My mess with Alcohol Inks -

[howdyheidi]

I wanted to let any shoppers know that all the stuff for alcohol inks are 50% off at Joann.com right now and there is 2.99 flat rate shipping.  I am going to pick up the stuff i still need and 1 or two packs of three inks. 

Jan, I think if I choose two packs carefully, there will be some of the same tones in there, like dark and light blue, or purple and blue, or something like that.  I did not mean they were sold in color families.

[Far North]

Thanks Heidi for letting everyone know about the sale!  And happy that you are able to find the colors you wanted.

[Looser]

Thank you so much for your responses.  Your encouragement  has saved the AI this time.   I will continue to play with them and will not get discouraged.  Also thanks so much for additional information about the AI's. Will get some gloves I think.   

Good for you, Ann! I'm not a big user of 'alky inks'--all 6 of mine were rakked to me--but I do appreciate them as an addition to my store of colors.

I think a stash of (disposable) gloves is a smart add-on to any stampers stash. Not only do they help keep our hands 'clean', but they allow us to get 'hands on' with our paints & inks. We can safely touch fingertips to inkpads & ink to apply them to a piece. We can also use our encased digits to move inks & paints--just like fingerpainting.  A great way to free the 'inner child', pal!

[Craft Nerd]

Apparently, my inner child isn't so inner since I have no problem getting my hands dirty.

[lovepug2]

I don't mind either! I always manage to get ink on my hands no matter how careful I am!

[Looser]

LOL Nerd & Pug! I usually go gloveless, but today I'm wearing them inside the house! Next thing you know we'll all be wearing mittens while stamping.

Far as 'inner children' go? Some (not moi) prefer to be a bit more pristine, but they're still very creative!, ain't?! 

[Utah Ann]

Craft Nerd

Thanks so much for the information about buy a bottle at a time of the color you want without buying a trio.  Good information.

[Utah Ann]

Far North - thanks so much for the link for Ranger AI color chart.  I really appreciate that. 

[howdyheidi]

I have a basic question.  Do you keep the felt pieces and reuse them later, or use a new one every time? I feel like if you are using the same colors you could reuse the felt, but I don't know how that works in reality?

Also, does anyone know what the blending solution is?  It is pretty expensive if it is just rubbing alcohol or something like that.

TIA!

[Far North]

So I buy a 1/4 yard of white felt and cut my own.   But I just dry out the pieces and reuse them. I do not clean the felt piece just let them dry out on their own.  I toss them out when I can differentiate any of the colors. 

The blending fluid does reactive the color.  I sparingly use the blending fluid and it lasts me for a few years.  TH says the blending fluid has other company secret ingredients...long ago I tried alcohol instead and decided the results were not the same. So I use coupons to buy it when needed. If you do try rubbing alcohol it should be over 90%.

 Heidi, you should be very please with your first result...congrats!

[howdyheidi]

Thanks Jan. I also was wondering if I could just cut my own felt.  But for now, I have a full bottle of blending solution and the whole pack of felts.  Since I got them 50% off at joann.com, I was not set back too much.  But as soon as I opened the bottle, I thought it must be mostly rubbing alcohol.  I am going to ask DH when he gets home what he thinks (he has a good sense of smell for those things).  Someone on the internet claims that 70-90% ethyl rubbing alcohol works as well.  Who knows.  All those things have additives in them too, so I am sure they aren't exactly the same. 

And thank you! I had a lot of fun this morning.  I want to try more of my colors.