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Search the archive, three years of Inklings.
Ask the Artist
Our Artist in Residence, Dina Kowal, answers your questions
November 6, 2019
Q: Michele asks: "Have you made shrink plastic images for embellishments? What ink and markers do you use and how much does the image shrink?"
A: It's been a while, but I have done it! Plan on your finished embellishment being about 1/3 of the size of the original (results may vary depending on the brand). An artist friend of mine uses colored pencils on her shrink art earrings, so that is a great option for the kind of plastic that has a little texture to it. Alcohol markers are a great coloring medium to use as well. If you're using the clear shrink plastic, you can stamp in Stazon or another solvent ink on one side and color on the opposite side, and you won't have to worry about the inks interacting. A hybrid ink would be a good option for opaque plastic.
October 30, 2019
Q: Dorothy asks: "I know this is a stamping forum, but I could not find another forum that seemed to fit. Can you suggest a product to use to add snow to some quilted banners? The images are preprinted, so this is to enhance snow on trees, etc. We need something that will work on fabric, that will not crack, and will look good next year!"
A: I would try a light modeling paste - it's easy to apply with a palette knife, and you can add 'lift' and dimension to it easily. The paste remains flexible after it dries, so there shouldn't be a problem with cracking. Liquitex and Golden are brands I trust.
October 23, 2019
Q: Charmaine asks: "I just bought a set of dies. They are joined together so right now are all one piece and I was going to cut them apart with my tin snips. Then I got to thinking - is there any reason why I shouldn't cut them apart?"
A: The best way to know if they're better together or separate is to cut them as is. In the case of nested dies, you'll be cutting shapes inside of shapes, and end up with windows instead of solid pieces - so those should be cut apart. Small dies that are threaded together can be left connected - if they coordinate with stamps and you'll usually be using them all together, keeping them intact makes stamping and cutting easier (see Step 10 in our Stamped Die Cuts tutorial. If you have a set of smaller pieces that are all cut from different colors, you might find cutting easier if they're separated.
October 16, 2019
Q: Jan wants to know: "I've been trying to replicate the tutorial in the forums using the Black Magic technique.....black cardstock, white pigment ink...heat set with heat tool then color vigorously with colored pencils. I can't get it to "pop" on the paper like in the tutorial."
A: I'm guessing your issue is with the type of pencils you're using - for this technique you'll want an artist-grade, pigment-rich pencil. I've gotten the best results with Prismacolor Premier pencils - their white is especially bright. Hope that helps!
October 9, 2019
Q: Mamie wants to know: "Is there a material I can use to keep natural leaves soft?"
A: I remember using glycerin before, and I found these instructions online:
"Mix glycerin and water so that it is one part glycerin and two parts water. Pour the solution into a flat pan, place the leaves in the solution, and then put a weight on the leaves to keep them submerged. Keep the leaves submerged in the solution for 2-6 days. Dry the leaves gently with a paper towel."
"Mix glycerin and water so that it is one part glycerin and two parts water. Pour the solution into a flat pan, place the leaves in the solution, and then put a weight on the leaves to keep them submerged. Keep the leaves submerged in the solution for 2-6 days. Dry the leaves gently with a paper towel."
