Dive in! Alcohol Ink step by step…

Dive in! Alcohol Ink step by step…

Hello there!
Thanks for popping in.
What a beautiful day we have been having here 
in our little retreat – a slice of heaven.
I made a pact with myself before leaving England, that Sunday, today, was going to be a craft-free day.
After the last couple of weeks, I decided to STOP.
The others on the other hand, were all set to get
creative as soon as the sun came up!
Mel, illustrator par excellence,
Sazz, getting right in the groove.
Sylvia, our  very own in-house Parchment Queen,
and of course, the fab Maria Slimms,
So while most of the others dived into 
their craft,
I dived into the pool!!
And stayed there most of the day!
In the water, out the water, dry off, get too hot,
in the water, out the water, dry off, get too hot,
etc etc etc.
Did I read? Nope.
Did I sleep? Nope.
I just chatted to whoever came to look for me,
and basked in the heat.
Perfect unwind.
But what I did do, before we even came here, 
was prepare a nice step by step project for you for today.

Actually, this one’s for Dee.
She hasn’t been well at all.
Last week she worked so hard to make the Clarity Open Days 
the success they were, and to be frank,
it wiped her out.
So mid-week, she finally conceded that it was going to be too much for her to make the trip here.
I was gutted, and she was probably a lot more gutted.

So I sat up in my little art room, and made you a card Dee.

Ready?

A5 Chromo Card.

Added a mix of Lettuce Alcohol ink and blending solution 
to the outer edge.
Here’s a set of lovely Alcohol Bottles

How much ink? This much

How much blending solution?
This much.

Keep building up around the edge, using a fresh felt for each colour.
Butterscotch and Raisin next.

I put a sheet of white paper underneath too….

Next comes the Denim.
This is the colour that turns the whole thing into something like a celestial burst.
I LOVE IT!!!!

You just keep layering up the colours.

Next, I added the Allium in Black Archival.

Next I used a Get Well Soon Line Sentiment along the base.

Then I noticed that the scrap behind the artwork was pretty cool too!

See what I mean?
I say I say I say!
That’ll make a damn fine background!!

Dee, if you’re there,
this one’s for you.
Next year kiddo, you will be here at the big old table again!

Meanwhile, 
I’m off to enjoy the rest of the daylight and sunshine.
Longest day of the year today!
Summer Solstice.
Wow.
Life is good today.

Much love,

64 thoughts on “Dive in! Alcohol Ink step by step…

  1. So glad that you have relaxed today. Sorry to hear that Dee is poorly. Hope she is soon on the mend.your retreat always sounds so much fun. Enjoy the rest of it.

  2. Hello Barbara

    So pleased you have been able to take a step back today and just chill. Well done. Here's hoping Dee is able to regain her health and strength soon.

    I love the step-by-step today. I really like alcohol inks but haven't used them for a while. Must get them out again.

    Love
    Roz.x

  3. Pool and bathing sounds great and love the card for Dee, she sure was tired on Saturday afternoon so not surprising she had to give in but sad she's missing out!
    She will love the card though!
    Good to see the girls in the groovi!
    Much love

    Kim x

  4. It was a very nice sunny weather in Maine et Loire too, so have done like you and enjoy the sun…..But not the pool, it's not ready yet….. Relax as much as you can. Probably a few nice "concerts" round where you are as it is "la fête de la musique" today in a lot of town or village.
    Dee, take care of you.
    Laurence xx

  5. Hi Barb,
    Lovely to hear that you have been chilling out by the pool (& in it) . Everyone else seems to be hard at it. Sorry to hear that Dee hasn't been able to make it. – get well soon Dee. Love the card that you've made for her and I'm sure she'll love it too. Thanks for taking the time to think of us, love Alison xx

  6. I imagine Dee will love your creation. Shame she could not join you all, I must admit that I thought she looked as if she was struggling a little last week. She was doing such a wonderful job as well, I really could not get close enough to her table. Glad you have had a relaxing day, sounds wonderful. Love your card, I used alcohol inks with Sazz, they are wonderful now I know how to use them. xx

  7. Hi, I have not yet work with these Inks, but it looks like wonderful. I love it. I´ll try it soon.
    Have all a nice evening.
    Lovely Greetings
    Andrea from Bonn, Germany

  8. So pleased to hear you are having a relaxing time – you deserve it. I have been grooviboarding this afternoon with my three youngest grandchildren 9, 6 and 3 and yes even the 3 year old wanted to have a go – albeit she need a little help from me. The older two really got to grips with Groovi – think that's the Chrimbo pressies sorted then! They also got a little messy – (surprisingly not that messy) – using sponges,and iridescent paints and painted some wooden bracelets. So my relaxation today was watching the children play – perfick!

  9. Hi Barbara , so glad that you are having a wonderful time….and that the teamies are in the Groove….your card for Dee is gorgeous and I am sure she will love it….I am sending her much love and good wishes too….hugs to all…xxxx

  10. Hi Barbara, relieved to hear that you've spent today chilling, and swimming 🙂 Hot and sunny, here try cold and windy! Although we did have sun for a bit this afternoon. I think summer is passing us by up here this year :-(. I like this artwork, very funky, thanks for sharing. Behind the allium I can see rugged mountains basked in sun through an aperture ;-). I was just thinking about alcohol inks on Friday. I've got a plan, a plan for irrigating the gardens better to cut down on the watering I need to do from the windows. It involves glass bottles and I was thinking about colouring them up, funky but in muted shades as I don't want them to be standing out. I remembered your cheap plastic eggs you coloured with alcohol inks to look amazing, so that's my plan. Although never having used any before, I don't have any, no doubt I'll be back with some questions. Just waiting on Nicola et al bringing me their empties!!!
    Hope Dee gets well soon, you must be feeling so sad at having to miss out
    Hope tomorrow is just as sunny for you
    love Brenda xx

    1. Hi Brenda you take it easy now if your not sleeping to well hope you can get into your wee crafty things soon, sounds good your plan for the bottles and alcohol inks ..take care…Dot ..xx

    2. Sounds like fun, painting glass bottles. I used to do glass painting in the dim and distant past, nothing better than sun glinting through coloured glass! Xx

    3. Thanks Dot, I prefer this to sleeping most of the day so I'm not complaining 😉 xx
      I'll be back to you for some info on glass painting then Donna:-). Don't know about fun, I'm more concerned about permanently colouring me, Daisy, the floor, my clothes… That's why I don't have any!!!
      That's a long time to have it hanging over you, poor soul. I didn't realise you'd have to wait so long, up here it rarely takes longer than 5 days.

    4. I'm learning an android tablet without a safety net – nae instructions!! I had to publish my comment to get bavk to the bottom of it! Any clues as to how I navigate within the wee comment box? xx

    5. Nae idea you know me it wid be the aff /on routine and lose the lot but im sure you'll work it oot or google android tablet name and instructions youll probably fall asleep before you find it …..lol…xx

    6. I use a tablet most of the time android like yours. To move around the comment box you need to touch the screen where you want to go and the cursor will move to that position. Can be a bit annoying at times as mine seems to either be hyper sensitive or non responsive! Xx

    7. Ha, ha Dot;-)
      I worked out the tapping where you want to edit pat, I editted near the top of my comment but then couldn't get back to the bottom to finish of what I a saying? In 2 times I've found this blog, bookmarked it, logged on and commented, and
      found where the opened things links are :-). And the free game app store of course!!! I'm still at the stage of endlessly scrolling up and down hoping it's going to stop where I want it!!!! Not having much luck on that one!!! Dot stick with your laptop, these are nae use, unless you want wound up and frustrated before bedtime!!! xx

    8. Getting to the bottom of the comment box is easier said than done. You need to scroll with small movements just inside the box or the whole page will start moving. I sometimes find it easier to zoom in a bit as it makes the box a bit bigger. Xx

    9. Thanks Donna, I'll give it another go tonight. Thought the best idea was to try use the tablet when I've gone to bed instead of the laptop – learning how to use it, using less power, and no risk of me going on fire if I fall asleep. Well I've not been aware of talking to it yet, but it's frustrating me no end so it's a distinct possibility!!!! Doesn't fill me with any hope of things improving on the tablet front in the near future if you still have all these problems and talk to yours!!!! xx

    10. It just takes a bit of getting used to when you are used to using a mouse. I really like mine now I have got used to it, but there are times when it frustrates me! Just off to take my teapot photo. Xx

  11. So pleased you are "chilling". Absolutely beautiful card. Hope you like my parchment effort I have sent. Please don't show it to Sylvia! Looking forward to next week's blog and going to have another look at Thursday's Clarity show.
    Best wishes
    Anne (Reading)

  12. Such lovely crafty inspiration, take care Dee, hope you'll feel better very soon. Barbara, Very pleased you have been enjoying a lovely relaxing day xx

  13. My stash of alcohol inks, brought from the States in 2008 are currently sitting in the kitchen as I don't really know what to do with them – well – I no longer have an excuse!
    The sound of 'pool dipping' sounds divine! So, enjoy! Mind you, with the amount of heavy rain we have here today, a pool could easily have been filled to the brim! ;~}

  14. Barb….have you got a spy in my little craft atelier? I got my alcohol ink out yesterday for the first time in ages. I have suspected for some time you have been watching me, because we seem to be on the same sort of tracks – I also used MY gelli plate last week too! just let me know if you want to see my alcohol ink background, which was heavily inspired by Rosie's bastelwelt (no idea what that means – I hope it's foreign for 'blog') Mine needs a tree now.
    Enjoy the sun, it's rubbish weather here.
    Love
    Maggie (proud new grandmother to Olivia May, 6lb 3 oz)

  15. Sounds like you've had a lovely day Barbara. Hope the rest of your time there is just as relaxing. Xx
    I love the technique with the inks. I really need some of that card. Xx

  16. Glad you had such a lovely day. I've got the card but not the ink must get those next as that background looks great. I have collected quite a few goodies over the last few weeks and I am now going back through the blog and DVD's to remind myself which project I bought them for

  17. What a beautiful card for Dee. So sorry to hear that she wasn't up to the trip. Dee's demonstrations, along with the samples she had on her table, were amazing.

    Also glad that you were able to have a complete break today. xx

  18. Hello. Lovely card and Dee will be thrilled to get it I'm sure. Love the idea of being in the pool and getting too hot. It's been a jumper day again today. It may be the shortest night but I hope it won't be the shortest summer. Might have to venture to sunnier climes myself. Have a great day tomorrow. xx Margaret Col.

  19. What a gorgeous card for Dee! And I know she'll love it cos it's from you!
    Great shame she couldn't make it…. It may have saved her from the mental drivers she's encountered today if she had been! Thankfully she's ok!
    And me…well whilst you were dipping in and out the pool and the teammies were crafting I was marking then seeing my Amy who popped home for fathers day then finishing off marking tonight! I know where I'd rather be!!!
    Looking forward to the next installment of the French trip.
    Love and hugs to you all there Xxxx

  20. Hi Barbara
    Beautiful artwork today, such a fab background behind the Allium stamp. Pleased to hear you are really chilling out and the others are getting crafty. Dee hope you get better soon my lovely lady.
    Love Diane G xxx

  21. Hi Barbara
    What a lovely card. I am sorry to hear that Dee is under the weather. She seems such a lovely ,gentle person and so very talented. I know she will love that card. Enjoy the rest of your time in France.
    X Chris

  22. I love this piece of artwork Barbara and the allium looks great with it. I'm sorry Dee is not so good at the moment but hopefully she will soon be a lot better, and glad you were able to relax and have some Barbara time today. x

  23. This I really like, up my street, have great fun being messy doing this, but works a treat. Today is Mon 22nd and at last we have rain, but hope you all having a good time in the sun. Hope Dee feels better soon.

  24. A good friend told me years ago that sometimes it's not enough to slow down, you need to STOP. Good advice that I've not always heeded. Gald you got a day of R&R.
    I love this splodgy art. After a week of clean and crisp groovi crafting, I've a hankering for something messy and grungy.
    I hope Dee likes the artwork, I'm sure she appreciates your support, wishing her all the best.

  25. Really lovely card for Dee, so sorry to hear she is not so good and missed the trip. Hope you feel better soon Dee.
    Hope you all have a brilliant time and have loads of fun.

  26. Lovely card for a lovely lady – hope Dee feels better soon. Your pool day sounds like just what the doctor ordered – glad you had a relaxing time, and hope you get a few more before the week is out!!! Susan x

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