Twinkling H2O's by Mary Garvey

I adore Twinkling H2O's. They are made by the folks who created Radiant Pearls, Angelwings Enterprises. Twinkling H2O's shimmer just like Radiant Pearls, but they dry much faster, and they also DRY on most surfaces. I've even used Twinkling H2O's on glossy cardstock.

Twinkling H2O's are cake-like. Just add water and paint. While I don't consider myself an artist, if I limit yourself to just a few colors that blend together, it's hard to go wrong. They come in different configurations or sets - 6, 12, and 24 packs - and 2 different sizes of pots - 10 gram and 5 gram.

When I first started experimenting, I used a Niji waterbrush exclusively, until I watched a demo by Zana Clark. She achieved so much more control using a regular brush, that I switched to one myself. I still use the Niji when I want a fast wash of color, but for more concentrated or detailed painting, I now prefer a regular paint brush.

For several techniques, I use watercolor paper because it doesn't "pill" up, and depending on the quality of the waterpaper, it'll dry flat. I love just embossing an image, and then painting the same color with a little water (making it intense), and then with lots of water (making it appear lighter). It's also cool to let different colors mix together - either by helping them with a brush and water - or just by tilting the paper around. (just keep the color wheel in mind when selecting colors so you may avoid creating a "muddy" color....) If you're not sure of how something is turning out, let it dry. Once it's dry, the shimmer "comes out", and it's amazing.

I've also tried direct to rubber. I've had limited success with that. It all depends on the rubber. Some rubber may have a coating on it, which causes the Twinkling H2O's to "bead up" on it. When this happens, I just reach for another stamp. Once the color has been painted on the stamp, I let it dry completely on the stamp, and then I mist it with a water spritzer - by doing it this way, I will have the same amount of water all over the image (and not have some areas more wet than others). I then stamp the image on the cheapest white cardstock I own. Since the image will still have color on it, and you can mist and stamp again... and again... and again. I saw one demo by Angelwings at a convention where they stamped the same inked image over 10 times, each stamping getting progressively lighter. I loved the 2nd image... and many times the 8th one as well.

I'd recommend trying different surfaces. After watercoloring on leather in a class with regular paints, I had to try Twinkling H2O's, and I loved the result. I bought thick pre-cut leather pieces, made by Tandy, in a light brown. I just embossed an image on it, and painted. I did do several layers, so that the color would be intense, and the first layer was "sucked" into the leather. My sister, on the other hand, tried them on dominoes -- these must be sealed, because if water were to get on them, the color would come off. Lightly spraying with Krylon Workable Fixatif, several times, seemed to be the ticket, followed by a sealer. I did not seal the leather pin I made, but I haven't worn it in the rain either.

Twinkling H2O's are a lot of fun. They rank in my top 10.

Supplies:

• Stamp: Rectangle Collage by Stamp Zia
  
• phrase by Claudia Rose
  
• Leather - pre-cut heart shape (packaged by Tandy)
  
• Twinkling H2Os, set used TW-658
  
• Brushes
  
• Spray bottle containing water
  
• Black Detail Embossing Powder
  
• Versarmark ink pad
  
• Black Spray Webbing
  
• Red, white cardstock
  
• Gold Krylon pen
  
• Pinback
  
• Crafters Goop
  
• hole punch

Directions:

• Emboss image on the leather heart, using the Versamark pad and black detail embossing powder.
• Open all Twinkling H2O containers, spritz with water.
• Start painting and blending as shown. Add several layers of color to give it the depth and shine you like.
• Edge with gold Krylon, attached the pinback using a glue that will adhere to leather. I used Crafters Goop.
• For the background, spray black webbing on white cardstock.
• When dry, randomly apply Twinkling H2O colors with a wet brush. If the paper buckles, just place it under a book to flatten.
• Trim background and layer to red card.
• Punch 2 holes so that the pinback can close from the inside.
• Trim piece of white cardstock, color lighly with Twinkling H2Os, and when dry, stamp phrase in black ink.
• Add a gold frame, and layer as shown.

Supplies:

• Rubber Stamp: Rectangle Collage by Stamp Zia
  
• Twinkling H2Os, set used TW-658
  
• Brushes
  
• Spray bottle containing water
  
• White Detail Embossing Powder
  
• Versarmark ink pad
  
• Zia's Watercolor "Duet" Paper
  
• Red, white cardstock
  
• Gold Krylon pen
  
  

Directions:

• Emboss image on the watercolor paper, using the Versamark pad and white detail embossing powder.
• Open all Twinkling H2O containers, spritz with water.
• Start painting and blending as shown. Vary the amounts of water on your brush and/or watecoler paper to achieve different shades of the same color, and for blending 2 different colors.
• When dry, trim and edge with gold Krylon pen
• Layer as shown, first on red, then on white, cardstock.

Twinkling H2O's are what everybody is talking about this year. The product is a "cake" style watercolor of rich pigment that is infused with mica to create dazzling colors. Watercolors sometimes disappoint as the colors dry and appear flat and less vibrant than when wet. Not true with Twinkling H2O's! These colors keep their pizazz even when dry! These sparkling watercolors are the rage right now, so if you don't have any yet, you'll want them after you check out these techniques and see the shimmer they create even on black paper!

Materials used:

Rubber Stamps used - Stamp Zia's Large Dragonfly, Elm Leaf, Black pigment ink, Zia's Black Sparkle Embossing Powder, Zia's Custom Palette of Twinkling H2O's , watercolor brush - Round #6, black cardstock.

Technique: "Zia Elm Leaves"

The Elm Leaves are not completely painted so that some of the black paper color shows through in the center areas of the leaves. This technique illustrates another way to create depth by allowing the black paper to show through.

Twinkling H20's Colors used: Key Lime, Heavenly White, Aztec Gold, Blue Grass and Passion.

Stamp Elm Leaf image 4 times in black pigment ink and emboss with Zia's Black Sparkle Embossing Powder.

Start painting from the outside edge of a leaf with Aztec Gold. Feather the paint towards the center of each leaf section. After the Gold is dry layer Key Lime over the Aztec Gold, allowing the Gold to show towards the center of each leaf section. Continue with this technique until all four leaves are edged with both colors.

Paint Heavenly White starting from the center of the leaf and feather color out towards center of each leaf section.Make sure you are leaving some black paper showing between the Gold and White painted sections.  Layer on top of white with Passion, it will show up lighter than it appears in the jar. Use Blue Grass closest to the center leaf veins to complete your images.

Technique: "Zia Dragonflies"

The Dragonflies were painted using layers of painted colors.

This technique creates a depth of color you can only achieve by layering one color onto another dry color.
Colors used: Oyster, Sunburst, Ginger Peach, Passion, Ruby Red and Egyptian Gold

Stamp the two dragonfly images in black pigment ink and emboss with Zia's Black Sparkle Embossing Powder.

Start by working in an embossed "area" by painting the area with water first. Drop in Sunburst, dry, layer over it with Ginger Peach and highlight edge with Egyptian Gold. Using this layering technique and the other selected colors, continue to paint all embossed areas.

Make sure to switch the order of the color layers so that the dragonfly top wings are different from the bottom ones.

Technique: "Zia Crane in Palms"

This is a fast art card that looks like it took more time!

I choose to skip embossing to see if I liked the Document ink on top of the painted Crane. The effect is soft and elegant! Try the technique with pigment ink and embossing powder for a more dramatic look.

Colors used: Oyster, Egyptian Gold, Key Lime, Green Tea,Ginger Peach and Sky Blue

Stamp Crane on black cardstock using Document ink.
Dry with heat gun to set ink.

Paint with clear water the entire inside of the Crane. Drop in Oyster and move paint to fill most of the body. Drop in Egyptian Gold in the legs and beak. Highlight areas with Ginger Peach and Sky Blue. Paint grasses using Key Lime and Leaf Green.


Dry with heat gun. Stamp Palm Fronds in Document ink over the card surface.