This is a simple design using the aluminum foil and alcohol inks, wrinkling the aluminum, glue to light weight paper then daub with various alcohol inks. The trees are left over scraps from a previous project. The real fun was making ink. I gathered walnuts and rotted them in the garage for several weeks in water. When the time came to cook them this was the ugliest thing I ever saw complete with mold and rot! I attempted to remove the outer shell before cooking since that is the part that makes the ink but it was like removing the outside of a tennis ball. I decided to cook them and worry about that later. As it cooked everything turned a black color, far preferable than actually seeing what was in there since beetle larva can survive the boiling. Beady eyes in a boiling pot would have ended this very quickly. As the water boiled, I used my thickest gloves to stick my hands in it and start breaking up the ugly mess. I cooked for 5 hours but I believe I should have let it go longer. I then took an old pair of support hose which will never be worn again to strain the sludge. With the help of my guest and craft buddy, we started scooping the sludge into the panty hose. I hoped my legs didn't look as bad in the hose as the nasty, lumpy sludge did! After straining we strained again since a lot of sludge pieces got into the ink. After it cooled we poured it in jars and added 20% alcohol to prevent molding. This did thin out the ink but I was thrilled with the color. It was then used in a mister, sprayed on a craft sheet and any dye reinker or alcohol ink worked beautifully for blending colors.
Thanks for stopping by and I'd love to know if anyone else tried this.
Date: Friday, October 31, 2014 GMT Views: 2757
Favorited:18
Registered: January 20, 2010 Location: Brampton, Ontario Posts: 26123
Mon, Dec 22, 2014 @ 6:40 PM
I'm a bit surprised with all the crafty folk on here that no one else had tried to make walnut stains or inks until Paula. I thought some fabric and fibre artists may have tried it. Not me though! :-) Your card is astounding Nancy! The background is so etherial. I love the trees. It is almost like looking through a frosted over window. Remember those ...before the energy efficient ones we have now?
------------------------------ Ann
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