A: I have done several acrylic paintings on Canva-Paper, which is a canvas-textured paper. Heavier watercolor or mixed media paper should also work. Matboard is a nice base for painting too, and not too thick to mail. To avoid warping, glue the painted card onto the card base and then leave the card to dry completely under a heavy book so everything dries flat.

A: There are a few different techniques I use, depending on my medium and cardstock. When I'm watercoloring I just fill in the blue spaces, giving clouds their outlines with the edge of my painting (bumpy tops and flat bottoms with a few horizontal streaks to break up the contrast a little). For sponging, I use a scalloped circle punch as my mask, turning it slightly each time as I sponge up over the edge. On darker paper, I would use the negative area of the punch, and sponge white ink inward, or use this technique for creating finger-painted clouds.

A: I have a few hardboard panels - one is card size, one fits a full sheet of paper, and one is easel size. They're nice and sturdy, water resistant, easy to store, and pretty inexpensive too. You should be able to purchase them in a variety of sizes at any art supply retailer - I found mine online. For tape, I use the yellow Frog Tape which is meant for delicate surfaces. It works beautifully on paper, for taping edges and for masking.

A: Sprinkling salt over a watercolored background creates a speckled or mottled effect that can really add beauty and interest to a painted image. The salt absorbs moisture where it falls, pulling color and water up from the panel. To do the technique, watercolor as usual, then sprinkle salt while there is still the gloss of water on the surface of the paper. You don't want puddles of water - just enough to for the salt to wick paint from the surface. Allow the panel to air dry completely before rubbing the salt away. Different type and grains of salt (rock salt, sea salt, table salt) will produce different effects, so don't be afraid to experiment.