Happy Thursday!  I want to continue with the Alcohol Faux Bleach/Batik Tutorial today.  If you were at the Chicago or York Stamp Show, you saw me work with acrylic fragments and alcohol ink.  That is what I want to walk you through today.  I’ll also show you the finished project, which is a tag made with alcohol inks using the faux bleach technique.  I really think this one needs a different name, but I just haven’t settled on what.  I am leaning toward calling it - - - oh I don’t know!  It is a variation of the faux bleach technique that I have been playing with so it might as well be Alcohol Faux Bleach.

Let’s get started by inking up your felt applicator with the alcohol inks.  I have used cranberry, butterscotch and stream.

Apply the inks onto the fragment, letting the alcohol ink dry in between layers.  You will end up with a fragment that looks similar to this.  Let the ink dry thoroughly.

Choose an image (not words or sentiments) that you would like to stamp on your fragment.  Ink the image with a permanent black ink.  I have used Ranger Archival Jet Black.

Stamp the image over the alcohol ink that you applied to the fragment.

Using a gentle touch, immediately wipe the black ink off with a cloth.  You should now have a fragment that has a clear image of the one you stamped.

To highlight the stamped image, glue the fragment (alcohol ink side down) onto a white piece of cardstock.  I have used Ranger Glossy Accents as my glue.  It dries clear and very quickly.  (By the way, I applied more Glossy Accents than needed - it was way too much.)

Trim the image and you will now have an embellishment ready to use on a card, or anything else you would like to use it for.

For mine, I used the fragment as an embellishment on a tag.  Using the faux bleach/batik technique described in the first installment of this tutorial, I created a tag using alcohol inks.  The tag, unlike glossy cardstock, absorbs the alcohol ink and gives an entirely different look than that of glossy cardstock.

Supplies used:

• Stamps: Tim Holtz Nature’s Discovery by Stampers Anonymous from Rubbernecker Stamp Company
• Paper: White Cardstock and White Shipping Tag
• Ink: Ranger Archival Jet Black and Distress Embossing
• Accessories: Ranger Cranberry, Butterscotch and Stream Alcohol Inks, Ink Blending Tool and Felt, Glossy Accents, Alcohol Blending Solution, Clear Embossing Powder; Tim Holtz Idea-ology Oval Fragment and Trinket Pin; Heat Gun; Iron; Ribbon; Tonic Tim Holtz Distress Tool

I can’t wait to see all of your alcohol ink projects!

Good Tuesday morning!  Wow what a whirlwind of a weekend I had.  I’m still dragging a bit, but there is so much to tell you today!  First, let me say how exciting and fun it was to work the Rubbernecker Booth at the York Stamp Show this past weekend.  I got to meet so many Splitcoaststampers, including fellow dirty girls Angie and Denise.  I was lucky enough to have lunch with Angie and have a change to sit and chat with her!  I have to say that it just makes my day when someone from SCS walks up to the booth and says hello!  Some of you I have chatted with online or seen your work and I truly feel like I already know you!  It just makes the entire weekend for me.  The next one I’ll be at is in San Antonio, Texas in a few weeks.

Now you know it’s Tuesday, and that means it’s Treasure Hunt Tuesday at Rubbernecker.  You can find sample cards of one of the prizes today on the Rubbernecker Stamps Blog.  You’ll also find a list of all the Design Team Members with their blog links so that you can hop around and visit them.  I have Blog Candy today, and will be giving away two $10 Gift Certificates from Rubbernecker.

In order to win, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post.  No special questions today – I’m too tired to think of one!  I’ll pick two winners and post who they are tomorrow.

While working the show, I was demonstrating Ranger Alcohol Inks.  Part of the demo included an embossing technique.  While showing this technique to a group of women on Sunday, they were taking notes, trying to keep up with me.  I promised them that I would have a brief tutorial on my blog today, just for them!  So ladies, this one is for you.

The products you will need are: Ranger Alcohol Inks (I have used Butterscotch, Lettuce and Terra Cotta); Alcohol Blending Solution; Ink Applicator with felt; Embossing Ink; Clear Embossing Powder; Heat Tool; Iron; White Glossy Cardstock; Plain White Cardstock.  Stamps I used are from the Stamp Oasis Winter Holiday Collection Leaf Set SKU:868 869 870 SO.  All product and images from Rubbenecker Stamp Company.

Stamp your image on the white glossy cardstock, cover with the clear embossing powder, and then heat set using your heat tool.

Apply the alcohol inks to your felt applicator by pressing in the point of bottle and give the bottle a good two second squeeze, allowing the ink to fill your felt.

Begin pouncing the ink onto your embossed glossy cardstock, covering the entire surface.  To apply a second layer of color and blend the inks, apply a small drop of the blending solution to your felt, and go over your cardstock a second time.

While the alcohol is still damp, lay your plain white cardstock over the top of the inked glossy cardstock, and then iron over your image.  Your iron should be set on high with no steam.

Once you see the embossed image come through the top layer of cardstock, you are done.  Remove the white cardstock and you will have two backgrounds.  The background on the left is the original alcohol inked glossy cardstock (Faux Bleach and/or Batik with Alcohol Inks) and the background on the right is the Alcohol Fresco.

Here is the fresco background trimmed and inked.  You can also leave the second background as it is for more of a fresco look.

You can now make two cards with one technique.  My first with the Faux Bleach/Batik Background.

The second with the Alcohol Fresco Background.

I look forward to seeing your designs now!