Adult Activity Books including drawing, art, puzzles and more to keep your mind and hands busy.

Large Print Puzzle Books for Seniors

October 22, 2020 By Addicted Colorist Leave a Comment

All our seniors are stuck at home right now and they can’t live for your Face time calls all the time. How about sending them some coloring books, art supplies and large print puzzle books to help keep them busy.

Large Print Crossword Puzzle Books for Seniors

My mom worked on crossword puzzles since I can remember and enjoyed them until the end. I plan on continuing that trend. I don’t know that they had them in large print for her back then so it’s great that more products are now being geared towards our senior population.

AARP Large Print Crossword Puzzles

This spiral-bound book is endorsed by the AARP. It asks you to challenge your brain with this fun and engaging word puzzles. More than 40 puzzles with engaging themes from pop culture, sports, and world history. Specially designed for easy reading. Click to Order

Brain Games – 2 Books in 1 – Puzzle Collection

puzzle collection large print for seniors

Click to Order

KAPPA Super Saver LARGE PRINT Crosswords Puzzle Pack-Set of 6

Click to Order

Big & Easy Crosswords Puzzle

The reviews say that this one is really satisfying for seniors who are looking for an easy crossword they can finish in a few hours so not only is this large print but the puzzle is easy!

Click to Order

The Everything Easy book promises to be perfect for seniors with clues ranging from beloved books and classic TV shows to favorite foods and popular vacation spots, these light and easy puzzles are perfect for taking a break.

The Everything Easy Large-Print Crosswords Book

Click to Order

10+ BRAIN WORKOUTS Activity Book for SENIORS

110+ Puzzles: Word Search, Codeword, Sudoku, Crossword, Mazes & Word Fill-ins in Large Print for Effective Brain Exercise.

Click to Order

Large Print Word Search Puzzles for Seniors

Beautiful Word Search for Women

80 Large-Print Word Search Puzzles with lovely floral borders frame every page. Topics include things like Downton Abbey, 5th Avenue Shopping and Baking.

Click to Order

Funster Favorite Verses Bible Word Search

101 Large-Print Puzzles: Exercise Your Brain, Nourish Your Spirit

favorite verses bible word search for seniors

Click to Order

Word Search Bible Puzzle Book: Psalms and Hymns (Large Print)

word search bible puzzle book for seniors large print

Click to Order

KAPPA Super Saver LARGE PRINT Word Search Puzzle Pack

Large Print Word Search Books for Adults

This is a bonus pack of 6 paperback puzzle books, all in larger print to make it easier to read and enjoy for our seniors. Click to Order

Click to Order

Miles Kimball Large Print Word Search Book

This is another Brain Games spiral bound book so we know it will deliver quality and ease of use with that format. Click to Order

Fun Puzzlers 250 Clever Cryptograms Puzzles for Adults: Large Print

Hours of cipher-solving, code-cracking fun await you in this collection of 250 Clever Cryptograms

Click to Order

Best Adult Puzzle Books

October 21, 2020 By Addicted Colorist Leave a Comment

Puzzle books are for adults too! We all need to keep our minds occupied and active as we age and as we continue to live through the pandemic. I grew up doing crossword puzzles and I’m sure it helped with my vocabulary for life. I still like the traditional crosswords but word search, acrostics and logic puzzles are fun as well.

Crossword Puzzle Books for Adults

USA TODAY Jumbo Puzzle Book 2: 400 Brain Games for Every Day

Logic, crossword, Sudoku, Word Roundup, and Hidato will keep you busy for hours. Click to Order

The Ultimate Brain Health Puzzle Book for Adults

Crosswords, Sudoku, Cryptograms, Word Searches and more. Puzzles improve short-term memory, cultivate creative thinking, and hone observational and deductive skills. They’re also a rewarding way to relieve stress and flex those mental muscles. Click to Order

The New York Times Greatest Hits of Monday Crossword Puzzles: 100 Easy Puzzles

Listed as an Amazon favorite, this book of easy to solve puzzles may be just the way to start your Monday. Click to Order

Brain Games – Relax and Solve: Crosswords

Who doesn’t love a spiral-bound book to work in? I know I prefer them! This crossword puzzle book has a variety of themes including travel, spa, entertainment & sports. Click to Order

Adult Activity Book

An adult activity book that includes, Stress-relieving coloring pages, Sudoku, Dot-to-Dot, Word Search, Word Scramble. USA Map Quiz, World Capital Quiz, Tic-Tac-Toe, Dots & Boxes & Hangman. Click to order. Lots of fun to de-stress!

Ultimate Mind Games

Become an all-around puzzler and improve your sudoku, word search, crossword, and brain game skills. The perfect way of improving your vocabulary, mental agility, and problem-solving skills. This pocket-sized book includes 150 sudoku, 77 word searches, 79 crosswords, and over 100 mind puzzles, perfect for your commute or morning coffee. Click to Order

F*ck I’m Bored! Activity Book For Adults

Coloring, Sudoku, Dot-to-Dot, Word Searches, Mazes, Fallen Phrases, Math Logic, Word Tiles, Spot the Difference, Where the F*ck did the Other Half Go, Nanograms, Brick-by-F*cking-Brick, Word Scramble, and Much More! **Contains Inappropriate Language**

This one looks like it might also belong on my cuss word coloring book page! Click to Order

Fun Puzzlers 250 Clever Cryptograms Puzzles for Adults: Large Print

Hours of cipher-solving, code-cracking fun await you in this collection of 250 Clever Cryptograms

Click to Order

Sudoku Puzzle Books

Brain Games – Relax and Solve: Sudoku

Another Spiral-Bound Brain Games book filled with just Sudoku problems. Click to Order

Funster 1,000+ Sudoku Puzzles Easy to Hard

Lots of puzzles to solve in this one with 330 Easy, 342 Medium, 330 Hard and some bonus puzzles you can download. Click to Order

BIG Book of Sudoku

Over 500 Puzzles & Solutions, Easy to Hard Puzzles for Adults in a spiral bound format. Click to Order

Word Search Puzzles

Funster 500+ Word Search Puzzles for Adults

Click to Order

The Big Book of Wordsearch

500 word search puzzles to solve in this spiral bound book. Click to Order

Brain Games

Merriam-Webster Word Search Challenge: Stretch Your Brain and Build Your Word Skills in this spiral-bound edition. Click to Order

How to Collage

October 7, 2020 By Addicted Colorist Leave a Comment

The art of collage goes back to early childhood for most of us, that first paper mache covered balloon project or that jar we made for mom or dad covered in pretty tissue paper started a love for creating art from layering.

You just have a go with collage ideas with Modpodge (for temporary items) or Matt Medium for those that last a bit longer or get some inspiration from a few books I’ve been devouring lately.

I find my collage most pleasing when I do have some sort of color scheme or texture ideas to start with. It looks better if you have different sizes and shapes of ephemera and I rarely like to see a flat edge unless it’s a fancy cut item or die-cut. I like the look of the ripped edges of papers. Remember to layout the papers in all different directions too so your page has the look of organized chaos. If you need more color, use watercolors, watercolor crayons, Tombow brush pens or spray inks, whatever your favorite water-soluble medium is. If you have gotten it too bright and need to bring back the color a bit use your white gesso and the brayer. You can also use a cloth to wipe back the white if you have gone overboard. That’s what I adore about collage, you really can’t ruin it, and more layers make it even yummier.

Collage Idea Books

Extraordinary Things to Cut Out and Collage Paperback

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada or Book Depository

The Collage Ideas Book

Please note that this is a TINY book with lots of BIG idea inside.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada or Book Depository

Project Collage: 50 Projects to Spark Your Creativity

Collage is the art of reinvention. This magical and tactile process invites you to collect, experiment, combine and transform. These creative mashups don’t require specialist equipment, only everyday materials. It is an art form for everyone and every budget.
Bev Speight

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

The Collage Workbook: How to Get Started and Stay Inspired

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Painted Paper Art Workshop

Easy and Colorful Collage Paintings. Step-by-step instructions for creating your own painted paper collage–from underpainting and directional ripping and tearing to auditioning your papers and combining collage with mixed media by Elizabeth St. Hilaire.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Collage Supplies

Supplies can really be anything you have at hand for collage projects. My favorite paper to use is old books, letters, music sheets, maps, dictionaries & bibles.

This really can be free or very cheap! You can use non-glossy magazine pages, old books, old music sheets, letters, envelopes, if you belong to a Buy Nothing Group ask for some there, people are always trying to get rid of their accumulated stuff.

The Antiquarian Sticker Book: Over 1,000 Exquisite Victorian Stickers

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Scrapbook Paper

If you were or still are a scrapbooker, raid those supplies! The non-cardstock versions work perfectly for collage.

Ephemera

Such a fancy word for junk paper! Really this is anything you have laying about, old tickets, envelopes, cards, paper scraps of any kind, things you’ve cut out of magazines or ads. Tim Holtz is the king of cool ephemera so you can find a TON at Michaels or Amazon.

Die Cuts

The fancy cutting is already done for you on these vintage flowers & butterflies.

Serviettes – Paper Napkins

If you attend any parties, start snagging up a napkin to take home for your stash! If you have some artsy friends, see if you can do some trading. One of my favorites spots in the US to get pretty napkins is Tuesday Morning! Michaels has some bright colored basics with holiday ones emerging of course. Watch for those sales on those!

Amazon has a decent selection as well. I love using napkins in my collages.

I have these pretty birds and use them all the time.

This is a fabulous printed tissue paper assortment.

The Graphics Fairy has a ton of inexpensive papers you can print here as well as some amazing ideas and tutorials.

Rubber Brayer

This essential little tool really comes in handy for making sure your layers of collage stay tidy and don’t crumple but you’ll need to to spread gesso too.

This speedball one at Michaels is perfect, remember to use your 40% off coupon, that’s how I built up my art supply stash for sure.

Lots of Speedball Brayer options on Amazon too

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

You just need cheap paint brushes, they will get all gloppy with the glue anyway so use your old ones.

This is a great selection and price if you want a few brushes to get started with. If you get serious about acrylic painting or watercolor, that is the time to invest in good brushes, for art journaling and collage, there really is not need. Save your money for pretty inks.

I’m pretty obsessed with all of Tim Holtz layering stencils here at Michaels & a bigger selection here at Amazon.

All of the art classes I’ve talked about on the site also use all sorts of ideas and methods with Collage, Tamara Laport in Lifebook, Jane Davenport in her art journals, Micki Wilde in her creature paintings, really all mixed media artists use this fun technique to create a layer to either show through or be part of the story they are telling with their art. Give it a try, I think you might just fall in love with the art form.

Rock Painting

October 7, 2020 By Addicted Colorist Leave a Comment

This extended amount of time indoors has brought out the creative soul and artist in lots of us. I’ve wandered outside of coloring to painting, and crocheting and collage decor, so many fun things to do while you are staying safe inside your home and in your yard which led our family to do some rock painting.

Stone Painting Time

A ton of people have turned to stone painting to beautiful their own yard and to leave words of hope and happiness scattered around for others. It’s also a fabulous family fun activity to share with your kids of all ages.

A Year of Stone Painting: 52 Mandala Designs to Inspire Your Spirit

The Art of Stone Painting. F. Sehnaz Bac, an artist, and seasoned archaeologist presents step-by-step instructions for fifty-two projects creating mandala designs on rocks. Her easy-to-follow rock painting guide will show you how to transform ordinary stones into inspirational works of art.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada Worldwide at Book Depository

Rock Art Handbook

Techniques and Projects for Painting, Coloring, and Transforming Stones from Fox Chapel Publishing. This book contains 30 Step-by-Step Tutorials using Paints, Chalk, Art Pens, Glitter Glue, bobbles & bits.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada or Worldwide at Book Depository

If you’ve never painted rocks before, you might enjoy this art book for beginners.

Rock Painting For Beginners

Step by step instructions using dot paintings, mandalas, decoupage and other fun ideas to try.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada or Worldwide at Book Depository

Rock Painting for Kids

Kids learn step by step to make all sorts of creatures, and fun shapes out of rocks. Great gifts to drop off at the grandparents house too.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada or Worldwide at Book Depository

Rock Painting Supplies

The best paint to use on rocks is one that will last with weather, you can also seal them if you already have lots of acrylic paint sitting around the house that you’d like to use up.

We love using paint pens best. You can get the most detail and more vibrant colors and of course lots of them have glitter so that’s always a plus. It looks so pretty when they shimmer in the sun in your yard.

Acrylic Paint Pens

Click to Order Amazon or Michaels

Acrylic Paint Pens for Rock Painting

Amazon or Michaels

Sharpies

Sharpies are of course the least expensive markers around and everyone probably has several already floating around their house. The different sized nibs make detail work easy too

Don’t have any nice smooth flat rocks at your house? No problem, you can even buy those.

Flat Rocks to Paint

Click to Order on Amazon US, UK or Canada

Finally, you will need a sealer for your pretty painted rocks, this video shows a few techniques. You can choose matt or glossy finish, that part is up to you.

Gloss Sealer
Matt Sealer

Watercolor Coloring Books

October 7, 2020 By Addicted Colorist 2 Comments

You can use watercolors in coloring books with some degree of success but recently we were excited to see three new books available that are specifically aimed at colorists and designed for watercolor paints and watercolor pencils.

Kristy Rice is a well-known illustrator that has entered the adult coloring book arena with three beautiful books designed for colorists and watercolor artists alike.

Each coloring book has 25 beautiful drawings on pages that are double-sided, offering the opportunity to paint the same page in different ways. The author shares painting tips for each sketch and advice for discovering the artist within. Also included is a painting tutorial and a handy color wheel. Each book is small enough to carry anywhere and simple to use. Visit Kristy on Instagram here to see many of these images watercolored in.

Kristy’s Winter Cutting Garden Watercoloring Book

Kristy’s Spring Cutting Garden Watercoloring Book

Kristy’s Fall Cutting Garden Watercoloring Book

Kristy’s Summer Cutting Garden Watercoloring Book

Summer Cutting Garden Watercolor Coloring Book

Painterly Days: The Flower Book for Adults

These 25 floral drawings also include several papers with beautifully illustrated quotes.

painterly days a watercolor coloring book for adults

Click to Order US UK Canada

Painterly Days: The Woodland Watercoloring Book for Adults

This is my personal favorite of the three and the first one I plan on purchasing! It has both flowers and animals along with some illustrated quotes. All three of Kristy’s books seem to have pictures that range from simple to quite complex. It may be over my head but I plan on giving it a try and reporting my results back to everyone from the perspective of a very beginner painter. (I’ve taken just one class and done one picture on my own with varying degrees of success) At the front of each book, the artist has given directions and tips and tricks for each of the images she has illustrated. Sounds perfect.

Click to Order US UK Canada

Painterly Days: The Pattern Watercolor Coloring Book for Adults

These patterns look beautiful in photos that were shared but it looks a bit too complex for a beginner, maybe when I learn a little more about watercolors.

Click to Order US UK Canada

The Art for Joy’s Sake Journal

Watercolor Discovery and Releasing Your Creative Spirit (Artisan Series) This is the newest release for Kristy and it’s a watercolor art journal that has RAVE reviews on Amazon.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Click here to see recommended Watercolor Supplies for Adult Coloring books and Peta Hewitt’s tutorial on watercolor coloring too.

Kristy has created a few videos for new watercolorists. How to Paint Watercolor for the First Time

Beginner Watercolor Painting Tips for Beautiful Quick Results in the New Painterly series of Adult Coloring Books.

Jade Gideon Coloring Books

Jade Gideon currently has two coloring books completely unique in both style and book design that use watercolor paper and a third available for pre-order Many pages are double sided but they fold into the book so there is no design in the spine of the book, rather the double spread fold-out to color or paint.

Island Escape: My Carribean Coloring

Click to order Book on Amazon or Book Depository

Rainforest Escape: My Island Animal, Exotic Flower and Tropical Plant Color Book

Rainforest Escape Watercolor Coloring Book

Click to Order on Amazon or Book Depository

Pre-order Carnival Escape: Go Wild in this Colorful Parade on Amazon or Book Depository

Adornit has a line of Watercolor Coloring Books with some really cute illustrations

Adornit Art Play Folk Gardens

Chamberry Coloring Book

Gnome Mini Life

Modern Watercolor Botanicals

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Just Add Watercolor Flowers

This is a great book for beginners, very simple large patterns to follow and lots of instructions. Easy Techniques and Beautiful Patterns for True Beginners (Design Originals) 8 Step-by-Step Skill-Building Projects with Tips & Tricks on Thick Perforated Watercolor Paper

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Happy Thoughts – Just Add Watercolor

In the same series as above by Robin Pickens by Design Originals

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Watercolor with Me in the Forest

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Watercolor with Me in the Ocean

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Wendy Tait has literally dozens of watercolor books where you can trace the images to watercolor paper and paint them but she has recently started producing her images on watercolor paper in a book, read to watercolor on.

Watercolour Flowers – Ready to Paint

This book not only provides pull-out tracings for five beautiful floral paintings, along with full step-by-step instructions for how to bring them to life with watercolor paint. 48 pages
Click to order Amazon US, UK or Canada or Book Depository

You really can use watercolor pencils in most higher quality books like Johanna Basfords, Hanna Karlzon, Steve McDonald, etc.

Read watercolor coloring supplies, tutorials, and tips here

I’ve recently tried and fallen in love with Prima Watercolors. They come in an adorable tin with 4 options for colors. They have excellent transparency for a budget-friendly watercolor for hobbyists and I’ve found many pro artists using them in their art journals too.

Prima Watercolor Confections Decadent Pies – lovely creamy colors perfect for faces as well as a few primary colors
Prima Watercolor Confections: Tropicals – as you would expect, 12 bright tropical colors
Prima Watercolor Confections: The Classics – Primary & Secondary colors
Prima Watercolor Confections: Pastel Dreams – Gorgeous pastel colors
Metallic Watercolors

You can see watercolor pencil suggestions here.

Top Sticker Books for Adults

October 6, 2020 By Addicted Colorist Leave a Comment

I received an adult sticker book to review recently and I can’t explain how excited it made me. I think we are all looking for ways to get off-line and do something with our hands other than crush candies or kill aliens. Take a look at some of these that I’ve discovered and let me know what you think.

Adult Sticker Books – Another Adult Activity Book

The Antiquarian Sticker Book: Over 1,000 Exquisite Victorian Stickers

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Old Time Roses Stickers

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Both of these are perfect for art journal layers too.

Stick it to ’em: Playful Stickers to Color & Create

sticker book for adults - stick it to 'em

This is the one I was sent to review and the minute I posted in on my Instagram feed I got requests for a flip through. You can find that right here. This book has several sections. It starts with an intro to Doodle and ideas to make your own stickers, after that you’ll find fun adult theme stickers ready for you to use and share with phrases like “Vodka is my Spirit Animal,” “Will Work for Cupcakes,” and “WTF – Where’s the Food”. Next are more stickers for you to color in and lastly there are blank stickers for you to create on. It’s just the most fun ever.. You are going want to buy two.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Sarcastickers

Snarky Stickers to Color & Create Art Set & Project Book

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

I Adulted! Stickers for Grownups

These are great! For days when you are proud that you didn’t have to call Mom to ask for help. Things like “I did my laundry,” “I ignored the troll on Facebook,” and “I backed up my computer.” Celebrate your grown up accomplishments.

Click to order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Also in this series…

Wake up – Kick A@@ Planner Stickers

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

She Believed She Could Stickers

Packed with dozens of motivational quotes and phrases, plus decorative circles, arrows, borders, exclamation points, and fill-in stickers.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Color Your Own Stickers: Live Laugh Love

You will be familiar with this style of illustration from Thaneeya McArdle. This book has 100 peel-and-stick colorable stickers for you to create with as well as crafty ideas for things to do with them.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Color Your Own Stickers Nature from Valentina Harper

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Along the exact same lines as Live, Laugh Love are 4 more options for stickers to color

The next book in this sub-genre I received to review is a color by sticker book. These are along the same lines as the extreme color by number books or Querkles. I was first introduced to these books by a member of our coloring group who brought one to our class. There are numbers stickers to place in the correct spot on the picture. There are some teeny tiny pieces so she actually uses tweezers designed for stamp collectors like these.

Intense Adult Paint by Sticker Books

Animetrics

This book contains ten pages of sticker shapes to use to complete 12 animal portraits. This will provide you with hours of entertainment. You might even get the kids off their devices to help you.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Paint by Sticker

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Brain Games – Sticker by Number: Ocean Treasures

Paint by Sticker Masterpieces

Recreate well-known artworks with stickers.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Paint by Sticker Cats Wall Calendar 2020

This sticker book contains a nuzzling litter of sweet kittens, a playful ginger tabby hanging onto a clothesline and other full-color images for your year.

Simply find the corresponding sticker, peel it, and place it, and then on to the next, and the next. It includes 24 pages.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Now would be a great time to start!

Paint by Sticker Cats

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

For the dog lovers, this new book will launch in 2020

Paint by Sticker Dogs

There will be 12 full-color portraits of joyful dogs, including a dachshund, a pit and a bulldog running along the beach; a poodle mom with her puppy, a setter, a husky & a corgi.
You can pre-order now which ensures you will get the least expensive price that is offered on this book between now and July 7, 2020.

Click to Order Amazon US, UK or Canada

Sticker by Number Nature Book