Alcohol Ink Challenge Series

[Far North]

Good morning everyone!  So good to see lots of interest in this challenge series!  Welcome Cindi, LeighAnn and Sarah!!

Heidi your info on the labeling on gallery posting is most helpful...I am going to make some changes on the challenge posting.  I will be back when I am finished.

[Far North]

Okay-The instructions now read "Edited-3/14/15 For each new challenge I will post key words to be copied and pasted twice into your gallery upload post as the title and as the keywords. You may add additional keywords if you wish." This is exactly what Heidi did as the first poster. Of course seeing the challenge name and topic is nice for folks when looking at the gallery and the Key words will give us all the ability to look at all the other entries for a specific challenge we are playing. Please ask if you have any other questions.  Thanks Heidi for being the front runner on trying this out!

Back to commenting on earlier posts...
Cindi-I too have not tried making other pattern prints with the felt (Patti, a Ranger employee, has done a few other videos featuring other  animal print designs).  And I also haven't tried removing some of the ink from an agate background to give emphasis to the stamping. As for my kitchen, yes there were moments of panic but now that I survived that big mess I feel it has been totally "broken-in" and I will be able to relax  and enjoy more.

LeighAnn-The bottle labeling of lights/brights/earthtones is written on the bottom of the mountain but not on the original bottles and not now that the labeling has just been updated without the mountain. I have a few light colors...salmon is so pale that it is only 1 shade away from the glossy paper. Others like peach bellini are just 2-3 shades of more color and I find I seldom use them. Others like cloudy blue, aqua, and cool peri I find useful. One of the reasons I wanted to make a color chart is so I can actually see the colors all together and to try to use the best ones for my projects. 

Do I recall correctly that you use some piņata alcohol inks?--when I did my color chart I discovered my 6 Piņata bottles were totally dried out and were crumbs.  I found that odd since I have had no problems with the Ranger inks and have had some a lot longer and they are stored together.

Sarah-my cooper fixative's mixing ball is also stuck.  The others gave my arm a good workout but their mixing balls released after considerable shaking.  I put that bottle upside-down in a small glass for 24 hours and it still did not release.

 I really would like the snow cap mixative. Since I can not order it here and JoAnns does not carry it in their local store with their other AI mixatives I want to talk to JoAnns manager and see if they can special order it to come with their other AI merchandise. 

Hope to have some time to play on the challenges this weekend.  Please post if you have any questions...I am sure someone can share a similar experience.
Happy creating!...Jan

[howdyheidi]

I wanted to respond to a few comments on my first project.  In real life, I think the gold mixitive distracts from the stamping a little bit.  I wanted to use gold embossing powder, but I only have the Champagne EP and it is not a fine detail powder, so I did not think I would get a good result with that and the stamp I wanted to use.

I may try it again with white detail embossing powder, OR if I used the silver mixitive, I do have silver detail EP.  For a chunkier stamp, I like a snowflake with this style background.

Looking forward to trying more!  I am a bit afraid of number 2! 

[Far North]

Heidi, I personally really like your original card and would use it. But I also know how it is when I want a different look than what I achieved.  Glad you are thinking through options.

 I haven't done the challenge #3 technique but I am thinking that may work to bring more contrast when one has a darker agate background. You can choose to do the challenges in any order you want.

What feels tough about challenge#2?  If it is about not getting the results you want...try experimenting on smaller paper and post. If you want suggestions just ask or if is a color issue then you can choose not to make a card.  I have used my ink for many years and still have plenty of ink in 98% of the bottles after tons of experimenting.  I am glad you are starting with only few colors this will give you an idea of what you might want to add in the future.  Hope you can enjoy your playtime.

[howdyheidi]

Well, I have 1 of 2 backgrounds for Challenge 3.  It is really pretty and I am happy with that so far.

I tried challenge two, but gosh, it looks awful!  I might post tomorrow, but I am not sure if I am on the right track at all.  I am not sure if it is a color issue or not.

I am kindof hoping to see what others come up with for Challenge 2. 

It is dark now so I will wait till tomorrow for photos.  I am having fun, though, and I have to say that the AIs aren't as messy as I expected. 

[djc]

Thanks, Jan, for the updated information and the challenge.  I still have polished stone pieces I haven't made into cards.  They turned out so dark that it's hard to imagine stamping on them, but sometimes I die cut them and use the frames. 

One thing that stopped me from making more pieces was that I found the felt sticking to the alcohol ink and/or the ink had a tacky feel to it.  Maybe I was using too much ink???  I did use a good quality of glossy cardstock so I don't think that was the problem.

I have accidentally made a few pieces that were so pretty that I hated to use them up, but I couldn't re-make them again even when I used the same colors of ink, they just didn't look as good as the original piece.  Bummer.

I hope to get in and try some new pieces now that you are offering the challenges.  I do have some of the Lights and Brights as well as the Earthtones that I love so much.  I also have several of the Pinata alcohol inks, and they are on the bright side if I remember correctly.

Daria

[Far North]

Good Morning everyone! 
I wish we had auto e-mail for the gallery so I wouldn't need to stalk it waiting for the reveals! LOL!

Yay Heidi, beautiful accidents are always a great encouragement to try more   As Daria said some are really hard to use when you don't think you can duplicate them!  On the other extreme I always keep all of my leftover scraps and not so good ones in a separate baggie so I can use them in tiny amounts with dies, punches ect for small accents.  And sometimes they are fun to slip into an envelope as a RAK.

Daria, happy to see you found this challenge series! Hmm-sticky ink?  Do you recall if you were using blending solution? Wonder if that was not evaporating fast enough?  I have never heard if age effects it but heat might.  Maybe changing the felt pad sooner??  Perhaps you can identify more details as you try again.

I'm hope to play with my inks this morning and not get interrupted...except for calls to visit the gallery!
Happy creative moments!...Jan

[Canadian, eh]

Thanks, Jan, for putting this challenge together.  I really learned a lot from the videos.  It never occurred to me that we could draw lines with the ink and I'm anxious to try that out. 

It never occurred to me that one could use just one colour in different hughes as I've seen it done only in multiple colours.  I learned so much from the videos.  Thanks for linking them up for us. 

I am so sorry you went through what you did with the mess in your kitchen.  I had a similar experience with the ink sprays rolling off the green garbage bag on my counter and seeing it run down my brand new white cupboards.  The angels were watching over me because I didn't have to scrub. 

[stampwilly]

I have been having fun this afternoon working on my alcohol ink backgrounds! I wanted to experiment and made some backgrounds using gold glossy card stock (not gold mirror), black glossy, blue glossy and white. Here are the links.  I will complete a card with one of them soon.



http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=1257#top_display_media -- black glossy card stock with metallic alcohol inks

http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=1258#top_display_media -- gold and blue glossy card stocks

http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=1259#top_display_media -- white glossy card stock

http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=1260#top_display_media -- white glossy using pastel inks

Stampwilly

[Far North]

April what fun cool backgrounds! All look great!  How wonderful to see looks on other cardstock.  Did it find that the AI acted the same on other papers?  Did you use BF on all of them?  Thanks so much for sharing.

Beth-So glad you will join in our challenges as you can! Jennifer created a 10 part Thinking Inking video series focusing on Ranger products when she was a gardengirl at 2 Peas. As well she created a Christmas Thinking Inking technique series.  Many of us feel they are true technique classics. 

Happy inking!...Jan

[Craft Nerd]

I spent this afternoon playing with my alcohol inks and a couple of different papers.  One thing I figured out, the photo paper did not work well for the agate background.  I had not problem with applying the ink but when I went back to pounce on the BF, nothing really happened.  But I did get good results with the photo paper for challenge 3.   

I also tried using comic book board for some of the pieces.  For those who are not comic book collectors and are wondering what the heck comic book boards are, for collectors the proper way to store a comic book is bagged and boarded, which means the comic is placed in a resealable plastic bag that is just big enough to fit the comic book and the board, which keeps the comic from bending.  The board is heavier that paste board (the stuff cereal boxes are made of) but lighter than chipboard (at least the package I bought at Michael's of the stuff).  It has a little flexibility to it.  One side is matte but the other is a semi-gloss.  I love the stuff.  My husband used to collect comics, so I have a ton of the stuff.  Since one side is semi-gloss, I decided I would see if AIs work on it.  And they do. I really like the effect I got created the agate background on the board. 

I did try cutting out a different shape from the felt for challenge 3.  I used some small flower dies.  The results were ok, but not great. 

And I think I have backgrounds for all 3 challenges completed.

I've got a question, do you want us to just post a picture of the background for challenges 1 and 3 or finished cards or both? 

I promise to post pics soon.  The colors were off on a few of the pictures I took, so I need to retake them when there is enough light.

[Far North]

If possible I love looking at the backgrounds in addition to the cards...and I think  it would be most helpful to our stampers who are new to alcohol inks to see the colors, and combinations that are created. Looking at the gallery is already fun! I hear you about the colors I had 1 that gave me fits.

Glad to hear you had a backup plan for the photo paper. Can't wait to see yours too Sarah!

I too got a little creative time today...so I added them to our gallery album

Happy Inking...Jan

[SWLady]

I haven't had time to read this whole thread, but working with AI's sounds fun. I have none. What would be a good first purchase to start out with to see if I even like them? 1 or 2 colors? Would I need more than 2?
Thanks!

[Far North]

Hi Kathy--it would be great if you could play along! Several stampers are trying their 1st experience with alcohol inks. Alcohol inks are much different than the inks that come in our typical inkpads.  They are made to work on non-porous surfaces-like glossy cardstock, metal, glass, acetate and more.  I would recommend you view the 1st video embedded in challenge #1 to get an idea of the basics needed and how they are used.  Kathy you sure can start with 2 inks colors but you might find a third one helps to vary your color combinations a bit more.

Basic supplies needed  to color with alcohol inks: glossy card stock-not photo paper; protection for your work surface, a minimum of 2-3 alcohol inks; mixatives optional; blending tool with Velcro or can use wood block such as a block with stamp removed with Velcro added, felt for on blending tool-can purchase a 1/4 yard to cut your own however the stiff small sheets do not work; blending fluid- some say they are okay with rubbing alcohol instead but I suggest buying one bottle of Ranger's and do your own comparison. One of the best feature of Ranger's is the plastic tip for release a small amount at a time...so you could possibly refill the bottle.  A bottle usually lasts me a couple years.  And of course stamps and hopeful 1 archival black inkpad and a stazon inkpad.

If you have any other questions--just ask!

[stampwilly]

Here is the card I made with my Spring looking background. Jan, you also asked if I used blending solution. I used 91% alcohol. That works really great. That is all I ever use with my AIs.

http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=1278#top_display_media  --  card

I bought 3 more new colors of AIs this morning and pounced them on a piece of plastic packaging! I have done this before and forgot about it until now. Here is the plastic piece.   http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=1279#top_display_media

Thanks for a fun challenge!

Stampwilly