Recent News: Colour-me-in.co.nz

Masquerade take on children's face paint favourite September 2015

9/13/2015

Masquerade Tiger, face painted by Stephanie, www.colour-me-in.co.nz

Everyone seems to have a favourite design to face paint. At the moment, mine is the tiger. Children seem to transform into character the instant they see themselves in the mirror... pink tigers, blue tigers, whiskery tigers, scary tigers and friendly tigers. I don't often get the time to paint one in full detail, so it was lovely to get the chance this month for a recent masquerade party. A treat for me!
I have used a base of TAG shimmer white, TAG gold and TAG bronze with a blush and orange mix for the nose. Detailing is in TAG black and white, with shading using Starblend black compressed powder.

Spring is just around the corner August 2015

8/25/2015

Primrose Mask, face painted by Stephanie, www.colour-me-in.co.nz

With the weather warming ever so slightly, and the spring flowers beginning to pop their heads into the world, I'm feeling very enthused about floral designs. This is one of my FAVOURITE models :-) I have face painted her with my take on one of FaceFX Adelaide's designs. If you haven't already seen their work, then check them out on http://www.facefxadelaide.com . It's incredibly valuable to see other people's work and grow your own designs from the roots of that. Especially if you are living in a small Antipodean town! The internet is an amazing learning tool.

Learning to "do-it-yourself" - Workshops! July 2015

7/8/2015

So much fun! Due to popular demand, Colour-me-in now offers workshops for beginners interested in learning how to face paint or balloon twist. Evening face painting workshops are available throughout the year for adults and teenagers keen to learn how to paint with cosmetic grade paints. We can also cater to school art groups and preschool teachers syndicates, and have been out in the community training year 7 and 8 groups for their own school productions. Really brilliant to watch the students grow in confidence and skill with each workshop, until they are painting their own actors and sending them onstage with pride! Balloon twisting workshops can also be incorporated in your children's party or holiday programme, with children being taught how to make their own simple starter designs like dogs and butterflies.

Little faces that you know June 2015

6/18/2015

Little Tiger and friend, face painted by Stephanie, www.colour-me-in.co.nz

Children's entertainment is notoriously slower in the winter months... in the Southern hemisphere, that means NOW! I had a brainwave on a slow Sunday recently, and invited a whole bunch of friends and their children over for a face-paint-and-photo day. These are little faces that I know so well, but rarely paint because I'm busy elsewhere. What a treat... both for them and for me! It's a precious 5 minutes you get with each child when you face paint... they are trusting you with their personal space and their little faces. Trusting that you will listen carefully to their favourite colour and favourite creature and magically turn them into it. Once completed, you both leave knowing the other that little bit better than when you started. Who knew that "Slow Sunday" could be such a success? Looking forward to the next one!

Baby Bumps and Pregnancy Paintings November 2014

11/17/2014

Tree of Life in 4 stages, belly painted by Stephanie, Colour-me-in.co.nz

It's been a month of belly paintings... beautiful, bursting, bountiful pregnant bellies with unbelievable little beings inside! By the end of the 3rd trimester, the little ones are visibly moving and changing positions... it never ceases to be an amazing experience. This design "Tree of Life" was painted in four sessions... one every 2 months. We JUST sneaked in the final belly painting session two days before baby decided to arrive... right on the due date :-)
This custom designed artwork, painted by Stephanie (www.colour-me-in.co.nz) was inspired by a series of different artists work, but notably Christy from Daisy Design, as the client and I loved her tree series. It was hand-painted by brush and sponge using cosmetic grade TAG body paints and body glitters. I'm a fan of TAG's pearl range, such beautiful colours and a lovely smooth feel on the skin.
Some clients choose to have a single sitting at 8+ months, but others, like my Tree of Life client, choose multiple sittings to chronicle the growth of their baby bump. It's amazing just how much that bump grows in two months!
If you wish to celebrate and record your pregnancy in a unique way, or give an amazing baby shower gift, contact us... we would love to be of service!

Halloween and the Day of the Dead October 2014

11/2/2014

Day of the Dead Sugar Skull, face painted by Stephanie, Colour.me-in.co.nz.

Do we love Halloween? We certainly do!
It was a really fun end of the month with both Children's Halloween celebrations and the Blood bath R18 event in Christchurch. Face painting opportunities galore!
It's easy to assume Halloween and the Day of the Dead are the same celebration, as they are held over the same period (October 31st - November 2nd) but that isn't the case. I did a bit of background reading for the sugar skull designs I was asked to paint this month. The sugar skulls are not designed to spook and scare, but to celebrate those who have passed. Hence the floral designs and petals around the eye sockets. In Mexico it's a public holiday. Friends and family gather and pray for their deceased. Celebrations include sugar skulls, marigolds, eating favourite foods and leaving gifts on the graves of loved ones.

Split cakes, One Strokes and Fairys September 2014

10/11/2014

Pink Fairy, face painted by Stephanie, Colour-me-in.co.nz.

Thanks to an evening workshop by Nicole Heydenrijk of BodyFX and a subsequent new one stroke, I have been working on new ways to use the collection of one strokes and split cakes in my kit. I've realised they have so much potential! Here is one example of a new Fairy design I'm working on.
for those of you willing to give it a try, you can create your own one strokes from your leftover and almost exhausted paints using a clean blade knife, a washed empty 10 or 32gm facepaint container and some gladwrap.
Your paints should be about the consistency of Fimo for the best results. Cut a strip about 5mm wide from each of the colours you wish to use. You can work the paint loose by scraping the blade knife underneath as you would for a sticky cake. Lay in place in the cleaned container and wedge the next colour close up next to it.
When all the colours are placed, use the gladwrap as a sanitary cover and press/smoodge/squish colours down into place with your fingers. If you have any gaps you can cut small chunks to fit and re-press with the gladwrap, attempting to get the division lines as straight as possible.
To apply use a wet flat brush and load on both sides up to the hilt. 1inch or 3/4 inch brushes are great. Happy one stroking!

Frozen Royalty August 2014

8/15/2014

Frozen Mask, face painted by Stephanie, Colour-me-in.co.nz.

August has arrived with icy blasts from the South and regular sprinklings of snow on the Port Hills that look very much like someone has dusted them with icing sugar. It's fitting that the freezing temperatures have coincided with the 'Frozen' phenomenon. This month I have been lucky enough to have been invited to three birthday parties with the new Disney classic as the theme.
I'm a fan of Elsa and Ana. They take matters into their own hands, stand up for themselves and each other, and carry on through adversity with good intentions. As far as princess heroines go, they're good value!
I have tried a variety of face painting designs for 'Frozen' recently, but this one is my favourite so far. Simple and quick with a one-stroke on the eyelids. No doubt I will be painting a lot more of these in the near future for the next series of Elsa's and Ana's!

Winter Holidays July 2014

7/11/2014

Peacock, face painted by Stephanie, Colour-me-in.co.nz.

The winter school holidays are here with lashings of cold wind and indoor afternoons. Commonly a quieter time for children's entertainers, It's been a great opportunity to re-stock my face painting kit and, with willing models off school, to re-work some old designs! People often ask me when I'm working where I get my designs and ideas from. There is no singular answer for that, but the great thing about the face painting community in Canterbury is the collaboration and sharing of ideas and designs that goes on. This is a bird design that I originally learnt whilst working next to Pip from Dotty Pop. I had to learn it in a hurry because she had it up on her board, so I kept getting requests for it! It was originally a bird of paradise design, but I have modified it slightly to form a simple Peacock.

Cold and Frosty, with lashings of Camo to boot! June 2014

6/29/2014

Camouflage, face painted by Stephanie, Colour-me-in.co.nz.

It's been a month of belly painting and balloon twisting events, but sneaked in amongst the bright, bold and beautiful was a LOAD of Camo! The local school that my children attend is doing a film topic within their curriculum. An inspired choice as the weather has been easing into more frosty clear days as June progresses. Two classes needed my attention, and both needed to blend into the background! A very LARGE group of children who were off on an intense Moa hunt through the undergrowth. A second, smaller group, portraying a group of ANZAC soldiers in full camo gear were under some serious fire. Both classes were in need of some camouflage.
Camouflage was what they got!