MV Articles - Using Inks and Colorwashes

**Inking**
On Using Inks and Colorwashes ... by jennifer santos-hamer and monica laabs ~click to enlarge~ Adirondack Alcohol Ink: Adirondack Alcohol Ink is an acid-free dye ink that is sold in coordinating color sets of three .5 oz. bottles. The bottles have precision tips for controlled application. The ink itself adheres to materials that can be difficult to apply colorants too – acrylic, plastic, metal, glass, glossy papers, and transparencies. It is also translucent which allows different color layering possibilities. It is one of the most versatile colorants on the market and safe for scrapbooking. Monica guides you through the Alcohol Ink Masking Technique, step by step below. She also suggests applying alcohol ink to the back of buttons, ghost shapes, or other clear acrylic pieces. “They give such a wonderful tinted yet still translucent look to any clear item.” You can find the embellishment altering example in Monica’s layout, “We Have Fun”. (shown above) ~click to enlarge~ Supplies: Transparency Alcohol Ink Item to use as a Mask Scrap piece of cloth or a baby wipe Alcohol Ink Masking Technique, Step-By-Step: Lay the transparency smooth side up over your background paper and place stickers as desired. Smooth finger over your mask to be sure that it is securely adhered with no edges that would allow seepage under it. Lay only the transparency on a covered work surface. Wipe down the transparency with either a cloth dampened in water or a baby wipe. This helps the ink to flow across the surface faster. Apply ink to the transparency in small drops. The moistened surface gives you a little more working time so you can watch the ink flow as it will and then decide how much more to continue adding. Don’t over-apply the ink around the stickers as these will begin to really absorb it. When satisfied with the ink coverage, I hold my transparency under my task light so the heat from it will help it dry faster. No need to really hold it for more than a minute. Then just lay it out to finish drying about another minute. Drying time will vary depending on how damp your surface was to start with and the amount of ink that was applied. You do not want it to be thoroughly dry so that it’s easier to pull up the mask. When it is dry to the touch (test an edge) you can begin peeling up your stickers. One thing I learned here is that it’s best to hold down the transparency on a clear spot with something, like a popsicle stick, instead of your finger. This is because your finger will transfer some of the ink and mar the clear effect you are going for. Once the masking is completely removed, let the piece dry for a few more minutes. Once dry, you can leave as is or add to the design by using a pen that will write on slick surfaces (such as the Sakura Micron). If you do write on it, allow more drying time for the pen ink to dry. Once dry, I laid my transparency over the background (the original piece was replaced because I got a huge ink blot on it because I didn’t recap my applicator and tipped the bottle over – learn from my mistake) and prepared embellishments to compliment my design. Adhere the transparency using Crystal Lacquer, brads, etc. I chose to use both the lacquer and brads. ~click to enlarge~ Monica’s Tips: It helps with placement to have the item you will be layering under the transparency. I chose to use as my mask for the example some REALLY old stickers I had from when I started over 5 years ago; you know, the kind with the white edges on them. I have also used alphabet stickers that were in colors that I just didn’t see myself using as-is on a layout. And of course, there are all patterns of masks available now that are created specifically for a paper-crafter’s use. The important thing with this technique is that your mask adheres securely to the transparency. Adirondack Color Wash: Adirondack Color Wash is an acid-free, non-toxic, permanent, water-based dye designed by Tim Holtz for batik effects on both fabric and paper projects. The dye is sold in 4 oz. bottles with spray-nozzles for fast, easy application. The dyes can be blended and diluted with water to create unique colors. Jen guides you through stamping and washing with Adirondack Color Wash in the step-by-step instructions below. ~click to enlarge~ Supplies: Adirondack Color Wash – Stream, Wild Plum, Lettuce Water Autumn Leaves Rhonna Farrer Clear Stamps, Flowers Foam Brushes Palette Several sheets of white paper Paper Towels Stamping & Washing With Color Wash Step By Step Technique: Dilute your color wash. Take the top off your bottles. Pour a small amount of each Color Wash into separate wells on your palette. Dilute each Color Wash with a bit of water. Fold your paper. You will be working on one fold at a time. Spray color wash onto your mounted stamp. Stamp onto folded paper. Blot to speed drying. Wash over your stamped images by dipping the foam brush into diluted dye. Paint across your stamped and folded paper. Wipe or rinse off stamp and acrylic block. Turn folded piece over, repeat with a different stamp and different color. Continue working this way until you’ve completed covering all folds. Other Color Wash Techniques to try:: Blend Color Wash You can blend and/or dilute your dyes in another container to get your own unique color combinations. For a coral blend, I mixed Butterscotch, Cranberry, and water. I used the folded paper technique to create the curved swashes in “Sea World”. Mask With Color Wash Like alcohol ink, color wash is also a great colorant for masks. Try this with your Heidi Swapp Masks, plastic stencils, and clear acrylic stamps. In “New”, I sprinkle a few Maya Road chipboard flowers across a piece of cardstock. I sprayed Stream Color Wash over everything and allowed it to dry. Afterwards, I used the chipboard flowers and the paper. Watercolor With Color Wash Consider the possibilities when you use Adirondack Color Wash with a brush. I hand painted the Prima Hydrangeas and doodled the flowers, both with Color Wash, in “Sea World”. Jen’s Tips: Protect your surfaces! Color Wash is permanent dye that you can even use to decorate fabric. It WILL stain unprotected surfaces, clothes, even skin. Cardstock and lighter-weight papers will warp from using colorwash. Iron your paper between paper towel sheets to make your paper and embellishments flat again. Like Monica, I also hate to throw any supplies out! I used the white back of patterned papers that I do not anticipate using for the step-by-step example and also provide added surface protection. Monica Laabs and Jennifer Santos-Hamer MemoryVilla DT ~see Jennifer's gallery~ ~see Monica's gallery~

Inking

On Using Inks and Colorwashes ... by jennifer santos-hamer and monica laabs

~click to enlarge~

Adirondack Alcohol Ink:

Adirondack Alcohol Ink is an acid-free dye ink that is sold in coordinating color sets of three .5 oz. bottles. The bottles have precision tips for controlled application. The ink itself adheres to materials that can be difficult to apply colorants too – acrylic, plastic, metal, glass, glossy papers, and transparencies. It is also translucent which allows different color layering possibilities. It is one of the most versatile colorants on the market and safe for scrapbooking.

Monica guides you through the Alcohol Ink Masking Technique, step by step below. She also suggests applying alcohol ink to the back of buttons, ghost shapes, or other clear acrylic pieces. “They give such a wonderful tinted yet still translucent look to any clear item.” You can find the embellishment altering example in Monica’s layout, “We Have Fun”. (shown above)

~click to enlarge~

Supplies:

Transparency
Alcohol Ink
Item to use as a Mask
Scrap piece of cloth or a baby wipe

Alcohol Ink Masking Technique, Step-By-Step:

Lay the transparency smooth side up over your background paper and place stickers as desired. Smooth finger over your mask to be sure that it is securely adhered with no edges that would allow seepage under it.
Lay only the transparency on a covered work surface. Wipe down the transparency with either a cloth dampened in water or a baby wipe. This helps the ink to flow across the surface faster.
Apply ink to the transparency in small drops. The moistened surface gives you a little more working time so you can watch the ink flow as it will and then decide how much more to continue adding. Don’t over-apply the ink around the stickers as these will begin to really absorb it.
When satisfied with the ink coverage, I hold my transparency under my task light so the heat from it will help it dry faster. No need to really hold it for more than a minute. Then just lay it out to finish drying about another minute. Drying time will vary depending on how damp your surface was to start with and the amount of ink that was applied. You do not want it to be thoroughly dry so that it’s easier to pull up the mask.
When it is dry to the touch (test an edge) you can begin peeling up your stickers. One thing I learned here is that it’s best to hold down the transparency on a clear spot with something, like a popsicle stick, instead of your finger. This is because your finger will transfer some of the ink and mar the clear effect you are going for.
Once the masking is completely removed, let the piece dry for a few more minutes. Once dry, you can leave as is or add to the design by using a pen that will write on slick surfaces (such as the Sakura Micron). If you do write on it, allow more drying time for the pen ink to dry.
Once dry, I laid my transparency over the background (the original piece was replaced because I got a huge ink blot on it because I didn’t recap my applicator and tipped the bottle over – learn from my mistake) and prepared embellishments to compliment my design.
Adhere the transparency using Crystal Lacquer, brads, etc. I chose to use both the lacquer and brads.

~click to enlarge~

Monica’s Tips:

It helps with placement to have the item you will be layering under the transparency. I chose to use as my mask for the example some REALLY old stickers I had from when I started over 5 years ago; you know, the kind with the white edges on them. I have also used alphabet stickers that were in colors that I just didn’t see myself using as-is on a layout. And of course, there are all patterns of masks available now that are created specifically for a paper-crafter’s use. The important thing with this technique is that your mask adheres securely to the transparency.

Adirondack Color Wash:

Adirondack Color Wash is an acid-free, non-toxic, permanent, water-based dye designed by Tim Holtz for batik effects on both fabric and paper projects. The dye is sold in 4 oz. bottles with spray-nozzles for fast, easy application. The dyes can be blended and diluted with water to create unique colors.

Jen guides you through stamping and washing with Adirondack Color Wash in the step-by-step instructions below.

~click to enlarge~

Supplies:

Adirondack Color Wash – Stream, Wild Plum, Lettuce
Water
Autumn Leaves Rhonna Farrer Clear Stamps, Flowers
Foam Brushes
Palette
Several sheets of white paper
Paper Towels

Stamping & Washing With Color Wash Step By Step Technique:

Dilute your color wash. Take the top off your bottles. Pour a small amount of each Color Wash into separate wells on your palette. Dilute each Color Wash with a bit of water.
Fold your paper. You will be working on one fold at a time.
Spray color wash onto your mounted stamp.
Stamp onto folded paper. Blot to speed drying.
Wash over your stamped images by dipping the foam brush into diluted dye. Paint across your stamped and folded paper.
Wipe or rinse off stamp and acrylic block.
Turn folded piece over, repeat with a different stamp and different color. Continue working this way until you’ve completed covering all folds.

Other Color Wash Techniques to try::

Blend Color Wash
You can blend and/or dilute your dyes in another container to get your own unique color combinations. For a coral blend, I mixed Butterscotch, Cranberry, and water. I used the folded paper technique to create the curved swashes in “Sea World”.
Mask With Color Wash
Like alcohol ink, color wash is also a great colorant for masks. Try this with your Heidi Swapp Masks, plastic stencils, and clear acrylic stamps. In “New”, I sprinkle a few Maya Road chipboard flowers across a piece of cardstock. I sprayed Stream Color Wash over everything and allowed it to dry. Afterwards, I used the chipboard flowers and the paper.
Watercolor With Color Wash
Consider the possibilities when you use Adirondack Color Wash with a brush. I hand painted the Prima Hydrangeas and doodled the flowers, both with Color Wash, in “Sea World”.

Jen’s Tips:

Protect your surfaces! Color Wash is permanent dye that you can even use to decorate fabric. It WILL stain unprotected surfaces, clothes, even skin. Cardstock and lighter-weight papers will warp from using colorwash. Iron your paper between paper towel sheets to make your paper and embellishments flat again. Like Monica, I also hate to throw any supplies out! I used the white back of patterned papers that I do not anticipate using for the step-by-step example and also provide added surface protection.

~see Jennifer's gallery~
~see Monica's gallery~