Stampin' Up! Blends with Alcohol

Love, love, loving this technique! So are others! Are you one of the lovers? 

It's extremely easy to do and the WOW! factor is where it's at. 

If you've not tried making your own background art using this technique, then now is the time. 

Collect 3 colors of Stampin' Blends. For this card I used the dark in the combos for all the colors. Those colors would be Granny Apple Green, Fresh Freesia and Mango Melody.

I took a scrap of vellum and randomly "scribbled" the colors onto the paper. Then I used the medium tipped water painter and dabbed 91% Rubbing Alcohol onto the colors. When my background was dry I took the water painter, dipped it in the alcohol and splattered the alcohol around the colored Vellum. When my finished piece was completely dry I used the largest Stitched Rectangle Die and cut my piece which I then mounted (using my Stampin' Seal (+)) to some Basic White cardstock cut to the same size.  I cut and pieced together some flowers using my Meadow Dies and Granny Apple Green as well as Fresh Freesia cardstock. I layered them behind my Happy Birthday sentiment, using the Liquid Multipurpose Glue. For the birthday sentiment I cut one piece of Fresh Freesia and one piece of Basic White cardstock. I offset them to give a shadow effect and then used the liquid glue to attach it to the card front. I embellished with a small glittery butterfly and some shiny little purple flowers. I added my Wink of Stella to my Freesia cut flowers, so they had a little sparkle, too. The next to last part of completing my card was to add the artwork to a Fresh Freesia card base. I did add an interior Basic White piece and another cut and pieced flower. It just added that special touch to my daughter's special card for her birthday.

This was a pretty simple process, but the background just brings something that could have been so ordinary into the stunning category. 

So, again, if you haven't tried this technique, then do it now! Whatcha waitin' for;)

Some Things I've Made

 

Meadow Birthday in Red and Green

Meadow Birthday in Red and Green

Stamps

Peaceful Moments (151595)

 Paper

Evening Evergreen (155574)- Cut 8 1/2" X 5 1/2" and score at 4 1/4", use scrap for cutting leaves pieces using Meadow Die; Vellum (101856)- Cut initially 4 3/4" X 5 1/2". Once you have colorized, cut down to 4" X 5" and cut smaller piece to 3/4" X 5 1/4" to layer onto Gray Granite piece to decorate card interior; Gray Granite (146983)- Cut 4" X 5 1/4"; Fluid 100 Watercolor (149612)

 Ink

Classic- Evening Evergreen (155576); Cherry Cobbler (147083); Memento Tuxedo Black (132708)

Blends- Evening Evergreen (155517); Cherry Cobbler (154880); Smoky Slate (154908)

 Embellishments

Metallic Pearls (gold) (146282)

 Adhesives

Stampin’ Seal (+) (149699); Multipurpose Liquid Glue (110755); Dimensionals (104430)

 Tools

Dies- Meadow (155852); Stampin’ Cut and Emboss Machine (149653); Water Painters (151298);

Spritzer (126185)

 Other

Rubbing Alcohol 91%

 

Instructions 

1. Using the Blends/Alcohol Markers and 91% Rubbing Alcohol (70% IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH...LOOKS WASHED OUT!), randomly color splotches using 3 different colors of Blends (I used Evening Evergreen, Cherry Cobbler and Smoky Slate) on the piece of Vellum. Pour a small amount of alcohol into the lid of the alcohol container and dab alcohol with the medium tipped Water Painter, onto each of the colorized areas of the vellum, starting with the lightest color and move to the boldest, rinsing brush in between colors. As you add the alcohol the color will begin to spread and do amazing things! When you've finished colorizing your Vellum, let dry. This won't take long. Once dried, and using the Water Painter, splatter alcohol randomly over your piece. It will look like cool little bubbles and you can do as little or as much as you like. Set Vellum aside to dry and move onto your base card.

2. Fold and burnish score of Evergreen card base with bone folder.

3. Using the Stampin' Seal (+), run it around the edge of the dried Vellum paper and adhere to the card front.

4. Cut 3 sets of Evening Evergreen leaves from Meadow die and arrange, as desired, onto Vellum. Use Liquid Glue and adhere. 

5. Colorize Fluid Watercolor Paper with Cherry Cobbler ink. I put a few drops from the ink refill on the inside of the ink pad lid and diluted some with the alcohol in my Water Painter. Use your creativity with this part of the project. I used dry paper for this part to get bolder colors. I also made sure that my piece was NOT completely colored. I wanted some interest/highlighting on the flowers. Put your piece through the cutting machine, being sure to capture the flower heads. You don't need the stems, at this point.

6. Colorize more of the Watercolor Paper using the Evening Evergreen, again, avoiding complete coverage with your ink. I did spritz the paper prior to adding ink. After colorizing I spritzed again. Once my paper was dried (you can speed up this process using the Heat Tool) I cut the stems.

7. I wanted to keep dimension and movement with my flowers, so after I assembled the flower heads on the stems I added Liquid Glue to the base of the stems only, and arranged them on my card front.

8. I made a birthday card, but obviously, stamp whichever sentiment is appropriate for your card and cut with the coordinating Stitched Rectangle Die. Adhere sentiment piece over the base of your stems using Stampin' Dimensionals.

9. Finish your card with the Metallic Pearls. I used one gold Pearl on the sentiment piece. Then I added 3 Pearls on the remainder of my card front, placed in a triangle to draw the eye around the design, giving visual interest to my piece. 

10. Remember...this is your card. My card is merely a suggestion of what you can make. Enjoy creating! 

11. Feel free to comment and share your project.