Alcohol Ink on Permanent Vinyl Easter Signs

I've been enjoying making signs using these metal blanks from Dollar Tree by adding vinyl cut on my Silhouette Cameo. They're usually pretty easy (as long as the weeding goes ok) and turn out cute. So with the upcoming Easter holiday, I was putting up a few decorations and realized I didn't have any signs. Well, that cannot stand--it was now a moral imperative that I made a couple of Easter signs.

I perused the freebies in my Silhouette library from over the years and found a couple that I could use. Since I had an idea that was definitely an experiment in mind, I measured my signs and arranged duplicate versions and backup designs and some extra eggs to fill the 12 x 12 grid.

After I cut the vinyl, I started weeding the "backup" design.

After the nerve-wracking bit of pulling off the exterior vinyl, I thought I was home free--but it turns out I missed a section of the second "E" and it got stuck to the exterior vinyl and thrown out in the trash. This is why I make backups--failure is always an option when crafting.

On to the "experimental" project. I made two in case it doesn't work. The weeding on this design went smoothly without any significant issues (yay!).

On to the experimental part! So I wanted to try to color the glossy permanent vinyl (mine was EZ Craft brand) with alcohol ink. Yes, I know I could have cut the design out in different colors of vinyl, but then I'd have to get the design to line up. I'm a lot more experienced with alcohol inks than I am with vinyl cutting. Not to mention my desire to see just how many different things I can ink. So, I used the plain eggs that I cut out of the vinyl to test using alcohol ink on this vinyl. I was worried about how much it would sink into the material, whether it would be blotchy or create a pleasant pattern, and whether it would stay on the vinyl after it had dried and was transferred with transfer tape. So I started with Pinata yellow and wiped it on with a foam brush. It was perfect. It soaked in and was even. I couldn't have hoped for it to go better. It was blotchier when I tried some Ranger inks, so I switched back to using the Pinata colors. The darker inks did have some blotchiness, but they smoothed out a lot as they dried.

After my tests, I realized I'd want a fresh dry foam brush for each different color so I wouldn't have to worry about cleaning the brushes and having wet brushes thin out inks, etc... So, I set up 6 little tins and 6 foam brushes with my 6 ink colors.

I carefully brushed the ink onto each of the Easter eggs of the vinyl design and added some color to the little flowers. It didn't go on quite as smoothly as it did on the solid eggs, but it worked!

I left the ink to dry for a few hours to try to improve the chances that it would transfer without any issues. When the ink was completely dry to the touch, I cut a piece of paper transfer tape the size of the design and smoothed it onto the vinyl.

I rubbed the transfer tape into the vinyl design with the handle of my weeding tool.

When I peeled it off the paper backing, it took the excess ink along with it.

I placed the transfer tape with the design onto a metal sign and rubbed it down again. I was pleased to see that the excess ink stayed on the transfer tape, but none of the ink on the vinyl came off as I peeled it back.

Since I had an extra copy of this design, I snagged some of the white flowers to add to the arched top of the sign. The ink wasn't completely uniform on the eggs/letters, but it definitely proved that inking vinyl can be done!

I still had my backup design that had a messed up second "E" left to deal with. I grabbed one of the "E" eggs from my spare design and put it in place at a jaunty angle and it almost looked like it belonged there. The egg was the same size and shape as the others in the design, so it sort of works.

I was running dangerously low on my favorite transfer tape, so I used a backup transfer plan, too. I used some wide painter's tape on the design. It does not stick to the paper backing at all, so I had to rub it into the vinyl carefully before peeling back the paper.

Fortunately, the vinyl sticks to the tape well. However, that makes it a bit harder to remove the tape from the pattern than transfer tape that's designed to come free from the vinyl.

A little bit of careful peeling later, though, and the design was in its place on the sign.

Even though there were some bumps along the way, these turned out cute, and I'm glad that I've confirmed that white vinyl can be inked. I'm excited to see what else I can do with it.