all in an inch

First valentine

It has been a long time since we have done any projects with Silks Acrylic Glazes but their vibrant Pixie Pink, Rasperry Wine, Boysenberry and Ice were perfect for a valentine.

Beginning with a black 2" Art Square loosely paint a smooth first layer using a damp paintbrush with Silks Ice (white) glaze mixed with the tiniest drop of white gesso - heat set. This layer will absorb a bit into the square but will then act as a sealer to reduce absorption of future layers, and leave a distinctive light shimmer.  

Randomly dab the other colors in a 'blotchy' way, mixing and dabbing until satisfied.  Force dry the paint using a heat gun and watch as the thicker areas of the paint 'bubble' and create additional texture from the heat.

Stamp the RubberMoon Scalloped Heart stamp (new by Lindsay Ostrom!) with black VersaFine pigment ink and heat set.  Color the heart generously, filling your paintbrush with the Pixie Pink mixed with the tiniest bit of white gesso and heat set.   

 

 

Right...and left facing stamps!

Have you ever fallen in love with a stamp but wished you had its mirror image?

How cool was it to discover that this Fine Feathered Friends stamp from RubberMoon was available in both right facing...and...left facing!

This finely detailed magical little bird was the perfect image to color with a brand new box of Derwent Inktense pencils. Having never used these before we weren't sure what to expect, but have now fallen in love with them!! The name of the pencil is the absolutely best description - they are literally intensely colored ink pencils that activate with water and are perfect for use on Art Squares.  

After stamping a white ATC size square with both the right and left facing birds using Versafine black ink, very lightly apply pencil colors to the bird right on top of the stamping. Use a wet, but not saturated, small brush to dab moisture to dissolve the pencil and blend where you have applied multiple colors.  

The background was created with a T2 Toner Gray Copic Marker and random dots from a white Signo pen.

While stamping and coloring with these pencils is pretty amazing, we can't wait to try them out for backgrounds and color washes on 4" white Art Squares.  

 

Season's Giving Blog Hop - winner announcement!

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Inchie Arts prize package for the Season's Giving Blog Hop is:

Beverly Jordan

(Beverly, please email us at [email protected] with your address info, and again, congratulations!!)

And a special thanks to all our new readers who we would not have met without participating in this fabulous blog hop! We hope that you will continue to visit in the next year, to see the work of our wonderful design team and learn new ways to use Art Sqaures.

And be sure and like us on Facebook...we are almost to 1000 likes!!

Happy New Year!

 

Sneak Peek of a new Impression Obsession stamp

Join the Impression Obsession Design Team every day this week for a sneak peak at some of the new images they will be previewing at CHA later this week. 

Dina's image represents a fond memory of a trip to Arizona showcasing brilliant cactus flowers. After stamping on a 3" white Art Square she covered the entire surface area with QoR Modern Watercolors which are characterized by their color vibrancy.

Visit Mama Dini's Stamperia for links to all the other Impression Obsession Design Team blog posts!