Alcohol ink cards, Part 2

As promised in my last post, I’m back with the second batch of cards I made with my alcohol ink backgrounds. These cards have a loose nature theme — plants, flowers, animals, etc. — but I still turned many of them into birthday cards to add to my stash. Again, I’m only including the photos, so if you have a question, please leave me a comment.

I think the first two cards are my favorite, but I really like the Christmas card, too.

Thanks for stopping by!

Alcohol ink cards, Part 1

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m back to share the cards I made with the alcohol ink panels I created. I ended up with quite a few cards, so I’m dividing them into two batches. Today’s cards feature rainbows, hearts, and some bright birthday cards. There are a lot of photos, so I’ll keep the details to a minimum. If you have any questions, just leave me a comment.

I like how all the cards turned out, but my favorites are definitely the rainbow cards.

Stay tuned for the second batch of cards in my next post. Thanks for stopping by!

Alcohol ink backgrounds

I just realized that I’m behind on my blog posting (I know, shocking, right?). Back in July I spent a day playing around with my alcohol inks and making a bunch of different backgrounds. I thought I had already posted them, but I guess not. So here they are, better late than never:

I used a few different kinds of paper — glossy white card stock, white and translucent YUPO paper, and Tim Holtz silver sparkle alcohol ink card stock — and I have two different brands of alcohol inks: Tim Holtz/Ranger and Jaquard.

I can’t give you the specifics on how I made any piece in particular since it’s been awhile, but in general I played around with the inks, alcohol blending solution, and rubbing alcohol. For tools, I used the Tim Holtz alcohol ink applicator with felt pads and an ink blower. My ink blower is an old one designed to hold a felt-tip marker and create colored splatter. I might get a new one someday, but for now it’s good enough.

It had been awhile since I used my alcohol inks, so I looked through a little instruction/idea booklet I have and also watched a couple of short YouTube videos to get started. There are some really amazing artistic things you can do with alcohol ink, but I just like to make these colorful panels for cards.

I ended up using some of these pieces for card backgrounds and some for die-cut pieces. I’ll shore those cards In my next couple of posts.

Thanks for stopping by!

Using up some scraps

After I made my January Christmas cards, I had a bunch of skinny strips leftover from the alcohol ink panels. I don't usually save those tiny strips, but these were too pretty to just toss. Instead I used a double-sided adhesive sheet, lined up the strips, and created a couple of striped panels. I finally turned those panels into two birthday cards:

One of the striped panels was almost the size of an A2 card so I used it as a background (card on the left). I cut the Birthday Message Cover Plate die (Hero Arts) out of holographic card stock, adhered it over the background and attached it to a white card base.

I used foam tape to add a sentiment strip near the bottom of the card front. Then I finished off the card with several blue rhinestones clustered around the sentiment strip.

For the second striped panel, which was smaller than the first, I die cut two large butterflies using the Detailed Butterflies, Mini dies (Sizzix - Tim Holtz). I cut the outlines for those butterflies out of black card stock and glued the layers together. I also cut out some tiny butterflies using the Intricate Mini Butterflies die (Memory Box). I arranged the butterflies around the stamped sentiment on a light purple card base and adhered them using liquid glue (and foam tape behind the wings of the large butterflies). I added a strip of the alcohol ink panel and a twine bow toward the bottom of the card front and finished with a cascade of droplets.

Thanks for stopping by!

January Christmas cards: Northern lights

We made it out of the deep freeze last week, and I certainly hope we don't get that cold again this winter. But I think the cold inspired me for this month's batch of Christmas cards. I decided to use alcohol inks to create the northern lights on paper. I watched a tutorial by Lunar Sun Creations to help me get started and then I just went for it.

I started by cutting sheets of white Yupo paper into 4-1/2" x 6" panels. I created the panels one at a time, first coating the panel with alcohol ink blending solution, adding the ink in various spots around the panel, tilting the panel until the colors were blended a way I liked, and then setting it aside to dry. I love how each one is unique. 

For my alcohol ink colors I used a few different shades of magenta, blue, and green. Some of the inks I used were alcohol ink pearls (Ranger - Tim Holtz), so they add a pearlescent effect. This isn't the greatest photo, but I think you get the idea.

Also, if you are concerned about mess with the alcohol inks, I would definitely recommend wearing disposable gloves. I didn't because I'm more comfortable working without them, but I had some serious blue and purple fingers. (A couple of my fingernails still have a slight blue tint.) But that didn't bother me, and I work in an elementary school, so it wasn't a big deal. Hand sanitizer does help, since it's alcohol-based, but it won't get off everything.

Once the ink was dry, I used a white Posca paint pen to add splatter for snow or stars. On some of the panels I added larger droplets, and on the others I went with very fine splatter. To create the splatter, hold the uncapped paint pen over your surface. Then firmly tap the barrel of the pen with something hard (another marker, bone folder, non-flexible ruler, etc.). For the larger splatter, first press the nib of the paint pen onto scratch paper to build up the ink at the tip. Then use the same tapping method.

Once the splatter was dry, I trimmed each panel down to a finished size of 4-1/8" x 5-3/8". You could trim them to this size to start with, but I like to have a slightly bigger panel to work with so I can trim off any funny edges later.

Using the Forest Shadow dies (Sizzix - Tim Holtz), I cut the two tree images from black card stock. I glued the longer piece (with shorter trees) along the bottom of the alcohol ink panel and then trimmed off the excess card stock. Using black foam squares (Gina K Designs) I added the larger die-cut trees over the others.

I stamped "peace on earth" from Tiny Words Christmas (Simon Says Stamp) on a strip of white card stock and used foam tape to attach it along the left edge of the panel near the top of the card. I glued three die-cut silver stars around the sentiment for a simple embellishment. (The star die is included in the Forest Shadow dies.)

I matted each panel with a 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" piece of black card stock and glued it to a heavyweight white card base. I didn't take a picture of the inside of the card, but I stamped the sentiment "This season and always." I had some silver stars leftover, so some of the cards also have a few tiny stars inside.

I so love how these cards turned out. I usually don't make 12 cards of one design because I get tired of the repetitive stuff (which I definitely did with all the die-cut trees), but I was having too much fun making the panels. And I'm glad they turned out so well, because I'm going to try hard this year to make sure I really like all my Christmas cards instead of making them just to get them done. That may change as the year goes on, but I'm off to a good start!

Thanks for stopping by!

Alcohol ink cards

A few months ago I pulled out my alcohol inks and YUPO paper and played around with making some colorful panels to use for card making. I love the bright, bold colors of the panels as well as the cards I made with them.

Supplies:
Paper: Basic Black, thick Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!), woodgrain embossed card stock (Essentials by Ellen), white alcohol ink card stock (YUPO)
Ink: Chili Pepper, Sunbright Yellow, Senorita Magenta, Lime Green, Sapphire Blue, Rich Gold alcohol inks (Jacquard Pinata Color)
Accessories: Poppy Moments dies (Stampin' Up!), Sentimental Dies (Avery Elle), Bubble Blower droplets (Trinity Stamps), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)
Other: 91% rubbing alcohol

I thought I had taken a picture of the panels before I made the cards, but apparently not. I made one that was shades of red with gold, one that was shades of green with gold, and one that was a rainbow (more with that one later). I decided to use the red and green panels to create some flowers, and the Poppy Moments dies were perfect.

The flowers and leaves are made with layering dies; between that and the different shades created with the alcohol inks, these poppies have a lot of depth. I die cut two poppies, two buds, and two different leaves for my card. With all that color and gold sparkle, I wanted to keep the card base clean and simple. A panel of woodgrain-textured white card stock was perfect because it adds interest to the background without being a distraction.

With the flowers placed near the top of the card, I wanted to add some visual weight at the bottom. I adhered a narrow strip of black card stock along the bottom edge and then added a black die-cut "celebrate" sentiment right above it. For a simple embellishment I added three bubble droplets (they are clear but have an iridescent quality).

Supplies:
Paper: 110-lb Solar White card stock (Neenah), alcohol ink card stock (YUPO)
Ink: Chili Pepper, Sunbright Yellow, Lime Green, Sapphire Blue, Senorita Magenta (Jacquard Pinata Color)
Accessories: Lucky to Know You die (Simon Says Stamp), sparkling clear sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), shimmer mist made with Shimmer Liquid Watercolor (Taylored Expressions), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)
Other: 91% rubbing alcohol

I originally wanted to make this card for a friend for St. Patrick's Day, although I didn't get to it it until a couple of months later. But the sentiment is true all year 'round, and I know she appreciated it when she did receive it. 

At any rate, I used five alcohol ink colors to create this fluid, swirly rainbow. I trimmed the panel down, but it was still too large for an A2-size card So instead I made this one for a business-size or #10 envelope, which is 4-1/8" x 9-1/2". (Now I would call it a slimline card, but when I made this back in May, that style wasn't yet all the rage.)

I used white card stock for the base, splattered it with shimmer mist for a little sparkle, and adhered the rainbow panel in the center. For the sentiment, I cut the phrase from white card stock two or three times and glued the layers together to give it some "oomph." Then I glued the words near the top of the rainbow panel and surrounded it with a few clear sequins.

Supplies:
Stamps: Simple Strips Background (Taylored Expresisons)
Paper: Thick Whisper White, Basic Black card stock (Stampin' Up!); alcohol ink card stock (YUPO)
Ink: Chili Pepper, Sunbright Yellow, Lime Green, Sapphire Blue, Senorita Magenta (Jacquard Pinata Color)
Accessories: Simple Strips and Stitched Frames dies (Taylored Expressions), Bitty Butterfly and Elegant Butterfly punches (Stampin' Up!), white embossing powder (Hero Arts), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

After I made the first card, I had some pieces of the rainbow panel leftover that I didn't want to throw away, so I decided to make one more quick card. Using two different size punches, I punched several butterflies out of the alcohol ink panel. For the card base I glued a black die-cut frame to a white card and then arranged eight of the butterflies inside the frame. (The larger butterflies are attached with Dimensionals.) I finished the card with a simple embossed sentiment strip.

Thanks for stopping by!

Lovable Legends with alcohol ink 'smooshing'

Last month the gnome valentines I made were featured on the scrapbookpal.com blog. I received a $20 gift card to their store, and two of the items I ordered were the Lovable Legends stamp and die sets from Lawn Fawn. When I sat down to play with the stamps, instead of coloring the images, I decided to try a "smooshing" technique with alcohol ink.

Supplies:
Stamps: Lovable Legends (Lawn Fawn)
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, VersaMark, Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); alcohol inks: Wild Plum, Eggplant, Meadow, Oregano, Espresso (Ranger); alcohol markers: W2, E18, E53, YG09 (Copic Sketch)
Accessories: Lovable Legends dies (Lawn Fawn), Opaque Bright White Super Fine embossing powder (Wow!), gold star embellishments (unknown), 3" x 5" gel printing plate (GelPress), powder tool (EK Success), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)
Other: Alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel

Aren't they cute? The punny sentiments crack me up, too. My favorite image is the kraken, so I had to make a couple of cards with him as the focal point.

Supplies:
Stamps: Lovable Legends (Lawn Fawn)
Paper: Basic Black, Whisper White, Pool Party card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, Memento Tuxedo Black (Tsukineko); Pool Party (Stampin' Up!); alcohol inks: Wild Plum, Eggplant (Ranger); alcohol markers: W2, E18 (Copic Sketch)
Accessories: Lovable Legends dies (Lawn Fawn), Large Stitched Rectangles Stackables dies (Lawn Fawn), Seaside embossing folder (Stampin' Up!), 2-1/2" circle punch (Stampin' Up!), black and white twine (Stampin' Up!), clear droplets (Pretty Pink Posh), 3" x 5" gel printing plate (GelPress), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute)
Other: Alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel

To color the images I used a technique I'm calling Alcohol Ink Smooshing. You'll need alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel (which may be hard to find with the current virus scare), a gel printing plate, and alcohol inks. If you don't have a gel printing plate, a large acrylic stamping block would work, too. Here are the steps I used:

1. Put one or two squirts of hand sanitizer on the gel printing plate or large acrylic block.
2. Add a few drops of alcohol ink. I like to use two or three colors.
3. Use your finger in a dabbing motion to mix and spread the hand sanitizer and ink. The gel won't be completely flat; it should have little peaks.
4. Lay a piece of white card stock on the gel plate or block and rub the back to transfer the ink (i.s., "smoosh" the gel).
5. Lift up the card stock and set it aside to dry.
6. Stamp and die cut your images as usual.

I love the variation in color you get by mixing the inks with the gel. For my cards I used two colors for each of the creatures: Wild Plum and Eggplant for the kraken, Meadow and Oregano for the Lochness monster, and Oregano and Espresso for the bigfoot. I wanted the bigfoot's skin (face, hands and feet) to be lighter, so I stamped that image on a scrap of white card stock, colored those parts with an E53 Copic marker, then cut them out and glued them over the colorful image.

To finish the cards, I kept the backgrounds simple -- with plain card stock, tone-on-tone stamping, or embossing -- so the lovable, colorful legends held center stage.

Thanks for stopping by!

Underwater adventures

It's a hot and muggy weekend in these parts, and a beach vacation sounds mighty appealing. Sadly, there are no such excursions in my immediate future. But even if I can't swim in the ocean, I can still make fun underwater cards!

Supplies:
Stamps: Mermaid's Tail (Essentials by Ellen)
Paper: Alcohol ink paper (YUPO); Pool Party, Crumb Cake card stock (Stampin' Up!)
Ink: Crumb Cake (Stampin' Up!); alcohol inks - Sunbright Yellow, Sapphire Blue, Senorita Magenta, Lime Green, Rich Gold (Jacquard)
Accessories: Mermaid's Tail dies (Essentials by Ellen), Build-a-Scene - Underwater dies (Taylored Expressions), Mermaid Mix sequins (Pretty Pink Posh), Seaside embossing folder (Stampin' Up!), gold Wink of Stella glitter brush pen (Kuretake), foam tape (3M), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

I have to admit that this is my current favorite card. I love the colors, texture, and how everything came together. It just makes me happy!

To set the scene, I embossed a Pool Party card base with a wave-inspired embossing folder. I stamped the sentiment on a piece of Crumb Cake card stock and then tore off the top edge to create the look of a sandy ocean floor. Before adhering the card stock to the bottom of the card front, I splattered it with my gold Wink of Stella glitter pen to add a little more visual interest.

To make the mermaid tails and seaweed, I used alcohol inks on YUPO paper. Once I was happy with the colors, I let the paper dry (but not quite long enough because I'm impatient) and then die cut the different pieces. I attached the mermaid tails to the card base with foam tape and used liquid glue to adhere the seaweed, tucking the bottoms of the pieces behind the "sand." A few sequins (from the Mermaid Mix!) finish off this card.

Supplies:
Paper: Coastal Cabana, Granny Apple Green, Crumb Cake card stock; Tim Holtz YUPO paper (Ranger)
Ink: Tim Holtz alcohol inks - Oregano, Meadow, Stream, Terracotta (Ranger)
Accessories: Paper Layering Seahorses dies (Hero Arts), Build-a-Scene - Underwater dies (Taylored Expressions), Tide embossing folder (Lifestyle Crafts), Pearl Mixative and Blending Solution (Ranger), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!)

Overall this card is fairly similar to the previous one. For the card base I used a different color card base and a different embossing folder. For the "sand," I spritzed a piece of Crumb Cake card stock with water, crumpled it up, and then flattened it. Once it was dry, I adhered it to the bottom of the card. I die cut the seaweed from Granny Apple Green card stock and added them to the card.

For the focal images, I again used alcohol inks on YUPO paper, let it dry, and then die cut the focal images. I used Dimensionals to attach the large seahorse to the center of the card and glued the two babies directly to the card base. For the one near the bottom of the card, I wrapped his tail around one of the pieces of seaweed.

Supplies:
Stamps: March 2019 My Monthly Hero Kit (Hero Arts)
Paper: Thick Whisper White card stock
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks - Fossilized Amber, Wild Honey, Spiced marmelade (Ranger); Basic Black journaling marker (Stampin' Up!)
Accessories: Tide embossing folder (Lifestyle Crafts), ribbon (unknown), Art Glitter Glue (Art Institute Glitter), Dimensionals (Stampin' Up!), foam tape (3M)

This card is actually one I made a few months ago. I hadn't ever posted it, but it fits with the underwater theme, so here it is!

Instead of using alcohol inks with this card, I used a few Distress Oxide inks and the reactive inks that came with the March 2019 Hero Arts kit. I blended ink on a piece of white card stock to make the "water" and then stamped the seaweed on the bottom portion and the school of fish near the top. I flicked a bit of water on the panel to create a bubbly look.

I stamped the three fish on a separate piece of white card stock (and used a black marker to add the eyes), die cut them and attached them to the stamped panel with Dimensionals.

For the card base I embossed a piece of white card stock, wrapped a piece of turquoise ribbon around the card stock, and attached it to a white card base. Then I used foam tape to attach the focal panel to the card base. A few droplets, also from the Hero Arts kit, complete the card.

Thanks for stopping by!