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Search the archive, three years of Inklings.
Ask the Artist
Our Artist in Residence, Dina Kowal, answers your questions
January 26, 2022
Q: Andrea asks: "Can you use a heat gun to melt shrink plastic?"
A: You can! It's definitely quicker and saves you from having to heat the oven up. You'll need to be able to hold the plastic with a metal stylus or needle tool so it doesn't blow away, and you may need to have a wood or acrylic block nearby to flatten the piece after it shrinks - it may want to tangle or curl with the uneven, forced heat. (The advantage to using an oven is the even heating, which usually results in the piece relaxing to a flat finish after the shrinking process is complete.)
January 19, 2022
Q: Cassandra asks: "Do you have a homemade recipe for stiffening lace?"
A: You can mix equal parts white PVA glue and water for a fabric stiffener. Soak the lace, shape it the way you want it to set, and leave it to dry.
January 12, 2022
Q: Leslie asks: "I just took a canvas watercoloring class today at my local scrapbook store. Should I seal the canvas?"
A: I would seal it, especially since watercolor media is likely to be affected by moisture. I use a spray sealant on my canvases - Krylon makes a few different varieties (I have a triple thick glaze and a matte one). If you're worried about your artwork running, make your first coat or two of the sealant very light and up from a distance of 12-18 inches.
January 5, 2022
Q: Alice asks: "Can you share some ideas for Valentine cards?"
A: Our site gallery is an amazing resource with over 2.8 million entries! When users upload and add keywords to their entries, those keywords are searchable - they can be anything from challenge codes to themes, styles, holidays, and company names. You can click HERE to find all the gallery entries that have been tagged "valentine".
TIP: If you'd like your cards to show up in a search like this, be sure to use keywords, separated by commas, when you upload!
TIP: If you'd like your cards to show up in a search like this, be sure to use keywords, separated by commas, when you upload!
December 22, 2021
Q: Amy asks: "I have a question about adhering watercolor backgrounds to my cards. My work is no longer flat and separates from my card easily. Do you have any suggestions for fixing this problem?"
A: Sometimes watercolor paper will warp with excess water. I have a heavy book that I keep at my desk for pressing glued surfaces and warped papers. Before you glue your card together, you can mist the back side of the watercolor panel with water to relax the fibers, then tuck it under or inside a heavy book to dry and flatten. When you glue the panel to your card front, tuck the card in the book again until it's dry.
