by Toc de Groc
Published by Promopress on November 1st 2016
Style: single page illustrations
Pages: 90
Format: Card cover, Lay Flat Binding
Goodreads
The Toc de Groc designer team offers a collection of frames and borders for you to color in. Inspired by nature patterns and organic forms, a little kitten hides in each illustration.
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Hidden Nature’s Frame Fantasia: Colouring Book Video Review
I hope you enjoyed the video review of the gorgeous Frame Fantasia Coloring Book for adults above.
Hidden Nature’s Frame Fantasia Review
I fell in love with the art work from Toc De Groc when I was on holidays earlier this year.   Exploring a tiny bookshop at a local beach side town I was amazed when I came across the first coloring book by Toc de Groc, Hidden Nature.    I was captivated by the cat!   The Hidden Nature coloring book features the most adorable kitty cat throughout its pages that whimsy fans may swoon with delight when they see it.
When I realised that there would be another coloring book by Toc De Groc I pre-ordered it and waited impatiently.    When I’ve pre ordered a coloring book that I am excited about, I tend to do an impression of a mad woman.  Every noise at the door I expect to be the postman delivering my book.  I check the mail box obsessively.     It does give me good exercise, seeing I won’t go for my daily walk until I know the postal deliveries have finished for the day.
Cover & Layout
The cover is a textured white card that has embossing on it with a floral design.    As the cover is white matte it does tend to get a bit dirty.  Rather than a full size dust jacket the publishers have elected to use a half size sleeve which features beautiful colored printing of florals.  A mauve spine and mauve background with white line art completes the sleeve.
This book is designed as coloring picture frames for your favorite moments.  The illustrations are the backdrop to your own your pictures, colored art work, photographs or trinkets.
Frame Fantasia measures 25cm x 25cm
Ancillary Pages
The book opens with a lovely nameplate page. The first thing that jumps out at me is the gorgeous kitty from Hidden Nature is featured in this book. As you delve further in the book you will see that Kitty is in all the illustrations. I am confused why this wasn’t included on the cover graphic, as to me the kitty is a major selling point. In any event, it was a happy surprise (I love that kitty).
A short introduction follows in a number of different languages and a visual instruction on how to use the template at the back of the book to create a stand for your frame follows.  You can trace this design on to card or even balsa wood if you wish to create the stand.
Bonus Pages
There are two pages at the end of the book that comprise a floral alphabet and letters 0-9 so you can trace the letters and create your own messages or embellishments to your pictures.
Layout
There are 45 illustrations in the book that all feature the gorgeous kitty from Hidden Nature. The illustrations have all been orientated portrait style. The art work has been printed on one side of the paper only. The paper has been described by the publisher as “160gm paper which allows all manner of media, from pencils to felt tip pens, ink, watercolor pencils or gel pens“. On the reverse of each illustration a colored background, with a pattern in white line art, has been printed.
Illustrations
The design team at Toc de Groc create elegant and whimsical designs that have a dash or quirky.   You will find gorgeous frames themed for a number of different occasions like Halloween and Christmas.   There are also other themes including seaside, fantasy, numerous nature scenes featuring flowers, ferns and animals.  You will find a quirky tree suitable for handing that family tree but also suitable for a number of other things as well.  If you have a wedding you wish to celebrate, then you are sure to find the wedding frame suitably romantic without being cheesy.  Bakers are covered with pages including a high tea and a kitchen scene. If you want to remember your travels you will find frames for this as well.   There are numerous frames that you could imagine in a young girls room.  There’s even a very floral motorbike for a masculine mood.
I think a lot of the fun with this book is trying to find the kitty!  Sometimes it is very noticeable but sometimes the kitty is hiding or sleeping under something.   One of the pictures of Halloween even depicts a kitty like we have never seen before – scary kitty!
The art work is beautiful! Â Medium and fine line weights have been used throughout and the printing is crisp and black.
The team tend to create beautiful images that generally fill the whole of the page with art work suiting the theme.   The illustrations are always well balanced and positioned on the page for ease of coloring and good design.
The last picture is a full page with the framed kitty signifying what a special moment perhaps coloring this book has been 🙂
Frames have been provided in a number of varieties and styles as well as different sizes.  There should be something to fit most of your favorite moments in.
One of the features of this book is the beautiful lay flat binding. Pages turn over and lay beautifully flat making it easy to color.    The glue of the lay flat binding is similar to that of postcard books, meaning that you can carefully tear the page out to work on it and display it if you wish.
Even though the artists consider these designs being framed and displayed I feel that you could make this into a beautiful scrapbook.  The plain white cover seems to indicate that this was within what the artists were contemplating as an option. In this way you could color and keep your memories all within the one book.    It’s lovely to have a choice 🙂
Frame Fantasia Image gallery
Please click on the image to view more detail.
[foogallery id=”4805″]Where to buy Frame Fantasia
| In the US buy here | In the UK buy here | In Canada buy here | Worldwide buy here |
Happy coloring x
Lea
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