Alcohol Inks, Andy Skinner & more!

It's been a while since Sincerely yours at Thetford - a big hello to everyone who came and chatted with me! Here are a few of my favourite samples to emerge from my demonstrations during the day. I played with Alcohol inks, Glossy Card, Shrink Plastic and used stamps from Andy Skinner and Crafty Individuals and Inkadinkado. I'm posting up the alcohol inks onto glossy card today - and I'll put up the shrink plastic and glass samples later this week. I hope you enjoy the samples and they inspire you to get out your alcohol inks!

My favouriteof the day! Start with glossy card, then spritz with the chalk Cosmic Shimmer mister - yellow and green and dry with a heat gun. Then apply Alcohol inks - the mister ink resists the alcohol ink and you end up with these interesting cloudy patterns. Then stamp over the top with the stamps - from the Andy Skinner Antiques set using Archival Jet Black ink. Then a few final highlights with a white gel pen to finish. It's really worth experimenting with misters and alcohol inks - you get some great effects!

You can keep it subtle in colour by using some of the natural tone Alcohol inks. This has been applied using felt on an applicator tool. I've then stamped using a mix of Crafty Individiuals using Archival Black ink and also Versafine Sepia. Finally highlight and accent with patterns using Letraset fineliners and white gel pen. I usually cut my Crafty Individuals stamps into individual designs - ie the four cottages are now four stamps and the set of 9 motif designs 9 tiny stamps - even cutting up the words on sheets into individual stamps if you've got the patience is really worth it! It gives you much more flexibility in using the stamps to greater effects.

Play around with striped effects too. A few dots of colour onto the felt on the applicator tool and then drag it across your card in stripes. The stamps used here are from Crafty Individuals.

Another example of going bright - a few drops of bright colours onto white glossy card and then I've used Inkadinkado Inchies Dogs stamps and accented with the flourish stamp from Andy skinner's antiques set. Again a few highlights in black and white pens finishes off the design

If collage isn't your style - you can keep it simple, just create a simple background with a few drops of Alcohol inks and drag it across in waves - same sort of thing as the stripes - but add a few curves for interest. Then I've stamped with a Crafty Individuals stamp and then added a few details in Blue Versafine ink with the Crackle stamp. Again a few highlights to finish.

Now go grab those Alcohol Inks and get playing - you'll love it!... and if you need to top up your supplies and treat yourself to a new colour... or two.... have a look here we've many colours in stock!

enjoy

Jane