Mon Carnet Créatif blog: coloring, stationery, and daily creative ideas

Welcome to the Mon Carnet Créatif blog, a space designed for those who love to color, write, draw, try new pencils, collect notebooks, and take little breaks from daily noise.

Here, you don't need to have gone to art school or be able to draw a portrait with your eyes closed. We mostly talk about pleasure, colors, paper, small creative habits, and everything that can make a simple moment a little more enjoyable.

You'll find advice on adult coloring, kawaii coloring, creative notebooks, colored pencils, markers, and stationery, as well as ideas to better choose your materials, discover new worlds, and enjoy your creative hobbies more.

Welcome to the Mon Carnet Créatif universe

Whether you're a fan of adult coloring, kawaii coloring, coloring books, colored pencils, notebooks, or creative stationery, this blog is here to give you ideas, answer small questions, and help you discover new ways to create.

Grab a notebook, choose some colors, and settle in.

After all, the next blank page might just be waiting for a little pencil stroke.

The Mon Carnet Créatif blog also offers practical advice

Throughout the articles, you'll find more precise guides to help you with your choices and activities.

We will discuss topics such as:

• how to choose your colored pencils;
• how to start adult coloring;
• how to create beautiful gradients;
• how to choose a notebook;
• how to organize your stationery;
• how to find ideas to fill a blank notebook;
• how to choose between markers and pencils;
• which accessories to use with a coloring book;
• which coloring books to offer based on a person's tastes;
• how to create a small daily creative routine.

Why create a blog about coloring and stationery?

Because behind a coloring book or a notebook, there is often much more than a simple object placed on a shelf.

A coloring book can become a small evening ritual. A notebook can hold a project, a list, an idea that's been rattling around in your head for three days, or simply a few words you didn't want to forget. A box of pencils can transform a kitchen table into an impromptu mini-workshop.

And let's be clear, buying a pretty notebook and promising yourself that you'll finally use it has almost become a national sport.

The goal of this blog is simple: to help you choose, use, and enjoy everything related to coloring, drawing, and creative stationery even more.

Adult coloring: why are so many people getting into it?

Adult coloring has taken a real place in creative hobbies in recent years, and it's not very difficult to understand why.

Coloring doesn't necessarily require any particular technique. You choose a page, a few shades, then you move forward quietly. There is no right or wrong way to do it. A flower can be pink, blue, orange, or completely improbable; no one will take away your box of pencils.

For many people, coloring primarily allows them to slow down. You focus on shapes, nuances, and small details. The phone stays a little further away, notifications wait, and for a few minutes, you do something purely for pleasure.

On Mon Carnet Créatif, you'll find several universes of cozy, kawaii, animal, travel, Christmas, and everyday scene coloring books, to vary the atmospheres according to your mood.

Kawaii coloring: why are these drawings so popular?

Kawaii coloring is like the realm of little round faces, overly cute animals, and settings where even a coffee cup can look happy.

The Japanese word "kawaii" refers to something cute or endearing. In drawing and coloring, you generally find simple shapes, expressive characters, soft colors, and scenes full of amusing small details.

Cats, dogs, rabbits, frogs, cozy characters, pastries, plants, snug rooms, or flowery landscapes... this universe works particularly well for coloring because it makes you want to play with colors without necessarily aiming for a realistic rendering.

Do you want to make a purple cat with a mint green cushion? Great. A pink frog in front of a lemon yellow pastry? No one will stop you here.

How to choose a coloring book that truly suits you?

Not all coloring books are alike. Some have a lot of small details, while others offer much larger and quicker-to-fill drawings.

Before choosing, mainly consider what you are looking for.

• For a quick break: opt for illustrations with large areas to color.
• To take your time: choose richer scenes with more small elements.
• For a soft ambiance: cozy coloring books are often filled with houses, plants, animals, and peaceful moments.
• For something cheerful: kawaii coloring brings lots of cute characters and colors.
• To travel: turn to notebooks inspired by Japan, Hawaii, Europe, or other destinations.
• For a specific period: Christmas coloring pages are perfect when temperatures start to drop and hot chocolates mysteriously reappear in all kitchens.

Colored pencils or markers: what to choose for coloring?

Big question, and quite a simple answer: it mainly depends on the result you like.

Colored pencils

Colored pencils make it easy to work with gradients, shadows, and blends. By pressing harder or lighter, you can achieve several intensities with the same shade.

They are particularly suitable for coloring where you want to add a little depth, layer different colors, or simply progress quietly without the risk of bleeding through the page.

Markers

Markers generally give a bolder and brighter result. They are pleasant for quickly filling large areas and getting well-defined colors.

Depending on the paper used, however, some inks may bleed through the sheet. If your coloring book is printed double-sided, discreetly test a marker on a small area before starting your 40-minute masterpiece.

And why not both?

Many people mix pencils and markers. A marker for large surfaces, then pencils to add shadows or small details, for example.

The best method is ultimately the one that makes you want to continue.

How to choose your colored pencils?

The number of colors is obviously one of the first criteria. A small box is more than enough to start, while a larger palette offers more shades.

A set of 12 or 18 pencils can be suitable for simple coloring. Boxes of 24 or 36 shades already start to offer many possibilities. For lovers of details, gradients, and subtle variations, 48 or 72 colors quickly become interesting.

Also look at the grip, the softness of the lead, and how easily the colors blend.

And no, you probably don't need 72 pencils to color an apple. But is that really the question?

The creative notebook: much more than a simple exercise book

Notebooks can be used for so many things that it would almost be a shame to limit them to grocery lists.

You can use a notebook to:

• write down your ideas and projects;
• keep a journal;
• draw;
• note your goals;
• plan your weeks;
• do scrapbooking;
• create a travel journal;
• test your colors and markers;
  
• or simply write down everything that comes to mind.

Some like very plain notebooks, others prefer original covers, floral, vintage, or Japanese patterns. The important thing, ultimately, is to want to open it.

How to create your little coloring corner at home?

No need for an entire room or a professional illustrator's studio.

A corner of a table, good light, a few pencils, your favorite book, and possibly a cup of coffee can be more than enough.

You can prepare a small pouch or box to store your pencils, markers, pencil sharpener, and eraser. If you use several notebooks, keep them in the same place to avoid the famous "I'm sure I put it here" stage, which sometimes lasts longer than the coloring itself.

Coloring and screens: a different kind of break

We spend a good part of our days in front of screens: phone, computer, television, tablet... sometimes all four in the same day, just to make sure we don't miss anything.

Creative hobbies offer another way to occupy ourselves. We handle paper, choose our colors, progress at our own pace, and get something tangible at the end.

No need to perfectly succeed on your page. Coloring is not a competition, and fortunately, because some shadows would be frankly difficult to defend before a jury.

Our favorite coloring themes

On Mon Carnet Créatif, several themes allow you to completely change the atmosphere from one notebook to another.

Cozy universes

Snug houses, sofas, hot drinks, plants, animals, and quiet scenes: perfect when you love warm decor.

Kawaii animals

Cats, dogs, and small creatures take over the pages, usually with much more confidence than they would need.

Travels

Japan, Europe, Hawaii... these notebooks allow you to color landscapes, monuments, and different atmospheres inspired by elsewhere.

Holidays

Christmas, snow, gifts, cookies, Christmas trees, and bundled-up characters: probably the only place where bringing out decorations in the middle of August is no problem at all.

Create without seeking perfection

This is probably the most important advice on this blog.

Your coloring doesn't have to be perfect. Your notebook doesn't have to have handwriting worthy of an advertisement. Your drawing doesn't have to be hung in a gallery.

A page can be successful simply because you had a good time making it.

At Mon Carnet Créatif, we much prefer a page full of slightly crooked colors to a pretty notebook that remains closed for two years because we're waiting for "the right moment" to start.

Welcome to the Mon Carnet Créatif universe

Whether you're a fan of adult coloring, kawaii coloring, coloring books, colored pencils, notebooks, or creative stationery, this blog is here to give you ideas, answer small questions, and help you discover new ways to create.

Grab a notebook, choose some colors, and settle in.

After all, the next blank page might just be waiting for a little pencil stroke.