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Paper crafting and art techniques in combination with the web are a great combination because in just a click you can share and learn new things.
We just had to share this beautiful watercolor card created by Penny Ward. Not only do we love it when others find ways to create with our Art Squares, but get even more excited when techniques are discovered...and shared.
You'll see what we mean when you visit Penny's blog, Penny Ward INK and scroll down to find the details for this wonderful card!
I hope all of you had as much fun as we did last week - we owe a very special thank you to all the artists who participated in this wonderful event!
Who would have thought there would have been so many different creative techniques combining Art Squares and Penny Black designs.
All of your comments were heart warming and we hope that you will continue to visit our blog and Facebook pages! Also, if you are new to Inchie Arts we invite you to visit the archives of this blog as there are years of ideas and great tips.
Congratulations to the winners of Inchie Arts products!!
Heather Thompson and Laura Jane
To claim your Inchie Arts prizes please send an email to [email protected] with the sizes and colors of the 4 boxes of product you would like along with your mailing information. If you would like some suggestions or want to discuss what sizes and colors might be best for your crafting style we can talk about that too!
Congratulations to the winners of the Penny Black products!
Linda S. in NE and Molly Seekamp
To claim your Penny Black prize, visit Penny Black online store and then email your selection of $25 worth of Penny Black stamps (woodblock, Slapstick/Cling, or transparent) to [email protected]. Include "Inchie Arts/PB Collabo Giveaway" as the subject line. Don't forget to include your shipping information as well.
When I first saw this card, I couldn't fathom how Dina created it. There are so many wonderful things about this project...thank goodness she created a step by step tutorial on her blog, Mama Dini's Stamperia!
And, if you have been wondering how to use masking fluid AND a Gelli Plate on a 3" white Art Square, then you will love her very detailed post!
Die masking is such a great technique we couldn't resist doing it again on a 4" white Art Square for our final day of collaboration with Penny Black!
(step by step directions for this die masking technique can be found on yesterdays post)
What is fun about this card is that it uses the Penny Black Sparkly String die 3 separate times, in 3 separate postions on the 4' white Art Square. The die is about 6 inches long and by adjusting it's postion each time before you run it through the die cutting machine you can fit 3 impressions on the Art Square.
Don't be bashful about your color selections- just have fun. And yes, a more detailed die like this will take a little longer to 'peel away' the background, but the results are worth the extra time!
Be sure and visit the Penny Black BLOG today for their last posting of this great collaborative event. And as an extra bonus, Jill Foster and Elizabeth Allan will be posting Art Squares projects today on their blog, Studio Sessions!
It's not too late to enter for the giveaways!
2 winners will each receive $25 worth of stamps from Penny Black!
2 winners will each receive 4 boxes of Inchie Arts products!
To enter to win a product giveaway leave a comment here on the Inchie Arts blog and then visit the Penny Black BLOG and leave a comment there too. And, there is even a bonus entry by "liking" and commenting on the Facebook pages of both Inchie Arts and Penny Black. One winner will be selected from the collective blog comments and another winner selected from the collective Facebook likes and comments. That means 2 winners will each receive 4 boxes of Art Squares of their choosing and 2 winners will each receive $25 worth of stamps from Penny Black. Giveaway closes at 11/22/14 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on the Inchie Arts BLOG and Facebook pages on Monday November 24.
6 days...6 different sizes of Art Squares!
It has been a joy to read all the comments on both our All in an Inch blog and the Penny Black Blog and both Facebook pages. In addition to the many observations from those who were new to Inchie Arts Art Squares, there were many questions. So, in addition to announcing the winners on Monday the 24th we will also be doing our best to answer many of your questions.
Even though an ATC (Artist Trading Card) isn't a square, it's actually 2.5" X 3.5", how could we not include it as part of the Art Square line of products! It was really more about the fact that we knew many of our customers were trading 'inchies' and a great many of them traded ATC's too. Did you know that the number in each package (12) was determined by how many are often traded at a time?
We created the 'die masking' technique over a year ago as an alternative way to use metal dies. They were becoming more and more popular and we figured there had to be a way they could be used with Art Squares in addition to direct application onto the squares.
This technique is one that is very rewarding because when you present someone with a finished card they are clearly stumped about how it was created!
So here is the step by step...
Cover the TOP side (rougher, slightly bumpy feel) of a white ATC Art Square with masking paper and flush trim from the back side. (refer to yesterdays post for particular brand names of masking paper)
Flip the covered ATC over so the masking paper side is facing up. Lay the die - cutting side down - on the ATC. At this point what you want to do is put it through the die cutting machine so that there is enough pressure to just cut through the masking paper and leave a slight incision into the ATC Art Square. Because the Art Squares are a 4ply material it make take a bit of experimentation to get the plates, and often paper shims, to produce the correct amount of pressure.
We are in love with this Penny Black die called Leap of Joy!
Take your time and carefully peel away the masking paper that is the BACKGROUND surrounding the die cut image of the reindeer, and any little 'holes' that are part of the design. Press back down any part of the reindeer that may have lifted up.
At this point get your ink colors and pads organized. We like to arrange them in the order that they will be used. Pigment ink must be used for this technique and one of our favorites is Fresh Ink from Impress. For this card we used (from left to right) Sicilian Blue, Capri Blue, Gypsy Blue, Navy and French Lavender.
Our tip of the day: invest in a box of 100 daubers and dedicate them to all the different inks and colors you use - that way you will never have to wash them...believe us, it's worth it!
Beginning with the lightest color begin dabbing. Don't rub though as you may disturb the remaining masking paper or 'get under' it's edges with the ink. Vary your dabbing pressure so you are getting good coverage and blending without leaving distinct round impressions from the dauber.
As you lay down each color go back and use the last color to create a seemless blending, repeat this over and over until you are satisfied. You also want to 'refresh' the first colors you put down so that there are no 'dry' ink spots.
As soon as you have finished inking, carefully remove any masking paper left on the Art Square.
Promptly, before any ink dries, dredge the entire ATC Art Square in clear embossing powder.
Take your time when heat setting. Don't be tempted to rush by getting too close. There is quite a bit of embossing powder that needs to really melt - you'll see! Let it cool before handling. As you pick it up you will notice that the area where the masking paper was (the reindeer) will have a matt finish (the surface of the Art Square) and everything else will have a shiny, hard surface, almost like a real tile.
(if for any reason there were dry spots and the embossing powder did not stick on any inked areas, try this.... after heat setting and cooling...cover the entire surface of the ATC with VersaMark clear ink. Re-dredge in the clear embossing powder and heat set again. The resulting overall hard glossy surface is a wonderful finish technique too!)
Because the Art Squares have a 4ply thickness and are a solid core material, it's a nice finishing touch to color the edges with a coodinating colored marker to cover up the 'glaring white edges'! The snow was added at the very last with dots from a white opaque pen, and the sentiment is from the Penny Black Joy Filled clear stamp set.
Be sure and visit the Penny Black BLOG today and every day through Saturday November 22 as each day there will be new postings on both of our sites that combine the Art Squares you know and love with the incredible designs from Penny Black.
And don't forget to comment for entry into the giveaways!
2 winners will each receive $25 worth of stamps from Penny Black!
2 winners will each receive 4 boxes of Inchie Arts products!
To enter to win a product giveaway leave a comment here on the Inchie Arts blog and then visit the Penny Black BLOG and leave a comment there too. And, there is even a bonus entry by "liking" and commenting on the Facebook pages of both Inchie Arts and Penny Black. One winner will be selected from the collective blog comments and another winner selected from the collective Facebook likes and comments. That means 2 winners will each receive 4 boxes of Art Squares of their choosing and 2 winners will each receive $25 worth of stamps from Penny Black. Giveaway closes at 11/22/14 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on the Inchie Arts BLOG and Facebook pages on Monday November 24.
6 days...6 different sizes of Art Squares!
See you tomorrow!
It's day 4 already and it's time to share some ideas for the 3" Art Square size.
For years our business focused on the 3 smaller sizes; the 1" or Inchie Square, 1.5" Inchie + Square and the 2" Twinchie Square. Once our customers figured out all the cool coloring methods for direct art application on the squares, no sooner were they hounding us with requests for larger sizes. So, we introduced the 3", ATC and 4" sizes renaming the entire line...Art Squares...as it was getting kind of confusing referring to all the sizes as 'inchies'.
The introduction of the 3" size was like opening up a creative Pandora's box.
One of the greatest discoveries of these new larger sizes was that you could actually combine multiple techniques and mediums on one Art Square. This card begins with a 3" white Art Square and combines a bit of paper masking, stamping, watercolor painting and Pan Pastel application.
There are a few steps to this one and until we are brave enough to shoot a video we will share this step by step photo tutorial.
Begin by covering the TOP (slightly textured) side of a 3" white Art Square with masking paper. There are a few brands in the marketplace; we most often use one from Inkadinkado called Stamping Mask Paper or Eclipse paper from Judikins. Turn over and trim the paper flush to the very edge of the square.
Using a 2" Art Square as a template, center on the top of the masking paper side and trace around it with light pencil.
Using a sharp craft knife, cut out and remove the central square - but be sure to save it as you will be using it again.
Leaving the 'border' mask in place, stamp the Penny Black Sparkler Slapstick Cling stamp using Versafine onyx black pigment ink. Cover with clear embossing powder, shake off excess and heat set. As with the placecards from a few days ago, sometimes we like to emboss our image prior to watercoloring. (don't get too close with the heat gun...and if the border mask releases a bit, just press it back down.
For this project, we again used the Sakura Koi Water Colors. After decding that the poinsettia was going to be a blend of pinks, we preblended several different puddles of light pinks to darker versions, even adding a bit of purple and used another Art Square to 'test' what the colors would look like when applied.
For this type of watercolor painting we like to let the 'water' part of watercolor do the blending. In order to do that your surface must be partially saturated and so the first couple of passes are quickly done with a very light pink 'water'. Repeat the process so everything is 'damp' before you apply the next, stronger layer of color.
Gradually add in the darker colors applying them with a gentle dabbing motion. Feel free to add dabs of water to insure that the colors bleed and blend as you apply them. You will be surprised by how much water and paint will be absorbed into the Art Square.
Let the paint completely dry (you can heat set if you are gentle) and remove outside mask. Find the smaller square mask that you initially removed and place it over the center area that you have just painted.
With the center square mask in place stamp the leafy twig from the Penny Black Festive Florals Slapstick Cling set using clear VersaMark ink. Take your time as you stamp and try and not overlap too much of the image as you stamp 'the border'.
Using a soft art sponge begin applying various Pan Pastel green colors directly on top of the VersaMark stamping. Like magic, the images will appear in a darker value than the background. We started with Bright Yellow Green Tint and then Bright Yellow Green Shade gently adding and wiping the colors without disturbing the central masked area.
For the final layer we used Chromium Oxide Green Shade. After removing the mask in the middle you can touch up any watercoloring (we added a bit of sepia tone at the edges). For the finishing touches we added a black pen line around the central square and the bling (pearls touched with a gold Krylon pen). After assembling the card we stamped the sentiment from the Penny Black Joy Filled Clear Set. (note: it is advisable when using Pan Pastels to 'fix' your work so it doesn't smear - we advise doing this before you assemble the card, and be sure when you use spray fixative to do so in a well ventilated area!)
Be sure and visit the Penny Black BLOG today and every day through Saturday November 22 as each day there will be new postings on both of our sites that combine the Art Squares you know and love with the incredible designs from Penny Black.
And don't forget to comment for entry into the giveaways!
2 winners will each receive $25 worth of stamps from Penny Black!
2 winners will each receive 4 boxes of Inchie Arts products!
To enter to win a product giveaway leave a comment here on the Inchie Arts blog and then visit the Penny Black BLOG and leave a comment there too. And, there is even a bonus entry by "liking" and commenting on the Facebook pages of both Inchie Arts and Penny Black. One winner will be selected from the collective blog comments and another winner selected from the collective Facebook likes and comments. That means 2 winners will each receive 4 boxes of Art Squares of their choosing and 2 winners will each receive $25 worth of stamps from Penny Black. Giveaway closes at 11/22/14 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on the Inchie Arts BLOG and Facebook pages on Monday November 24.
6 days...6 different sizes of Art Squares!
See you tomorrow!
For day 3 of our week with Penny Black it's time to move to the next largest size of Art Squares - the 2" or "Twinchie Square". This is a very popular size because it's not too small...and not too big...lending itself perfectly to the size of many stamped images.
Most of the time, we find ourselves reaching for the white Art Squares because the bright white shows off different forms of coloring such as markers, paints, inks and stains etc. But because the Art Squares are an absorbent material, certain coloring mediums may be extremely muted when used on the darker squares. But what if you used a coloring medium that stays vibrant on the surface like embossing, Prismacolor Pencils, or even Pan Pastels?
This card is a good example of a technique that combines stamping with clear VersaMark ink and then using white embossing powder and heat setting on a dark gray 2" Art Square. We used the larger wheat stamp from the Penny Black Golden Harvest Transparent stamp set. Color with Prismacolor pencils, being sure to get good opaque coverage by coloring a few layers with the pencils. When using color pencils while it is tempting to press harder, you will get best results by just going over and over an area with light to medium pressure so you don't break the pencil or leave coloring lines.
Certain techniques, and even seasonal projects, really lend themselves to just the right color Art Square.
white: all stamping, bright color and absorbent media applications - basically everything!
ivory: really works well with fall, holiday and Valentine themes
dark cream and wheat: fall, Steampunk and antique projects
light gray: Valentine and Mother's Day (it's all about the pink and gray!)
dark gray: holiday (think white embossed birch trees, snowflakes and pine cones)
black: Zentangle R style pen work using a white or metallic pen or photo projects
With the exception of our newest 4" Art Square (currently available in white) all other sizes including the 1", 1.5", 2", 3" and ATC are available in all 7 colors.
Be sure and visit the Penny Black BLOG today and every day through Saturday November 22 as each day there will be new postings on both of our sites that combine the Art Squares you know and love with the incredible designs from Penny Black.
And don't forget to comment for entry into the giveaways!
2 winners will each receive $25 worth of stamps from Penny Black!
2 winners will each receive 4 boxes of Inchie Arts products!
To enter to win a product giveaway leave a comment here on the Inchie Arts blog and then visit the Penny Black BLOG and leave a comment there too. And, there is even a bonus entry by "liking" and commenting on the Facebook pages of both Inchie Arts and Penny Black. One winner will be selected from the collective blog comments and another winner selected from the collective Facebook likes and comments. That means 2 winners will each receive 4 boxes of Art Squares of their choosing and 2 winners will each receive $25 worth of stamps from Penny Black. Giveaway closes at 11/22/14 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on the Inchie Arts BLOG and Facebook pages on Monday November 24.
6 days...6 different sizes of Art Squares!
Today's Tidbit: It was a couple of years ago that we discovered that our Art Squares are perfect for making boxes and cubes and Elizabeth's version today on the Penny Black blog is fantastic! Be sure and visit our original posting on Basic Cube Assembly for step by step directions (click here for a direct link).
See you tomorrow!
It's day 2 of our week of collaborating with the designers from Penny Black. We are pretty excited about all the comments we have received so far and look forward to sharing our ideas and Art Squares with all our new friends.
It was so coincedental that our event would last over 6 days, because there just happen to be 6 different sizes of Art Squares, one for each day! Yesterday we featured the original 1" Inchie Squares and each day we plan on graduating to the next size up - so today it's all about our 1.5" Art Squares.
If you are new to using Art Squares the greatest benefit of all their wonderful characteristics is that you can create art directly on the top surface. They behave like a high end artists paper with a nod towards a watercolor surface, meaning they can absorb a lot of moisture from wet media without surface buckling or deterioration. These characteristics, plus the fact that they are a solid core, 4 ply weight makes them perfect for using with watercolor paints.
Today we started with 3 white 1.5" Art Squares and prepared them for stamping by lining them up with a snug fit next to one another on a work sheet using non permanent (or removable) adhesive. Then, using a Versafine Onyx black pigment ink stamped across all three with the fall theme border from the Penny Black Golden Harvest transparent stamp set. After stamping, quickly cover with clear embossing powder, discard the extra and heat set.
Because this is a detailed design, we have found that by creating an actual physical border with the embossing, it makes watercoloring areas of blending and non blending much easier to control. Using a small brush (#2) but still using plenty of water to layer and blend will give great results. We used our Koi Watercolors and did most of the color blending directly on the surface of the Art Square.
After the squares are completely dry use a Zig Calligraphy marker to write each name, and don't forget to take a marker and apply a coordinating color to the actual edges of each Art Square.
Be sure and visit the Penny Black BLOG today and every day through Saturday November 22 as each day there will be new postings on both of our sites that combine the Art Squares you know and love with the incredible designs from Penny Black.
And don't forget to comment for entry into the giveaways!
2 winners will each receive $25 worth of stamps from Penny Black!
2 winners will each receive 4 boxes of Inchie Arts products!
To enter to win a product giveaway leave a comment here on the Inchie Arts blog and then visit the Penny Black BLOG and leave a comment there too. And, there is even a bonus entry by "liking" and commenting on the Facebook pages of both Inchie Arts and Penny Black. One winner will be selected from the collective blog comments and another winner selected from the collective Facebook likes and comments. That means 2 winners will each receive 4 boxes of Art Squares of their choosing and 2 winners will each receive $25 worth of stamps from Penny Black. Giveaway closes at 11/22/14 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on the Inchie Arts BLOG and Facebook pages on Monday November 24.
6 days...6 different sizes of Art Squares!
Todays Tidbit: We were pretty excited to learn that in addition to the work of the Penny Black designers appearing on the PB Blog this week, that a few of their design team will be posting projects with Art Squares on their own blogs! Heather Telford is doing a week of Art Squares titled "Inch by Inch". It is so much fun to see how other artists use the products in so many different ways - be sure and stop by her blog, Bits & Pieces, to see her fabulous projects!
See you tomorrow!
Beginning today, Monday November 17, and continuing through Saturday November 22 there will be an explosion of creativity on the blogs of both of these two companies. Each day will have new postings on both sites that combine the Art Squares you know and love with the incredible designs from Penny Black.
We love Penny Black as they offer papercrafters and mixed media artists exceptional designs for every style. Their stamps, Creative Dies, and stencils range from cute to elegant with one-of-a-kind artistic flair.
2 winners will each receive 4 boxes of Inchie Arts products!
2 winners will each receive $25 worth of stamps from Penny Black!
To enter to win a product giveaway leave a comment here on the Inchie Arts blog and then visit the Penny Black BLOG and leave a comment there too. And, there is even a bonus entry by "liking" and commenting on the Facebook pages of both Inchie Arts and Penny Black. One winner will be selected from the collective blog comments and another winner selected from the collective Facebook likes and comments. That means 2 winners will each receive 4 boxes of Art Squares of their choosing and 2 winners will each receive $25 worth of stamps from Penny Black. Giveaway closes at 11/22/14 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be announced on the Inchie Arts BLOG and Facebook pages on Monday November 24.
6 days...6 different sizes of Art Squares!
Day 1 - 1" Inchie Squares
Our first project of the week takes us back to where it all began 7 years ago when we introduced 1" Inchie Squares. A fun way to use multiple Inchie Squares on a card is to create a mosaic or puzzle with one large image, and the poinsettia from the PB Festive Florals Slapstick Cling set is the perfect stamp!
Begin by fitting 8 ivory Inchie Squares tightly together on a work sheet using non permanent adhesive. Stamp the image across all squares using a dye based ink such as Memento Tuxedo Black. Keep the squares together while coloring - we used a variety of pink and green Copic Markers frequently overlappying colors to blend.
To create the finished card simply reassemble the colored squares onto an appropriate background card stock leaving a small amount of equal space between each square.
Tomorrow the next size up...1-1/2" Art Squares!
Visit this blog, and the Penny Black blog, every day through Saturday for great fall and holiday ideas...and don't forget to comment on the blogs and facebook pages for a chance to win the giveaway!
Todays tidbit about Art Squares - you will notice that the Art Square that Cathy used on the Penny Black blog post today was a 2" black square. What most don't know is that all of our Art Squares...with the exception of the black, are made from paper (farm grown trees in fact!). However, the black is actually made from single ply cotton and the 'super black' is achieved from natural ebony.
See you tomorrow!
This is such a great idea from Dina as part of the Splitcoaststampers Holiday Tutorial event running from November 9 through 16!
While she created this neat little purse size box for a particular purpose it would be a great gift idea as well. After constructing the basic box framework from cardstock she used white ATC size Art Squares for the front and back covers, stamping and then painting with watercolors.
For the specific constructions details visit Mama Dini's Stamperia!
