Happy Spring Everyone! We have snow on the ground here today but it isn't spring in Colorado without a good snow storm or two.
Before we get to today's project I have to share a little accomplishment that I am quite excited about. I actually found out about it a few weeks ago but it kind of got lost with all the Head Shaving Hoopla.
So here it is......
I have had my first project published. :-)
I made these paper cuff bracelets several months ago.
They were recently published in the Spring 2015 issue of Green Craft Magazine.
You can find the video tutorial here. Or shop for my "famous" bracelets here. :-)
But let's get on with this weeks project.
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This project started mostly as an experiment. There were successes and failures along the way. First a disclaimer, or maybe it is a confession. but the truth is I have never worked with alcohol ink before. Because of this I don't know how my homemade versions stack up to real alcohol ink like Tim Holtz Ranger Ink. Still I am pretty pleased with most of the results I got.
Several years ago when I bought my printer it came with this big stack of photo paper which I have rarely used. Do people still print photos? Anyway I thought this paper would be a good surface to try out same alcohol ink techniques.
If you have looked into making your own alcohol inks, you already know that two of the most common methods use old permanent markers and Rit fabric dye mixed with rubbing alcohol. I tried both of these methods with good results. The markers are a little messy to get apart and need to soak in the alcohol for a little while to release the full color. With the Rit dye you can pretty much just mix a go.
In all my researching I also came across these suggestions to use as colorants. Food coloring, Easter egg dye and even un-sweetened kool aid packets. I did not try any of these but they all seem to have promise.
In an effort to keep this project as Fru-green as possible I needed to search my house for other color candidates. I found a ball point pen disassembled it, cut up the ink tube and dropped it into the alcohol. This picture was taken right after adding the color. It got much darker after sitting for awhile.
My other most happy experiment was with curry. I love curry but I don't cook with it as much as I would like since the hubby is not really a fan. This also may not be the most cost effective way to make yellow alcohol ink if you buy expensive spices. I purchased a large bottle of curry at Big Lots a while back for a dollar and since it was still in my cupboard I decided to give it a try.
At first I didn't think that I had made anything but a hot mess as the curry does not dissolve and the mixture is quite dark and lumpy looking. But after the curry sediment is filtered out (I used a piece of paper towel to strain the mixture) you are left with a nice gold color.
I had read that working with alcohol ink is quite messy. (The rumors are true -) So I worked on a tray to keep everything contained.
My work space.
A few techniques.
Cotton Ball Dabber.
Empty computer ink cartridge dabber.
Dripping Dropping and letting the ink run.
A few of my favorites.
This one I actually sprinkled salt on while the ink was still wet which gave it the more textured look. I liked it so much I named it Galaxy. (Cuz I am weird that way)
So far I am quite pleased with myself. I have achieved all these lovely colors with my first five color tries.
I really like the vivid vibrant colors that I got on the photo paper. I also tested theses colors on some aluminium and glass with some success.
So, I guess I was getting too big for my britches (is my age showing with that last phrase or what?) Anyway I broke my first cardinal rule of living fru-greenly and I bought these.
It was the beginning of several failed attempts at making more beautiful alcohol ink colors. Here are some other items that do not work very well. Eye shadow, Paprika and Cocoa Powder. :-)
What about you? Have you made your own alcohol ink? What did you use?
One last tip. Check your medicine cabinet for expired eye or ear drops. These bottles work well for applying the ink.
Happy Upcycling,
