Friday 4 March 2011

Enjoy the Journey - Playing with Alcohol Inks and Plastic

Good Morning Everyone,


I'm still recovering from my big day at the SECC yesterday but thought I would post this card which is a compilation of a couple of the items on my desk on WOYW Wednesday - see here. I took the piece of card I'd dabbed with alcohol inks, gold mixative and blender solution, with which I wasn't all that happy, and stamped it with three of the Tim Holtz stamps. Still not that happy I decided to create an edge with gold embossing powder and decided it didn't look so bad after all : )

I'd also had a bash at the method for re-cycling plastic shown on The Crafty Cuttings of Wiccababe using Promarkers and blender solution. The plastic had to be trimmed before putting it through the Cuttlebug to emboss it. I used the Sun Rays folder from Craft Concept and the problem I found with this, which might just be down to my choice of embossing folder, was that the plastic bevelled alarmingly from the centre of the sun ray : (  However, it's not noticeable in the finished card because I used brads to fix first the small topper to the plastic, then that was attached, again with brads, to a layer of red card which picked up the colours of the Promarkers. As you can see I then matted it on to turquoise blue card and the whole lot went on to a black base card.


The insert was made by stamping the same stamps used on the topper on to white card immediately after the first stamping without inking up - this is the same as the ink, blot, stamp technique that Barbara Gray often demos. The more faded image was then scanned as a JPG image which I was then able to set out, using MS Publisher, on the upper left and bottom right of a page before printing out and trimming down for the insert.



Although I'm still not altogether happy with the end result, the EM really likes it (of course I pass everything to him for a quality control inspection)  and thinks it's a great man's card - so what do I know, huh!! : )

A bit of housekeeping here - a list of materials used:
  • Cardstock: Black (C26) for base; Pale Turquoise (C11) & Ruby Red (C21) for matting and layering; all from Papermilldirect.co.uk
  • Topper 1: Matt-coated Double-sided A6 Postcard (only half used) from Clarity Stamp; Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks, Red Pepper & Sail Boat Blue; TH Gold Mixative; TH Blending Solution; Archival ink pad, Jet Black, Tim Holtz Visual Artistry Stamp Collection; Versamark, Heat It Up gold embossing powder
  • Topper 2: Piece of re-cycled plastic, Promarkers, Indigo Blue & Plum; TH Blending Solution; Craft Concepts Sun Rays embossing folder
  • Embellishments: Gold coloured brads
Because of my jaunts out this week I am way behind schedule and my 'to do' list is looking somewhat unloved - so much to do and so little time!! However I'm off to try and catch up with visits to my fellow WOYWWers workspaces and I just have to finish the Christmas card for this week today.

Happy crafting to you all,

7 comments:

Hazeyj said...

Fantastic card Elizabeth, love how you stuck on in there till you got the look you liked. It sound very complicated tho' but the card is worth the effort, Hazel x

lisa said...

Hi Elizabeth
I'm so behind on your posts, please forgive me. Now the weather's nicer I've been playing in my garden more and blogging less!!
Your smallest room redecoration sounds lovely and you've made a lovely picture to grace the wall. I love colour on my walls!!!
Your day at the exhibition sounds fab. You've certainly been rubbing shoulders with the stars. We have the Northern Papercrafts at Harrogate in a couple of weeks so I'm hoping to see all these lovely ladies demoing there.
Your Tim Holtzy card is gorgeous. I love the colours and the gold embossing round the edge works a treat doesn't it. I've been doing the same since I saw Sheena demo it and love the results. It cuts down on having to mat and layer too, always a good thing!!
Enjoy your weekend.
Hugs Lisax

Teresa said...

Beautiful card Elizabeth, so very different, I love it!
Hugs Teresa xx

Angie said...

Great to see the result of your labour ....worked well ...great masculine card ...good luck with your MUM lo xx

Jackie said...

Brilliant card, fantastic colours :o)
Jackie xx

coops said...

wow this is fanatastic elizabeth.i love the effect you have created with the alchohol inks and great stamps :D

xx coops xx

Dolly Daydreams said...

Elizabeth fantastic you really went to town on this one. Love your bold colours and that lovely gold embossing. Marie