I know, Christmas is just past, but it's never to soon to start thinking about Valentine's Day!
Today Sharon posted the sweetest card on her blog, PaperFections, using a 3" white Art Square as the base for stamping with a Pink Ink Stamp and then water-coloring with Peerless paints. This card has a few additional technique components including heat and pressure embossing making it worthwhile to stop by her blog to learn of the details.
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.
Gorgeous isn't it!
We told Dina when we first saw the photo of this card that we thought she was single handily creating renewed interest in using Inchie Squares in card projects!
She created this beauty for a Mix-Ability 'inchie' challenge using black Inchie Squares and stamps from Impression Obsession's Valentine release (so jealous she gets to use them before the rest of us!)
We spend so much time educating artists about the properties of our Art Squares and how they are so fabulous to use with direct application of wet media that we ourselves forget how perfect they are as a surface for an inchie mosaic or puzzle - especially the black and darker colors. By using the Sissix Gridworks die you are able to punch out 9 perfect 7/8" squares from your art. When you mount them on the Inchie Squares that leaves a perfect 1/16" border all around.
Suffice it to say that it can get a little challenging reassembling the squares (wink wink) but the results are simply stunning!
Visit Mama Dini's Stamperia for the details.
The Valentine card that Dina created is a perfect example of how you can use a metal die with Art Squares. In this sample card she used 4 - 1.5" white Art Squares and one at a time ran 3 of them through the die cut machine with the hearts die. Because the Art Squares are matboad thickness the die will not cut through the material, but instead leaves an actual incision into the square. It's a neat trick to add a textural element that can be further enhanced by coloring!
Visit Mama Dini's Stamperia for the step by step details.
