Randi's Review	Sarah' Review	Rachel's Review	Cathy's Review	Kathleen's Review

Review by Randi

After seeing the Twinkling H20's at so many booths at a stamping convention, I was really excited to get my hands on this product that so many seemed to love. It is a unique product. It can be a traditional type of watercolor paint or it can be hydrated to a creamy texture.

I used a wet brush and dry watercolor cakes for the cards in my first examples. The dry Twinkling H20's very much resemble traditional watercolors when used in this manner, only there is a sparkle to them.

Prism cardstock Past Times Stamps, flower
Twinkling H2O's
Sticky Tape, Art Institute
Art Glitter, Art Institute
ribbon
Permanent Glue Runner, Adhesive Tech

I then set up to hydrate the watercolor cakes so that I could paint with the "creamy" option. The way I did this was to line up my Twinkling H20's (roughly by color family) on a cookie sheet. I then removed all of the tops and spritzed the dry watercolor cakes with water. After letting the water set and "sink in" for fifteen minutes or so, I attempted to stir it up with a toothpick. Some colors responded rather quickly and some took quite some time...some up to three hours, to develop the consistency I wanted. It is necessary to spritz frequently when working with them to keep them at the desired "creaminess."

I thought the traditional watercolor with a sparkle was pretty, but WOW! The colors really developed after they were hydrated. I painted a stamped image on this card. One thing of note is that the iridescent colors are REALLY especially cool! The purplish on the angel's robe shows as clear when using on a white piece of paper. In the areas where it is stamped black it shows as a glowing purplish color.

Paper: DMD
Cardstock: Prism
Vellum Quote: DCWV
Ribbon Buckle: Making Memories
Ribbon
Metal Piece: Global Solutions
Angel Stamp: Stamp Camp
Ink: Pearl Ex, Jacquard
Twinkling H2O's

The knight and fair maiden on this layout were also painted with the creamy Twinkling H20's.

Patterned Paper: Vine, Daisy D's
Haberdashery, Memories in the Making
Pewter Accents by 4 Kids
Stamp: Medieval Princess and Knight by Past Time Stamps
Twinkling H2O's colors:
Cedar Wood
Rich Cocoa
Sandollar
Burnt Umber
Cinnamon Stick
Golden Sand
Golden Opal
Cinnamon Brown
Scarab Beetle
Chestnut Brown
Pale Porcelain
Bronze Medallion
Solar Gold
Sunflower
Sunburst
Buttercup
Spiced Pumpkin
Wild Plum
Cranberry
Iredescent Red
Poppy Red
Iredescent Violet
True Blue
Iridescent Green
Moss Green
Green Tea
Irish Mist
Blue Grass
Douglas Fir
China Black

I painted the stamp itself on the ribbon border on this layout. I had tried this method with other stamps and had no success. It seems that using PLAIN, large stamps work much better with the Twinkling H20's than attempting the more detailed stamps.

paper: Christmas Stack, DCWV
Cardstock, Prism
Border Stamp: Stamp Camp
Deep Coral Red Twinkling H2O's
Rub-Ons, Royal & Langnickle
Ribbon/Fiber, Basic Gray
Letter Stickers, Making Memories
Die Cut Block, KI Memories

These paints are GORGEOUS! I've never seen anything like them. Having said that however, I must confess that they just aren't "my thing." I get a bit nervous with all the water (in cups and being sprayed) around my scrapbooking area. I felt that the prep time for obtaining the creamy texture was too long. I also didn't like painting over the detailed stamps that I tend to gravitate towards. However, that is a personal preference and not one that should necessarily reflect poorly upon the performance of this product. If you enjoy colorizing your stamped images with paints than you will like the Twinkling H20's. If you use large, non-detailed stamps you may enjoy painting directly on them with the Twinkling H20's. There are nearly ONE HUNDRED color options available and the effect, when used by someone who is more of an artist than I, would be dazzling. Consider your personal colorizing preferences when considering this product.

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Review by Sarah

LuminArte Twinkling H2O’s: I Don’t Get It

The prospect of working with LuminArte Twinkling H2O’s presented a rare occasion that found me totally, and completely, psyched over an upcoming review. Just looking at that wealth of pure, shimmering color contained in 96 tiny clear plastic jars with their jet-black, screw-on lids was enough to start me drooling over the possibilities. I really didn’t know much about H2O’s: but a glorified reputation about their amazing powers -- particularly with stamping -- preceded the little containers of color and I couldn’t wait to get my hot little hands on them.

I was in for disappointment.

As I sat down to play with my new goodies, I went straight for finding directions on how to use them. I read the sticker label on the package first, but that was less than helpful. So I opened up the plastic bag and found a paper insert. I was getting excited about all I was about to learn until I noticed that most of the text on the paper was simply listings of available Twinkling H2O’s colors. The only directions offered are as follows: ‘Directions: Non-toxic, acid free and safe for all ages! Activate with wet paintbrush and begin painting on paper, canvas, and rocks, wood, polymer clay, ECT. [Their typo] Try experimenting on other surfaces!’

Activate with wet paintbrush... OK. Well, I’ve never heard a scrapbooking supply described quite that way before, but I figured this must mean that the Twinkling H2O’s are meant to be used like watercolor paint.

I used a fine-tip paintbrush and a cup of water, dipping the brush into the water and then wetting the hard bricks of Twinkling H2O’s just enough to get some color off. This painting style produces a lovely watercolor finish that has a slight, sparkling sheen. If you paint a detailed stamp this way and stay with a very light coat of Twinkling H2O’s, you will still be able to see the detailed lines of the original stamp through the paint – an effect that I particularly favor.

Here is an example of a highly detailed stamp painted with the lightest covering of Twinkling H2O’s.

Supplies: Past Time Stamps (Praying Child Stamp)
Memories (Dye Ink Pad: Black)
LuminArte (Twinkling H2O's: Icicles, Siam White, Pale Porcelain, Golden Opal, Blue Ice, Moss Green, Buttercup, Persimmon, Burnt Umber, Mocha Rose, Lemongrass, Cinnamon Brown, Egyptian Gold, Ocean Wave, Cedar Wood, Golden Sand, China Black, Golden Jade, Green Tea, Olive Vine, Bashful Blue, Rich Cocoa, Cinnamon Brown, Scarab Beetle, Hot Cinnamon, True Blue)
Loew-Cornell Paintbrushes

This is a nice choice of use for Twinkling H2O’s. They are very pretty as watercolor paints. However, they are rather tricky to use since the color of Twinkling H2O’s intensifies with more water. Also, the paint thickens the more wet it gets. Keep a scrap piece of paper handy for dabbing extra color off the brush, and use water very sparingly for best watercolor results.

At this point I was wondering what all the hoopla was about regarding Twinkling H2O’s and stamps. I made very pretty watercolor paintings, but nothing I would gush about. Also, despite what the directions say about "activating with a wet paintbrush," in their watercolor form Twinkling H2O’s really are not suitable for painting on wood, rocks, clay, or any other non-paper substance. The watery color just doesn’t stick.

Through comments made at Internet discussion boards and such, I was able to learn that at the trade shows, it is popular to use Twinkling H2O’s in their cream form. (Cream form? News to me, too!) This is accomplished by spritzing the dry Twinkling H2O’s with water; allowing the water to soak in for 15 minutes; and then stirring the top, wet layer of the H2O’s to create a thick, paint-like consistency.

Aha! Well now maybe this is the big secret to Twinkling H2O’s.

Wrong again.

It takes a minimum of 20 minutes to take a top layer of Twinkling H2O’s from a hard little brick of color to a cream paint consistency. Half an hour would be a more reasonable time estimate – more time than that if you need to hydrate very much paint. You have to spritz quite a lot of water into the H2O’s, and you really have to keep after them with the stirrer. Stirring every 5 minutes seems to work best. Once you finally get a cream consistency, re-spritzing and re-stirring are constant essentials – otherwise the Twinkling H2O’s will dry out too much.

Frankly, this whole process is a real mess. The spray bottle squirts water all over the place besides the insides of the containers (I used an empty bottle of eyeglass cleaner which offered a fine mist spray), and the stirrers are a major hassle. There are also air pockets in the blocks of Twinkling H2O’s and as soon as you begin stirring, you’re likely to break through to one or more. Then you lose your top layer of cream paint as it drips down into the hole of the air bubble. It’s tricky getting the right consistency of paint, too. And the problem of estimating how much paint to mix up is a delicate one. I often found that once I had spent half an hour in mixing up H2O’s and finally started my project; I didn’t have enough creamy paint to finish. Since watercolor H2O’s are so much lighter, there is really no alternative to starting the whole cream-making process over again.

I was frustrated with the results Twinkling H2O’s offer in their “cream paint” form. Below is a card featuring a detailed stamp painted using both “cream paint” H2O’s as well as light watercolor H2O’s. Notice the difference from the above painted stamp? This stamp took 4 hours to paint, and I’m very unhappy with the sloppy, globby look created by the thick, creamy, less-translucent form of Twinkling H2O’s.

Supplies: Stamp Camp (Tea time stamp)
Memories (Dye Ink Pad: Black)
LuminArte (Twinkling H2O's: Hot Cinnamon, Sunflower, Siam White, Blue Ice, Rich Cocoa, Mocha Rose, Chestnut Brown, China Black, Cherry Sorbet, True Blue, Golden Sand, Plum Blossom, Periwinkle, Bashful Blue, Moss Green, Golden Jade, Persimmon, Sandollar, Buttercup, Mustard Green, Green Tea, Chiffon Pink, Olive Vine, Golden Opal, Burnt Umber, Dreamsicle, Autumn Skies, Oyster, Cinnamon Brown, Forest Green, Pale Porcelain, Poppy Red)
Loew-Cornell (Paintbrush)
Garden Collection Greenery (Silk Leaf)
Dimensional Foam Tape
Green Grosgrain Ribbon
Scissor Sisters (Sweet Pea, Daisy Green Papers)
Prism (Green Cardstock)
Adhesive Tech (The BORDERLine, A Fine Line)

I heard that painting cream-consistency Twinkling H2O’s directly onto a stamp – rather than using ink – produced amazing results. I thought that this might be the incredible, hidden answer to the Twinkling H2O’s excitement. I chose a detailed stamp that would be hard to color once printed, in hopes that Twinkling H2O’s creams would offer the solution to coloring.

Below, stamp image printed with black dye ink (left) which I used for reference while painting the stamp with cream-form Twinkling H2O’s (right).

Since it took me quite awhile to paint the stamp, I spritzed water onto the stamp to re-hydrate the Twinkling H2O’s. I used a regular spray bottle which gave a slightly less fine mist than the eyeglass cleaner bottle. Below is a card I made from the resulting image. I honestly can’t decide whether I like this project or not. I can see the “spackled” stamp look being useful if it’s what you’re really after, but I think that such occasions would be few and far between.

Supplies: Stamp Camp (Lady and Dove stamp)
LuminArte (Twinkling H2O's: True Blue, Siam White, Mocha Rose, Chestnut Brown)
Loew-Cornell (Paintbrush)
Scissor Sisters (White Script Paper)
Prism (Blue Cardstock)
Paisley Paper - Unknown
Magic Mesh (Repositionable Fine Weave)
Craft Flowers (AC Moore)
Deckle Scissors

I experimented with this painted image several additional times using more water, less water, and quickly re-painting the stamp so that the paint would not need re-spritzing for hydration. The results were less bright, or else much more water-smudged. The above is really the best image I got out of 10 prints.

I tried painting random colors on another detailed stamp, but the results were even more blurry than this one. Finally, I attempted using non-detailed, solid, flat type stamps for painting creamy Twinkling H2O’s onto directly. These were the only images that came out satisfactorily. Simple images stamped with creamy Twinkling H2O’s are randomly variegated – not a crisp or precise image like what you would expect from ink, but dappled and blurred according to how many colors and how much water was used. It is a good resource for an unusual effect, if that is what you are looking for – just not for use with detailed stamps.

I personally think that if you want to use Twinkling H2O’s in their creamy form in combination with stamps, your best choice would be to paint the paper and then stamp with ink over the top.

Below, a bookmark that I made by swirling two shades of Twinkling H2O’s (in creamy form) directly onto the paper. Once dry, I stamped over the top with black dye ink. Finally, I embossed the stamping and covered the front and back with a couple layers of Mod Podge.

Prism (Green Cardstock)
Past Times Stamps (Lady of the Lake stamp)
Memories (Dye Ink Pad: Black)
Stampin’ UP! (Stampin’ Emboss Powder: Crystal Clear)
Leave Memories (Ribbon Stamps)
LuminArte (Twinkling H2O’s: Fern, Moss Green)
Green Large Eyelet
Black Sparkle Fiber
PLAID (Mod Podge: Matte)
Backing paper: Die Cuts With a View

This was an extremely frustrating project to make because I kept running out of hydrated, creamy Twinkling H2O’s paint. I also discovered the hard way that inks dry very slowly when applied atop Twinkling H2O’s: the first time I tried to cover the bookmark with Mod Podge, the ink smeared horribly and I had to start over from the beginning. The next time I embossed the ink to make ensure that this problem couldn’t happen again.

In my final project, I tried using Twinkling H2O’s in cream form on an alternate base: these craft butterflies were originally off-white and are made from cut bird feathers. I had to keep the Twinkling H2O’s to a pretty thick consistency on this project. I think that the blue butterfly came out very nicely. The orange butterfly didn’t come out quite as well because the orange paint didn’t cover as intensely as the blue. Thus, I had to go over the orange butterfly several times to achieve full color coverage, and the Twinkling H2O’s look too globby and a bit on the sloppy side.

Creative Elements (3 1/2" Butterflies)
LuminArte (Twinkling H2O's: True Blue, Gold Dust)
Loew-Cornell (Paintbrush)

I really wanted to like this product. I was so excited about it starting out. But whatever it is about Twinkling H2O’s that has people excited… I just do not get it. I was very disappointed with this product.

For me Twinkling H2O’s fall flat as a paint overall. Though Twinkling H2O’s do offer a very pretty shimmer when dry; they are messy, fussy and time consuming to turn to cream paint form, not to mention tricky to maintain at any level of consistent hydration. Too-thick layers of Twinkling H2O’s look globby and unprofessional, while offering little in the "wow" department as far as direct-on-stamps techniques are concerned. If I use this product again, it will be for watercolor painting in cases where I exceptionally want some shimmer, or am in need of a specific color offered by LuminArte (with 96, there are quite a few to choose from). For fans of watercolor painting, creating custom-painted background paper might be a nice additional use of watercolor Twinkling H2O’s.

In Summary: A high-maintenance product that doesn’t offer enough "wow" or versatility to make it worthwhile. Not recommended.

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Review by Rachel

I was blown away when I opened the box that contained these Twinkling H20's. I was sent eight different sets of these gorgeous containers called pots. Each set contained twelve different colors in ten gram pots. I was so blown away that I was scared to even open them and get started. I am not an artsy person at all and I was beyond intimidated. So the first thing I did was research. Yep, I procrastinated!

The Twinking H20's are watercolors that shimmer, look incredibly rich, are light fast, acid free, and non-toxic. They have 96 absolutely incredible colors. They offer sets available in six, twelve, and twenty-four colors. Luminarte offers the Twinkling H20's in two different sizes. They come in five and ten gram pots. The ten gram pots are offered in packages of six colors or twelve colors. The six color packages retail on the Luminarte site for $18 and the twelve color package retail for $34. The five gram pots are available in packages of six, twelve, and twenty-four colors. The packages for the Little Twinkling H20's range from $9.99 to $38. There is a special kit that includes all the iridescent colors and metallic colors. This is a fun kit. You can mix these colors with the other colors to either lighten up or add metallic sheen to a color.

Well, after doing a little research, I decided to get started on working with the Twinkling H20's that I received. I placed all the Twinkling H20's on a cookie sheet and started spritzing with water. This is not a quick process at all. It takes a long while to get the watercolor cakes to a place that they are creamy. So I decided that while I was waiting for the water to soak in I was going to make color cards. I figured by doing this it would be easier to match colors I needed for my projects. While making these color cards, I was spritzing and stirring the whole time. It took a good three hours to get them wet enough to get the cakes to a creamy texture. During this process, I did get impatient and tried using the watercolors before they became creamy and I did not like the results.

Once I finished the preparation of the watercolor pots, I started off doing something that I thought was going to be pretty simple. I have a gorgeous leaf stamp and so I thought I would make a fall card quickly just to get myself in a rhythm and get the ideas flowing. Well, I found that using detailed stamps with the Twinkling H20's is not an easy thing to do at all. The image does not transfer well to the paper. I did finally get a couple of great images after stamping about twenty images.

Products used:
Twinkling H20's: Gold Dust: #1252 Hot Cinnamon: #1254
Green Tea: #1254 Chestnut Brown: #1254
Golden Opal: #1254 Cedarwood: #1254
Cardstock: All My Memories
Mesh: Gold – Dottie Ann
Fiber: Fibers by the Yard
Brads: Gold – ScrapEssentials – Jo Ann
Computer Font: Wendy Mahan – Medium
Stamp: Stamp Craft
Adhesive: Mini Pop Dots – Stamp Art
Permanent Glue Runner – Adhesive Tech

After learning that detailed stamps would not work as well, I then went through my stamp collection and found some great stamps that were pretty simple. I then made the following layout using alphabet stamps and a heart. When the watercolors are creamy, they don’t dry out as fast so you don’t usually have to spritz your stamp when done. You can if you want more of a watercolor look than what you get but I love my images a little more crisp. I stamped the title and the heart with the watercolors and then added the glitter to the hearts. I also stippled the title to take some of brightness out of the white cardstock. The watercolors tend to take about fifteen to twenty minutes to dry so you might have to wait to finish the layout until they are dry. Just like with any paint or watercolors, the thicker you apply the paint; the longer it will take to dry.

Products used:
Twinkling H20's: Cherry Sorbet: # 1256 Chiffon Park: #1256
Sanddollar: # 1257
Glitter: Miss Muffet – transparent – Art Glitter Institute
Cardstock: Pink, Gray – Prism
White – Paper Studio
Patterned Paper: Spring Stack II – Diecuts with a View
Brads: Gold – ScrapEssentials – Jo Ann
Mosiac Tiles: Gray/Silver – Sarah Heidt
Stamps: Alphabet – It’s My Type – MaVinci Reliquary
Heart – Rubber Stampede
Adhesive: Designer Dries Clear – Art Institute
Pop Dots – Stamp Art
Permanent Glue Runner – Adhesive Tech

On the next layout, I wanted to see what the watercolors did when applied to a transparency. I applied two different colors of paint to the transparency that is attached to each of the pictures. I applied just green to the title on the layout. When I applied light color to the transparency, it flaked off once it was dry. If I applied the watercolors quite thick then they stayed in place much better. I still wasn’t pleased with it because if you handle it too much it will start to flake off.

Products used:
Twinkling H20's: Fern: #1252 Cinnamon Brown: #1255
Solar Gold: #1253
Cardstock: Prism
Patterned Paper: Spring Stack II – Diecuts with a View
Flowers: A.C. Moore
Brads: Gold – ScrapEssentials – Jo Ann
Fluer de lis: Gold – Unknown
Transparency: Hammermill
Compute Font: Verdana
Adhesives: Glue Dots – Stamp Art
Scrappy Glue- Magic Scraps
Permanent Glue Runner – Adhesive Tech

For my last project, I stipple brushed a background on white cardstock. I used several different colors of green and had so much fun. If I felt the color was too dark in one area I just used the Iridescent Green and lightened it up. The Twinkling H20's tend to dry very fast so you need to spritz the pots about every five minutes to maintain the creamy texture. I then used the background on the following card.

Products used:
Twinkling H20's: Fern: # 1252 Moss Agate: # 1258
Teal Zircon: # 1258 Irish Mist: # 1252
Sky Blue: # 1251 Summer Breeze: # 1256
Sea Glass: #1256 Douglas Fir: #1254
Cardstock: White – Paper Studio
Patterned Paper: Spring Stack II – Diecuts with a View
Mesh: 12 x 12 – Magic Mesh
Ink: Gold/Blue – Two Tone Color – Pearl-Ex – Jacquard
Ribbon: White – Offray & Sons
Stamp: Just a Note – Hero Arts
Adhesive: Permanent Glue Runner – Adhesive Tech

In conclusion, I absolutely love the colors. I am, however, a very impatient person. I like my supplies to be ready to go and hate having a three hour prep time. I want to be able to use the products right away. I have a 4 year old daughter who likes to play in Mommy’s stuff so having little pots of paints sitting out is not an ideal situation. Especially when those little pots are so pretty to look at, you just have to touch them. They don’t come off the hands of a 4 year old or Mommy well at all.

I enjoyed the beautiful shimmer; the watercolors are absolutely gorgeous.

I personally would not recommend this product to beginners. I would, however, recommend this product to advanced scrappers and artists. If you enjoy artsy projects, you will enjoy the Twinklong H20's. I would suggest that if you wanted to try them out and develop your own opinion of them that you invest in a small kit. The five gram pots with six colors would give you a great sample of the product for only $10.

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Review by Cathy

LuminArte Twinkling H2O's are a terrific new product that can be used as a watercolor or a rich thick brilliant paint. LuminArte has 96 absolutely beautiful colors including rich glittery- shimmery colors and iridescent colors. The paint cakes come in little individual jars. They can be used as watercolor paint or if water is allowed to sit on the paint for a few minutes, (and you stir the pot) the paint will become a rich thick brilliant color.

LuminArte Twinkling H20's can be used on paper, wood, or fabric. For scrap booking, I loved the LuminArte Twinkling H20's. I used Twinkling H20's as a dye, a paint and as a shimmer finish. I think this product is a must have for scrap booking as well as card making.

To use the paints, I recommend a water spray bottle, a good set of paint brushes, including a super fine detail brush, a paint mixer (a paint brush handle, coffee stirrer or a q-tip work fine). The paint cleans up easily with soap and water.

To begin painting, simply spritz the paints with a spray bottle and stir to the consistency you desire. If the paint is too thin, add more water, allow it to rest on the paint for a few minutes and then stir with a mixer. The rich brilliant color will be most vibrant at the thicker consistency.

The drying time varies with the type of material used and the amount of paint used. I did notice when I used the paints, especially the watercolor consistency, my paper did warp a little.

My first project was a dance layout, In "The Penny Whistle Song" I used the watercolor consistency paint to accent the border of the layout and photo mat. I also dyed the purple ribbon to match the layout. I used the super rich consistency paint to decorate the metal flower plaque.

Supplies:
LuminArte: Twinkling H2O's;
Basic Grey: Phresh and Phunky-Phlash Back;
Creative Imaginations: Shotz by Danelle Johnson (Flower Photo Border);
Prism Paper: Purpl e;
Offray: Ribbon;
Doodlebug Design: Mini Flowers;
Lasting Impressions: Mini Brads;
Artistic Impressions: Clear Expressions- Ballet;
Stampabilities: Classic Alphabet,
MM Paint;
Black Velvet Paper;
MM Metal Flower Plaque;
Professional Photo: Take 2 Video Photo Productions; and
Adhesive Tech: Permanent Tape Runner.

My next example is another dance themed layout, "Dance With Abandon". The Basic Grey paper is a multicolored distressed look. The Monogram letter, letter stickers and black cross-grain ribbon were painted with t he LuminArte Twinkling H20 Iridescent Colors. The iridescent colors look white but turn into a deep rich color on dark surfaces. ( Iridescents can also be used to lighten other Twinkling H20 colors). The photo mat was originally pink in color and has been colored with Mediterranean Blue and True Blue paints. The Basic Grey Tag was also colored with the Twinkling H20's.

Supplies:
Twinkling H2O's-
Mediterranean Blue;
Rose Peta;
Iridescent Blue;
Iridescent Green;
Iridescent Red;
True Blue; and
Sweet Lavender.
Cloud 9 - Wood-stone collection- Pink Wood;
Basic Grey: Motifica (Tag);
Basic Grey: Aged and Confused - Live Play;
Basic Grey: Black Tie- Monograms;
Basic Grey: Black Tie-Letters;
Offray: B lack Ribbon;
Photo by Take 2 Video-Photo Productions; and
Adhesive Tech: Permanent Glue Runner.

In "Ballet Trio" I used a combination of Iridescent and regular colors to take (black and white) monogram letters from Basic Grey and turn them into the rich blue title. I also painted around the double photo mat s with the Twinkling H20's.

Supplies:
LuminArte: Twinkling H2O's-
Mediterranean Blue;
Rose Peta;
Iridescent Blue;
Iridescent Green;
Iridescent Red;
True Blu e; and
Sweet Lavender.
Scrappin Sports: Curtain Call Paper;
Prism Paper: Light and Dark Purple;
Photo by Take 2 Video Photo Productions;
Adhesive Tech: Permanent Glue Runner;
Pearl Ex Stamp Pad: Essential Color- Black;
( edges of monograms are inked) These colors are awesome!

In "Piano Smasher" I took the black and white monogram letters and painted them with the Twinkling H20's. I created chipboard accents with pink and white stickers, Twinkling H20's, chipboard, decoupage and black Basic Grey Paper.

Supplies Used:
LuminArte: Twinkling H20's-
Mediterranean Blue, Iridescent Blue, and Blue Ice.
Basic Grey: Black Tie- Monograms;
Basic Grey: Black Tie - Patterned Paper; & lt;BR> Basic Grey: Lollipop Shoppe Letters;
GBOF- Purple Ribbon;
Chipboard;
Cloud Nine: Dance Stickers;
Doodlebug Design:Blue Jean Swimming Pool;
Doodlebug Design: Blue Jean Swi mming Pool-Dots;
Photo by ProPix;
Adhesive Tech: Permanent Glue Runner.

I have other layouts that can be viewed in the Scrapfriends Gallery under LuminArte.

I wanted to discuss card making with rubber stamps. My first attempt at using the LuminArte Twinkling H20's with rubber stamps yielded mixed results. I realized that I was using very fine detailed stamps and once I switched to larger stamp images or word stamps, I loved the results. I also stamped a fine detail stamp and painted it with the Luminarte Twinkling H20's using an extremely fine brush.

The first card is made with a two step butterfly stamp. The second example is a special occasion card made with a super-fine detailed stamp.

Supplies:
LuminArte: Twinkling H2O's - Jasmine, Key Lime, and Blue Ice;
Prism paper;
Stamp-N- Up: Two Step Butterfly
Me and My Big Idea Stickers: Birthday Girl.

Supplies:
Stamp Camp: Rubber Stamp;
LuminArte: Twinkling H2O's-
Solar Gold, Iridescent Blue, Blue Ice, Key Lime, Jasmine, Sweet Thistle, Periwinkle,
Douglas Fir;
Doodlebug Design: Ribbon;
Flower: Package Dec orations;
Prism Paper (6x6) size; and
Adhesive Tech: Permanent Glue Runner.

The ribbon pictured below was originally white, I painted it with a watercolor consistency color. These Twinkling H20's will enable me to take white ribbon and turn it into any color in the rainbow.

I can give the LuminArte Twinkling H20's my highest recommendation. The product is high quality, easy to use, with many applications. I recommend it as a dye for fabric, ribbon and flowers. I absolutely love the rich vibrant colors that the thicker consistency paints add to die cuts, paper and other embellishments. I know that these paints are highly recommended by stamp lovers. My only frustration was with some fine detailed stamps. Larger detailed stamps give a beautiful result. Painting a stamped image with a really fine detailed brush gives a wonderful result. Scrapbookers and Card Makers this is a terrific product. Look in the gallery for more of my work. I will definitely continue to use Twinkling H20's.

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Review by Kathleen

When I opened my package containing the new Twinkling H2O’s from LuminArte, I was in utter awe. All these little jars filled with spectacular, shimmering colors. It was truly a feast for the eyes. I couldn’t wait to start working with them, even though I had no idea what I was going to do!

Happily, I discovered how easy it is to work with this medium. All you need to do is gather your paint brush and some water, "massage" the wet brush into the paint until it is creamy, and work away. It does take a minute or so to get the creamy texture, which I find gives the best depth of color. But if you want a watercolor look, just add a touch more water to your brush.

So what are Twinkling H2O’s? They are paint cakes, that when activated with water, create beautiful watercolors that are more than just watercolors. They are non-toxic, acid free, lightfast, and safe for children too. These paints sparkle and look gorgeous when applied to the surface you are working with. I used the paints on paper, photographs, foam stamps, silk flowers, metal, and with rubber stamps for this review.

My first layout, Hairdude, uses the Twinkling H2O’s in place of stamping ink. I mixed the paint to a creamy texture and painted it directly onto my rubber stamp. Then I stamped the page. I also used the paint to edge my photo mattes and tag.

"Hairdude"
Products used:
LuminArte - Twinkling H2O’s (Autumn Skies)
Stamp Camp - Border stamp
Prism - Cardstock
Micron 05 - Black pen
Adhesive Tech - Glue runner
Making Memories - rub on letters
Fibers By The Yard - sheer blue ribbon
Othe r - Stripped ribbon, staple
Kathleen Campos – photographs

The second layout, Sweet Baby, uses the Twinkling H 2O’s with a foam stamp "It’s A Boy" on the tag. I also painted over the Craf-T metallic rub-ons on the photo matte and tag. By applying the metallic rub-ons first, the oily nature of the rub-ons causes the Twinkling H2O’s to bead up. But when dry, this gives an interesting look and texture to your project. I also applied the paint to the silk flower on the tag.

"Sweet Baby"
Products used:
LuminArte - Twinkling H2O’s (True Blue, Golden Opal)
Bazzill Basics - Cardstock
Really Reasonable Ribbon - ribbon
Making Memories - large and small gold brads, solid blue patterned paper, foam alphabet stamps
ColorBox - fluid chalk ink
Slick Writer - brown pen
7-Gypsies - patterned paper
Craf-T - metallic rub-ons
Adhesive Tech - Glue runner
Craft - Glue dots
Kathleen Campos - photograph
Other - silk flower, "It's A Boy" foam stamp

The third layout, Apple Blossoms, uses the Twinkling H2O’s to accent the photo mattes, title, and the photographs. I painted directly onto the photograph, making sure the paint was as creamy as possible so as not to have too much water. With the paint this way, my photograph did not warp.

"Apple Blossoms"
Products used:
LuminArte - Twinkling H2O’s (Egyptian Gold)
Bazzill - cardstock
K & Co. - patterned paper
Adhesive Tech - Glue Runner, BORDERline
Kathleen Campos - Photographs
Other - sewing thread, ribbon
Fonts - Scriptina, Century School book

Now, while the Twinkling H2O’s make excellent "inks" for edging photo mattes, tags, and photographs, you can also do so much more. Using only a paintbrush, and, trust me on this, a minimal amount of painting ability, I painted the bottom border of my Spring Time layout to mimic the photographs.

"Spring Time"
Products used:
LuminArte - Twinkling H2O’s (Yellow Rose, Snapdragon, Fore st Green, Icy Iris, Blue Ice)
Craf-T - metallic rub-ons
Prism - cardstock
Mrs. Grossman's - vellum alphabet stickers
Making Memories - metal alphabet letters
Micron 05 - black pen < ;BR> Adhesive Tech - glue runner
Other - white cardstock
Kathleen Campos – photographs

On my next project, I used the Twinkling H2O’s to paint in a detailed stamp. Because of the fine detail of the stamp, I used a fine tip paint brush.

“ Just A Note Twinkling card”
Products used:
LuminArte - Twinkling H2O’s (Lemongrass, Sunflower, Key Li me, Solar Gold, Indian Copper, Cinnamon Stick)
Stamp Camp - decorative rubber stamp
ColorBox - fluid chalk ink
Jeneva - patterned paper
Zig Writer - green pen
Other - pop dots, sewing thread
Adhesive Tech - Glue Runner

It is also possible to use the Twinkling H2O’s on metal surfaces too. To create the "fun" word on the tag in the title of my Time 4 Fun layout, I lightly sanded the surface of the metal word, and then applied my paints in a random fashion. I used a heat gun to dry the paint. I then applied another layer. After drying the second layer with a heat gun, I lightly sanded it again and reapplied the paint, using the colors in different areas. (Just a note, if you are applying multiple layers of paint, make sure your brush and paint are as dry as possible since the water will reactivate any paint you have already used.) After drying the third layer with the heat gun, I then coated the word with Versamark watermarking ink and applied two coats of ultra thick embossing enamel (UTEE).

The above process took a total time of 5 minutes, start to finish. It is very easy to do and really gives an awesome new look to your metal embellishments.

“Time 4 Fun”
Products used:
LuminArte - Twinkling H2O (Cherry Sorbet, Egyptian Gold, Bashful Blue, Hot Cinnamon)
BasicGrey - patterned paper
Lil' Davis Designs - watch faces
K & Company - epoxy word stickers, metal frame
Magic Mesh - Glitter Dottie Ann
Making Memor ies - "fun" metal word, "4" foam stamp (misunderstood)
ColorBox - fluid chalk ink
Micron 05 - black pen
Adhesive Tech - Glue Runner
Craft - glue dots, 3-D glue dot
Versamark - waterma rking ink
Other - Ultra Thick Embossing Powder, Ribbon



“Time 4 Fun Tag” (close up)
Products used:
LuminArte - Twinkling H2O (Cherry Sorbet, Egyptian Gold, Bashful Blue, Hot Cinnamon)
BasicGrey - patterned paper
K & Company - metal frame
Magic Mesh - Glitter Dottie Ann
Making Memories - "fun" metal word
ColorBox - fluid chalk ink < BR> Adhesive Tech - Glue Runner
Craft - glue dots, 3-D glue dot
Versamark - watermarking ink
Other - Ultra Thick Embossing Powder, Ribbon

My final layout, Master Artist, is proof positive how super easy it is for children to use the Twinkling H2O’s. My son, Dominic, who is not quite 3, LOVED painting. Once I activated the paints for him; he had no problems using them. He painted the background for the layout as I happily snapped a bunch of pictures of him painting.

“Master Artist”
Products used:
LuminArte - Twinkling H2O’s (Yellow Rose, Sky Blue, Ocean Wave, Moss Green, Sunflower)
Prism - cardstock
ColorBox - charcoal fluid chalk ink
Making Memories - hinges, brads, rub-on letters
Scrapworks - Fabric Tabs
Micron 05 - black pen
Kathleen Campos - photographs
Dominic Campos - Background artwork
Other - ribbon, white cardstock
Adhesive Tech - glue runner

I really had a lot of fun using the Twinkling H2O’s. They look fabulous in real life because they shimmer and shine midst the deep, gorgeous, colors. Aside from actually choosing which color to use, the only difficulty I had with these was, once I mixed the paint to the perfect creamy texture I wanted, they seemed to dry quickly (which wasn’t a bad thing when my son was using them!). I was only able to paint small amounts at a time which was a little tedious. But other than that, I did not have any problems with these paints.

I would highly recommend this product to anyone and to any level of scrapbooker. The Twinkling H2O’s are truly beautiful and fun to use. And as I mentioned, they are great for kids. Available in 96 colors, you can buy the Twinkling H2O’s from LuminArte in two jar sizes (5 and 10 gram) and packaging combinations (individual, 6 packs, 12 packs, and 24 packs). Retail price varies based on size and ranges from $3.50 - $38. 00.

For more information visit LuminArte