all in an inch

Dina's watercolor orchids

 

While many of us draw our inspiration from our immediate natural surroundings, very few of us are fortunate enough to live in locations where the flora is quite so breathtaking as the naturally occuring orchids that Dina has painted.

Her talent, color sense and patience is obvious as she translates photos that she has taken into mini watercolor paintings. White ATC size Art Squares are the ideal surface for Shinhan watercolor paints as the surface is so similar to a hot press paper. She was able to layer colors repeatedly without surface deterioration or having to pretreat the painting surface.  

Be sure and visit her blog, Mama Dini's Stamperia, to see the original photos that served as her inspiration, as well as the other orchid that she painted - hard to believe they are only 2.5" X 3.5" ATC size Art Squares!

 

Jill is a color magician...

 

 

Imagine combining Ph Martin’s Hydrus watercolors, Distress Paints, and Brushed Corduroy Distress Inks all on one 3" white Art Square. Stop by Jill's blog, Inspired by, today and see how she created this explosion of color using all these mediums without any surface deterioration.

Mixed media peacock feathers

 

Love this technique...stamping with acrylics and then coloring with watercolors!

Visit Dina's blog to learn the details of using this coloring technique on 2" Twinchie Squares. 

 

 

Hydrangea 3 ways...

Hydrangeas are one of my most favorite flowers, and this stamp (from Stampendous) is perfect to demonstrate different media applications and coloring techniques on 3 different sizes of white ART SQUARES.

To create this "puzzle" technique first stamp the flower across 4 white 1-1/2" Inchie + Squares. Anchor the squares together on scratch paper with a non permanent adhesive so that they fit tightly together. Stamp with a dye based ink such as Memento Tuxedo black. Keep the squares together while you color with Copic Markers. When you mount the squares on the card separate them by equal distances.

(flower colors: B63, B32 and B23; leaves YG03 and YG63 and outline the entire thing with T2)

Like to stamp and watercolor? Then you will love our new 3" white ART SQUARES!

Before you stamp, moisten the paint pots with a few drops of water each. We used Twinkling H2O blue ice, periwinkle and wild blueberry for the flower and lucky apple and moss green for the leaves. Stamp the square with a pigment ink and emboss with clear powder (we used a black stamp pad in need of rejuvination so it appears more gray than black!). By embossing the ink you not only create a bit of a physical barrier that makes it easier for painting, but you don't run the risk of the ink feathering out when painting. When you are ready, "paint" the entire flower FIRST WITH WATER and then dab in each color, repeating until you have the desired affect. Don't overwork, let the magic of the watercolor blending do it's thing. (tip - we like to use a medium size Kuratake waterbrush pen) 

 

We are having a blast experimenting with all kinds of mixed media techniques on the new sizes. It is particularly challenging for me to let go of the concept that you always have to put something on a card. (So...we had these little acrylic 'feet' made so ATC's and 3" squares can stand up!)

The technique of layering with different color pigment inks and clear embossing between each layer seems to be the thing of the moment....it is so much fun...and easy!

Starting with a white ATC we dabbed about 4 different blues and lavenders....one color at a time....using either the ink pad directly or a dauber. After applying each pigment ink color, dip in clear embossing powder and heat set. After all of the blues, we guessed where the leaves might be (once stamped) and did the same thing with a very light bright pigment green. Then, an overall application of Versamark clear ink and then again clear embossing powder. And....while still hot...quickly stamp the hydrangea after inking the stamp in a dark blue pigment ink. It's so cool how it all hardens to a shiny overall finish.     

(if you are unable to find Inchie Arts products in a store near you, contact our stores list on the web site for a list of on-line retailers. Or, contact us directly at lisa@inchiearts.com for information) 

 

Catching up - sample cards

It's been brought to our attention that we have been remiss in sharing some of the sample cards that have been going out to the stores, and cards that we taught in classes from the past couple of months. Guess we had "summeritus" cause when summer finally came to the Pacific Northwest it was pretty tough not to get distracted! And while we are now in the midst of a glorious Indian Summer we will do our best to be a bit more timely with sharing. So without further adieu....

This color waterfall above was created by drawing quick short strokes of overlapping color on a white Twinchie Square and then dabbing water with a brushpen. If you haven't used Daniel Smith Extra Fine Watercolor Sticks they are fabulous. We used quinacridone violet, quinacridone red, opera pink and hansa yellow medium. (don't be tempted to overwork it)

 

One of these days we are going to have to take an official Zentangle class! In the meantime we tinker with our pens, and whether replicating an official Zentangle pattern, like Antidot (above), or just doodling random patterns, using gold and silver Uniball Gel Impact pens on a black Twinchie Square make it really easy. (a great resource for a cataloging of Zentangle patterns can be found at  http://tanglepatterns.com/2012/09/how-to-tangle-a-pumpkin.html) 

 

A total experiment...this one. We hand colored this batik birds stamp from Memory Box with three different colors of Tombo Dual Brush Pens from the Jelly Bean set (purple 606, aqua 452 and green 173). After coloring the stamp with the pens, we moistened it with a big breath, and stamped onto a white Twinchie Square. To 'soften' out the colors we then went back in and gently dabbed with a water brush pen to blend...just a tad.  

Be sure and check back...we have oodles more things to share...

Rainy Day Impatiens

Living in the Pacific Northwest we are supposed to be accustomed to all the rain. But it's summer, and enough is enough! While the flowers are taking a beating they are a great inspiration for a set of 4 notecards created with:

4 white 1-1/2" Inchie + Squares

Twinkling H20 paints in Apple Blossom, Persimmon, Kiwi and Blue Grass

Prismacolor pencils in Magenta and Celadon Green

Mini paint palette, waterbrush pen, pattern and solid papers

(tip: before you begin, moisten the paint pots by adding a few drops of water to each one)

 

Create a small puddle of 'pink water' in a depression of the palette with a dab or two of full color from the Apple Blossom paint pot mixed with several drops of water. Use this 'pink water' to quickly paint flower petals on the square. Don't stress about the flower being perfect...don't sketch it out, just relax, paint and see what happens!

 

Draw in some quick, loose accent lines with the Magenta pencil.

 

Before the petals dry out, dab in some full color directly from the moistened Apple Blossom paint pot. If you need to add a bit more 'pink water' go ahead so that when you dab in the stronger color it will bloom and blend on its own.

 

Add a dab of Persimmon for a color accent....

 

Gently draw in the flower pistol with the Celadon Green pencil.

 

Create another puddle of colored water in the palette; this time with the Kiwi. Being careful not to bump into the pink flower you just completed, go ahead and paint with 'green water' all around the flower and out to the edges of the square.

 

Again, taking advantage of the damp green area, go ahead and dab in stronger bits of color directly from the paint pots of the Kiwi and the Blue Grass. Don't overwork it, just dab, dab, dab and let the paint bleed and bloom on it's own.

 

As the Twinkling H20 paints dry they will begin to shimmer from the mica that is mixed with their pigment - also, the colors will appear a bit lighter when dry.

 

Seems like we have shelves and shelves of odds and ends papers. All the more fun to poke through to find the perfect coordinating paper. In this case we trimmed the paper to an A1 card size which is the perfect fit for 4 Bar envelopes.

(The folded card measures 3-1/2" X 4-7/8") 

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.