Alcohol Inks... It's a Blast!

Another technique I demonstrated at Card-io last Saturday.... Alcohol Inks blasted with a can of compressed air. You know, the aerosol that you should be using to clean away dust on your keyboard, camera or other fiddly places you cannot reach. Well there's better use for that can than for dusting and 

it's much more fun than cleaning!

Card-io stock the cans of air, if you are in the area, or they can be bought at office supply shops or via the net ... or maybe there's already one lurking unused in the drawer of your computer desk.

The backgrounds produced can be chopped up and easily made into striking cards with just a little stamping and save all the off cuts to make great flowers  and die cut swirls to add that special finishing touch.

All you have to do is to drop alcohol inks onto glossy card and immediately give each drop a blast with the air can. Simples!

Below are some of the resulting cards.  Colour choice gives a variety of looks and the splats can then be stamped over, as you can see with the swirls below.

Try the technique on acetate sheets then layer the acetate over other backgrounds or images.

When the air can is new there will be more propellent liquid which gives a much softer look. This is attractive but only lasts for a few cards before the air comes out dryer and the results become far more intense. 

 The large splat below was created by dropping inks onto the same spot. As the inks are translucent it effectively gives shades through shades.

 By dropping the inks at the bottom edge, then blasting with the air from a low angle up towards the card, it gives a scenic or landscape look, as below. Imagine butterflies stamped over this card, toad stools along the bottom and a fairy tripping through the undergrowth... hey up! i'm getting cute ideas, not like me!!

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Just play about and have fun but remember to observe the safety details on the Air Can and also with the Alcohol Inks. No naked flames in the area, always have good ventilation etc.
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I chopped my cards into lots of pieces to make quicky give aways of tags and small cards during my dem. It would be great for ATCs as special little areas could be selected.

Here, I stamped the image on the Alcohol Inked card, then stamped another image, cut out just the face and stuck it over the image. It highlights the face and the features are ink free. 

As always, I hope you have fun trying out these ideas and if you have any queries please ask and I'll do my best to help.