but are challenged to use their imagination to integrate those colors in a creative and eye-catching way. If you have ideas for creative coloring restrictions that make this activity more enjoyable for the teens and adults, please add them in the comment section below.

CHRISTMAS BOOT CAMP

Coloring together stimulates conversation. Have you been longing for family chats, but have a family that is too glued to their phones to remember the archaic activity called conversation? Announce a Christmas Preparation Boot Camp (just don’t call it “boot camp” or they may take to the hills) for the family, set aside two hours after a weekend dinner (those “I am so bored” rainy days work best for families that are new to coloring), and just do it. Inevitably, conversation will flow. It’s difficult to maintain silence for a couple of hours when you are using your hands for more than just “swiping and clicking”. It might start with “stop stealing my red crayon!“, but eventually the debate about which color to use may lead to other more interesting topics. Give it a try. Download your MERRY CHRISTMAS FAMILY COLORING PAGES from Zisubu Artique.

Come Shepherds Rise from #ColortheCarols

6 March 201819 October 2016 by Dr Lewis

This new video includes music and images from the COLOR the CAROLS COMBO. “Come Shepherds Rise” is track 17 on the COMBO’s carol CD, and the imagery in the video is extracted from the “Good Tidings” scene from the Christmas story.

SHEEP LOOK TO HEAVEN

The video unveils sheep and their shepherds, enjoying a quiet evening in the countryside. A sound from above captures their attention. With eyes turned heavenward, the men and animals listen to the announcement of the angel, calling them to rise and go and worship the newborn king.

CHRISTMAS COMBO

If you have not already acquired your copy of this Christmas COMBO, we recommend ordering the COMBO before the Christmas rush. These combo’s make excellent stocking fillers for family and friends of all ages. If you want a gift set that includes stationery plus coloring extras, rather opt for the Color the Carols BIG COMBO from Tiger Music.

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DONE EARLY

Yes, I know it’s still a couple of months until Christmas, but there is something soothing and inspiring about Christmas music, so why save it to only play for a couple of weeks a year. The COMBO’s CD (Unadorned Trumpet Carols by Eddie Lewis) is a beautiful collection of 49 carols, all played without musical ornamentation – the music is simple, refreshing, and deeply relaxing to listen to.

Play the CD as you navigate the crazy, stress-magnifying traffic to work. Play it as you settle down to relax and color the book of Christmas scenes. Put it on while you are cooking dinner. Hum along to the familiar carols, or sing with gusto as if you are in the shower and no-one is listening. If you are not a big fan of coloring, you can purchase this CD as a stand-alone digital album from CD Baby. Currently, the only way to purchase the physical CD is to purchase the Color the Carols COMBO (or BIG COMBO) from Tiger Music (an online music store that ships worldwide).

What Child is This from #ColortheCarols

18 October 201618 October 2016 by Dr Lewis

“What Child is This?” is a familiar and beautiful Christmas carol, evoking soothing feelings and possibly even a rush of nostalgia. Most people recognize the tune – it’s Greensleeves, a traditional folk song of English origin. The lyrics for this carol were penned back in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix. You will find the instrumental version of this carol played by trumpeter, Eddie Lewis, on the UNADORNED TRUMPET CAROLS album – it’s track 26. This album comes as part of the COLOR the CAROLS COMBO. Track 26 is the audio you will hear in this video:

The illustration used to create this video is scene 5 in the COLOR the TRUMPET CAROLS coloring book (part of the COMBO). The inquisitive animals gather around the manger, eager to learn who the new comer is. As they peer over the manger’s edge to catch a glimpse of the Baby Jesus, their curiosity is rewarded as the glory from above shines down on the little one. The illustration attempts to capture some of the fascination and awe experienced by these speechless, four-legged onlookers.

If you have purchased the COLOR the CAROLS COMBO and would like to celebrate Christmas by submitting your coloring of any of the scenes for possible inclusion in this website’s gallery or a future video, please use the contact form on this website to connect with me. If you haven’t yet purchased the COMBO, you can click here or on the image below to go directly to the music store that is currently selling these packs.

#colorthecarols - Color the Carols COMBO from www.TigerMusicStore.com

O Come, O Come Emmanuel Video from #ColortheCarols

15 October 2016 by Dr Lewis

If you have been following this blog, then you will be aware that the first of October saw the release of the COLOR the CAROLS COMBO. This combo is a fun Christmas gift (for yourself or a friend) which marries therapeutic coloring (and yes, that does suggest it’s for adults and that it is good for your health) with relaxing, instrumental music.

The COLOR the CAROLS COMBO takes you on a journey through the Christmas story, starting with the prophecy of the coming of Christ. As your journey progresses, you immerse your senses deeper and deeper in the story through the processes of coloring and listening. The combo’s coloring book guides you by suggesting which tracks to listen to as you color each scene from the story. The scenes are hand-drawn, and each covers a full 11″ x 8.5″ page. The suggested listening list was selected to focus your attention on one part of the story at a time. COLOR the CAROLS is all about slowing down and rediscovering the joy and peace of Christmas.

This video showcases TRACK 4 from the album (UNADORNED TRUMPET CAROLS by Eddie Lewis) that is included in this combo. O Come, O Come Emmanuel is a classic carol that creates a sense of anticipation for the coming of the Christ Child.

Final Stretch for 2016 Christmas Project

15 September 2016 by Dr Lewis

Christmas Coloring Book by E and P Lewis — Final checks to the illustrations for the Christmas carol coloring book.

Who doesn’t love a cheerfully bright and colorful Christmas? This year, my husband (the embodiment of multi-facetted creativity) and I set out to develop a cheerful, creative product that would embrace the best of Christmas. We wanted this to be a joint creative project that would pool our individual talents, and yield something that would give people a real-time break from all the craziness that Christmas has devolved into. We chose to embark on a project that would blend the visual and hearing senses in an experience that revisits the joy and peace of Christmas. The end of this project is in sight, and the product (which is perfect for gifting) is due for early release in October 2016.

My husband’s half of the project is the listening experience. And it is an experience you will want to have – the music is hauntingly beautiful, and will put you in the mood for the best kind of Christmas. When you have brain-fry and mall-fog from the Christmas shopping that makes you wish you could skip Christmas this year, this is the music you need to be listening to. The CD (which will also be available as a digital download) features a blend of old (read that as VERY well known) and not-so-common Christmas carols. What sets this collection of Christmas carols apart is that the entire album is played exclusively on trumpet. (Technically, it’s not just trumpet, as some of the recordings do feature flugelhorn, but I think of the flugelhorn as falling under the instrumental umbrella of the trumpet.) The CD is perfect for listening to on its own, but it comes into its own when you couple it with my half of the project.

My responsibility was to develop an adult-friendly coloring book that would amplify the experience of listening to the Christmas carols on the CD. Coloring is a great way to unwind at the end of a stressful day, and the festive season has become notorious for taking our stress levels up more than just a few notches. We wanted to develop a coloring experience that would keep the user’s attention on the Christmas story (after all, that is central to why we celebrate at Christmas), and provide plenty of opportunity to indulge in the use of uplifting, vibrant colors. And we wanted to double the relaxation and joy-infusing effect of the coloring by coupling it with mood-uplifting music.

Each page in the coloring book represents a stage in the development of the Christmas story. Those familiar with my drawing style will know that this book won’t look like most of the coloring books you find stacked up on the shelves at the grocery checkout. I like freestyle drawing, and the blending of reality with the abstract. This book is an expression of how I see the Christmas story: a little humor, a little abstract patterning, many fun spaces to color, and a lot of Jesus. And each page is directly related to one or more of the carols on the accompanying CD. Each full-page illustration comes with a list of the carols that are referenced by the illustration, an extract from a carol, and the scripture that forms the foundation for the illustration (and the carols).

With the release date set for October 2016, we are definitely in the final stretch. The music has been recorded, the illustrations are finished, and the final product is coming together. The combo product will initially be sold through Tiger Music, an online music store that ships internationally, but you will be able to buy the CD and the coloring book separately at a later stage. Stay updated by subscribing to my blog (there’s a button on the side of this page), or to my husband’s blog.

If you are looking for a Christmas gift that is cheerful, uplifting, colorful, joy-inducing, stress-relieving, and plain FUN to use, this CD and coloring book combo fits the bill.

Love in Scripture: Free Adult Coloring Pages

22 June 2016 by Dr Lewis

Fruit of the Spirit: Love In celebration of the release of my latest coloring book, “Fruit of the Spirit Colouring Book“, I have a gift for you. You can collect your own FREE copy of “LOVE” in my store. Visit the FREEBIE section of the store to load your cart with digital products that are currently offered as gifts to all my readers.

Why do I give some products away?

I believe most customers are not true risk takers when it comes to shopping (and rightly so). Most want to be able to open the box and look inside BEFORE they hand over their hard-earned money. Digital products (which, by their very “virtual” nature, cannot come with a return option) are particularly challenging for the less adventurous shopper. I want my customers to purchase my digital products with confidence, and having the opportunity to look inside a book or color a sample page goes a long way to building confidence in the products I create.

Is there a catch?

No. Free is free! If the price tag says ZERO, then you won’t be charged anything at checkout. You don’t need to add other products to the cart to be able to receive a FREEBIE. Of course, I would love to have you buy other items from my store, but you are not obliged to. I want you to enjoy using the FREE products, and I would appreciate hearing how you experience the items. Feel free to stop by and leave a comment here.