all in an inch

In the garden.....a twinchie

Check out how Dina has transformed a white Twinchie Square into this beautiful garden scene!

Stop by her blog, Mama Dini's Stamperia, to see the details.

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

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.

 

 

 

 

Really Unique Idea #5 - truly 'artful' valentines!!

I am a great admirer of the work of Julie Fei-Fan Balzer. She is a graphic designer, painter, artist and even author... she is multi-faceted with a wide range of expertise involving art journaling, scrapbooking, fabulous original design work, mixed media, unique crafting...you name it!

I visit her blog often, if for no other reason than to get a creative boost, and always come away inspired. 

A couple of months ago I had sent her some of the Inchie Arts products. I was dying of curiousity to see how she might utilize the squares with her style of imaginative design. Needless to say when I saw her Valentine posting today I was blown away and wanted to share her wonderful creations with everyone. 

Check out her incredible valentines with Inchie Arts squares at http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/balzer_designs/2011/02/valentines-day-inchie-cards.html

I love how she used everything from glaze pens to watercolor crayons on the squares. 

Thank you Julie...once again, I am truly inspired!!

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)

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!!

 

Rough lines and more watercolor

In the last posting we used an image from a small bollio stamp from JudiKins to stamp across 5 white Inchie Squares. If you recall, 'trees in reflection' was on one side of the stamp...and this is what was on the other side! Called Rough Lines 6909-I, it makes a perfect watercolor ocean.  

 

  And this is our work space!

We followed the same processes as explained before - testing the Twinkling H20 paint colors on Twinchie Squares before deciding...and then following all the same steps for painting. In addition to using direct color from the pots we also mixed a new color. See how the arrows point to a test color in the lower right corner? (click on the photo to see a larger view). We combined a little of these two colors to create a third color and used a Twinchie Square as a mixing surface (since it's a very porous surface you have to be quick before it absorbs!)

It's so easy to get the paint pots mixed up in the middle of a project - especially when they are all of a similar color family - so we found that creating a 'placemat' and labeling everything keeps things in their place. And, if you look carefully in the lower right corner you can even see the notes about the 'order' of the colors as they appear on the ribbons of water.

dutch iris

wild blueberry together with french lilac

tanzanite

ocean wave

northern lights

 

(both the sentiment and the tiny fish are from different clear set stamps from Rubber Soul) 

A Watercolor Reflection

Sometimes the most unusual stamps provide the most incredible creative opportunities...and this one is no exception. Not only that, but it's a perfect image for using our favorite paints, Twinkling H20 Watercolors!

 

When looking at this stamp on the shelf you probably wouldn't think of using it to create inchies. These types of images are typically used as borders on cards or mini scrapbooks. On the other hand this Mini Bollio stamp from JudiKins is perfect for a horizontal inchie puzzle. (note: while the stamp is called Rough Lines 6909-I it has two images, lines on one side and trees in reflection on the other)

 

Begin by lining up 5 white Inchie Squares. You can put down a strip of removable adhesive (refer to a previous post about the Bumblebee on how to do this) to anchor the squares, but you may not even need one. Just butt the squares up to one another before you stamp...and it's ok if there are little gaps in the image from square to square. We stamped with Versafine Onyx Black and then let it completely dry for over an hour since we were going to be watercoloring.

 

Just like markers....you have to TRY a paint to see it's exact color. We like to pick a few and test them out before deciding which to use. From left to right, Wild Blueberry, Ocean Wave, Sky Blue and Periwinkle. It's also important to test colors on a piece of the same material as your finished work. We grabbed a white Twinchie Square to use as our testing palette. Super important...moisten your paints with a drop of water first...and also remember to 'paint with water' before applying color to the Twinchie Square. 

(note: if you have never used a waterbrush pen before it is the most amazing tool. It holds a reservoir of water and self cleans as you drag it across a paper towel. That means no container of water for rinsing and cleaning between colors!!)

 

Whether an Inchie, Twinchie or Inchie + Square...they all behave like hot press watercolor papers. And one of the most important characteristics of being able to do watercolors directly on the squares is the ability for the paints to bleed together. HOWEVER...this won't happen unless you paint with water first and maybe even go back and paint again with water to make sure - sometimes it's kind of hard to tell if you have enough because it is so quickly absorbed. But when it works it looks like the stripe of green on the left. That's called WET watercolor painting. On the right is what happens when you just bring the brush of paint to the material...it stays right where you put it! No bleeding, no surprises, no color magic. This is called DRY watercolor painting.  

  

Paint one square at a time. Begin by painting with water and then applying color. Just a tiny, tiny bit of color on the end of the brush will go a long way. Applying by using small dabbing motions works well. We decided on the Wild Blueberry near the horizon line and the darker Ocean Wave at the very bottom edge. Let the water do it's blending magic...don't be tempted to overwork with your brush.

 

The sky was created using almost exclusively water...with the very smallest amount of the Wild Blueberry blue. You can even make a large 'dot' of colored water on any non porous surface you might have around and then use this for that super subtle hint of color, rather than even touching the paint pot.

(note: before moving on to the next color (green) it is best to let the paint (blue) completely dry; this way the two colors won't accidentally bleed together)

 

  Next, to test the greens. From the left, lightest to darkest, Key Lime, Kiwi and Moss Green.

 

The trees are painted with the same technique.

Water first...

Then the first color...the Key Lime

dab...dab...dab...dab....

 

  Then 'dab in' the second green, the slightly darker Kiwi, at the base and spine of the tree

 

The greens on the reflection are darker

Water first...

Then the first color...the Kiwi

dab...dab...dab...dab....

 

Finish with the darker green...the Moss Green, also at the base and along the tree spine.  

 

It's serendipity when you find the perfect accent paper too! This gradient green from the FROND paper pack by Memory Box perfectly complimented the light to dark from top to bottom just like the lighter sky to darker reflection. It's easiest to glue down the center square first - then you can use that as a reference point for all the others. A centering ruler makes that super easy and a square of foam tape gives a bit of dimension. 

(note: the Thanks sentiment is a personal favorite from Rubber Soul)

 

Watercolor Poppy on a Twinchie Square

Combine the subtle color of a dark cream Twinchie Square with a muted ink color and then enhance the both with the magic that occurs with 3 different watercolor paints! 

If you look closely you can see there is a marked difference between a dark cream Twinchie Square and a white one. It's tempting to always use white squares when using watercolors to insure that you capture the brightness of the paint colors. On the other hand, it was fun to prove that watercolors can work really well on a dark cream square and actually enhance the total feel of the finished piece. 

 

Designed by Gretchen Ehrsam, this Rubbermoon stamp is a perfect fit on a Twinchie Square. First, ink the stamp with Tsukineko Encore Ultimate Metallic Honeydew ink and turn the stamp face up.   

 

The easiest way to center the image on the Twinchie Square is to bring the square to the stamp. As you bring it down you can see and feel the relationship between the stamp and the Twinchie Square, making it MUCH easier to get the image where you want it. 

 

Although many inks declare themselves as waterproof, it's worth it use clear embossing powder and heat set your image rather than risk it. Plus, as you will find, the success of watercolor paints is often determined by the amount of water you 'put down'. Our squares are of such high quality material that they mimic the characteristics of the best hot press watercolor paper, enabling them to 'hold' quite a bit of water as preparation for the paints. By heat setting the ink and creating a physical barrier with the embossing powder you eliminate the worry about anything compromising the stamped image. Splurge and buy yourself a large jar of clear embossing powder and keep it in a wide mouth plastic container with a lid. You'll quickly discover it's easier to dunk your stamped image into the tub than sprinkle powder out of a container....!!!

 

While heat set embossing has been around for a long time, many forget what a neat trick it is. As you heat it, the white powder blends with the ink, fuses together and darkens in color. It's a good idea to use a clothes pin or other device to hold your work in place...and so you don't burn your fingers!

 

A closer look shows how the powder has actually melted.

It's important to moisten your paint pots before using them. Simply squeeze a few drops of water from the brush pen into each pot. Created by Luminarte, Twinkling H20 watercolor paints have a tiny bit of ground mica in them to give them a sparkling appearence when dry - plus, they have the most fantastic colors - Sunflower, Ginger Peach and Indian Copper.

 

The most important thing about a successful watercolor is THE WATER. You won't get that wonderful bleeding and blending effect without it. Before putting down color, use a brush pen and put down lots of water. Each time you 'dab', the brush pen will release more water. Dab, dab, dab, dab, dab....you get the idea. And if you haven't tried a brush pen it's a must have item. It functions in the same manner as a fountain pen...but where there would be a reservoir of ink...there is water.

 

Dab in the Sunflower yellow

 

Then the Ginger Peach orange

 

Take a minute to clean off the brush pen. This is really amazing because all you need to do is draw the brush back and forth across a paper towel. Each time you do this the pen releases and little bit of water and almost self cleans - you don't even need to squeeze to release extra water when cleaning.

 

Add more WATER to keep things moist so things don't dry out between colors

 

Finish with the final color...Indian Copper. It will be very tempting to try and help the blending process along by fussing and dabbing to mix the colors - but you don't need to. The hardest part of all is after you have added the last color...STOP...and set the square aside to dry.   

   

 

When assembling the card components remember, it's all about the 'edges and corners'. Without a doubt our favorite adhesive for cardmaking is the Tombo Craft Collection Permanent Dots. If you look closely you can just make out the little blue diamonds of adhesive that are left from the roller. The applicator is refillable, fits well in hand, doesn't leave adhesive goobers and lifts from the page without bringing a string of adhesive with it!

And if you can't decide whether you prefer using a white Twinchie Square or a dark cream Twinchie Square...make both!