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Search the archive, three years of Inklings.
Ask the Artist
Our Artist in Residence, Dina Kowal, answers your questions
November 1, 2017
Q: shopduchess asks: "I am trying to make the base of a bib card. How do I cut half of a circle die in the middle of the paper on the fold?"
A: What a cute idea! To use just part of a die, you need to create pressure only on the area of the die you want to cut. Place your die where you want it on the cardstock and tape it into place. Lay the die and cardstock onto your bottom cutting plate, then line up the edge of your top cutting plate just where you want the cut to stop. Roll the sandwich through your die cutting machine as usual - only the part between cutting plates will cut. For more tips on partial die cutting, check out our tutorial HERE.
October 25, 2017
Q: Maria wants to know: "How can you adhere fabric to cards?"
A: Fabric is such a warm and 'tactile' addition to a card! We have one tutorial in our resources section for using a Creatopia machine to add adhesive to fabric - you can also use double-sided iron-on adhesive like Wonder-Under with a dry iron... I would think a strong double-sided adhesive like Scor-Tape would work fine as well. We have another tutorial for sewing on cards that might also interest you - if you sew fabric onto the card, be sure to add some kind of adhesive in the center of it (not where you stitch) to keep it from sliding.
October 18, 2017
Q: Janet wants to know: "There are several types of Prismacolor pencils. Does it matter whether I purchase Premier, Scholar, or Verithin?"
A: Each set has its own characteristics. For general coloring, you'll like the Premier pencils best. They have a soft core and high pigment load, and the largest color set. The Scholar line is a more affordable set of pencils with a smaller color range, less pigment, and a harder core. The Verithin pencils are designed for adding sharp details and fine lines - their core is also hard.
October 11, 2017
Q: Ramona wants to know: "What kind of dies can I use to make shaker ornaments?"
A: You can really use any shaped dies that will nest together - they don't even have to be the same shape. In our Die Cut Shaker tutorial, it's recommended to have 3 dies - one for the outside shape, one for the inner window opening, and one in between to cut the acetate window sheet.
October 4, 2017
Q: Amy wants to know: "I decided to buy some watercolor paper and a water pen. I found the water pen left a lot of water on the paper and didn't blend as well as the blender pens usually do for me. Will blender pens work successfully on watercolor paper?"
A: With the water brush, you can control the flow of water by blotting the brush on a paper towel or dry cloth. It may just take some practice to get used to the water constantly flowing. You'll want a wetter brush for larger areas, and dryer brush for more detail. Also, the water will 'lift' the pigment rather than just move it, as you're used to with the blender pen. You can use a blender pen on watercolor paper but keep in mind that the paper won't hold up to much back and forth 'scrubbing'. I use mine mostly with watercolor or Inktense pencils when I want a more defined line or fine details.
