all in an inch

Multiple squares on one card!

Check out this amazing inchie puzzle made with 9 white Inchie Squares!

More information on how it was created can be found on the blog of our newest design team member, Dina Kowal. Visit Mama Dini's Stamperia for all the details!

More store samples....

  

In our last posting we ended with the Lockhart Ribbon Heart. It's part of a collection of three hearts. The opportunities for coloring these are endless; especially with this Paisley Heart. The heart was stamped with Tsukineko Memento Ink and colored using a combination of Copic Markers (first!) and then Prismacolor pencil detail work on a white Twinchie Square. The sentiment is from Rubbermoon.  

A little bit of this...and a little bit of that...seems to best describe the samples that are going out the door with store orders. But it's that versatility that demonstrates all of the different types of stamping and coloring...and direct art applications of our Art Squares.  

These next few samples use cards from our various Inchie Notes card packs. Each package contains 12, 3-1/2" square cards and white rectangular envelopes (can't imagine paying a surcharge for a square envelope!). They come in a variety of color packs, each with 4 different color cards (3 each). The color assortments have white insides and include Peach/Pink, Blue/Lavender, Green/Yellow, Wild Sherbet, Fall and Holiday, The neutral color assortment (Ivory, Khaki, Light Gray, Dark Gray) is solid color inside and out and coordinates really well with our neutral tone squares! Check out the web site, inchiearts.com for photos of the assortments. 

 

 The photo doesn't do justice to the next two cards. They both use White Diamond Embossing Powder from JudiKins which not only has a tremendous opague quality, but has sparkle as well, adding a fun dimension to your cards. We stamped Fred Mullett's Lil Maidenhair Fern using a gray pigment ink on a black Inchie + Square and then dusted it with the powder and heat set. To add extra attention we drew a line around the image with a silver metallic gel pen. The card is the dark gray from the neutral assortment pack of Inchie Notes.   

 

 

Whether it's Valentines Day or Mother's Day or just a perfect spring day there are many ways to stamp with Savvy Stamps Vine Heart. The color combination of pink and gray is a classic and we have again stamped with a light pigment ink, dusted with White Diamond Embossing Powder and heat set on a dark gray Twinchie Square. Placing tiny pink pearls over the 'dots' of the stamped image adds a special touch. The sentiment is from Lockhart. This card is the dark gray from the neutral assortment pack of Inchie Notes. 

(remember, you can click on any photo to see an enlarged view)

 

 

Simple and sweet but with a twist on a stamping technique. This Gerber Daisy stamp from Savvy has enough 'rubber' surface area to experiment with combining pigment ink and Twinkling H20 watercolor paint from LuminArte. Turn the stamp face up and carefully 'ink' the flower (Versacolor Orchid) and the stem (ColorBox Moss Green). Then dab in, just at the center of the flower, a concentrated drop of Lemondrop paint. Bring a white Twinchie Square to the face up stamp, press on to inked stamp, turn over, apply a tad bit of pressure and remove. You will be left with a blurring at the center of the stamp where the paint and ink combine. When it dries you will see the shimmer left at the center of the flower from the mica in the paint. This card is from the Peach/Pink Inchie Notes assortment.

 

 

From stacked squares to multiple ink colors, there is a lot going on on this small card. Begin by anchoring 4 white Inchie Squares to a piece of scrap paper, fitting them up against one another, with a removable adhesive (our favorite is from Tombo, the light green dispenser, of Mono Adhesive Removable). You can actually do a block of 8, or even 12 squares at a time (enough to make 3 cards!)

Stamp with Fred Mullett's Spider Mum stamp across all squares, running off the edges too. We used four different Fresh Ink pigment colors; Freesia, French Lavender, Island and Grass on the background and then Freesia on a diagonally turned white Inchie + Square. Separate the background Inchie Squares a bit when you glue them down, and use foam dimensional tape to 'llft' the Inchie + Square above the background. This card is from the Blue/Lavender Inchie Notes assortment.   

Hurray, hurray....the sun is out today!!  

 

 

Recent store samples - March 2011

 

The card above was created by lining up 4 Inchie Squares (secured with non permanent adhesive while you stamp!), alternating dark cream and ivory squares, stamping with black Memento ink and coloring with assorted pink and green Copic Markers. The stamp is actually quite large, it's called Row of Blooms by Leigh Hannan for Impression Obsession.  Sentiment is from Hero Arts.  

(remember, you can click on any picture for a larger version)

For those of you who purchase our products at your local papercrafting store you might recognize some of the card samples that we have been recently sending out with product orders. We strive to send out an assortment of cards that show different art techniques and versatility of our Art Squares (Inchie Squares, Inchie + Squares and Twinchie Squares). If you see one of our sample cards be sure and pick it up as we will write notes inside the card about the specific art technique or the stamp manufacturer.

  

 

This wonderful bird is part of a set of 4 from Hero Arts called Decorative Birds. Each one has such personality and they are perfect for stamping and coloring on white Inchie Squares. This is a great opportunity to experiment with a light color Copic Marker (in this case G000 Pale Green) for the background around the bird...and the edges too! Card is from the blue/lavender Inchie Notes assortment. Sentiment is from Savvy Stamps.

 

 

To create a bit of a more rustic look in your coloring try layering colors of Prismacolor pencil. Since the amount of color is directly related to how much you 'put down' try a slightly unrefined blending technique with several different colors and then pair with a bold pattern paper. This very versatile oversize stamp is from Impress, stamped on a white Inchie + Square (1-1/2") and the sentiment is from Hero Arts. The card is from the peach/pink assortment of Inchie Notes.

 

Photos just don't do justice to a card! In this case the background of a white Twinchie Square (2") was created with a light wash of Twinkling H20 Key Lime. As it dries an amazing irridescent shimmer appears that perfectly frames the Lockhart Lavender in a Teacup. Just be sure and create your watercolor background first, letting it thoroughly dry before stamping the image and coloring. The card is from the blue/lavender Inchie Notes assortment. 

 

 

A fun technique is to repeat a stamp, and in this case, create what appears to be a beautiful continuous floral hedge! Begin by lining up 3 white Inchie + Squares (anchor onto your worksheet with non permanent adhesive) and repeat stamp from left to right even slightly overlapping the previously stamped image. The stamp is called English Garden Flowers from the Lockhart Stamp Company. 

 

 

 

Ok, we realize that this sample is a little out in left field, and that we really should be doing an entire posting on this photo transfer technique, but we have included it anyway! Yes, we promise we will do an exclusive posting with step by step instructions. Frankly, we are experimenting a bit with this technique - as originally posted by one of our design team members over at Art in Red Wagons! A simple explanation....you photocopy a photograph, spread a layer of glue medium like Modge Podge over the top of the photo and 'stick it' to a Twinchie Square (we used ivory). Let it dry overnight and then gently 'rub off' the paper by dabbing and rubbing with a wet finger. The paper sort of disintegrates and sloughs off leaving the reverse of your photo imbedded in the Twinchie Square. Can hardly wait to try this with new photos of spring flowers!

 

 

So precious! This is one of the new hearts from Lockhart - it's called Ribbon Heart. We stamp a lot with large stamps so that you only see a portion of the stamp on the white Twinchie Square. There are a few interesting technique things going on here too. After the heart was stamped we took a super light pink Copic Marker and covered the entire background. Then taking a darker rose colored Copic we carefully colored over the top of the first color and then finishing near, but not quite up to  the edge of the heart. It's a bit hard to see in the photo, but it creates almost a halo effect. We kept the coloring simple if only because the real star of this show is all of the tiny pink pearls that really make this a special card.

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year!

 

Not only for the year...but think of all the ways you can use numbers on individual Inchie Squares! Special occasion dates, reasons to do something, number of ways that you love someone....all quick solutions for a fun card.

 Technically, there is quite a bit going on with this card, but in reality it's pretty simple to create. The concept that drove the design was to utilize the same background for both the card and the Inchie Squares. 

 

 

A really easy way to get one continuous background for a card is to use one of the Mega Mount patterns from Impression Obsession stamps. Several different patterns are available, this one is called, Cover-a-card Vines. The 'stamp' is cling rubber that adheres to a curved acrylic mounting block insuring complete coverage over a large area.

 

 

Using an ink color that is just a tad darker than the card stock keeps the overall image somewhat subtle - perfect for a background effect. We used a Pear colored pigment ink from Fresh Ink.    

 

 

Clean the stamp and re-ink it with a soft, light gray (Provincial Gray) and stamp across four white Inchie Squares. We used a bit of Tombo Mono Removable Adhesive under the squares to make sure they stayed put while stamping. 

 

 

Certainly one of our favorite alphabet/letter stamp sets is from the folks who make the Magnetic Poetry sets. Each letter is mounted with it's own little 'stem handle' making it really easy to use, clean and store.

 

 

 

After stamping each Inchie Square with the appropriate number ( French Lavender pigment ink) quickly coat with clear embossing powder. It's worth investing in a large jar of clear powder and keeping it in a plastic container. It's SO MUCH EASIER to use a pair of reversable tweezers and DIP, rather than constantly cleaning up sprinkled powder! The color of the numbers really comes out when you heat set, and they match perfectly the little purple flowers in the background paper.

Finish the card with a sentiment of your choice - we used one from the Holiday Sayings set from Hero Arts.

Happy New Year!!

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!!

 

Really Unique Idea #3 - stamp repeatedly using a larger decorative image

So simple and elegant!

This really unique idea is from Dina Kowal and her Design Team posting as part of a Flower Soft Blog Hop. She used a larger 'round' stamp from JustRite Stampers and each time she stamped an Inchie Square she moved the image a bit. Because each image appears to be quite similar it gives the illusion of being from one huge stamp. But when you look carefully you see that non of them actually fit together. Very clever!!

Be sure and visit her blog, Mama Dina's Stamperia, to see all the details.

Thanks Dina!! This is a great idea!

(it's her posting for November 17, 2010)

Fall tapestry with a watercolor background

 

Doesn't this image just remind you of a tapestry in a museum? Can't you just imagine it being stitched in rich yarns with a little sparkle in the background and jewels woven amongst the threads? Although difficult to see in the photograph of the finished card, the background is awash with tiny bronze sparkles from the mica in the Twinkling H20 paint that was used as the initial color layer on 3 white Inchie + Squares.

  (you can click on any photo to view it larger)

 
It's a really good idea to 'anchor' the 3 Inchie + Squares (1-1/2") on a piece of scrap paper before you begin. (You know we love the Tombo adhesive products and their Removable Mono Adhesive is perfect for the task) Also, as part of your preparations, be sure and put several generous drops of water...just squeeze the brushpen...into the paint pot to moisten it as you get everything ready.

 

 

You can always use a regular paint brush, but if have never worked with a waterbrush pen they are fabulous - if for no other reason than you don't have to have a container of water on hand. We are always asked 'which one' as they come in different size brushes (sm, med & large). For the most part it really doesn't matter...but it is easier to use a larger size if you have to quickly lay down a bunch of water as a preliminary step only because the larger brush lays down more water with each stroke. The surface of our squares mimics the qualities of a hot press watercolor paper...and absorbs a lot...so you may need to go back a few times as you quickly cover the surface with water. (for some good tips re-read a posting we did a while ago called Watercolor Reflection on the importance of water as a the first step)

 

 

If you have enough water down on the squares the next step is to pick up some paint...if you put several healthy drops into the paint pot you should have a puddle. You don't need to immerse the brush, but can just touch it to the pigment and it will draw it up into the bristles.

The other question we are often asked is if there is a difference in waterbrush pens. Well, there is. If you look carefully at the picture you will see what looks like a dark mass inside the pen, just above the bristles. This is what makes the difference - it's essentially a filter between the water reservoir and the bristles. It controls the water flow. If you have ever used a brushpen without this feature you will find you have little control....which can be VERY frustrating. Our favorite is the Niji Waterbrush.

 

 

Ok, here we go. First create several 'drops' of color onto the water prepped surface (if you have enough water down they will instantly bleed out) By the way...this is Twinkling H20 Honey Amber. 

 

 

And just as quickly...use back and forth diagonal strokes to spread the dots....then STOP!!

Do not overwork this. While the temptation to do so is driving you crazy don't touch it again! You want the paint to 'work' and 'blend' with the water ALL ON IT'S OWN! 

Pretend you are on "Top Chef" and Tom Colicchio is yelling at you..."hands up!"  

Then walk away and let it dry...for a few hours. Don't be tempted to use a hair dryer or your heat set tool either as you will speed up the drying process so much that you are liable to curl the edges of the squares. Plus, you will get a different result in how the paint dries.

 

 

After the paint has completely dried (you shouldn't feel any coolness when you touch the squares) then you can go ahead and stamp with Memento Tuxedo Black dye based ink. This wonderful image is from Impression Obsession, called Fall Leaves by Leigh Hannan. The stamp image is just a hair larger than the 3 Inchie + Squares. Be sure and keep your eyes open for all the wonderful holiday stamps that can be used across more than one square! 

 

 

Have fun with the coloring too. We used an assortment of Copic markers. We don't often use bling, but couldn't resist adding copper colored pearls on all the little 'dots' that are in the image. And, if you click on this photo to see a larger version you can get a better view of the slight streaky quality that was created by painting your own watercolor background....you'll just have to do it yourself to discover the sparklies!!

 

As of today...it's officially 'fall'

As we do occasionally, we wanted to share some of the new card samples that are going out with store orders. All three were made with different Inchie Square colors - non of them white! And...all three of these cards are from the fall color assortment pack of Inchie Notes.

There are just a few seasons...or holidays...that you can instantly comprehend just by the use of color....and fall is one of them. It's an instant switch from summer brights to rich emotive colors.

The color palette of rich earth tones is a perfect compliment for using neutral color Inchie Squares. This card starts by laying down 4 dark cream Inchie Squares snug up against each other and then stamping. With so much stamping (all the little acorns!) it's always a good idea to anchor the squares on a sheet of scrap paper with non permanent adhesive (we like the Tombo Mono REMOVABLE in the green dispenser). The acorn stamp, from Rosies Roadshow is really tiny so take your time as you stamp with VersaMark ink to achieve a watermark look as a background. The wreath stamp from Memory Box continues to be a favorite because it is so indicative of this time of year - go ahead and stamp it across all 4 squares with black dye based ink. Color the oak leaves in the wreath by first coloring every other leaf with Copic markers YR14 Caramel and YR24 Pale Sepia. Then go back over these colors touching the tips of each knob of the leaf with E09 Burnt Sienna and use YG63 Pea Green to draw over the vein line on each leaf. A finishing touch is added by using a Sakura Stardust Gelly Roll pen over the outside edges of each leaf. You can click on the photos and see a larger version for a close-up view.

(note: if you want to see a photo of these Copic marker colors just scroll down two postings - guess they are our new favorites!)

 
Local farmer's markets are just starting to bring in late summer squashes and pumpkins. Don't forget to take your camera for some close-up photos. They are perfect for creating easy photo cards like this one. They key is to use a 7/8" punch. (tip: remember to turn your punch upside down so you can move around the 'window' and select exacty what part of the photo you want to punch) Then glue each photo square to a black Inchie Square and arrange in a pleasing manner. You can use this technique for many more than just 4 squares too!! Finding papers that coordinate with the colors in your photos does make a difference - but remember, it's the simple images that want to be the star of the show on this card.

 

I know, I know...the pumpkins don't fit perfectly onto the squares...but that's OK!! In fact sometimes it makes it more interesting to have part of the image falling off the edge. Nothing evokes fall more than pumpkins, and since we haven't made the leap yet to Halloween, we are referring to the lovely ones you find in the farmers markets and at the state fair! 

There are not a lot of images that work well across 3 Inchie Squares, but this stamp, 3 Pumpkins, from the Lockhart Stamp Company is just right. It's your decision if you want to anchor the squares with removable adheasive while stamping, but since this is just one impression, you don't really need to. Again, it's all about color and while it may be a little hard to see in the photo we used ivory Inchie squares instead of white because the softness of the ivory coordinates so much better with the other color components of the card. Again, we used those same 3 copic markers; first color the pumpkin all over with YR24 Pale Sienna, then YR14 Caramel at the top, bottom and sides (remember your junior high art lessons on 'shading a round object') and finishing at the top and bottom with the darkest one E09 Burnt Sienna. If you want you can go back over everything with the lightest color, YR24 Pale Sepia and blend. The sentiment is one of the wonderful calligraphy words by Gretchen Ehrsam for Rubbermoon.

How come this season gets two names.....fall....and autumn?! Hmmmm?

Check out the Impression Obsession Inchie Challenge

We are very pleased to be the sponsor for a challenge hosted by the Impression Obsession Stamp Company and Design Team. Their Fall Card Using Inchies challenge involves 'inchies' and a fall theme. Their DT has put together some incredible card samples to inspire you and we invite everyone to get out their Inchie Squares and Impression Obsession stamps and join the fun. Be sure and visit their blog for all the particulars on how to upload your entries. You have to be quick though, submissions will be accepted until 9pm EST tomorrow, Friday Sept. 17. Good Luck! 

The weather here in the PNW has DEFINITELY shifted and along with wanting to eat a full blown turkey dinner, we have been craving getting into the fall color palette. This card uses a 'spotlight' technique by stamping just a portion of the image on an Inchie Square and then positioning it over the complete image with a bit of dimension. This is a wonderful stamp designed by Leigh Hannah for Impression Obsession called Pumpkin Flourish.

We haven't quite picked up all the new fall papers yet, so forgive us for going into the files to find these wonderful papers from prior seasons. What really drove the selection of papers was finding one that has a very lightly colored pattern to be used for stamping the full size image. This adds an enormous amount of depth and interest to the overall card rather than simply stamping on a solid ivory. 

You don't automatically have to use a white Inchie Square - especially if you are going to be coloring with darker richer colors and don't need to color the background. In fact, pick a square that will coordinate with the pattern papers you will be using. This picture shows the subtle differences of our dark cream, ivory and white Inchie Squares. We decided to use the ivory for this project because there is an ivory tint to the lighter pattern paper. Remember, you can get full packages of all of our colors rather than buying an assortment package. Just let your store know to order them for you if they don't have them in stock!  

Stamp the full size image on the lighter pattern paper.

You want to control what part of the full size image gets 'stamped' on the Inchie Square. The easiest way to do this is to ink the stamp and bring the square to the stamp. I recently figured out that it was a heck of a lot easier to put a touch of my favorite adhesive (Tombo Mono Dots Permanent from their Craft Collection) and use my finger as the handle rather than fussing with tape loops to make a handle!

  Color the pumpkin that you have stamped on the Inchie Square with these colors, blending as you go. The green and tan are for the leaves and stem.

 

When you use the 'spotlight' technique you need to remember that it is the focal point of the card. However, you may want to put a tad of color on the larger stamped image...but very, very light subtle color; G40 for the leaves, E41 for the top of the acorn and YR000 for the acorn itself.

Be sure and visit the Impression Obsession blog and submit your entry!

Stacking squares...inchie, twinchie and plus

This is a really novel and different way to....

use multiple size squares on one card

and

use the same stamp image for all three sizes

 
When looking through our stamps to see what 'larger' stamp might work well for this technique it's best to look first for a component of the image that will look well as focal point on the smallest square. In this case you can see how one poppy can be stamped as a stand alone image. By laying out the the different size white squares next to the stamp (Twinchie Square, Inchie + Square and Inchie Square) you can start to visualize how it might work.

It's really just a matter of stamping each size square and then making sure the image stamped on the Inchie Square works as a focal point. And, you want to be able to see enough of the rest of the images when they are stacked so that your brain will 'read it' as from the same stamp.

 
The poppies were colored with the 3 shades or red, the stems and bud with G82 and then the background and sides (don't forget that this little finishing touch adds a lot!) with G20.

And about that background paper....!

We save everything and the second we saw this wonderful cling poppy stem stamp from Stampendous we had to start the search into our files. Sure enough this is a wonderful paper we had saved from a few years ago by Memory Box from their Homespun Collection. You just never know when you will find the perfect pairing of stamp to paper!    

Remember to assemble the card components BEFORE you add the squares. And when you do put the squares down be sure and use foam tape between each layer to emphasize the stacking and allowing you to peak a little under each layer.