Success with Alcohol Inks

Hi everyone.  I have a love / hate relationship with alcohol inks. :)  I have had success with using them on pieces of copper and acetate, and with the floating alcohol inks technique.  But when it comes to playing with them on yupo paper that is all the rage now, I have had little success.  I made one a few months back and it turned out well ... turns out it was beginner's luck. :)

But, I'm stubborn! :)  And it has paid off for me.  I was determined to make things work and I found out that I had the best luck by smooshing alcohol inks.  I placed some drops of colour on a piece of foil (red and magenta) and added a few drops of gold metallic fixative.  Then I smooshed. :)

I ended up with several pieces that actually look pretty good.  I'm happy!  LOVE the vibrant colours from these inks and kept the cards super CAS by having just a single layer of my die-cuts along with splattering diluted gold acrylic paint in the background and stamping a sentiment.

I do struggle with a few products and techniques.  I'm just happy that I have overcome my problems with alcohol inks ... for now. :)

Here's a close-up of the poinsettia ... LOVE these bold colours.

And I made another using an ornament die ...

Updated:  Since I used snippets of my alcohol ink smooshed paper for the poinsettia and ornament, I'm heading over to the Snippets Playground to join the fun. :)  Di and Parsnip are celebrating their 250th week --- congrats!!

Stamps:  Peace - Merriest sentiments (Avery Elle); Be Joyful - Big Scripty Greetings Holiday (Simon Says)
Paper:  White card base (Neenah 110 lb.); Yupo white
Ink:  Alcohol inks:  Poppyfield (Ranger); Senorita Magenta, Gold (Pinata); Gold Delicata (Tsukineko)
Accessories & Tools:  Blooming Poinsettia die (Poppy Stamps); Ornament Set 2 die (Elizabeth Craft Designs), gold beads, gold cording, gold acrylic paint (Lumiere) for splattering, paint brush

Challenges:
Snippets Playground - Week 250

More Autumn Colours

Hi everyone.  Enjoying working with the beautiful colours of Autumn.  This card started with a sponged background of Spiced Marmalade and Ripe Persimmon.  I placed a chicken wire stencil over top, spritzed with water and removed.  Waited a few seconds and then blotted with a paper towel.  The water removed the design of the stencil to create a fun and textured looked background, even though there is really no texture. :)

I stamped the two leaves onto watercolour paper and heat embossed in copper.  I then watercoloured the leaves using the same colours that I used for the background with the addition of some barn door to make them slightly different in colour.

I heat embossed the sentiment in the same copper on black card stock, popping it up over top of the leaf stems.

I'm adding these to two challenges ... CAS Mix Up, where the challenge this month is ghosting (removing colour ... which I did with the chicken wire stencil).

... and CAS Watercolour, where the challenge this month is autumn.  I watercoloured the leaves with distress inks.

I hope you'll come play along with both challenges.  Hope to see you in the gallery!

Stamps:  Gently Falling (Stampin' Up!); Sentiment - Where the Heart is (Simon Says)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.); Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. cold press)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Spiced Marmalade, Ripe Persimmon, Barn Door (Tim Holtz); Versamark
Accessories & Tools:  sponges, Chicken Wire stencil (The Crafter's Workshop), water mister, copper embossing powder (Ranger), heat tool

Challenges:
CAS Mix Up October Challenge - Ghosting
CAS Watercolour October Challenge - Autumn

Autumn with Brushos

Hi everyone.  Pulled out my brushos again ... so much fun!  Used a LARGE Hero Arts flower stencil, sprinkled with autumn colours of brushos, spritzed with water and then let dry.  Ended up with a large piece that I cut in half to make two cards.  Love when I can get a twofer out of one image. :)

For those of you that might not have read my earlier posts, Bonnie and I have started a new card challenge --- CAS Watercolour.  This card is heading there. :) The first challenge is ...

Create a CAS Autumn card using watercolouring (any watercolour technique or products are welcome), and then come link up and join the fun.  We'd love to see you in the gallery.

There's also a Design Team Call from October 1-15, 2016 for those that might be interested.

Also heading over to join the fun at the Snippets Playground.  I used a snippet of my watercoloured flower for the card, along with a snippet for the sentiment panel.  :)

My friend Aileen has started up a new card challenge, The Flower Challenge.  It just launched yesterday with a fantastic line-up of talented design team members.  The first challenge is "Anything Goes", I'm entering my card above. Congrats on a fabulous new challenge Aileen and team!!

Stamps:  Sunny Sentiments (Amy R)
Paper:  White card base (Neenah 110 lb. card stock); Watercolour (Arches 140 lb. cold press)
Ink:  Brushos:  Lemon, Orange, Terracotta; Distress Ink:  Vintage Photo (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Large Flower stencil (Hero Arts), water mister

Challenges:
CAS Watercolour October Challenge - Autumn
Snippets Playground - Week 249
The Flower Challenge - Anything Goes

CAS Mix Up October Challenge & New CAS Watercolour Challenge

Hi everyone.  It's the start of the CAS Mix Up October Challenge.  This month we are looking for "ghosting" on your cards.  And no, not the type of ghosts that show up for Halloween later this month :) ...  but a ghost of an image.

Ghosting is fun and easy to do.  Check out my video tutorial on Ghosting.

The stencil I used above is VERY open, so I wanted to create a ghost of the outline of the leaves. I sponged my card front randomly with turquoise and green inks. Then I sprayed the back of the stencil with water first, layed it on the card front, pressed down and removed.  Let the water sit for about 10 seconds to work it's way into the sponged colours, and then blotted with a paper towel.  Voila!!  This combines Stencil Monoprint with Ghosting. :)

This month we are excited to have Mac Mable (The Sweetest of Peas) are our Guest Designer.  Mac won the CAS Mix Up August Challenge - Sprays with this GORGEOUS CARD.  Welcome Mac!

Please check out our challenge blog to see Mac's Ghosting card, along with the rest of the Design Team cards.

I hope you'll give Ghosting a try and come join us at the CAS Mix Up challenge with your CAS (Clean and Simple) mixed media cards.  We'd love to see you in the gallery.

As always, the challenge is open until the 24th of the month.

* * * * *

CAS Watercolour's first challenge is live!

As I mentioned on my blog a couple of days ago, Bonnie and I are excited to begin a new adventure with a new challenge --- CAS Watercolour Card Challenge.

The first challenge starts today.  Future challenges will begin on the 2nd of every month. The challenge is to create a CAS (Clean and Simple) Watercoloured card following the theme each month.

Here's October's challenge ...

And here's my card ...

Come join our new challenge.  Create a Clean and Simple Watercoloured Autumn card and enter it in the linky on the challenge blog.  The challenge runs until Oct. 24th.

* * * * *

MORE EXCITING NEWS!

We are having a Design Team Call for both CAS Mix Up and CAS Watercolour Card Challenge.

The Design Team Calls run from October 1st - 15th for both challenges.  Check out the details on both challenge blogs.

CAS Mix Up Card with Ghosting:
Stamps:  A Little Sentimental (Clearly Besotted)
Paper:  White card stock (Neenah 110 lb.)
Ink:  Distress Inks:  Mowed Lawn, Peacock Feathers (Tim Holtz)
Accessories & Tools:  Leaf stencil (Carabelle Studio), sponges, water mister, Fresh Foliage die (Memory Box), stylus and mat, sequins

CAS Watercolour Card - Autumn:
Stamps:  Script; Heartfelt (both from Penny Black)
Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore 140 lb.)
Ink:  Delicata Gold (Tsukineko); Black (Memento)
Accessories & Tools:  Watercolour sprays made from liquid concentrate in Orange and Magenta (Dick Blick), Acetate sheet for smooshing background, Maple Leaf die (Poppy Stamps)


Challenges:
CAS Mix Up October Challenge - Ghosting
CAS Watercolour October Challenge - Autumn