Alcohol Ink Techniques: Is it all in the paper?

A couple months ago I did another video on alcohol inks. It just seems I can't get enough of them. I love when old supplies make a comeback and I find joy in them again. Well, I decided to go into more detail about alcohol ink cardstock and Yupo paper – both papers are designed for alcohol inks but which one is better?
I am using the Geode Stamp and Die bundle because these beautiful geodes are the most perfect stamps for alcohol inks! 

Yupo paper comes in 5×7 sheets and 10 pieces are included in a pack. Simon Says Stamp retails the paper for $9.99. If you're interested in creating entire backgrounds for A2 cards, this size may not be ideal but it's perfect if you like to add alcohol inked backgrounds behind die cuts or in strips, etc. This paper is matte. In the end, I preferred Yupo for the way the colours blend together, “blowing” colours around and the foiling technique.

Alcohol Ink Cardstock comes in 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 (A2 size) so it's perfect for card fronts. They come in packs of 20 pieces and retail for $5.99 and the paper is glossy, very similar to photo paper. This cardstock dries extremely quickly (which can be good or bad, depending on what you would like to do). I prefer this cardstock for it's quick drying ability, applying ink with a blending tool, embossing and it's glossy appearance.

As I mentioned in my video, I used my warped geode to my advantage. I added glue to the center only and let those warped edges curl up for some dimension. I also cut down some of the geodes to keep my cards still clean and simple. The “You are a rare find” die is a part of the geode bundle. Don't forget if you want to stamp on glossy paper, it is best to use Staz on or archival. 

The geode heart die cut is perfect because you can cut out the inside and outside of the hearts so you can mix and match colours. I paired the cards with some of the beautiful sentiments from the Fabulous Phrases die set.

Yupo paper, I find, it best for foiling because it stays wet longer. In order to get the foil to stick, you have to wait to see the “wet” alcohol ink form a glossy appearance similar to a syrup texture. If you do it too early, it just smooshed underneath the paper. When it's sticky, the foil will stick! I found it quite difficult to do this with the alcohol ink paper, though no impossible.

You can see that the alcohol inks look a lot less vibrant when applied with a felt applicator. I cut the geode in half to get two cards out of the deal! 

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