Alcohol with Timeless Tropics

Welcome back, my stamping friends! Is this Wednesday? Amelia has been out of school due to the weather, so my days are all running together since I don’t have to pick her up from school. Every day is a weekend. All day Sunday, I kept thinking, “Where is the mail?” And I was panicking this afternoon because I thought I forgot to pick her up from school. I am so confused!

Last Thursday, our local Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator Team had a  Zoom Technique class. Liz demonstrated a super fun technique using Stampin’ Blends. Basically, you use a Stampin’ Blend to scribble a little bit of color on vellum, a window sheet, or some other non-porous material. Then, pick up rubbing alcohol (91% or higher; the 72% has too much water. It will work – kind of – but not really well) with a paintbrush and paint around the scribble. Because the Stampin’ Blends are alcohol inks, the rubbing alcohol causes the ink to run – kind of like using water and Stampin’ Write Markers. When you use “like plus like,” the ink will run. That’s why we use a water based ink if we’re coloring with Stampin’ Blends (water/alcohol) and a solvent ink to color with Stampin’ Write Markers or classic ink (solvent/water).

When the ink begins to run, use a straw or an air spritzer to move the ink around. (Remember not to inhale through the straw, though!) Continue this process, alternating colors,  until you get the background you like. Two colors work really well; three would be the absolute maximum I would use. If you blend too many colors together, you’ll get a muddy look. Try to use colors that blend well together. In my samples, I used Misty Moonlight and Granny Apple Green. The colors separated a bit – especially when I tried them on a window sheet, which was really cool. Of course, the Granny Apple Green showed a bit of yellow. But since the colors all shared a common primary color or two (blue and yellow), it all worked well together. Take a look.

This is the background using Vellum Cardstock. It’s very muted, and the ink blended well on the vellum. I added a piece of Basic White Cardstock behind the vellum. I also added a Window Sheet over the vellum. I thought it made the colors look a little sharper. (Mike agreed, even without my coaching.)

Here’s another version of the same card. I used Yupo instead of Vellum for this one. Yupo is created for alcohol inks. It’s a smooth, heavy, water resistant, synthetic surface that resists buckling, and it dries quickly. Sadly, it’s not in the Stampin’ Up! catalog right now.

To be fair, I splattered a little alcohol over this one, so it has a little more interest.  For both cards, I used the Layering Ovals Dies to cut a scalloped oval from the background and from the Granny Apple Green Designer Series Paper (DSP). For the vellum, I also die-cut the same oval from Basic White Cardstock to layer behind the vellum. I added a Window Sheet layer over the background piece, then adhered it behind the Granny Apple Green DSP. This is a little sneak peek of the new design of the DSP. If you join my team during Sale-a-bration (through February 28), you’ll get five packs of this paper – Brights, Regals, Neutrals, Subtles, and the 2020-2022 In Colors. You’ll also get $125 in product of your choice, catalogs, and business supplies for only $99 plus tax (but no shipping). That’s well over $75 in free product!

Back to the cards. I die-cut an oval frame from Misty Moonlight Cardstock to add to the oval window. I used Soft Suede and Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Write Markers to ink the palm trees from the Timeless Tropics Stamp Set, then used the coordinating In the Tropics Dies to die-cut them.

I colored some of the Forever Greenery Trim with a Misty Moonlight Stampin’ Blend, and used that under the sentiment. This sentiment is from the Punch Party Stamp Set, another Sale-a-bration product. When you host a $300 minimum party during the winter Sale-a-bration, you’ll get this set free! I stamped the sentiment in Misty Moonlight, then punched with the Double Oval Punch from the January – June Mini Catalog. I colored the Rhinestones with a Granny Apple Green Stampin’ Blend and added them to the oval.

These cards were so fun to create! Give this technique a try. And please check in on Friday to see some shaker cards from Jackie, Susan, and me! I’m curious if we’ll be sharing real shaker cards with lots of layers and foam tape, or the much easier “Faker Shakers” with clear envelopes. Hmmm. Check in to see!

Thanks for stopping by Stamping with Buffy. Have a lovely day!

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