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!

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!

 

Please welcome a new member to our Design Team - Dina Kowal!

We have worked with Dina in the past and are very excited to welcome her to our Design Team!! We know that you will enjoy her enthusiasm and creativity when it comes to working with the Inchie Arts squares. While the details of her projects will be found on her blog, Mama Dini's Stamperia, we will be sure and let you know each time she posts an Inchie Arts project. 

 

We asked her to share a little bit about herself and she is a very busy gal!

 

 "I‘ve lived in Asia with my family since 2005, where we are in full-time campus ministry. I homeschool our 4 kiddos (3 boys and a girl), help out as a campus ‘Dr. Mom’ and also teach a basic health class yearly. I also love to cook and bake, sing and play the piano... I’ve always loved art, and stamping has been a wonderful escape from the pressures of cross-cultural living… I love winding down after a long day with my markers, watercolors, pencils, stamps, and cardstock all in reach. I started doing freelance design in 2002, blogging in 2006 at Mama Dini's Stamperia, joined my first design team in 2007, and found that I truly love creating one-of-a-kind cards, pushing my limits, and thinking outside the box. In addition to designing cards, I also design rubber stamp artwork, and create custom watermarks for photos posted online. What an honor to be working with Inchie Arts products!"

 

 

To find out more about this beautiful card created with Inchie + Squares (1-1/2") visit Mama Dini's Stamperia and stay tuned for some wonderful upcoming projects!

 

Welcome Dina!!