At long last... ALCOHOL INKS!!!

Ok first off I must give credit to the master himself, Tim Holtz, most of what I know about these inky things I learned from him. A few other tips I got from CKU too! I hope you enjoy!

First the necessary supplies

- the alcohol inks (I like to use 2 or 3 colors on a single piece)
- applicator, these can be purchased or you can make your own, to make it yourself you will need a small wood block (I used a left over block from un-mounting on of my stamp sets), sticky sided fun foam, and the grabby (for lack of a better word) side of a piece of velcro. Cut these items to fit your block and layer foam then velcro.
- felt, I buy the sheets from WM and then cut it to fit my block
- something to cover your work surface, I like to use the non-stick craft mat from Ranger. (This is the brown thing we are working on in the example)
- something to ink, again in the example we are using glossy cardstock. You can ink just about anything, I have done metal brads and hinges, clear plastic pieces, mica tiles, transparencies, this stuff will stick to anything.





Now lets get started!
Most important thing to know when you are inking things is how to put the ink on the applicator. Start with the opened bottle of ink and bring your applicator with a clean piece of felt to the top of the bottle, then flip the bottle and applicator over. If you do it this way you will avoid getting ink all over you and your clothing. Good tip! So after you have done the flip give the ink bottle a squeeze and count to two, flip back over and add another color or two the same way.


Now we are ready to ink up our glossy cardstock, take the applicator to your cs and give a little twist with your wrist, then move to another spot, you end up doing sort of a dotting/twisting thing until you have covered the entire area.
Ink, ink, ink!
So after you have a piece all inked up you can add it to a layout, use it as a mat for a picture, use that die cutting machine to make some funky lettering or shape, use it on a card just get creative!





A couple other techniques that are fun to try.
Ink up the back of a glass side by dripping ink on the back and spreading with a toothpick, then use your heat gun to dry and move the ink around. Glue your inked glass piece onto white cardstock with sparkly stickles for a fun look.

Monoprint (this was taken from Tim's class at CKU Chicago): This must be done with the non-stick craft sheet. dot small amounts of ink onto craft sheet and then place glossy cs (glossy side down) on top of ink puddle and twist until cs is covered. I like using the Metalic inks with this one. It is messy, but gives a very interesting and different look from the finished sample.

You might also find "Blending Solution" on the shelves with Alcohol inks, this is used to soften the colors, you can add it to your applicator or put it in a spray bottle and spritz your completed project for a lighter look. Money saving tip, regular rubbing alcohol will do the same thing as the Blending solution too!
Clean up - use rubbing alcohol to wipe down your craft mat and hands, it will take most of the ink off with ease.

I hope this gives you the push to get out there and try these alcohol inks, I love em! If you have any questions, just leave me a comment.

Wowee, Zowee, what a day! I worked at the scrap store today, my favorite place to be if you must know. And it was a great day, except for the fact that I am so not used to being on my feet for 8+ hours. Ok so I am not a slug at home, but I just find more time to sit, like every hour or so when I check e-mails, LOL!!

La, ti, da on with the good stuff. I put together a very cute make/take for this coming Monday. If you're in the area stop and make a cute get well pocket card. Then I had my creative juices challenged... I needed to create a peice for NSD make/take, Dot gave me instructions to use some blank frames with Sweetwater paper and do what I want. First I love, love, love Sweetwater paper so YIPEE, and next I totally have the altering bug. So this was a super assignment. I will have to take my camera into the store tomorrow and get a pic for you guys, I really like how it turned out.

The kids had a busy day too, Lindsay had pajama party at school and then went to a Build-a-bear birthday party. All I can say is hat's off to Molly's mom, nine 4 year old girls went to BAB. She said they all did great and that everyone had a great time. I know Linds did, and she loves her new bear.

Kaleb got to play at a new friends house after school and well if you have kids you know that toys at someone elses house are always the coolest. He was very excited and had a great time too.

Tomorrow is another busy day, Kaleb has an "interview" with the possibility of being photographed for a future Lands' End catalog. I am excited, I sure like the way he looks in pictures, but I am biased. I have to prep for my class on Saturday and do the trip to the doctor to make sure we are all healthy and happy. I just realized that I also have some alcohol ink stuff that I wanted to get on here. Maybe tomorrow, I hope no one is holding their breath.

Ok so I let my updating go un-done for a few days, it has just been a little wierd around here with Jeff home. But today it is back to normal!!! Jeff is back to work and the kids are in school and it's just me the computer and a bowl of fresh pineapple! Can life get any better??? Ok so the the little thing excite me, but in the end all the little things make up the big things right?

Back on track, for those of you waiting on a little alcohol ink instructional it is coming. I need to take a couple pictures to go along with the notes, but if all goes well today I will have it for you later!

So what has been going on while I have been gone. Jeff and Kaleb did not have such good luck at the turkey hunting. From what dh says the area he hunts has been hit hard with weather and disease and there are just not the number of birds there used to be. They still had a good time, Kaleb got to play hookey from school all day wednesday and then for the mornings on Thursday and Friday. He really loves hanging out with daddy, but I do think he was happy to sleep until 6 this morn and not get up at 4.

Lindsay and I did the garage sale thing on saturday. We found some clothes for her and a couple things for K. I looked at baby stuff, but I am not ready to get anything yet. A friend of mine had a sale at her house and I took a box full of stamps and other stuff over. I made out pretty good, the box was a whole lot lighter when I brought it home and I had a pocket full of cash.

This week I get to work at Memories on wednesday, way excited about that! I always have a blast when I work, and I get to catch up with some friends I don't get to see all that often. Maybe I will even have time to work on some scrappin.

I'm off to do archery stuff, I really need to do bills, but it is to nice today to sit at the computer for hours so I will do it tomorrow (I think it is supposed to rain). For now it's just a couple quick phone calls and then 90210 mixed in with the laundry and then I am taking a walk! Yippee a walk all by myself! I like taking the kids but that stroller just keeps getting heavier.

Not really much to update here, nothing much is going on. We had a nice Easter, dispite the rain. It rained from 4:00 am (this is the time Jeff gets up for Turkey hunting, which he just hit the alarm and went back to sleep after hearing the rain) until about 6:00 pm. This was the first year we could not hunt eggs at Grandpa's. I wonder who was more upset Grandpa or the kids??? Looks like we are doing an after easter hunt sometime this weekend.

Jeff is on vacation this week so my schedule is all goofy, amazing how an extra adult in the house makes everything wacky. The kids really like having daddy home, except that Kaleb thinks he needs to stay home from school and just hang out with daddy too.

Good Friday sure was great! We started the day with dentist appointment for K, Lins and I. Not my favorite thing to do, but one of the necessary evils. No cavities, which I think is a miracle based on the number of times that my children actually brush there teeth. And my baby is getting big boy teeth, K has two 6-year molars coming in on top. He still hasn't lost any baby teeth, but they figure by fall the bottom front two should be ready to come out. I don't really care, I kinda like his little teeth.

After the dentist we met aunt Judy and Austin for lunch at Ella's Deli, such a fun place for little and big people both. I took K and Lins on the Carousel, Lins rode a horse all by herself! Kaleb is still not so sure about any type of ride, so we just rode in one of the stationary seats. Next we were off to the zoo! Along with 100's of other stroller toting moms. We had to drive around the zoo twice before we found a place to park. But what do we see after getting out of the van, geese! Kaleb thought this was the coolest thing, I think cuz they are not in any sort of cage and we could get pretty close to them.

Here is what happens when you let your son take pictures with your camera, I down load the pics this am and what do I see six pictures of a hot wheels. They weren't really bad pictures either, but now what to do with them??? Just another reason why I love my digital.

I have been sitting in this office all day, I really wanted to get out for a walk, but we really needed to get our taxes done. Yep we wait until the utter last second, it is just my nature. But they are almost done, just need some numbers from Jeff and e-file here we go. YIPEE!

One more last second job calls, the kids have been after me all day to color eggs. Now seems like a good time.

Zoo fun 

Riding Ella's Carousel 

Crazy! 

Hail - 2 1/2" Diameter! 

Check this out! 

I have heard of golf ball size hail, but never experienced it. Tonight I experienced it first hand! I am here at the computer emailing a friend and I here my husband coming up the stairs and then I hear what sounds to me something like glass breaking and I think what the @#$ is dh doing. I run out of the office and the guys are just looking out the window in awe as we are pelted with these monsterous balls of ice. We have a plexy glass type roof over our back porch and as they hit that the sound is just deafening, I was almost in tears and Lindsay was really scared too. It only lasted a few minutes but Jeff's truck has at least two big dents and we didn't bother to check the van yet. Tomorrow morning after the sun comes up we will see what else is damaged. But we have the pictures and some soveniors in the freezer.

Well today was de-cluttering day at our house, my mom came over to help and well we got through the kids room. Feels like we should have done more, but it was pretty nasty in that one room. Lots of bags for goodwill and lots of bags for garage sale. We created a little space, but not enough for a new baby. I have lots of work ahead of me before September. Somehow I always manage to make things work out so I'm optimistic.

Yesterday I did get some scrapping done while the munchkins napped. I have an almost completed CKU album, just some minor tweaking left. That makes me feel really good, cuz this album is all for me! Also got some projects done for a class I am teaching at the end of the month. I am doing a Quickutz class and we are using all kinds of the new stuff, I a doing a card with the icing rub-ons, a card with the new quickstampz foam, a silly little tag and a 12x12. Last night I got one card and the tag completed. but I have the page and second card all sketched out, just need to put the materials together. I may just post them here when it's all together.

Kaleb is feeling better today, so I think we have avoided the nasty 5-day fever thing and that means our trip to the dentist tomorrow is a go. After the dentist we are going to catch up with a friend and hit the zoo! Wow this week of spring break has really gone by fast! It really has me looking forward to summer vacation.

Well all for now, I wish everyone a wonderful Easter weekend, take lots of pictures!

What a day!

Wow was yesterday a busy one, I had two extra little people for the day and boy was I hopping. I had just enough time to make archery calls in the morning and then I don't think I sat down again until I went to bed. I did try and update this thing but for some reason it wouldn't let me in. Guess the computer knew I should really be concentrating on other stuff.

I taught a class last night too. A little bit hectic and frazzled but I think everyone enjoyed themselves. I was planning on five students and ended up with seven that always makes things a little hairy. We used the alcohol inks to create a fun and colorful 12x12 page, at the end of class both of my hands were covered in ink! Gotta love that!

Today should be a little slower, Kaleb got me up at 3 am, complaining of a belly ache, he had been coughing on and off and I think his tummy muscles just hurt from all that, but when I went to snuggle with him I realized he had a scorching fever. Yeah sickness around a holiday, that is common for my world. We are without the daycare kids today and off to the doctor later this morning. Hopefully he doesn't have the wonderful ickyness his cousins had the last couple weeks, high fever for 3-5 days I just don't have time for it! I really should tell you how lucky we are, the last time K was sick I think was when he was teething. My kids rarely get sick (just sometimes around a holiday), I am one of the luckiest moms out there. Maybe that is why I don't deal with it so well. Maybe they will give him some meds that make him sleep the day away and I can scrapbook? Always look on the bright side, right?

Off to clean up for the doctor,

Nicole :)

Just another manic monday, ohh, ohhh...

Well maybe its not so manic as it could be, but we had an icky night and I so don't feel like doing anything! I had to force myself to get out of bed and shower when all I wanted to do was just hide under the blankets. I think I have hit a depressive low and I feel like I need to clean out all the clutter, but I just don't know where to start. I called my mom and she is going to come over and help me go through the kids room and get rid of some excess. I guess I feel like I just can't do anything because there is just to much to do. Anyone else ever feel that way??? I can sit and make mental lists of all the things I need to do and I think why aren't I just doing it, but I can't seem to do anything! Ick! Am I lazy, I don't think so, maybe just under-appreciated???

I better move on to brighter things, don't need this to end up being my depression outlet!

It looks like the weather is going to be good today and I am going to take the kids on a short walk to the post office and bank this morning. Maybe we will pull the little picnic table out and eat lunch under the sun. Yesterday, Kaleb and Lindsay managed to pull out most of the outside toys (or is it junk?) from storage. Of course this was after I had told them not to do it. But they did manage to get it all picked up and put in relatively out of the way spots to make the yard look less like a playpen before bedtime. It is amazing what a little "Dad" threatening will make children do.

Yikes it's almost 9:00 and I still have two little people in jammies, gotta take care of that.

Lotz a eggs 

found one 

Brrrr 

I am stuck at the computer!

Guess I have time to update the blog today, I am stuck at my computer! Well really I am stuck watching my printer. I am helping my boss at the LSS with some wedding invites she is doing, I am printing 225 of the actual invite wording. And well they have to be perfect so I sit here and watch each one come out and make sure my printer is doing what it is supposed to.

We did have a much more exciting morning. It was the local easter egg hunt put on by our Jaycee's group. It was way cold (34 or something horrible like that), but the kids had a great time. I heard the organizer saying last year they only got 60 kids, this time around I think there was closer to 150! What a sight! I told K and Linz that they could pick three eggs and then stop. They both stuck to what mom said and they ended up with great treats. Now to scrap these pics! That would be my new thing taking pics and scrapping them instantly. I already got the new Karen Foster Easter paper and stickers to work with. Now if only my pc desk had enough room on it to use my paper trimmer...

Just talked to DH, his luck at the archery tournaments seems to be holding steady. Not that he is having bad luck, he is doing great, but again this was a big money shoot and he ended up in fourth place with winnings paying out to third. Rotten turn of events, but what can you do. With Jeff there is always next weekend!

To my scrappin friends I was also on two peas while printing and if you need to see a completed SHE album there is a thread with a link on the GS brd. It is an amazing album, beautiful pictures and even more heartfelt and beautiful journaling. Check it out.

I'm Back!

Ok so 90210 was a little lame today, but I still love it! Hee, hee!

I am so excited I just got the mail and what to my suprise I got pictures from CKU! Yeah they are so cool I am so looking forward to scrapping with them tonight. Now to find some papers and stuff.

It's official spring break has now started! I get to spend an entire week, every day, all day with 6 kids! Yes I am a little too excited, can you see the sarcasim in my type??? But truely I am excited it means that I only have to get one person up and out of the house in the morning (lovely dh) instead of four. So it sort of is a break for me. We do have a couple of fun outings scheduled and the weather looks as if it might even cooperate with us.

Bye!

TGIF!!!

Yeah it's friday! Gotta go watch my guilty pleasure, 90210! Yes I grew up in that wonderful era when Beverly Hills was the coolest! It's on SoapNet daily and well sometimes you just gotta do something for yourself right???

Back with more updates after the show...

spring flowers 

spying 

Random thoughts...

It is way past the time I am normally in bed, but I guess CKU really got me going. I worked on two layouts for the store tonight and I didn't want to stop until I had them "done". As scrappers we always feel that done is a hard thing to get to, well I do. I go over and over my pages and think what could I have done better, does it need anything??? I am never really satisfied with my work, but who is???

You be the judge...

This one's for you Christine...

Ok so I made it though CKU! In case you don't have a clue as to what CKU is well it's three days full of scrappin fun put on by Creating Keepsakes magazine. I met some wonderful ladies there. First my totally amazing dorm mates from the Croppin Commandos! Love ya all and can't wait to get together again. I sat with a wonderful group in my Album track and hopefully I will have some pictures to post soon. And a special thanks to my driving buddy and roomie Melissa!

I came home with mostly (just need to slap down some pictures) completed albums. One 12 x 12 (from my album track, special thanks to Anita for a great time), one 8 x 8 recipe album (thanks Mary for a great swap), and seven mini books from make n take day and my other classes. I didn't have a class that I didn't like and I am counting the days until I can do it again!

I think I finally have things in order at home, Jeff isn't the best at handling things when I am not here, but I love him still. Yesterday I designed a great page for my technique class I am teaching next week, and I have a great accordian card that I made for a class in a couple weeks. Check out the store blog for pics.

Jeff took the day off yesterday and well I got the most amazing pictures of him playing games with Lindsay and Bradon. This is just so rare a moment, I am so proud that he took the time to sit with them when he had so many other things he really needed to do. Moments like that make life so worth it! Now if I could only find my camera I would upload the pictures...

Off to balance the check book and then maybe take the kids for a short walk before lunch. It is a wonderful day here the sun is shining and I need to be out!

Later!

Nicole :)