April 10, 2017
8 Comments
Elaineabella here with your usual dose of Marker Geek Monday colouring fun on the more usual day of Monday this week! 😉
It seems at least a few of you were interested in reading more about Twinkling H2Os, so I made the terrible sacrifice of playing with them again over the weekend. I know, I know, the things I do for the greater good…
In my previous couple of posts, I briefly mentioned Twinkling H2Os as a fun colouring option, and one I’ve had in my colouring stash since I started stamping back in the early 2000s! Where on earth have all those years gone?!
Here are links to my previous posts:
Today lets take a closer look at Twinkling H2Os in particular.
Twinkling H2Os are cakes of shimmering watercolour paint. They come in small pots – either 5ml or 10ml, and are available in 210 colours, either individually or in sets of 6, 12 or 24. The paints are made in the USA previously under the brand name Luminarte and now under the brand ColourArte. The paints are highly pigmented and have a gorgeous shimmer thanks to the blend of mica and other minerals. The paints are hand poured and don’t contain any nasties, so they are safe to use even when crafting with kids.
As I mentioned in my previous posts, Twinkling H2Os were one of the very first colouring mediums I used when stamping. I actually still have the original sets that I purchased back then, along with a few additions that I picked up a few years ago. I’ve been having great fun getting to know them again recently. In fact I think I may have to pick up some more…
Using Twinkling H2Os is simple!
The best approach is to wet the cakes – I use a spray bottle or a dropper – and leave them to soften for a few minutes, then add a little more water. This will create a creamy consistency which you can then transfer to a palette or use straight from the jar. I tend to transfer some of the paste to a palette, so I can add more water and create lighter shades. You could also mix colours in this way.
Use them as you would other watercolour paint. Apply directly to dry paper, or work wet on wet. They work beautifully for colouring in stamps and also to create gorgeous shimmering background washes.
NOTE: You can of course blend Twinkling H2Os with other media, but be aware that this will decrease the shimmer.
When you are finished with the paints, leave them open to dry off. They don’t contain any anti-fungal agents etc, so it is best to let them dry completely before closing up the jars and storing them. Do this and your paints should last you for quite some time!
You can also use Twinkling H2Os directly on a rubber stamp – this isn’t something I have personally tried since I don’t use a lot of solid stamps, but it is a fun effect!
Over the weekend I got all my Twinkling H2Os out, so I could create a new colour chart for reference and play with some of my favourite recent Stamping Bella stamps. Here’s a look at some of the fun:
The palette is a little plastic one I purchased online in a pack of three.
Gorgeously shimmery, isn’t he? Totally magical.
Stamps Used: Stamping Bella Set of Dragons & Coordinating Cut it Out Dies + Stamping Bella Dragon Sentiment set
Stamps Used: Stamping Bella Set of Dragons & Coordinating Cut it Out Dies + Stamping Bella Dragon Sentiment set
Stamps Used: Stamping Bella Set of Unicorns & Coordinating Dies & Stamping Bella Unicorn Sentiment Set
To see how I created the backgrounds for these cards, check out my recent Stamp It Saturday: Distress Ink Backgrounds with Elaineabella post!
Let’s talk colour! Have you use Twinkling H2Os? Love them? Thinking of having a go with them after reading this post?
I’d also love to hear which mediums you would most like to see some posts on? Would you like to see more of my adventures (or more likely misadventures) with watercolour, more coloured pencil, etc? Let me know! Would you like more in depth info on anything?
If you are posting your images online, we would love to see them on Instagram and all the platforms mentioned above. To make it easier for us to find you just use #markergeekmonday and/or #stampingbella as a hashtag. Even better tag me @markergeek and @stampingbella . We love it when you connect, so don’t be shy!
If you’re on Facebook join us in our private chat group Stamping Bella Sistahood to share your creations there and chat all things Stamping Bella related!
Until next time, HAPPY COLOURING!
MWAH
Elaineabella
Gorgeous! You’ve encouraged me to pull out my H2Os and give it a try!
Hi Elaine, Thanks so much for your post today on Twinkling H2Os! I was one of the stampers who asked about them. That was a quick response, and so thorough! Now that I know what they are I would like to give them a try. Love the shimmer! Thanks for the tips about letting them dry before closing the bottles, too. Always love your posts and tutorials!
yeeaay!!!! I forgot I even had this!!! I think I’ll have to try them in my
“water color Journal” featuring my Danielle Donaldson stamps from stamping bella
I love the shimmer!! I’ll have to look into getting a few. Thanks for all your wonderful tutorials!
Such gorgeous, shimmery critters. Must get out my H20’s. Thanks for the reminder. Always look forward to your wonderful posts…so much talent…so many great tips and techniques. Thanks again.
Loved this walk down memory lane and an inspiration of now wanting to pull out my H20’s!!! If I can find them! LOL
Oh those look wonderful! I’ve never heard of them before. So pretty and a great way to add such great shimmer! 🙂
Okay, you did something with your H20’s that I haven’t done and wish I had done. You put all the colors on a journal page with their names. I so want to do that because if I had, I wouldn’t have 2 of the same 2 colors. I didn’t realize when I was on the site when they were having a sale that I had one color and when I got it, I noticed I had that color already. I am amazed at how shiny and shimmery they are, unlike most water colors.
I was thinking of something and I don’t know if its possible or not. When regular water colors are still wet, could you add glitter to the paper? I wonder how that would look? Not a lot of glitter, just a little, enough to add a different kind of shimmer from the H20’s. I might have to try that with my regular water colors.
I don’t have a color palette but I bought a pack of cheap small paper plates, the store brand so I didn’t spend a ton of money on throw aways, for just that purpose. Sometimes I use them for other kinds of paints but I do also use them for watercolors too.
I’d like to see something on Crayola Crayons. I love my crayons and wish that then I used them I could get them to be as sharp as they are when you first open the box. I actually e-mailed Crayola and asked them if there was a way to get them as sharp as when you opened the box (the sharpener on the back doesn’t do it) and they said someone told them they used an eyebrow pencil sharpener. I bought one but didn’t bring a crayon with me when I bought it. It didn’t fit right into the one I bought and I am glad I didn’t spend an arm and a leg on it. Even they didn’t know!
I only have a few Copics and wish I could afford a lot more. Friends of mine used them and I loved how they came out with the shading and everything. Maybe you could do more on coloring with Copics? The techniques they used didn’t look like anything I did with any of my markers and I wanted to learn what they did. They said they took a class but I don’t know where to take one. Maybe you could give one?