Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks by Ranger can look beautiful on any number of surfaces, and have been formulated specifically to color items other inks won’t stick to, such as glass and metal. Alcohol Inks are generally applied with felt or foam applicators, and dry almost immediately. Using more than one color together causes the inks to blend together and spread out in a unique pattern every time.
One beautiful canvas for Alcohol Inks is glossy cardstock. Used with Heidi Swapp Masks, it’s easy to create beautiful cardstock designs for scrapbooking or cardmaking in just about no time at all.

Supplies:
White Marbled Cardstock by Prism
Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks by Ranger
Heidi Swapp Mask
Alcohol Ink Applicator (felt)

1) Place the mask on the glossy cardstock, sticky side down. Run your fingers over it to make sure all parts of the mask are touching the cardstock, especially if you’re using a detailed design.

2) Dot a felt applicator with a few drops of Alcohol Ink in two or more colors. For this example, I used Denim, Stonewashed, and Bottle. The felt does NOT need to be saturated – leaving lots of white space on the felt as shown is fine, because a little goes a LONG way. The ink will spread out considerably once it hits the glossy cardstock.

3) Use the applicator to dab ink onto, over, and around the mask. Getting ink on the mask is fine – it won’t show on the black plastic, and it can be removed later with Alcohol Ink Blending Solution if you wish.

4) If you’re not happy with the colors, add a few drops of a different color to the applicator and go over the design again. Make sure to fill in all of the white space around the border of the mask in particular, so that the design will show clearly once the mask is removed. Ink can be applied all over the cardstock, or can trail off around the edges, following the shape of the mask, as was done here. If you don’t like the pattern the colors make in an area, let the ink dry, then go over the same area again. The pattern will change!

5) Wait a minute or two for the Alcohol Ink to dry completely, then carefully lift the mask to reveal your new design.

This technique can be used on other large, smooth surfaces as well. Try it on a mirror, or a glass windowpane, and enjoy!