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Search the archive, three years of Inklings.
Ask the Artist
Our Artist in Residence, Dina Kowal, answers your questions
January 8, 2025
Q: Lori asks: "When posting a card to the gallery most categories are geared to Stampin' Up!® products. Where do I best post cards made with other products? Or is my own gallery the only spot?"
A: Searches and most categorizing in the gallery are done with keywords. You can click HERE to see all the company keywords (you can see the keywords by hovering over any company name, or if you click a company name you'll see their keywords listed in the breadcrumb trail at the top of the gallery). You can use keywords for supplies and techniques as well. In general, the best keywords use text with no spaces or punctuation.
December 18, 2024
Q: Lisa asks: "I need a way to separate my different white papers, like Neenah, Hammersmith, etc. I can't keep them straight right now, especially after cutting them. How do you store yours?"
A: I keep all my cardstock in a filing cabinet, sorted in hanging folders by color family. Scraps (1/4 sheet and smaller) go into sheet protectors and those are easy to sort by color and tuck into the folders as well. I'd set up a folder for each brand of white cardstock you have, label the folder and sheet protector with the brand name, and then make a copy of the package label to keep in the folder. Take care to put scraps into the sheet protector right away when you cut a new sheet!
December 11, 2024
Q: Ramona asks: "What are some of your favorite ornament tutorials here?"
A: We have a bunch! You can search for them in our tutorial archives HERE. Here are a few of my favorites:
Wood Block Ornament
Vintage Mitten Ornament
Dimensional Tin Ornament
3D Star Ornament
Antiqued Ornament (This antiquing technique can be used on other objects too!)
Wood Block Ornament
Vintage Mitten Ornament
Dimensional Tin Ornament
3D Star Ornament
Antiqued Ornament (This antiquing technique can be used on other objects too!)
December 4, 2024
Q: Sherri asks: "Is there a trick to splattering with a paintbrush? I have tried big, small, close, far away ... nothing seems to work. Can someone help me make cute small splatters?"
A: I get the best results with a long liner brush and slightly diluted paint. The long thin bristles have a better 'bounce', and that's what releases the smaller droplets. I load up the brush with wet paint, hold it in my dominant hand, and knock the brush against my index finger over the surface. (I'll recommend splattering paint inside a box - I have cute small splatters on just about everything on my desk!)
November 27, 2024
Q: Carole writes: "I'm looking for less expensive silicone moulds for use with clay."
A: Not sure what shapes you're looking for, but it's really easy to make your own molds with two-part silicone putty. You take equal amounts of the two components and knead them until they're evenly combined, then press an object or texture into the ball to create a mold and let it set. I'm always looking for shapes and textured patterns or relief images that would make good molds for polymer clay - picture frames, decorative plates, glassware, etc. I've made some cool nature prints with leaves and flowers too. If you're looking for something manufactured, don't forget the baking aisle! There are lots of molds there for fondant and chocolate that can be used for clay as well.
