Alcohol Inked Foil

I had some inspiration to revisit a technique that has been around awhile called AI Foil. This technique was featured in the Technique Junkies Newsletter from August/September 2009. It's an oldie but a goodie. I made two cards from one small sheet of foil.

I love the way these cards turned out! Oh so shiny! Here's how they came together:

Start with a piece of cardstock (I cut mine to 4" x 5.25").
Cut a piece of aluminum foil (about 1-2" larger than the cardstock). 

Wrap the corners to the back first.

Finish folding the sides to the back. 

Place a few drops of the desired colors of alcohol ink on the dauber pad.

Begin "pouncing" the foil.

Continue until the entire panel is covered and let dry.

Place the inked panel in your embossing folder and run through your embossing machine.
I used an Anna Griffin folder here.

Here are the two panels I inked and embossed.
They are mounted on a cardstock mat.
The one on the right as a sheer iridescent ribbon wrapped around it.

Once you have your panels completed you can continue to assemble and decorate the cards as desired.  Here are the two cards all finished:

You can really see the beautiful detail in these cards. Here is an even closer view:

The stamps I used for these cards were: Too Many Options, Wings Quotes and Dragonfly. The sentiments were embossed in black, and the dragonfly was embossed with an iridescent powder.

If you would like to see the original instructions on this technique, you can read it here: AI Foil Technique. If you like the stamps I've used, you can save 10% on these (and many other!) by using the code below:

Just because a technique has been around awhile, don't let it stop you from giving it a try and putting your own spin on it. I hope I've inspired you to give this one a try!

Til next time,

Keepin' it inky!

Happy New Year Blog Hop!!

It's a brand spankin' new year! Welcome to 2018, Junkies fans! With a new year brings a new blog hop for Technique Junkies! I am so happy to share these projects with you! There are some fun new stamps this month, I'm sure you will enjoy! Let's get started!

If you've arrived from Janell Stollfus,  you are on the right track. If not, jump on back to the beginning (HERE), so you don't miss any of the good stuff!  Remember, all new releases are on sale until January 8th. No need for a code...the 15% discount will automatically be applied at checkout! And you can save 10%* (see the badge on the right) on the rest of your cart by entering the code "TJ10Ro" at checkout.

Let's kick off with "I Woof You." What a great stamp for Valentines, Anniversaries, BFF's, etc. Don't you just love that adorable lil face?

Next up is another super adorable card using the set, "I've Had My Coffee." This card also has a couple of coffee-related stamps from TJ:  Coffee Kitty, Coffee Gauge, and Coffee Barcode. You'll notice Coffee Gauge and Coffee Barcode are very lightly stamped on the top of the card behind the sentiment. And Coffee Kitty...what a perfect complement to the sentiment!

The next two cards feature sentiments from "Butter My Butt." There are eight stamps in this set! You're sure to find sentiments to tickle your funny bone in this great new set! The first one showcases "Kitty Duo." So stinkin' cute!

And the second card uses another sentiment from the set and is accompanied by "Doo Rag Kitty." Just too much fun!

Now we have a super fun birthday card using the set, "Birthdays and Donuts." If you look closely, you can see that the donuts have been "shined up" to give them a yummy, glazed look.

And last, but definitely not least, this card features two new sets: Love Harlequin (the background), and Truly Madly Deeply. 

There are so many fun stamps in this release. Make sure you visit all the Design Team blogs so you don't miss any of the good stuff!  Your next stop will be Judy Jackson. I'm sure you will love her projects! 

And don't forget...save 15% until January 8th on the new releases, and 10% all the time on the rest using the code below:

Happy New Year! And enjoy the rest of the hop!!

Til next time,
Keepin' it inky!

November Blog Hop with Technique Junkies

Happy November Toodle Noodle Peeps! Glad you could join us for the Technique Junkies Blog Hop featuring all the new releases for November!

If you've arrived from JEANNE's BLOG, you are in the right place! If not, you might want to start at the VERY BEGINNING so you don't miss out on any of the fun!

All the new releases for November are on special until November 8th - Save 15%! Discount will be automatically applied at checkout. No need for a code. And for everything else* you might want to add, save 10% by using the code below:

Let's jump in! I have four cards to share with you today. First up is a card featuring Paint Rings and Buy Coffee.  (You will also see a previously released stamp called Coffee Barcode.).  

On some coffee patterned paper, I stamped Paint Rings in a dark brown. I also stamped Coffee Barcode in a couple of places, then attached a striped piece of cardstock and mounted that to the card base.  I stamped Buy Coffee on white cardstock and used a die to cut out the label.  That was attached to the front of the card and a couple of accents were added to finish off the card.

This next card highlights the I'm Fluffy stamp...one of my favorites! The images were stamped and die cut, then placed on a card base. The cat was fussy cut and adhered to the top.

My office cat, Ativan, thinks the kitty looks just like her. And she is definitely FLUFFY!

How about some stunning eyes?  Just Wing It looks amazing on a simply white card with some glitter accents.

Just look at that eyeliner!  Ooh-la-la!

And last up today is an adorable card featuring Too Dark To Read.  A couple of simple die cuts and a card base get this card assembled in a snap!

Hope you enjoyed the cards I've shown and are inspired to whip some up for yourself. Remember, these new stamps are only on special until November 8th, so don't miss out!

Your next stop on the hop is BETH and she has some great projects to share!

Til next time,
Keepin' It Inky!

OCTOBER HOP with TECHNIQUE JUNKIES

Welcome back, TJ Fans! We have some fun stamps for the October Release and I'm excited to be able to share them with you! 

All the new releases are 15% off until October 8th, so you'll want to shop early! No code is needed, it will automatically be applied at checkout. (And save 10% off any other stamp, any time, by using the code TJ10Ro).

If you've arrived from the very creative Jeanne, you're on the right track. If not, you may want to start at the very beginning so you don't miss a thing!

I have four cards with five new stamps to show you...let's get going!

The first card features Let It Snow. Such a fun stamp! I love the whimsy, I love the font, I love the size....I just love the stamp! Of course, you know me, I had to do a little surgery by separating the sentiment from the image so I could place it anywhere on the project or use it alone.

It's so hard to see in the photo, but I used Nuvo Glitter Markers on some of the elements to give it a little twinkly pop. I couldn't help but turn it into a snow globe and added some Nuvo Drops for snow. You can see some of the shine better in the closeup.

The next two cards feature some very lovely ladies, one of whom I'm sure you'll recognize! First up is Red Lipstick Day.

I Love Lucy! (punny). I still use some of her "Lucy-isms" today...Like when my husband asks if what I'm wearing is new (it is, but...) I respond "oh, it's just something I pulled out of my closet". Not a lie, it was hanging there since yesterday. lol

Here's a better glimpse at the image.

And to keep her company, another lovely with a fantastic quip! Take a look at Need a Crown!

Since I'm am teased about being the "queen" at work (my license plate even says so, as does my parking sign), I am particularly fond of this one! FYI, the background paper is done with the shaving cream technique. Here's a closeup of the glimmer in her crown, again done with the Nuvo Glitter Markers.

And last up, Turn on the Light. Such a great sentiment!!! The background is Nordic Knit. I can see using that background for Valentine's Day as well. If you look closely, those are tiny hearts on the background. But turned sideways, they look more patterned and less "heart-y".

There are plenty more stamps in the release, as my Design Team Sisters will show you. Next up, the crafty Beth Norman has some great projects to share!

I'll be back with a couple more new projects throughout the month, so visit again! 

Til next time,
Keepin' It Inky!

Falling for Autumn (pun intended)

Hello, my friends! Happy Autumn!  It's been beautiful here in southern Michigan. The leaves are starting to change. The weather, however, is throwing us for a loop...high 80's and 90's. Unusual for late September. But I'm not complaining. I love the Fall.

I have a very season-appropriate card to share today. The stamps used are from a new release from Technique Junkies called Autumn - Set of 6 (SS078). I instantly fell in love with this set. I'll bet you can see why...

I stamped the sentiment and leaves on the kraft cardstock and colored them in using Spectrum Noir colored pencils.  I added some black watercolor splatters and a little of brown marker spray. The panel was attached to a brown card base and the little buttons finished off the card. I love the colors in the card. They just make me happy.

I hope this post made you a little happy today too. If you like this set of stamps (or any of the other ones that may catch your fancy at Technique Junkies), you can save 10% by adding the code TJ10Ro at checkout.

Be sure and come visit me on October 1st for the Technique Junkies New Release Blog Hop!

Til next time,
Keepin' it inky!