Category: Alcohol Inks

Liquid Gold Leaf

10/26/2018

We recently brought in Liquid Gold Leaf... which is an AMAZING product!!!

If you are familiar with traditional Gold Leaf (or Composition Metal), you may know that it comes in Leaf form and is VERY light-weight and soft.. it sticks to anything that is sticky and leaves a really stunning effect...

.. But Liquid Gold Leaf (or rather, Liquid Leaf as it also comes in Silver) is DIFFERENT because you can actually paint it on!!

Liquid Leaf comes in 4 wonderful colors... Classic Gold, Brass, Florentine Gold, and Silver

To work with Liquid Leaf:

Start out by SHAKING the bottle very well, you can also stir the Liquid Leaf with a disposable skewer
Use Synthetic Brushes such as the Nuvo Brush Set (you can use Rubbing Alcohol to clean the brushes when you are done)
Paint like normal onto card stock, glass, metal, clay and MORE!!!!

Just LOOK how vibrant the color is!!! You can even do Brush Lettering on all sorts of papers.. like this Matte Dura-Lar!!

Check out how cool this splatter effect is on the Matte Dura-Lar!! It is slightly embossed and is just as vibrant as traditional Gold Leaf

Write on black card stock to create a REALLY stunning effect!!

You can also use Light Molding Paste with a stencil... here I used the Olive Branch Stencil from Echo Park

Apply the paste with a palette knife and, once the paste has FULLY DRIED, brush on Classic Gold Liquid Leaf across the paper so that the entire image is coated with the metallic paint

We have also been playing around with the new Apoxie Clay! This clay bonds HARD AS A ROCK in just 24 hours and requires no heat.

While working with the clay, I made and shaped my own lock and put it on an old Altoid tin... I used the Brass Liquid Leaf to colorize the lock and I LOVE the results! Or check out this Harry Potter style wand with droplets of Brass Liquid Leaf throughout...

Check out this idea...

Take a plain tile and use the 2-part resin mix to float Alcohol Inks on the surface THEN drip on a little bit of the Liquid Leaf and watch as the colors move and flow together...

It has such a BEAUTIFUL appearance!!

Liquid Leaf is solvent based.. which means it can bond to ALMOST ANYTHING!!!

Seashells
Rocks
Plastic toys
Wood
Feathers

... and SO MUCH MORE!!!!

Stop by the store to see these samples in person!! You are going to FALL IN LOVE with this new product!!!

See you soon!!
360-647-9663

Alcohol Ink on Acrylic Paint

10/19/2018

This week for Demo, Denise demonstrated a new idea!

She took her Acyrlic Paints and applied Alcohol Ink to the wet paint.. the effect is pretty incredible!!

Denise started out with Lumiere Acrylic Paint.. She brushed it across a piece of YUPO and, while the paint was still wet, applied droplets of Alcohol Ink on the surface!

The ink spreads out, creating this halo effect that is just incredible!!

Look here how the Alcohol Ink spread out to create these interesting designs and textures!!

Then, Denise experimented with the technique on Dura-Lar Wet Media Film... I just LOVE how translucent it is!!!

Check out this next idea...

Denise started by using a piece of Dura-Lar Wet Media Film and brushing on some Lumiere Acrylic Paint
Then, she applied some vibrant colors of Alcohol Ink onto the surface of wet paint
Then, after the image is dry, she took the Black Glaze Pen and drew some designs.. creating some fun floral designs!!

Stop by to see us to get inspired!!

We would LOVE to show you all the newest stuff we've been getting in!

Stop by to see us 7 days a week!
360-647-9663

Tuesday with Wendy, Oct 2nd

10/7/2018

This week for card making class, Wendy was inspired by Fall images!!!

Check out this week's grouping of cards!! Aren't they WONDERFUL?!!?

The first card Wendy designed was made using this Spiderweb Stencil from Taylored Expressions and the Spider Trio die-cut and Happy stamp both from Impression Obsession

To make the card:

On a piece of black card stock, lay the Spiderweb stencil in place and use Versamark ink (ink pad side down on the stencil) and apply the ink across the entire spiderweb image
Lift away the stencil and apply Detail Black embossing powder across the entire piece of black card stock, coating the spiderweb image in embossing powder. Heat-set the image
On a smaller piece of black card stock, stamp the Happy stamp with Versamark Ink and heat emboss with Detail Black embossing powder. Layer a piece of silver paper behind this image too and mount that on top of the spiderweb image
Next, die-cut one of the spiders from the Spider Trio (Wendy picked the biggest one!) out of Black Glitter card stock
Pick out a fun-colored sequin to embellish the spider and use Nuvo Deluxe Adhesive to adhere the sequin to the spider.
Place a pop dot on the underside of the spider, then place a piece of small silver twine underneath the pop dot and THEN adhere the spider to the front of the spiderweb image.. you can have the spider crawling over the sentiment if you want!
Then, tuck the silver twine behind the black card stock and use some double-sided tape to hold it in place.
The card base is a piece of ivory card stock. Layer the spiderweb image with a piece of text weight silver paper and mount it on the card base using double-sided tape

EEEE!!!! What a FUN CARD!!!!

The NEXT 2 CARDS are made using the new Tim Holtz Lift Ink and this beautiful image, Windswept Leaves from Impression Obsession

Now, I know I have posted this video before, but for those of you who are unfamiliar with how the new Lift Ink works, I highly recommend watching this video!!

Tim Holtz begins to explain about the new Lift Ink at minute 26:00

To make the cards:

USE GLOVES and GRUBBY CLOTHING when doing Alcohol Inks because they can be messy!!!
Take a little bit of Alcohol Blending Solution and float it on a small piece of YUPO paper
Use a few Alcohol Ink colors and apply just a drop or 2 of each color onto the YUPO.. watch as the vibrant colors flow and move across the paper.. WOW!!
Use a heat-gun to heat-set the Alcohol Ink colors

Then, once your alcohol ink image is COMPLETELY DRY, apply the Lift Ink onto the Windswept Leaves image.. (your stamp should be VERY CLEAN before you start because you don't want to transfer any old ink into your Lift Ink Pad)
Stamp the Windswept Leaves image with Lift Ink directly onto the YUPO paper right on top of the Alcohol Ink background you created.
THEN stamp directly onto a piece of white card stock.. and watch as the color of the Alcohol Ink background is now the color your Windswept Leaves are!!!
NOW take a CLEAN piece of paper towel and DAB the ink off the Alcohol Ink background.
Once you have dabbed off the Lift Ink, take a clean piece of paper towel and BUFF out the Windswept Leaves image.. and don't gasp too loud because the effect is REALLY AMAZING!!!

You will now have 2 separate Windswept Leaves images.
One of the images is layered with a bit of green card stock and some bright purple handmade paper and mounted onto a soft green card stock base
The other Windswept Leaves image is layered with a bit of ivory card stock, dark brown card stock, and mounted onto a light brown card base. Wendy added a touch of textured ribbon on the side of the card to add some interest.

Aren't these cards STUNNING?! I just love how they compliment each other!!

If you want to join in all the fun by participating in the NEXT Tuesday with Wendy class, give us a call!!

Tuesday, October 23rd

Choose the time that works best for you!
11am -- 1:30pm -- 6pm

PLEASE SIGN UP BY THE SATURDAY BEFORE CLASS!!!
360-647-9663

Tim Holtz Alcohol Lift Ink

9/7/2018

So many of us have been LOVING this new Alcohol Lift Ink and it is easy to see why... you can create SO MANY WONDERFUL THINGS!!!

First off, if you are not familiar with Alcohol Inks OR the Tim Holtz Alcohol Lift Ink, I HIGHLY suggest taking a moment to watch the video below...

At the beginning, Tim Holtz walks through STEP-BY-STEP how to use the Alcohol Inks... at minute 26:00, he really starts to play with the new Lift Ink.. and he does such a great job explaining how to use this product.

Now that you know HOW the Lift Ink works... we can show you what we did at Demo this week!!!

Monique was the demonstrator this week and she showed us how to play with this new Alcohol Lift Ink.. and it is JUST SO FUN you may want to play with it too!!!

First, create an Alcohol Ink background design on YUPO paper, Acetate, Vellum, or Matte Dura-Lar (you can use other surfaces too.. it just needs to me NON-POROUS.. such as a tile or glass or plastic.. )
Use an image, ANY stamp image, and make sure it is VERY CLEAN (if needed, use Stamp Cleaner to clean your stamps).
Then, ink up your stamp with the Alcohol Lift Ink, and stamp it onto an Alcohol Ink background
Dab the area where you have just stamped with a CLEAN PAPER TOWEL so the Lift Ink does not spread to other parts of the image. Dab it until the majority of the ink has come up
Use a CLEAN PAPER TOWEL to buff out the image and watch *magically* as the image appears as a "ghost" in your Alcohol Ink background!!!

Using that same idea.. you can also stamp on pieces of glass!! Here, Monique stamped a butterfly image on the glass and it LIFTED THE ALCOHOL INK up and then she STAMPED THE BUTTERFLY on the envelope!!!

WOW!!! What an incredible effect... how can you not fall in love?!?

The "ghost" effect is ESPECIALLY COOL on the Matte Dura-Lar or Vellum!!!

Because of the slight translucency of the paper... the "ghost" image is just STUNNING

You can also use the Alcohol Lift Pad with your stencils!!

*The Reinker* is recommended if you use the stencils so that your Tim Holtz Blending Sponges can hold Alcohol Lift Ink and pick up colors WITHOUT STAINING the pad!!

The stencil effect is just SO BEAUTIFUL.. and it's a great way to use any stencils you may have laying around!!

Monique also used the Alcohol Lift Ink on an Alcohol Ink background and LIFTED and STAMPED this image from Penny Black, Gentle Whispers... WOW!!!

When we put the card together, we used a small piece of the Stencil background (from above) and you can really see how the image pops!!

There is SO MUCH MORE you can do with Alcohol Inks, Blending Sponges, and the Alcohol Lift Ink.. stop by to get inspired!!!

And, if you would like to get a HANDS ON EXPERIENCE with Alcohol Inks and the new Lift Ink, we are offering a class!!!

If you would like to sign up for the Alcohol Ink class with Wendy, it will be offered on Saturday, September 29th. Please call us to register for the class!!

360-647-9663

Glitter and Metallic Papers

8/28/2018

It is really fun to use a bit of metallic or glitter paper in your card making or gift wrapping... heck, a little bit of bling can really bring ANYTHING to the next level!!

There are so many WONDERFUL Glitter and metallic papers here at the store...

My personal FAVORITE way to use the glitter and metallic papers is for Gifts!!

You can use the Handmade Glittery papers for wrapping boxes because the paper is light weight and wraps around the packages without creasing.
You can use the double-sided shimmer papers to create small boxes!! The little boxes are actually pretty sturdy! I used a score board to create a nice, crisp box that holds up over time!!

Another fun way to use the metallic papers is with die-cuts! I like to pick an image that make look good if it was cut out in something that looks like metal.. Here I used the Pewter Mirri Card paper and this Watering Can die-cut from Sizzix

We paired The die-cut with this beautiful floral paper and this *PERFECT* stamp that says, "I wet my plants" ... aw I LOVE IT!!

This Scribble Circles die-cut from Impression Obsession is great for creating a focal point on a card.. I cut out the circles in Gold Mirri Card and Red Mirri Card and stamped this sentiment from the new Hero Arts set, Home for the Holidays

I LOVE THIS IDEA!! You can take any shimmer or metallic paper and run it through a Home Die-Cut Machine and emboss it...

This effect is so fantastic! Just a piece of Silver Mirri Card paper with the Diamond Plate Embossing Folder from Darice makes this STUNNING effect! It looks like *real* diamond plate!!!

You can also make an asian-inspired card using this Cuttlebug Embossing Folder, Mary Anne and this fantastic die-cut from Amy Design, Happy Buddha

I love the combination of the Red Mirri Card for the image and the Gold Shimmer paper for the background .. it embosses so beautfully!!

One of our regular customers, Diana Ramsey, played with Alcohol Inks on Silver Mirri Card paper.. you HAVE TO STOP BY the store to see this in person!! This effect is just FANTASTIC!!

Diana used the Sharpie White Paint Pen to create the flowers and a Black Glaze Pen to add the dots in the center

This Nesting Teacups set from Hero Arts is perfect for making a tea-inspired card!!! I cut the tea cups out of Silver Mirri Card so they look more realistic!!

Wendy has shown this technique before, and it is REALLY easy to create.. just die-cut a solid image and tuck a piece of the Handmade Glitter Paper behind the image to bring it to life!!! We used this Memory Box die-cut, Tisdale Snowflake Collage

This is a new Wing Set from Stampendous is really sweet.. and there are SO MANY wing shapes!!!

I cut out the wings in the Silver Mirri-Card and used the same die-cut to cut out the other side so they match!!

There is SO MUCH you can do with Mirri Card and Glitter Papers.. stop by to get inspired 7 days a week!!

NEW STUFF!!!!! August 2018

8/12/2018

Who is ready to see all the COOL NEW STUFF?!?!!

First up, EVERYONE has been LOVING the new Tim Holtz Lift Ink!!

If you are curious why we love it SO MUCH, check out the video!!

http://timholtz.com/new-alcohol-ink-products/

(hint: to learn how to use the Lift Ink ONLY, fast forward to the 26:00 minute mark in the video above!!)

And...... wait for it... wait for it....

ALCOHOL INKS ARE BACK IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Of all the packs of Alcohol Inks that Ranger carries.. we brought in 18 out of 20 of the available packs!!

That is an ENTIRE SECTION of Alcohol Inks to feast your eyes upon....

For those of you who love

Stamps
Die-cuts
Stencils....

... there are new things in stock for you too!!!!

Raise your hand if you LOVE Halloween!!

Now raise your OTHER hand if you LOVE Taylored Expressions!!

Well, check out HOW CUTE THESE ARE!!

I love this new little Vampire Die-cut that curls around to hold a candy!!!

For those of you who love little witches... LOOK HOW ADORABLE!!!

For a fun Halloween idea.. get candies and goodies from the store and label them with this BRILLIANT stamp set, Pick your Poison, from Taylored Expressions!!!

This Falling Leaves Cutting Plate can be used as a frame OR turned into a gate-fold card!!!!

The little leaves come with the set.. and with this new sentiment set, you will have the PERFECT Thanksgiving card... just in time for Fall!!!

Speaking of Fall... MORE PAPER IS HERE!!!!

Fall
Halloween
Christmas!!!!

There are more new products on the way in as well... just stop by 7 days a week to see what might catch your eye!!!

See you soon!!

360-647-9663

Dura-Lar, Acetate, YUPO, and Kromekote

7/27/2018

Do you LOVE paper?!

WE DO TOO!!!!

This year, we have begun to play around with new papers... and some of our FAVORITE has been the new Matte Dura-Lar paper!!!

Today, I am going to show/explain the differences between Matte and Wet Dura-Lar, Acetate, YUPO, and Kromekote

Matte Dura-Lar

Matte Dura-Lar is a synthetic paper that has a VERY smooth surface. The paper is NOT a permeable surface, which means that inks float on the surface. It is also slightly translucent which creates such an AMAZING effect.

Matte Dura-Lar is ideal for working with:

-Alcohol Inks
-Prismacolor Pencils
-Stamp and heat emboss

This AMAZING background (shown below) was created using Alcohol Inks and Isopropyl Alcohol.. you can learn how to do it by going here: https://www.stampadoodle.com/stampadoodle-blog/ranger-products

Here, Wendy stamped out a sun image and used Prismacolor Pencils on both Solar White card stock (left) and Matte Dura-Lar (right)

Notice how the colors go on so beautifully.. and because the pencils are waxed-base, the colors are vibrant and opaque, making the translucent Matte Dura-Lar paper really stand out!!

Acetate

Acetate is a fancy way of saying Clear Acrylic Sheet

We carry Acetate here at the store in two different thicknesses.. one of which has a film covering to keep it protected.

Because Acetate is a plastic, it can be used for:

-Stamping with Staz-on Ink
-Alcohol Inks
-Making Shaker Cards

(The photo below shows a card base made with Acetate and is stamped with a Filagree image stamped out in White Staz-on Ink)

We sell thin and thick Acetate in open stock.. so you can buy just one or two sheets if you wanted to play around with it :-)

Heat-Resistant Acetate

Traditionally, Acetate is not heat-resistent. Many people like to stamp and emboss on Acetate because it works great for making overlay cards!! The Dura-Lar brand carries this Heat Resistant Acetate and they call it Medium Weight Clear Film

You can use it for:

-Stamp and heat-emboss
-Overlays
-Alcohol Inks
-Shaker Cards

Wet Dura-Lar

Wet Dura-Lar looks like Acetate.. but it is SO MUCH BETTER!!!

They refer to it as "Wet Media Film"

It works great for:

-Stamp and heat-emboss
-Water-based Markers
-India-ink markers

The Wet Media Film is ideal for coloring with ANY Markers (such as Tombow Markers) AND it is heat-resistant!

So, now you can stamp and emboss an image and then go back and color your birds and put a piece of paper behind it to bring out the colors!!

YUPO

YUPO is a synthetic, water resistant paper

It is amazing for:

-Alcohol Inks
-Acrylic Paints
-Watercolors

Both Wendy and Bekah have played around with YUPO and there are some REALLY cool things you can do with it!!

Below, Wendy used stencils, and Alcohol Inks, and Alcohol Blending Solution to make this beautiful flower background... she was even able to use the Black Glaze Pen over the top to go back in and add detail..

And here she created the background and then used a White Sharpie Paint Pen to add in highlights. She finished it off with the Black Glaze Pen and drew some free-hand flowers

Bekah created this background by using Alcohol Inks on the surface of YUPO. To create this stunning background, you can learn about it here: https://www.stampadoodle.com/stampadoodle-blog/faux-batik-backgrounds

Bekah played with the YUPO some more and found that you can float Distilled Water on the surface and drop Alcohol Inks to create a REALLY interesting background!

YUPO comes in a couple different ways... The standard YUPO (white) is called "Medium" and it also comes in "Translucent"

The last paper I wanted to explain is one of our ALL TIME FAVORITES and that is... Kromekote!

Kromekote

This is a permeable surface, which means that inks will fall below the surface

You can use:

-Dye-based inks
-Watercolors/Colorburst
-Alcohol Inks
-Stamp and heat-emboss

This Tree card was created by applying Dye-based inks to Kromekote Paper with the Tim Holtz Ink Blending Tool. Then, Denise stamped and heat-embossed this Tree image by Stampotique

You can create this cool "splatter" background by applying dye-based inks DIRECTLY ONTO the Blue Silicone Craft Mat and do a "mono-print" pull onto the Kromekote. When you heat-set the ink, the "splatter effect" is revealed

If you have ANY QUESTIONS about all these wonderful papers, stop by the store or give us a call!!

360-647-9663

NEW STUFF!!!!!!!

7/6/2018

Just earlier this week, we got in a HUGE order of new stuff!!!!

We LOVE looking at all the goodies.. and we know you do too!! Here is a sneak peek of some of the newest things we've been getting in...

First off, if you haven't seen the new Hero Arts release, you will want to see some of these WONDERFUL designs!!

Yes, yes.. it's here already!! CHRISTMAS and HOLIDAY stamps!!!

For those of you starting to work on your Christmas Cards, now is a great time to stop by and get inspired!! It seems like the holidays sneak up on us SO FAST.. why not create less stress for yourself by starting early? We are here and happy to help if you hit a snag!!

Also, check out NEW PAPER!!!!!!

With Florals and Ocean themed images from Kaiser Craft and Couture Creations ... you will find something to love!!!

Of course, it wouldn't be summer without *new* Summer Die-Cuts!

We love these Under-the-Sea images and the Sailboat!!

This floral die-cut is BEAUTIFUL and perfect for any wedding or anniversary card you may be making.. this is SUCH A GREAT DIE-CUT!

We cut it out in Gold Mirri Card paper to show you just how stunning this image is!!

We LOVE planners around here.. and we especially love making our own planners!!

These new stamp sets are AMAZING!!!! We just love all the little illustrations and words!

This makes it easy to design your own planner or make your journal just WAY MORE FUN!!

Just look at these cute little banners! And did you see the little kitty on the edge of the paper?!!? ADORABLE!!

For those of you who LOVE to paint, collage, and create... check out these new products!!

This Collage Paper is thin and decorative.. ideal for layering and working with in your altered journals or any other collage you may be doing! We also got in the SET OF 6 Water Brushes from American Crafts

We just LOVE these designs in this Collage Paper pack!!!

For those of you who LOVE glitter, the Glitterific Acrylic Paints are back in!!!

And.. I know you are all waiting for them to come back in... the Alcohol Ink Storage Tins are also back in stock!!!!

Remember when Wendy designed this card using Distress Inks and the Resist Spray?! Well, the Fern Embossing Folder she used to make this card is also back in!!

If you saw something that you MUST have, give us a call!

360-647-9663

Reflections

6/25/2018

It seems like we are always looking for fun, new ways to use our rubber stamps!! Last week for Demo, we learned all about making cards with Reflections

Denise was the demonstrator and she had some FANTASTIC ideas for making Reflections using her rubber stamps!!

Now... I have to say.. I was blown away by these cards!! I had *no idea* how they were made... until Denise told me the *secret ingredient*...

The Blue Silicone Craft Mat!!!

To make a Reflection of a Rubber Stamp:

Stamp your image on your Silicone Craft Mat with a Dye or Pigment Ink
Do a "mono-print" using a piece of card stock and transfer the image onto your paper
NOW stamp the image again, with the same color ink as before, on your card stock paper, making sure to match up the images so it looks like a true reflection...
Watch as your card is transformed from a basic image to a whole new design!!

This one here with the Elephant Scene from Impression Obsession is just STUNNING!!!! Denise used a Kaleidacolor stamp pad to colorize the background..

Check out this fun idea!!!

Denise used Versafine Onyx Black ink on her Silicone Craft Mat, did a mono-print onto Silver Mirri Card paper, and embossed with Detail Clear embossing powder!!!

*you can color on Mirri Card paper with your Alcohol Inks and Alcohol Blending Solution*

Check out this adorable idea!!! Again with the Mirri Card Paper .. This time she used Archival Ink....

I LOVE this one with the Skaters stamp from Impression Obsession.. it makes such a sweet winter card!!!

Don't forget to join us for Demo every week on Wednesdays!!
Noon to 1pm
No need to sign up! See you Wednesday!!

Ranger Products

5/18/2018

Earlier this week we had Demo! Wendy was the one demonstrating products this week.. and whenever Wendy teaches we ALWAYS learn something new!!

This week Wendy showed everyone about Ranger Products.. for those of you who aren't sure what those products might be.. here's a quick list:

Alcohol Inks
Tim Holtz Distress products
Blending/Stamping Tools

Wendy showed off this new paper (Dura Lar ... we are IN LOVE!) and the Alcohol inks on top... wow what an effect!!!

Wendy said she used 91% Isopropyl Alcohol... here's the technique:

1 Tablespoon of Isopropyl Alcohol in a little cup (like a disposable plastic cup) with about 3 drops of Alcohol Inks.. this deludes the ink. Pour and float it on the surface of the Dura Lar and manipulate the paper to cover the surface.
Then apply the same mixture of Alcohol Ink/Isopropyl Alcohol as above using a Pipette to drop the ink on the surface... and the effect is AMAZING!!! Just drop a few droplets at a time!!
After everything had dried, she went back with straight Alcohol Inks and dropped them on the surface.. this gives the light and dark tones of the drops
Wendy went back in with a Black Glaze Pen to add in shadows around the drops

If you haven't seen it yet, YOU SHOULD STOP BY! This paper is translucent but the Alcohol Inks bring the paper to the next level!!

Just WOW!

Then, Wendy played around with the Distress Sprays and some Tree Stamps from Stampscapes.. This Aurora Borealis effect is SO BEAUTIFUL!

There are a lot of things you can create with Ranger Products.. if you are feeling stumped, stop by to see us!!

We have free Demonstrations on Wednesdays from Noon to 1pm.

Stop by any day of the week to see what we've been working on!

See you soon!

Alcohol Ink Backgrounds

4/13/2018

This week for Demo, Denise showed us all the fun background ideas using Alcohol Inks!!

Check out some of the samples!

You can create easy backgrounds by just doing a splatter effect with droplets of Alcohol Ink..

This one looked kind of like bouncing balls in the background!! Perfect for this silhouette stamp from Impression Obsession..

This is a fun effect.. Kromekote paper is what we use most of the time for doing Alcohol Inks. Here, Denise used a piece of saran wrap to create this fun texture..

I love how with this one she used a combination of Alcohol Inks, an Embossing Folder, and Embossing Powder to make the design stand out!!

This next one was done on a piece of Acetate and then mounted on white card stock.. WOW!!

Check out how some of these other ones turned out.. Denise used stencils and die-cuts to show how you can use products you already have at home to use with Alcohol Inks.. I love how she helps us think outside the box!!

Don't forget to join us every week for FREE DEMO!!

We offer it every Wednesday from Noon to 1pm and there is always a new technique to share!!

See you next week!

Faux Batik Backgrounds

4/10/2018

This last week for Demo, Bekah demonstrated how to make "Faux Batik Backgrounds"

Now, you may be familiar with the look of Batik as it is a popular design in the world of fabric

Bekah used products we carry here at the store to make the backgrounds!! Check out how cool these are!!

This background here was created using Alcohol Inks on YUPO paper. Bekah then took a leaf stamp, inked it up with Archival Ink, and stamped on TOP of the Alcohol Inks. THEN, using a paper towel, she wiped away the Archival Ink and what is left behind is this BEAUTIFUL appearance!!

*For whatever reason, Ranger Archival Ink is the only kind of ink that works with this technique.. and I just LOVE how it looks!!

Check out some of these other STUNNING papers she created!!

This one was using a stencil.. the Batik Effect here is so beautiful!!

To see these samples in person, stop by the store!! We love to help you think outside the box.. and these Faux Batik Backgrounds make it easy to use some of those stencils or stamps you may have lying around!

Alcohol Inks, Ideas and Techniques

1/27/2018

Demo this week was taught by our very own Wendy! She had a lot of fun showing off some new techniques and ideas with Alcohol Inks!

This AMAZING product creates VIBRANT COLORS with just a few drops!!

When using Alcohol Inks, we recommend you use YUPO paper or Kromekote. These 2 kinds of papers have a finish on the surface that is ideal for doing Alcohol Ink concepts without any bleed-through to the other side.

Using just Alcohol Blending Solution on YUPO or Kromekote paper and a few drops of your favorite Alcohol Ink colors you too can create these vibrant works of art!!

Check out this idea... After her Alcohol Ink dried, Wendy went back in with the Sakura Black Glaze Pen and finished off the piece of art.. I LOVE THIS IDEA!! Glaze pens will dry on a variety of surfaces and are currently one of our *ALL TIME FAVORITE PENS*

The combination of the Black Glaze Pen and the Alcohol Inks really makes for a bright and colorful card with great contrast!

Below, Wendy used both the Black Glaze Pen as well as the White Sharpie Paint Pen to highlight areas of the flowers! I LOVE this idea!!

This next idea is done using one of the Joggles Stencils..

Take the Tim Holtz Felt Applicator Tool and apply a little bit of Alcohol Blending Solution onto the bit of Felt.
Then, apply a little bit of Alcohol Ink (Wendy used 2 different colors, a pink and a purple) onto the piece of Felt
Lay the stencil down on your piece of Kromekote or YUPO paper
Gently tap the Applicator Tool over the stencil image
Lift the stencil to reveal the image!
Wendy used the Black Glaze Pen to finish it off

This next technique uses the Gel Plate!

*THIS IS IMPORTANT*
Never put Alcohol Ink directly onto your Gel Plate.. ALWAYS USE a barrier such as Hand Sanitizer on your Gel Plate before applying Alcohol Inks

Squirt out some Hand Sanitizer onto your Gel Plate, spread it around so it evenly coats the entire surface.
Apply some drops of Alcohol Ink and move it around using a wooden skewer or a piece of acetate to manipulate the colors
LEAVE THE GEL PLATE on the table and bring your paper (YUPO or Kromekote) to the Gel Plate and use a Brayer on the backside of the paper so that it fully picks up the color
Lift your paper to reveal what you created! (This process is called doing a "Mono-print")

Below, you can see the image almost has a marbled-look to it... this was done by using a wooden skewer to move the colors around and THEN she did the mono-print

This next card was made using the same technique as above. Using the shapes that were created, the Thoughful Faerie die-cut from Poppy works *PERFECTLY* for this card!

To make this next card, Wendy used the Krylon Gold Leafing Pen

Shake your Gold Leafing Pen thoroughly and then tap out some color onto a piece of Kromekote or YUPO paper... your pen SHOULD blot out quite a bit of ink... but we WANT that for this technique!
Pour some Alcohol Blending Solution over the surface
Drop on 2 colors of Alcohol Ink (Wendy used a shade of green and a shade of blue)
Watch as the colors flow together to reveal this stunning color combination!

There is SO MUCH you can do with Alcohol Inks!!

Join us for Demo next week... the theme is Playtime with Suzie!!

Demo is offered EVERY Wednesday from 12pm to 1pm and is FREE to attend!!

Call us if you have any questions!
360-647-9663

Demo: Acetate Backgrounds

1/11/2018

Demo this week was really fun!! Denise was the Demonstrator and she showed us how to make really cool Acetate Backgrounds!!

To make these miniature bits of art, you will need:

A piece of Acetate
A piece of tissue paper (similar in size to the acetate)
Crystal Lacquer
Alcohol inks
Embellishments such as die-cut shapes, textured ribbon, sequins, and/or glitter!

The process:

*We suggest you use a Craft Mat to do this!*

Take a piece of Acetate and pour out a little pool of Crystal Lacquer
Use a wooden skewer to move the Crystal Lacquer across the entire piece of Acetate
Use Alcohol Inks to apply drops of ink onto the Crystal Lacquer
After you have applied all of the inks you would like, use the skewer again to swirl the colors together

Lay down the embellishments of your choosing! In the sample below, you can see how she put down some textured ribbon, then some die-cut Tropical Fish from Impression Obsession, and some sequins from Hero Arts
Crinkle-up your piece of tissue paper and then un-crinkle it. Lay it on top of the design you just created in the Crystal Lacquer
*USE GLOVES* to press the tissue paper flat onto the Acetate
Let it dry overnight

Once the design has had an opportunity to dry overnight, you will see the AMAZING transformation!!!

My FAVORITE part about this is that the design is TRANSLUCENT!!

Once you have created your backgrounds, Denise showed how you can turn the designs into cards!

In this one, if you look closely, you can see the Wandering Jellyfish in this Under the Sea card! Denise used the Coral Collage die-cut from Memory Box

For this card, Denise *EMBOSSED* the words right onto the front of the Acetate and paired it with these *adorable* Ducks die-cut from Impression Obsession, which makes the PERFECT card!!

I just LOVED this one that used one of the Faerie die-cuts from Memory Box!! The added sequins really make this card so magical!!

To see these STUNNING cards in person, swing by the store! We are open EVERY DAY of the week and would LOVE to show you all the newest stuff!!

Call us if you have questions!!

360-647-9663