I created this card using Wild Plum/Amethyst Alcohol Inks, rubbing alcohol, and Tim Holtz Wildflower dies.
I was checking out alcohol ink Pinterest posts and came across the You-Tube video, Myriam’s Nature, Alcohol Inks: Airy, Silky, Wispy Looks-Full Tutorial. She makes beautiful designs with alcohol inks. I decided to try to create a card using her techniques. I wasn’t able to achieve quite the same wispy look that she did, but I know that will take practice.
Using the techniques from her video, I filled three one-ounce squeeze bottles 3/4 full with rubbing alcohol. I put Wild Plum alcohol ink in one bottle and Amethyst in the second bottle (approximately 12-15 drops of each). The third bottle had only the rubbing alcohol in it.
I taped around a piece of Dura-Lar film that I had put on a porcelain tile and Lazy-Susan turntable. Using the Lazy-Susan worked really well because that enabled me to turn the paper in different directions, as I was using the heat tool, and kept the alcohol ink moving.
I squeezed a couple large drops of the Wild Plum rubbing alcohol mixture onto the Dura-Lar film and added a ring of rubbing alcohol around each drop; used my heat gun to blow the ink around; and repeated the process with the Amethyst squeeze bottle. I did this for a bit and noticed that the bottle containing just the rubbing alcohol was leaking all over around the cap, so I continued the process with just the Wild Plum and Amethyst ink squeeze bottles. When I wanted to change the look of an area, I just added some rubbing alcohol, waited a couple seconds, and used my heat gun to move the ink around.
Once I had finished adding all the alcohol ink, and it had dried (quickly), I attached the Dura-Lar film to the white cardstock frame with Scor-Tape. I added a piece of white cardstock behind this because the Dura-Lar was very translucent and the muted colors didn’t show up very well without it. This was anchored to Lilac cardstock ; Ranger Multi Medium Matte was used as an adhesive for the wildflower die cuts; and the card was finished. I didn’t add a sentiment on the front of the card-that way it can work for a variety of occasions in the future.
Note of Frustration: I had found the white cardstock frame in my Scraps container. I couldn’t find a die to match it, so I think it’s from a die cut that had gone wrong-one with details that didn’t show up when I ran it through my Big Shot. I guess it must have been meant for this card.
I like how this process gives the alcohol inks a different look-kind of a pastel, softer look. What do you think?
Materials Used:
- Strathmore Watercolor Paper, Cold Press, 90 lb.
- White Cardstock
- Lilac Cardstock Base
- Grafix Dura-Lar Film, Matte .005, Clear
- Sizzix Tim Holtz Thinlits, Wildflowers, 661190
- Ranger Alcohol Inks: Wild Plum and Amethyst
- 91% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol
- Three 1 oz. Squeeze Bottles
- Clear Tape, Non-Permanent
- Ranger Multi Medium Matte
- Porcelain Tile, 9” x 12” (I found mine at Menard’s.)
- Lazy Susan Turntable, approx. 14” (Walmart)
- Fiskars Procision Rotary Bypass Trimmer (12”)
- Martha Stewart Scoring Pad/Fiskars Dual-Tip Embossing Stylus
- Darice Heat Tool
- Scor-Tape: 1/8”, 1/4″,and 3/8”
- Rubber Gloves, Baby Wipes, and Paper Towels
Machine: Sizzix Big Shot, Extended Multipurpose Platform, Extended Thin Die Adapter, with two cutting plates.
Have a fantastic day!!!
Diane