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How To Do The Blended Alcohol Technique

in Cardmaking on 12/01/21

Hello December/Bonjour Decembre!

Raise your hand if you are excited that it’s finally December.  With the fresh coat of white snow it’s looking so much brighter than gloomy November here.  Do you have traditions, favorite recipes or drinks during the holiday period?  Do you have a favorite activity? I would love to know.  I’m feeling the sharing spirit for this holiday season.

Today, I’d love to share My Vision for my holiday decor.  It would totally be a green, natural look for the entire house…  But my budget would not allow for this vision.  Ha ha ha.  But I did add this vision to my front door.  I am totally loving the look.  Before even moving in this fixer upper, my husband ordered new doors.  He wanted them black and wanted the burgundy doors with the red porch to go.  I do love his choice.  The black doors are perfect for this house and they look amazing with the green winter decor.  Here’s a sneak peek!

I am also feeling the crafting Christmas Spirit.  I have 3 classes that I am aiming to project for December before the beautiful collections retire for good.  What do you think if I do a countdown to Christmas? That’s right, a crafty countdown to Christmas.

Day 1 of Kim’s Countdown to Christmas:

Today for Day 1 of my countdown to Christmas, I would love to share a card box that I made for my November Team meeting.  It featured the Blended Alcohol Technique that every crafter is raving right now.  I’m not going to lie, I had a couple of  “teamies” that wanted to add the blends to their Christmas wish list after trying this technique.

How To Do The Blended Alcohol Technique: 

  • Using the Stampin’ Blends, color swatches onto one side of the vellum cardstock.  For a darker marbled effect, use the dark versions of the colors. The swatches can be any shapes or sizes and the color should be next to but not on top of each other.
  • Using a Water Painter brush or paintbrush, dip the bristles into the alcohol and dab onto the color swatches.  To decrease the chance of muddying the colors, dab all of one color first before moving onto the next color.  The Stampin’Blends ink will start to pool and separate, and where the pools of colors meet, you will see the marbling effect.
  • When all the color swatches have been dabbed with alcohol, use a paper towel on the edges to grab any runs or excess, and then let the alcohol dry completely.  Drying time may be sped up with a heat tool, but use the low setting so vellum doesn’t curl.
  • To step up this technique:  Lightly spritz (or splatter with paint brush) more alcohol onto the dried vellum to create light splatters.
  • Adhere your vellum to your project.  The color will really pop over basic white cardstock.  You can use either side of the vellum depending on the look that you want to achieve.

Other Ideas with the Basic Technique:

  • Once the vellum is dry, an option is to run it through an embossing folder to add extra texture.
  • Use versamark ink to add embossing powder to the embossed design and heat set.  Or use Versamark ink with Heat & Stick powder to add Gilded Leafing.
  • Instead of dabbing the alcohol with a brush, use the spritzer filled with alcohol to create the marbled effect.
  • Use a straw and blow the pools of wet color to spread the colors.

There are so many cool options with the Alcohol Blended Technique.  Feel free to experiment and have fun!

Below is a list of products used to create this beautiful card box.  Order for more than $60 with me and I will send you the instructions and a video for this cute box.  Use the December  Hostess Code SPGVGXKN to receive perks from my VIP club.   View all of the current promotions by clicking HERE.

Special Offer:  Place a 50$ or more order with me in the month of December and receive  FREE designer series paper.

Don’t forget to check out the retiring list: click HERE for the English version and HERE for the French version.

Join my team and get to order from the new Mini Catalogue that goes from January to June 2022.  It is amazing!!!  Click HERE to get your starter kit.

How amazing to get $165 of products for $135.  Plus you get to view and order from the new catalogue that will be available to customers in January.   You can read all about it HERE.

Have a great day!

Hugs, Kim xo

156384
Bright Baubles Bundle – 156384

Price: $71.00

156383
Delicate Baubles Dies – 156383

Price: $48.00

156350
Bright Baubles Cling Stamp Set – 156350

Price: $31.00

152718
Tasteful Textile 3D Embossing Folder – 152718

Price: $12.25

155433
Wintry 3D Embossing Folders – 155433

Price: $13.50

155718
Tidings Of Christmas 6″ X 6″ (15.2 X 15.2 Cm) Designer Series Paper – 155718

Price: $15.75

159276
Basic White 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 159276

Price: $13.25

101856
Vellum 8-1/2″ X 11″ Cardstock – 101856

Price: $13.50

151298
Water Painters – 151298

Price: $16.25

155576
Evening Evergreen Classic Stampin’ Pad – 155576

Price: $10.25

102283
Versamark Pad – 102283

Price: $13.00

129053
Heat Tool – 129053

Price: $41.00

155554
Basics Embossing Powders – 155554

Price: $24.00

155573
Evening Evergreen 3/8″ (1 Cm) Open Weave Ribbon – 155573

Price: $9.50

156408
White 3/8” (1 Cm) Glittered Organdy Ribbon – 156408

Price: $11.50

155571
2021–2023 In Color Jewels – 155571

Price: $9.50

155639
2021–2023 In Color Stampin’ Write Markers – 155639

Price: $20.00

153112
Melon Mambo Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack – 153112

Price: $12.00

154880
Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Blends Combo Pack – 154880

Price: $12.00

110755
Multipurpose Liquid Glue – 110755

Price: $5.50

127853
Silicone Craft Sheet – 127853

Price: $8.25

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About Kim McGillis

I'm the Founder and Designer of Kim McGillis Papercrafting. My crafting style is vintage chic with a dash of softness! CLICK HERE to shop my online store.

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