Team Training for February ...

Welcome to our latest edition of Team Training brought to you this month by Di Hasthorpe.

Each month one of our team will inspire you with a little tutorial, tip or trick to help you in your scrapbooking pursuits.

Using alcohol inks and modelling cream by Di Hasthorpe

I'm sure most of you have used alcohol inks at some stage, probably on acetate, foil or glossy paper. Lately, I've been experimenting on other surfaces:- altering cardstock, upcycling CDs, 'oops' photos and cake boards.

Often I have the need to change cardstock because I either have several pieces of it, or I no longer like it (the 'why did I buy it' syndrome!).

  Alcohol inks don't react well with non-glossy surfaces, so to add them to cardstock successfully you need to use another product. In this case I've used a modelling cream applied through a stencil.

Gesso or texture paste also work but will give a different look. 

Once the modelling cream dries, alcohol inks can be smooshed over the stencilled surface. It gives a jewel-like effect. I also lightly sprayed over the whole piece of cardstock with ink sprays. I used Lindy Stampgang Sprays for this.

Don't throw away those 'oops' photos. Being glossy makes them perfect to use for the alcohol ink treatment.

The photos can also be stencilled with modelling cream as a first step before adding alcohol inks. As this is a glossy surface, the inks will colour up the whole photo.

When you have prepared your photos they can be used for card backgrounds or embellishments for whatever purpose you desire.

Once diecut, the embellishments can also be put through an embossing folder and further decorated. On this Christmas card, I've used a glitter glue (Kindy Glitz) to highlight raised sections of the baubles. 

Old CDs or DVDs can have a new lease of life. They take alcohol inks really well and look great. 

These I've used for cards, decorating them with embellishments and beads. They do need a strong glue to adhere them to the card surface. 

Recently I discovered that modelling cream can also be stencilled onto CDs. These look effective just as is ...

 but the addition of alcohol inks give that extra interest.

This photo shows the not - quite completed CD. Again these could be used for cards or layouts, but I'm planning to use mine for mobiles..... a work in progress!

The last items I've experimented with recently are cakeboards. As these are covered with a metallic card, they are also perfect for accepting alcohol inks. This one, turned into a motivational wall plaque, has had the ink and some of the thinner dropped onto the surface and allowed to pool and dry as it fell. 

I hope that some of these ideas spark your interest and you have fun experimenting with alcohol inks and / or modelling cream.

Don't forget to have your entry in for our challenge this month.  Some lovely prizes on offer - one prize by vote, another completely by random draw and a guest designer spot to offer one lucky entrant. You have until 11.55 on the final day of the month to have your submission linked.