Tiny Towns under Alcohol Ink Skies

Posted: August 19, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Alcohol Ink, Dies, grafix, Penny Black, Sizzix, Spellbinders, Taylored Expressions, Tiny Tree | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I do like the look of little houses and buildings against a bold or colourful sky. I’ve done the same thing numerous times with watercolour panels. The little town featured in these cards is the Penny Black ‘tiny town‘ die. Once again I have completed my cards with embossed panels and PB or Taylored Expressions sentiments.

One thing you might notice is that some of the sentiments are stamped on the alcohol ink sky not on a strip of cardstock. After several alcohol ink sessions resulting in a stack of useful panels I remembered my alcohol lift ink. Lift ink does exactly as the name suggests, it lifts alcohol ink off the surface (in this case yupo or grafix craft plastic). Once lifted the ink needs to be wiped off the stamp and a few more applications made in exactly the same spot. It is also necessary to blot the stamped area with a tissue or cloth to remove any ink which has been diluted by the stamp pad. I was very happy with the results and you will see just how happy in a bunch of future cards.

Once again I have created different alcohol ink patterns by tilting the panel to move the ink, blowing the ink with a hand pump or spritzing the ink with isopropyl alcohol to create the spotty or starry look.

I used several different embossing folders to add snow, more little houses or the spellbinders nordic pattern to the background. The little houses embossing folder is from Vaessen Creative and was found at the new craft supply store in Ottawa.

Thank you for the encouraging comments left on the recent alcohol ink blog posts. I am glad to be providing some inspiration to get your own inks out. If you haven’t seen the previous alcohol ink posts look here and here.

And stay tuned there are more little houses, trees, baubles and Bethlehem skies to come. Have a great day!

Alcohol Ink Trees

Posted: August 17, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Alcohol Ink, Creative Expressions, grafix, Kristina Werner Joyful and Merry dies, Kristina Werner Joyful and Merry stamp set, Spellbinders, winter pines | Tags: , , , , | 3 Comments

The alcohol ink cards continue, this time with a tree theme. If you didn’t see my first collection of alcohol ink cards please visit here. Once more I worked with only 2 or 3 alcohol inks to create patterned panels. I have been starting with 4.5″x 6″ yupo or craft plastic panels which I can turn into a large background panel, two smaller backgrounds or numerous trees.

To add interest to alcohol ink panels I use several different techniques. I always add isopropyl alcohol to the panels to move and blend the inks and sometimes move the liquid around by tilting the panel or blowing the ink with an alcohol ink blower.

Another technique which gets quite intricate or softly blended results is to apply ink or isopropyl to a felt pad and ‘stamp’ it onto the yupo or craft plastic. Many of the cards I’ve been making feature an embossed panel behind the alcohol ink elements. I’ve used a nordic themed embossing folder from Spellbinders and an Anna Griffin ‘regal braid’ folder for today’s cards. The greeting stamps and dies are from Kristina Werner’s sets “Joyful and Merry stamp set” and “Joyful and Merry dies“. I don’t actually own them but you can be sure I made good use of them before my sister-in-law took them home to Australia. All the trees are cut using a fabulous Creative Expressions die set called Festive Collections – Winter Pines.

And, if you know me, you know there are more tree cards to come; this is just a smattering!

Alcohol Ink Skies

Posted: August 14, 2026 | Author: | Filed under: Alcohol Ink, Dies, grafix, Penny Black, polar bears | Tags: , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Well hello! Once again it has been weeks between blog posts, but here I am with a surprising selection of cards for you.

Surprising because they are alcohol ink panels. I don’t remember the last time I worked with alcohol inks. In the last month or so I have done little else in the art realm but work with alcohol inks. Why might that be? I have been working outside with said inks. My sister-in-law who was staying with me in June and July joined me at a friend’s house where we set up outside in the shade with a pleasant breeze and proceeded to experiment with the inks. As I mentioned I hadn’t use them for a long time and had forgotten many techniques. Since then I have refreshed my memory by watching a few videos and have worked outside with the inks numerous times where I don’t get headaches from the alcohol and everything dries quickly. Occasionally panels end up in the garden but that is a price I am willing to pay.

I made a few panels with 2 or 3 ink colours per panel and a generous amount of 99% isopropyl alcohol to move and blend the colours. I used an air blower (hand pump style, not electric) and sometimes a spritzer filled with isopropyl to add splatter which looks like snow or stars. I worked on yupo paper, grafix white craft plastic and Nara paper, all similar products and all from my existing supplies. I am still committed to ‘Using What I Have’ as much as possible.

The second surprising thing about these cards is that they are Christmas cards. Never have I started my Christmas cards in the middle of summer. I have never wanted to because I am influenced so much by the seasons. For whatever reason that is not the case this year. Future me is going to be very thankful for this strange occurrence. These are three cards I made featuring the ‘polar bears’ die from Penny Black and a PB stamp set, “All is Bright”. I really enjoy creating northern skies with alcohol inks; they seem to mimic the beauty of the northern lights I am yet to see in person. I know that polar bears have nothing to do with Christmas but when I create alcohol ink or watercolour skies I am reminded of the verse from Psalm 19, ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.’ Thank you for visiting and reading to the end of this post; I will warn you now, the alcohol ink blog posts have just begun, so buckle up my friends!

Black Christmas Tags

Posted: December 12, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Baubles, Christmas filigree, Christmas stockings digital stamp set, Echidna Studios, grafix, mittens | Tags: , , | 2 Comments

Last year I decorated some black glass balls for Christmas using a selection of paint pens and metallic brush pens. The opaque colours really pop on black so I decided to do something similar on black craft plastic from Grafix. You can see my process in the video below.

I cut the four different shapes on the cricut using digital cutting files from Echidna Studios (bell, mitten, stocking and bauble) The paint pens were all Posca and the metallic brush pens a brand I found on Amazon.

The dura-bright black (black craft plastic) from Grafix is a good surface for paint pens. It is very smooth and I found writing and drawing on it is very relaxing.

You might not think of black as a Christmas colour but the shine of the metallics and the chalkboard pop of the white is quite fun.

Grafix Window Journal – Video

Posted: July 29, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Alcohol Ink, cricut, grafix, mixed media journal | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

I’ve featured the Grafix Mixed Media Journal in videos a few times. I’ve made a swatch book for alcohol inks and markers and a sample book for alcohol ink techniques. Both books are good for reference. Today’s post and video feature the mixed media journal as a ‘window journal. I have added pages in pairs of black and white using the handy disc system. I have cut windows in the black pages and created alcohol ink patterns on the white pages.

You can configure the Grafix mixed media journals however you like as the pages and covers are available in separate packs or as a complete journal with different types of pages. Check out the video below to see how I put my window journal together.

You could create a window journal in many ways. I have added colour and pattern to only one side of the white pages but it would be fun to add a design on both sides so you could see the pattern through the window before the pattern and the window after.

You can see in the video that I reworked the ‘ocean’ page shown below several times. That is the beauty of white craft plastic; it is possible to take the page back to white or just dilute the ink with isopropyl alcohol and move it into a new pattern.

The final page in the book features a stencil design with alcohol inks, so simple but so effective. I cut all the windows on my Cricut using free shapes available in Cricut design space but you could cut them with dies or with a craft knife.

To see my other videos featuring the Grafix Mixed Media journal click the following links: Swatch book Swatch book cover Technique book

Stencils + Alcohol Inks

Posted: July 5, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Alcohol Ink, brush lowercase alphabet, coloring book stencil, cricut, grafix, Picket Fence, Spellbinders | Tags: , , , , | 6 Comments

An amazing thing happened with this card. It arrived on the birthday, after being sent from Canada to Australia by an unreliable sender(me)! So now the recipient has it I am posting it here on the blog.

I have shared cards made with this technique before; it’s a fun one. I used alcohol inks on Grafix white craft plastic and for both cards I only used two inks along with isopropyl alcohol.

I start with a layer of isopropyl alcohol on the panel, then add a couple of alcohol inks and tilt the panel to move the inks and cover the whole panel. Next I drop a stencil on top, for both these cards I used the Picket Fence ‘coloring book’ stencil; it’s 6″x6″ so the panel was larger than needed for my finished card.

Because the ink is trapped under the stencil it takes a while to dry. Sometimes I help it along with an air pump, not a heat tool. When it is dry I like to splatter some isopropyl alcohol lightly over the panel to get little dots here and there. I don’t flood it because that would take me back to the beginning of the process. When the ink is dry I lift the stencil to reveal the intricate pattern, then choose which part of the panel I want for my card front. If I don’t like the finished panel I add more isopropyl alcohol and tilt the panel to dilute all the ink and start again. That is the beauty of working on grafix white craft plastic; you get second chances and even third or fourth if you’re fussy like me!

The sentiment on the card above is a combination of cricut letters and a Penny Black birthday die. On the card below I used the Spellbinders brush The sentiment on the card above is a combination of cricut letters and a Penny Black birthday die. On the card below I used the Spellbinders brush lowercase alphabet dies.

Alcohol Ink & Foil – Video

Posted: April 17, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Alcohol Ink, grafix, Penny Black, Tutorial | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments

Recently I spent a happy few days creating with alcohol inks after quite a break. They did not disappoint! I am looking forward to more experimenting and maybe some Christmas card designs.

I created some cards using Grafix white craft plastic (also called bright white dura-lar), Grafix metallic foil board and Grafix double tack adhesive. These are all products I’ve used before and definitely recommend. You can see my process in the video below.

In the cards above and below you can see the wavy ocean effects I achieved easily by applying alcohol inks with a felt applicator. I love watching the inks continue to move after I lift the applicator.

The panels below were all made by moving the alcohol inks and isopropyl alcohol around. I tilt the panel and use an air blower to move the the ink. Where there was too much of one colour or too much intensity of colour I diluted with isopropyl alcohol or just dabbed ink off the panel with a paper towel

I used some of the green and the blue metallic foil board from Grafix to add to my designs. To see another project using the foil board click here.

To add the sentiments I used an alcohol lift inkpad from Ranger. Its been a while since I’ve used alcohol lift ink and I was thrilled with how well it lifted the ink from the grafix white craft plastic. With a few repeat impressions and removal of diluted ink I was able to remove the bold green and blue inks to reveal sharp white words.

The sentiments are from the Penny Black ‘how sweet!’ set and ‘Let’s Go Wild’ set. Both are rubber cling sets which seem to hold the lift ink well and apply it evenly. This post includes affiliate links from Foiled Fox and Scrap’n’Stamp . If you buy through these links I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

New YouTube channel – New Video

Posted: February 11, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Alcohol Ink, baby blue leaf embossing folder, Branch 9 die, cricut, Dies, grafix, Moda Scrap, my designs, ornate tile embossing folder, Paper Rose, Penny Black, Pink & Main, scripty, silhouette birds, so extra supporting sentiments, Stampin Up, thank you squares, Tim Holtz, Tutorial | Tags: , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

If you have been visiting this blog for a while you will know I had a youtube channel for many years. In 2022 after ten years of adding videos and gathering a community of 7000 subscribers my channel was deleted. In recent weeks I have started again with a new channel and some videos ‘from the archive’. My new channel is called Heather Telford Art and I would be very happy if you decided to like, subscribe and tell your friends! There is content on there that you may remember from the last few years and starting today there is new content also! The new ‘2 for 1 Alcohol Ink Panels’ is freshly filmed for my new channel and I hope it will be the first of many!

There are quite a few photos in this post because, well, this is a 2 for 1 technique and I created three panels which of course became six panels and one was cut in half so there are seven cards to show you in this blog post! Grab a cup of tea. I have added a linked supply list at the very bottom of this long post.

As well as a new youtube channel I am also a new Cricut owner. The stencil used on the card below was designed by me and cut on my Cricut. It is available as a cutting file from Echidna Studios etsy store.

Most of the 2 for 1 smooshed panels I left as a full card fronts adding only a sentiment or some die-cutting. As the panel below reminded me of the ocean, the PB wavy scallop border seemed a nice touch.

The panel below is a half panel from the first one I showed on the video. I love the patterns from the isopropyl alcohol ink spray even though they don’t stay distinct. Even when die-cutting the word from the panel I couldn’t leave it off so I popped it up. Not so funny story: I guess I haven’t popped up a die cut word in a while because I flicked those little shapes inside the letters into the garbage when I poked the word from the die. So yes, I had to hunt through my garbage to complete the card.

I don’t know why I hadn’t tried it before but seeing how well Grafix craft plastic responds when put in an embossing folder has been a revelation! I thought it might crack but it doesn’t so you can have the subtle impression of your embossing folder on a panel or the bold inked pattern as I’ve done on the card below. Sentiments in circles might be a little fad I go with for a while too; they look cute!

You can see the soft look of embossed script on the panel below, especially in the close up. This detailed embossing folder is from Stampin’ Up and is called ‘scripty’. I don’t think it is available anymore but you might something similar.

For this final card I cut six little birds from the panel and played with layouts for quite a while. I ended up just using two which means I have four birds in hand for another project. (pun definitely intended)

The intricate half circle cut out behind the birds is also one of my new cricut cutting files but more about that in another post. If you got this far, you’re a champion. Thank you for supporting me here on my blog and I would love to see you over on youtube as well.

(Compensated affiliate links from Foiled Fox, Scrap n Stamp)

Blossom Birthday

Posted: February 7, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Alcohol Ink, blossom stencil, Darkroom Door, grafix, Stencils | Tags: , , , , , | 4 Comments

Yes, I have more alcohol in projects! Like gel printing, alcohol inks are quite addictive. When you work with them on plastic film (such as grafix craft plastic or yupo) you can keep changing the design with the addition of more ink or isopropyl alcohol. You can also remove ink with isopropyl. Depending on the amount of staining from whichever colours you choose you can even get the plastic white again to start fresh. I think that is why there is always on more thing I want to try when experimenting with alcohol inks.

Last year I posted a video where I used a stencil to create a pattern on craft plastic with alcohol inks. I used a more open stencil that the one featured today but the process is similar. The Darkroom Door stencil ‘blossom’ has a lot of plastic surrounding the blossom cut out. When laid on the wet alcohol ink there is contact with most of the craft plastic panel and only a small area where the alcohol ink is drying in the air. This means you need way more patience as you let the ink dry under the stencil.

Not all my experiments with stencils work but I love the way this one ended up with distinct flowers and soft background. I finished the card with a sentiment from the DD ‘all occasions’ stamp set embossed in white on olive cardstock.

In other news I will be on Craft Roulette on Friday February 10 which is three days away! Craft Roulette is a live improv card making challenge on YouTube. I have no idea what kind of card I will be making, I only find out what the parameters are while I am on the show. Hope you can drop in a join the chat on Friday 7:10 pm EST

(Compensated affiliate links from Foiled Fox, Ecstasy Crafts & Scrap n Stamp)

Deer and Alcohol Ink Skies

Posted: January 20, 2023 | Author: | Filed under: Alcohol Ink, grafix, leap of joy, Penny Black | Tags: , , , | 8 Comments

I know it is yet another alcohol ink sky post! If you look closely at the panel below you will see one of the things I love about alcohol inks and dye inks and that is the separation of pigments when a colour is diluted. It is more obvious in some inks that others but you can see it in the eggplant ink below. There is purple, grey, blue and shades of maroon. So yummy!

The panel above was diluted with isopropyl alcohol more that the panel below but I definitely used it on both to move the inks around.

To complete the cards I die cut the PB deer from white cardstock and add small simple sentiments. Small sentiments are my favourite; I think I’ve mentioned that before.

I think my next post might not be alcohol inks! Stay tuned!

(Compensated affiliate links from Foiled Fox & Scrap n Stamp)

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