all in an inch

A Tangled Father's Day

I continue to be mesmerized by the skill and magic achieved by the art of Zentangle. One of these days I am going to take an official Zentangle class, but until such a time I am best desribed as an aspiring ZIA (Zentangle Inspired Artist).  

I know this posting is a day late, but wanted to share it anyway because I have found that our different size squares are the perfect medium for all kinds of detailed pen work.

Using a pencil 'whisper line' first draw the outline of each letter on a 1-1/2" white Inchie + Square.  If I could have found a stencil with letters, I probably would have used one! Taking your time, and enjoying the task, draw a variety of small patterns inside the defined areas with a black 01 Micron pen. A tiny bit of Copic marker color for a border and each letter is complete. (click on the photo for a close up look)   

While inserting patterns from your personal 'doodle' library is quite rewarding, you might be inspired by the tons of official Zentangle patterns that have been created. Be sure and visit the official Zentangle web site and another that I recently discovered that actually catalogs the patterns,  Tangle Patterns.

 

 

Very Last Minute Valentines

Somehow this always happens...whether it' a special occasion holiday, birthday or forgotten thank you note...you always wish you had cards at the ready. 

Yesterday's project is a perfect one to remember the mantra...make a few extra!

Utilizing the new pre-printed striped cards from Impress and some leftover paper scraps these last minute Valentines came together in just a few minutes. 

     And if we don't need them all, we can tuck them away until next year.....   

 

A Valentine Memory Game - Part 2

 

Now that you have created 18 identical stamped Twinchie Squares (see previous posting) for one side of the Valentine Memory Game, the fun truly starts in trying to decide among all the potential options for the 9 pairs for the "matching" side. 

 

If you have ever worked with our Inchie Arts squares you know that they have the most incredible paper surface for watercoloring and any 'wet' media. The 'top' or 'pebbly' side acts as a very high end artist quality paper; many have even compared it's properties to hot press watercolor paper. That means it will hold an enormous amount of moisture without deteriorating.  

We LOVE Twinkling H20 shimmering watercolors and were very excited to learn about a new color assortment called Think Pink. Pictured here, the six new colors are in pairs of color families. Hopeful Honeysuckle and Dreams Bloom are peachy/pink. Courageous Rose and Luv U Pink are both true pinks. and Lucky Apple and Good News Green round out the six pack. Perfect for Valentines Day we used them to paint a Valentine Candy stamp.

Before any painting be sure and stamp the image with pigment ink, apply embossing powder (we use clear) and heat set. This creates a physical barrier between colors and also prevents the stamped ink from feathering.

If you have ever been in one of our watercolor classes you will understand the importance of the phrase, "more water". In order for watercolor paints to blend and create that blurring effect it is essential to first paint the desired area with water. This is what we are doing in this picture...and if you look really carefully you can spot this neat trick....we tinted this first coat of water with just a tad bit of pink so you can more easily see where you are applying it. You really don't have to have a puddle of water at the ready since the brushpen we are using contains all the water you will really need.  

Also at this time you want to make sure your paints are prepped and softened by adding a few drops of water (squeezed from the brushpen) directly into each pot of paint. 

  

Moving fairly quickly (before your water layer dries) pick up the desired color from the paint pot with the tip of the brushpen and begin 'dabbing' it into the desired area. Keep dabbing, and keep picking up paint until you like the results. Don't over paint as you want to see the effect of the 'watercolor' light and dark areas.

(another tip is to create a palette of paint colors on another white square so you can see how the colors look when dry)

 

Cleaning your brushpen between colors is really easy. All you need to do is swivel the tip of the brushpen repeatedly across a paper towel until it runs clear. If you have a lot of paint on your brush tip you may have to gently squeeze the brushpen to release a bit more water as you clean.

 

Continue this process with each area you wish to paint, first painting with water and then dabbing the selected color. We didn't blend colors since the painting spaces were small, but the principles are the same...you simply switch colors when 'dabbing' and watch the magic of the different colors as they merge.

 

We decided to create another pair for our Valentine Memory Game using the same Twinkling H20 colors, only this time we did blend the peach and pink colors inside this open heart stamp from Rubber Soul.   

 

Two more pairs were stamped with Momento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with Copic Markers.

The Peacock Feather was colored with RV 17 Deep Magenta, R27 Cadmium Red, R20 Blush, G40 Dim Green and YG91 Putty.

The Flowery Heart with Swirls was colored with R27 Cadmium Red, V05 Marigold, RV02 Sugared Almond Pink, YG01 Green Bice, YG63 Pea Green and YG95 Pale Olive. 

 

These were our favorites! Especially since we got to eat them after we took the pictures!!  1-7/8" leaves a perfect 1/16" border all the way around when you paste them down. Just remember to trim two photos at a time so you will have an identical pair.

 

The square on the left was created using individual alpha letter stamps with red pigment ink. The dots were made with Copic Marker RV21 Light Pink.

On the center square, two pattern papers were used; one trimmed to a 1-7/8" square and the other with a heart shaped paper punch.

Create your own plaid background for the square on the right...draw edge to edge lines in one direction with Copic Markers R20 Blush and then V12 Pale Lilac in a perpendicular direction. Stamp over this background with a variety of valentine sentiments.

 

Remember how to play the Memory Game? Turn over two at a time. If they don't match turn them back over. Keep doing this until you find a match. When they match, leave them face up....

 

until you have matched them all!!

Happy Valentines Day

A Valentine Memory Game

This very unique valentine is actually a memory game made from Inchie Arts White Twinchie Squares that was inspired by an article in Country Living magazine. Perfect for all ages it's a fun alternative to a traditional greeting 'card'...plus it's an activity you can play with your 'valentine'!

 

Begin by creating the same image on the 'back side' of Inchie Arts white Twinchie Squares. One package contains 18 squares, or what will ultimately become, 9 matching pairs.

 

Stamp the Rubber Soul Whirly Heart with red ink (we used Fresh Ink Pigment Red Current) onto Eclipse Art Masking Tape and also onto a white Twinchie Square. Trim out the heart that is stamped onto the masking material.

 

Next, carefully place the trimmed heart over the heart stamped onto the Twinchie Square. The Eclipse Masking Tape has a perfect amount of 'tack' for easy removal and also for keeping things in place when you are stamping in layers.

 

Stamp over the masked heart with a large pattern stamp such as this one from Savvy. To contrast with the rich red we used a fun pink from Fresh Ink called Fresh Lemonade.

 

It's pretty amazing how many times you can reuse the trimmed out heart before you have to make a new one. Remember, you have to repeat this process 18 times in preparation for the second part of this project.

Be sure and stop by tomorrow to discover our 9 pairs of memory challengers along with some tips for creating them!

 

Winter Wishes from Fred P. Bear

 

 
It's often difficult to visualize the possibilities of our dark gray squares...available in all 3 sizes...and we find they are easily overlooked. But there is real magic to be had, especially when working with stamps that beg for white ink and the magic of embossing powder.

 

 
The magic begins by stamping the birch trees, from Savvy Stamps, in white pigment ink (we used Fresh Ink) on the 2" dark gray Twinchie Squares. Remember, use pigment ink with embossing powder, it's thicker, stickier and more opaque than dye based ink and consequently slower to dry - which isn't an issue when embossing since you will be heat setting/drying after stamping. You will need to stamp the trees twice to attain the forest look...stamp the first time slightly off center and then come back a second time to fill in the blank.

 

 
After stamping you want to quickly cover the stamped image with a generous amount of embossing powder. White Diamond by JudiKins contains not only a white embossing powder, but micro glitter, giving a perfect sparkle! Tamp off the excess, use a knife or paint brush to sweep away any extra powder dots that adhere to the non inked areas and then heat set. 

 

 
We stamped two Twinchie Squares to show the difference, with, and without the embossing powder. The one on the left was just stamped with just white ink, while the one on the right was stamped and then covered with the embossing powder. The embossed version is definitely brighter and although it's hard to see in the photo, does have a significant sparkle from the glitter.   

 

 

Stamp Fred P. Bear, from Memory Box, on white card stock and color with Copic Markers. Be sure and use a light hand and the pointed tip to color the scarf with R29 and then using C1 Cool gray #1 just inside the black line. When you cut out the bear, leave a little white space - don't cut exactly to the black line. 

 

 
'Float' the bear in front of the trees by using bits of foam tape. (PS - we buy ours in HUGE rolls from the hardware store!) Finish with a Winter Wishes greeting from Rubbermoon stamps. 

Merry...merry !!

  

A holly puzzle

 

This antique quality of this image and the rich color combination provide the perfect opportunity to use both ivory and dark cream Inchie Squares in one puzzle card.

 

 

Begin by laying out the Inchie Squares, alternating the colors of ivory and dark cream. With this many squares in the puzzle it's a good idea to 'anchor' the squares to your work sheet using a tiny bit of non permanent adhesive. (our favorite it from the Tombo Mono Dots Craft Collection)

 

 

This is a timeless image from Hero Arts Cling collection - it's called Classic Holly. Because of the cling rubber, the stamp is quite stiff and we were able to 'stamp' it without having to adhere it to an acrylic block. In fact if you look carefully you can see that we didn't even need to remove it from the plastic carrier sheet.

 

 Love those Christmas colors!

 

 
Begin coloring with YG25 over the holly leaves.

 

 
Layer in YG17 - basically placing the color on the 'vein' lines of holly. After you draw in this darker green, go back over it with the green of the background (YG25) to blend and soften. Finish with the red for the berries and brown for the stems.

 

 
Add a finishing detail by sponge dabbing around the edges with a sienna colored ink, we used Honey from Fresh Ink. Separate the squares just a tad when you glue them down.

Although the image stretches across different color Inchie Squares, the image is unified and almost floating above the squares and you can't tell the color difference of the squares through your coloring.

Happy Holidays!!

 

Upcoming classes and some fun stamping techniques

 Learn about combining pigment ink and Twinkling H2O watercolor paint

If you live in the Pacific Northwest we hope you will be able to join us for our holiday classes. We will be creating cards with a variety of stamped images and coloring techniques.

Saturday November 20 - Impress, Tukwila - 11:00 - 1:00

Saturday December 4 - Impress, Bellevue Square - 11:00 - 1:00

Sunday December 5 - Art N Soul, Lacey - 1:00 - 3:00

Tuesday December 7 - Impress, University Village - 6:30 - 8:30

 (snowflake stamp from Savvy Stamps on a white Twinchie Square)

Really Unique Idea # 2 - silver and gold stitched Inchie Squares

 
Michele Kovack of the JustRite Stampers Design Team came up with the idea of piercing and hand stitching 4 Inchie + Squares (1 1/2") together to add another element of interest and sparkle to this beautiful holiday card. 

Be sure and visit her creative blog, Thoughts of a Cardmaking Scrapbooker, to see the details of how she created this card and the supplies that she used. Scroll down to see this post, dated last Wednesday November 3.

Great inspiration!! Thanks Michele!  

(Really Unique Ideas are a collection of projects from various artists and papercrafters that have used our products in very creative and different ways - be sure and click on the category archive listing on the right to see more of these amazing ideas)

Really Unique Idea # 1 - Twinchie Square holiday mini album

 
There are so many artists and papercrafters using our products in really unique ways! We decided to start a new archive 'category' in the right margin of the blog to save these wonderful ideas so you can find them when in need of extra inspiration. 

Kazan Clark of the JustRite Stampers Design Team just posted this little gem of an idea using Twinchie Squares for mini holiday albums. To see the details of how she created this, and the supplies that she used, be sure and click on the link to visit her blog, Nunu Toolies!

Thanks Kazan!! We love this!  

JustRite Challenge card sample - poinsettia

 
You know those wonderful exotic papers that are displayed hanging on horizontal rods or in huge flat file drawers? Kind of like sweets...when you see one you you really like, you have to have it. So, we buy them and carefully set them aside for another day. The day before Sharon sent the challenge sketch we happened to be browsing through the 'special paper' collection and stumbled upon this wonderful Firenze paper from Italy. We knew instantly that it had to be a component of the card we were going to create. It's hard to see in the photo but all the little curly lines are shimmery metallic gold - the paper practically glows!

 

 

Next step was to find other papers with matching or similar colors. As you go through the 'finding process' don't edit...not yet. Simply collect as many options as possible - no matter the patterns - just the color relationships. Then cull them down to the number of layers in the card sketch. While there are a complete total of 9 layers; we didn't count the flower...or the 2 ivory Inchie + and Twinchie Squares. That left us with 6 different papers. It's not the easiest or most natural thing to mix and match different colors and patterns but throw caution to the wind and go for it - you might be pleasantly surprised.

Following the sketch, (scroll down to see it in the next posting) simply cut and paste all the card components like a layer cake. Starting with the card base and layering up from there.

  

 

JustRite has created a line of 2" square stamp sets of borders and centers that can be mixed and matched for a perfect fit with our 1 1/2" Inchie + Squares and 2" Twinchie Squares. With the focus of our card being pink and green, the poinsettia from the Hearts Come Home set was a natural for the center image and we chose the border Winter Wishes script from the From Our House set. When you see these two sets you will realize the endless possibilities for mixing and matching.  

 

Even with a clear stamp base it can sometimes be hard to get such a close fitting image perfectly 'squared' when stamping. One thing that works well is to turn things round...by inking the stamp and turning it face up. Bring the Twinchie Square to the stamp. While holding the square 'find' the edge of the stamp and gently lower the square to 'fit' the surface of the stamp. 

 

 

Alternatively, centering the poinsettia stamp in the middle of the square couldn't be easier. You can see right through the clear stamp block as you stamp it on the Inchie + Square.

 

 

Using Copic markers, color the center poinsettia square, leaving the area around the flower blank to show just the ivory of the square.

 

 

A few little embellishments provide the finishing touches....gold gel pen for the poinsettia center and swirly lines, 4 very pale pink pearls on the corners of the ivory Twinchie Square and of course the wonderful pink flower from Mulberry Street and Petaloo.  

Be sure and enter your card! You have until next Thursday November 4th at 9am. Check out the JustRite blog for all the entry and prize details.   

Where to find some wonderful papers? If you live in the PNW be sure and visit Stampadoodlein Bellingham, WA to see not only their incredible selection of stamps and stamping supplies, but their amazing collection of handmade and specialty papers for book arts.