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Search the archive, three years of Inklings.
Ask the Artist
Our Artist in Residence, Dina Kowal, answers your questions
June 12, 2019
Q: Erin asks: "Have you tried heat embossing on wood?"
A: I have! Look for a tutorial coming in a few months. There are several options, depending on the effect you want. I like to stain the wood with ink or watered down craft paint, and then stamp and emboss decorative images with clear powder with the paint is dry. After that step, you can add more ink or paint over the embossing. The embossing powder will resist the additional layers. You can also sand away the embossing for a batik effect, or you can add a metallic rub-on to the raised areas to highlight them more.
June 5, 2019
Q: Alice asks: "I would like to stamp on cork coasters. What ink should I use?"
A: Stazon Pigment ink would be my first choice - it's permanent and waterproof when dry, but also a bit opaque, so it will show up nicely on the cork. A hybrid ink would work well too, or any ink that can be heat set to permanence - Versafine, archival, craft ink, and Memento Luxe are a few that come to mind.
May 29, 2019
Q: Alejandra wants to know: "What do you do when you've lost your mojo?"
A: When I have a creative block, my best strategy is to walk away... forcing a project never works for me. I'll go for a walk downtown and fill my mind with beautiful things, or flip through Instagram feed for inspiration. Another thing I do is clean my desk - I usually have several layers of project remnants stacked or pushed aside and those start to get overwhelming. Clearing my space helps to clear my head... and I usually find something inspiring while I'm cleaning that gives me a new little spark when I'm ready to go again.
May 22, 2019
Q: Mary asks: "If I carefully center my die cut circles, ovals, and labels on the cardstock, I am left with a die cut negative. What can I do with those panels?"
A: If you wanted to use the panels for card fronts, you can center a stamped image behind the panel in the open area, or inlay another die cut of the same shape. If you have acetate, you can create a window card or shaker card. (You can find a basic shaker tutorial HERE.) Try layering two panels together to create a Double Matted Frame. Die cut negatives also make great masks for brushing or sponging ink around a stamped image.
May 15, 2019
Q: Chris wants to know: "What is the best pen for making bright white little spots?"
A: I really love the Uni Posca pen for journaling and adding highlights in white. It's an acrylic paint pen that is available with a variety of tip sizes - I prefer the ultrafine (0.7mm) with the pin-type tip. I also like to use white gesso, dotted with a small ball stylus - I bought a set of inexpensive ones with different sized ends, so I can control the size of my dots.
