Striped Alcohol Ink Vase


These great cylinder vases are only 97 cents at  our local Wal-mart. They are so versatile and can be used in all different kinds of ways (candle holder, flower vase, tall greenery vase, floating candle holder, etc...). So I picked one up the last time I was at Wal-mart and knew I wanted to decorate it with alcohol ink, but in a way I hadn't tried yet. So stripes it is.


I used some painter's tape to tape off some stripes on my vase. I knew from previous experience, that trying to measure and be really precise would be nearly impossible, so I just eyeballed it.  I wanted each stripe that I was going to decorate to be a bit smaller as it went up the vase.


Then I used my homemade applicator to stamp some colors on the bottom stripe. I've found that the most important first step is to try to get as much coverage as possible before you re-ink your applicator, that way it will remain a fairly consistent color. You can drop more ink onto your felt to make a second coat or grab a new felt and put new colors on. The more you use a felt, the more muddy (brown or darker) the colors will become. I would usually not make more than two passes with the same felt before changing it.  Each of the stripes took 2-4 passes with the applicator to get the look I was going for. As I stamped each stripe, I changed the colors just a bit to create a sort of gradient effect.


On the top stripe, I even added a little silver. When I was all done with the stamping, I even rubbed the silver along the top edge of the vase. In the photo above, you can see just how many felt pieces and different colors I used to finish my vase.


It was really hard to get a picture of the vase where you could really see what was going on with the striping and the colors, so I put a piece of white paper in the vase. I would have liked the void stripes to be a bit narrower--so some narrower tape may be in order for my next striped project. But all in all, it turned out fantastic. Alcohol Ink is so much fun to work with. Remember that if you plan to do something other than simply setting this vase on a shelf as a decorative piece, you'll want to seal it with some clear sealer.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Plastic Wrap Alcohol Ink on Small Ceramic Bowl

Image
A while back I picked up some small white bowls from Big Lots ( these look similar ) with a nice satin finish. I already inked one bowl using the flame method , but I still have a few bowls left, so I decided to give one the plastic wrap treatment. I got out my craft mat and some alcohol inks . Then I cleaned my bowl with rubbing alcohol on a paper towel and removed the sale sticker from the bottom. I tore a piece of plastic wrap off the roll that was large enough to cover my bowl, and I set it down on my craft mat, being sure not to smooth it out. Then I dripped ink on the plastic wrap until I liked the combination of colors and the plastic was mostly full of color. Then I placed my bowl in the center of the plastic wrap and carefully applied the plastic wrap to the sides without smoothing it out too much (so it keeps the wrinkled pattern). Then I flipped it over to dry. I ended up using 7 colors on the bowl. I wanted something bright and fun so I we
Read more

Splatter Resist Alcohol Ink Tile

Image
I still have some ceramic tiles left from my last run to the hardware store, so when I remembered I had saved the contact paper heart from my Valentine's Day Glass Etching project, I knew exactly what I wanted to try. I grabbed some bright alcohol inks , canned air , a 6 inch ceramic tile , and my contact paper heart. I originally cut it out free hand by folding the contact paper, so it doesn't have to be perfect, but I'm sure if you have a cutting machine you could use that to make whatever shape you'd like in contact paper or vinyl. I peeled back the paper backing and applied the heart to the middle of the tile (as best as I could eyeball it). Then I rubbed down the edges of the contact paper. I squeezed out a drop of alcohol ink near the edge of the heart and used canned air to blow the drop out from the center of the tile. I usually hold the can with my right hand and a plastic lid with my left (I use the lid from the small plastic box I keep
Read more

Alcohol Ink Washer Necklaces

Image
I received a package of alcohol inks for Christmas and then bought a second set with a 50% off coupon at Michael's.  I've used them now to make coasters and to decorate some candle holders .  I was just getting my sea legs with these inks to begin with.  I applied the ink directly onto the surfaces and played around with rubbing alcohol as a blending solution.  But I thought it was high time that I used an applicator to use them the way they were intended.  Of course, the applicator is just a stamp with some velcro on it and it costs 6+ dollars....not to mention buying the pre-cut pieces of felt. So I figured I'd make my own.  I was very much in a use what you've got mentality, so I grabbed a scrap piece of wood and a couple of strips of velcro (hook and loop tape).  I used the hook side and lined two pieces up next to each other.  Luckily they were just the right width. I had the sew-on kind of velcro, so I spread some tacky glue thinly onto the surface
Read more