SHRINK & ALCOHOL INKS

Shrink Plastic (or Shrinky Dinks) has been around for many years and every now and again it gets dragged into the spotlight again as a whole new slew of people are amazed at how this product contorts and shrinks to around 1/4 of the original size of whatever stamp you use.  I have used both the clear and the sanded for this class but in both cases have used only alcohol inks to colour.  If using the sanded, one side has a roughened surface to take colour before you shrink and the stamping goes onto the smooth side so you have depth with the stamped image being on the top and the colour showing up underneath.  If colouring before shrinking, you must use very light colours as the colour intensifies dramatically when shrunk.  So for this reason, I like to colour with the alcohol inks after I've shrunk.  Obviously, it depends on what type of stamp you use as to if you can do this.

"Too Human"...

(clear shrink & coloured after shrinking)

"Nature's Graffiti"...

(Clear shrink & coloured after shrinking. The

weeds on the shrink were added after shrinking

to continue the design from the stamp on the background)

"No Imagination"...

(Clear shrink, alcohol ink added before shrinking.

Alcohol ink was spread using rubber puffer to blow

the ink around, can also use canned air or straw.

Mounted on silver foil to bring out design)

"Lazy Rule"...

(Sanded shrink coloured before shrinking - very

light application of colour!)

Finally, this is the last sample from last week's Dot Liner Embellishing class.

"Gene Pool"...

DOT LINER EMBELLISHING

It's surprising how many office supplies can be multi-purpose in the art & craft world.  I remember many years ago using one of the white-out correction tapes to add random white areas to an atc and as it was an old tape, it didn't work very well but the more scratchy and grungy look suited perfectly what I was trying to achieve.  In this class we'll be using the Dot Liner tapes that are adhesive tapes but not in a solid block, they have little dots or even hearts on them as the adhesive.  The brand I found at Officeworks here in Australia was called Kokuyo and here is a link to the dots, this is the link to the hearts.   You can get refills for both too!

So because they are sticky I applied 3 different techniques to them.  The first one was embossing powder, the second was foil (absolutely gorgeous!!!) and finally Perfect Pearls (this was the most subtle).  Of course, you don't have to use the dot liners, you can always just use your normal adhesive rollers but then you just get a plain solid line (which may suit your specific piece), these just give you an alternative.

"Scars are tattoos"

Embossing powder

(I used some rub-ons on this background, suited perfectly!)

"Rainbow"

Foil

"Live for the moments"

Perfect Pearls

"Once a beginner"

Foil