all in an inch

"twofer"

Tinkering again...wondering what it would look like to take two parts of one image and not only separate the parts (as in creating a puzzle inchie) but cropping each of them to 7/8" square and mounting each on a black Inchie Square. Hmmm...

And even though that's a holiday paper from the Memory Box Gingercake Collection it certainly works well from a color standpoint with the Lockhart Bouquet stamp #7002 (one of our favorites due to it's versatility!). Stamp with Tsukineko Tuxedo black ink and color with your favorite copic markers. Re-discovering a paper from one season to use in another is a good reminder to always save everything and go back through things in the "off season" - you never know what you will find!

But wait a minute...!

After making the first card we noticed that there was a significant part of the original colored image left on the cutting board! A light bulb moment occurred and the rest is well...a 'twofer'...two cards for the effort of one!

Samples for February

 

Stamp the Lockhart Buttermilk Hen #2094 with Tusukineko Memento Tuxedo black ink, color with a combination of Copic markers and Prismacolor pencils. Trim after tracing with an Inchie Finder and mount onto a black Inchie Square. Trim and mount the inchie onto a series of patterned papers, an Inchie Paper and finally onto an Inchie Note card.

(details about all the Inchie Arts products and stores where you can purchase them can be found at inchiearts.com)

As we do from time to time, we like to share some of the card samples that we send to out to stamping and scrapbook stores with our product orders. This month we seem to be all over the map as we explore the new images from Lockhart Stamp Company and all the different ways to color them! Seems that having fun with inchies includes experimenting with using portions of larger images too and capturing their 'essence' as seen in the hen and the gumball machine.

 

Stamp a portion of the Lockhart Gumball Machine #2098 directly onto a white Inchie Square with Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo black ink. Color with Copic markers or Prismacolor pencils. Mount onto a trimmed Inchie Paper that matches one of the gumball colors, then onto a neutral color pattern paper banner and finally onto an Inchie Note card.  Finish with Lockhart sentiment ...just because...#10047. 

 

 

Stamp the Lockhart Itty Bitty Good Night Moon #3060 onto a white Inchie Square with Tsukineko Memento Tuxedo black ink. Color stripes around the moon creating a 'background' with a very pale green and pale blue Copic marker. Color moon with Copic markers. Find a paper to match the 'cap' for an accent surround. The pattern paper banner was a found item in our 'scrap' bin (we NEVER throw anything out!) and all mounted on an Inchie Note card.

 

Ahh, sentiments prevail...as I look back over this particular collection of sample cards I am reminded of childhood bedtime stories that always ended with my mom whispering, "sweet dreams...sleep tight"!

  

So many choices....

 

The appearance of a card can be dramatically changed with the color that surrounds or compliments the primary image. Just for the fun of it we photographed the process that was used in creating the card in the previous posting.  

It's easy to get overwhelmed by all the possible choices so start by picking papers and cards stocks that match the colors in the focal image...in this case the bowl of cherries.  

Keep in mind that for each version nothing was glued down; just set on top of each other so you can check out how it looks. Keep doing this until you find a few that stand out as the most pleasing. We started with the sage green Inchie Note card, taking turns assembling the components using each of the 4 different patterned papers...always in this order...sage, blue, forest, burgundy...

    

 

 

 

Ok, now switch to the blue Inchie Note card

 

  

         

 

And now the forest green Inchie Note card...

 

 

 

 

And finally...the burgundy Inchie Note card!

 

 

 

 

 

Phew...lots to look at. However, if you scroll through quickly you will notice some characteristics in color that are probably more pleasing to you than others. Some that just 'feel right'. Now, take a closer look at those and then narrow it down to your favorite one or two!

Just curious...which were your favorites? Can you put it into words why you liked some more than others?

Remember...with art (like wine) there are no rights or wrongs...it's whatever YOU like!  

A bowl of cherries with a ghosted cherry background

In the last posting we discussed how you can use a stamp to create a ghosted or muted tone background. This finished card features the same technique and image used in a very different way!

This time we have taken that same concept in another direction, using 4 white Inchie Squares stamped and colored to become the background for a larger image of a similar subject matter.

Begin by stamping the Lockhart Cherries in a Colander #2077 onto white card stock with Tuxedo black, Memento Ink and set aside.

 

In this next step you are going to be repeat stamping the Lockhart Itty Bitty Cherries # 3004 using the VersaMagic sage chalk ink as in the previous post only this time over 4 Inchie Squares. The easiest way to do this is to match up the edges of the 4 squares...

   

and carefully flip them over (backside will now be up) and tape them together. We always keep a roll of blue painters tape around - you don't need to press hard - just make sure that the edges of the squares are flush to one another.

 

   

Start stamping in the uppermost left corner and keeping the same angle repeat stamp all over the 4 white Inchie Squares...over the seams and off the edges too! (feel free to create a tape loop to stick all 4 squares to your work surface so the whole thing doesn't move).

 

Just as in the prior posting, color the images very gently with Prismacolor Pale Sage and Blush Pink.

 

 

This is how it will look when you remove the tape from the back!

 

 

There are so many different ways that you can apply color and it's fun to experiment. The bowl of cherries were colored with a combination of Copic Markers and Prismacolor pencils. Because the markers are liquid based (alcohol) they absorb into the paper creating overall color. By using these two colors randomly on select cherries it will give a richer, deeper color when you add the pencil over them.

 

 

When you add the pencil, in Scarlet Lake and Mulberry, use small rotating motions and not too much pressure. As the pencil meets the paper you will feel a bit of 'tooth' that grabs the color and leaves tiny open spaces (just the opposite of markers). By alternating between the two colors with gentle pressure you can really adjust the subtlety of more burgundy or more red.

 

 

Add the two values of green, Prismacolor Chartreuse and Kelly Green.

 

 

Create the shadowing/highlighting on the bowl by coloring first overall with BVOO, then from the edges to the 1/3rd with B41, then B23 also from the outside edges inwards and finishing with B41 as a blender in the middle area where the darker color meets the lighter colors.

 

   

Carefully cut out the finished image with your choice of 'cutlery'.

 

 

Now it's time to put everything together. It's always so difficult to make a choice so we like to gather Inchie Notes card stock and patterned papers that match the colors in the stamped and colored image. Then spend a few minutes mixing and matching until you find one that is pleasing to you!

 

Believe it or not, there were 16 different options!! 

(stay tuned for the next posting where we actually recorded this mix and match process!) 

I

A ghosted cherry background

 

When we first created Inchie Squares about a year ago we spent all of our free time playing with them to learn what types of art applications worked best; as well as different techniques for stamping, coloring, embellishing...you name it. One technique that was fun and easy was creating a ghosted, or muted background using the Lockhart Itty Bitty Cherries stamp #3004.

This was one of the first cards we created and we continue to include variations of it to show when teaching and doing Inchie Arts demonstrations. More than any other technique - this is the one that everyone always asks, "how did you do that?"

 

  

The key to creating the background is to use a very subtle ink color for the stamping such as VersaMagic Chalk Ink in Sage. We used Prismacolor pencils rather than markers because with pencils you can see the little bit of 'tooth' of the surface of the Inchie Squares; which really enhances this coloring technique.

Great question Verna! She wrote asking what type of pencil sharpener made such crisp points. While we do have an abundance of sharpeners around including the big plug in one and the zillions from the kids school supplies (in every shape and size!) this is the one that gets the most use. It's made by Omnitech, has that high tech rounded edge look, is about the size of a softball, runs on batteries and was purchased at the local Staples office supply store. And while it lives on the corner of the 'creative table' it gets carted around to classes and demos and even outside to take advantage of the great natural light for coloring! 

 

 

Begin by stamping the cherries several times on each Inchie Square being careful not to overlap the images, but being sure to let some of them run off the edge.

 

   

Look carefully and you can see the progession of each stamped image. If you are creating multiples you can either stamp away in random fashion or line them up and do it assembly line style. If you are striving for them to be similar (certainly NOT necessary!) stamping in a line tends to make you stamp in a similar place on each square.

 

 

Once you have completely stamped the background then stamp one bunch of cherries directy on top of your first stamped images, in the center of the square, with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. 

 

Color the ghosted background cherries first being careful not to color inside the black stamped image. Begin with Prismacolor Blush Pink (on the left) for the cherries and Pale Sage for the leaves (on the right). Color with a very, very light hand - with just enough pressure to put color onto the surface. It's supposed to be subtle.

 

Next, color the black stamped cherries with Prismacolor Crimson (first) overlapping gently with Mulberry. As you color each cherry use a circular motion with a bit more pressure at the outside edge of the cherry and virtually no pressure in the middle - this will create a highlight effect on each cherry. Color the leaves first with Prismacolor Chartreuse and accent with a little Kelly Green at the top of each leaf.

 

 You can see the progression of coloring.

 

 

Add the finishing touch with Inkssentials Glossy Accents.

 

   

It's fun to experiment with how your finished inchie will look on a card. Look at the colors used in your inchie and pull cards and accent papers that compliment or match them. The eggplant colored card at the beginning of the post is from the Inchie Notes Fall collection and uses a green Inchie Paper. This green card is from the Inchie Notes Holiday assortment and a burgundy Inchie Paper! 

 

Next time you need a hostess or thank you gift try mixing and matching different colored Inchie Notes and Inchie Papers using the same finished inchies!