Alcoholic Butterfly :) – Tutorial

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I used this technique in yesterday’s tutorial and I found it to be fairly quick and easy, but still has a great wow factor.  Here is another tutorial on alcohol inks and transparency film.

Supplies:

Stamps: Stampin’ Up Wonderful Wings and Toile Blossoms
Paper: Old Olive, Basic Grey Design Paper
Ink: Adirondack Alcohol Inks Butterscotch, Caramel, Latte, Lettuce and Stream, Stazon Black
Accessories: Alcohol Blending Solution, Aqua Brush, Brads, Transparency Film, Ribbon, Styrofoam Plate, Piercing Tool

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Started out with a 5″x 5″ piece of transparency film and Basic Gray Designer paper.

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Stamped Butterfly and flowers using Stazon Black ink.   Keep in mind that your finished image will be reversed in this technique.

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Let the ink dry and then I flipped the transparency over, ink side down onto the Design paper.

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Put about an inch of Alcohol Blending Solution in an Aqua brush.

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Put a few drops of Lettuce Alcohol Ink on a Styrofoam plate and picked the color up with the Aqua brush and painted the leaves very loosely.  I’m painting on the side that does not have the Black Stazon on it.

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Painted the inside of the flower petals loosely with Caramel Alcohol ink.

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Painted the outside of the flower petals and buds loosely with Latte Alcohol ink. 

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Painted the inside of the butterfly wings with Butterscotch Alcohol ink.

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Painted the outsides of the butterfly wings with Stream Alcohol ink. 

Note:  if you get a bit of ink some where that you don’t want it.   Clean your brush and just use the alcohol filled aqua brush to whisk it away. 🙂

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The butterfly was too bright for my liking so I tone it down with Caramel Alcohol ink.

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Assembled card using brads to hold the transparency film in place on the card front.

Finished card!

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Hey, if you like this tutorial and I haven’t bored you half to death, give me a shout out in the comments section below.  🙂  I love to hear from you.

Hope your day is filled with butterflies and flowers!

84 thoughts on “Alcoholic Butterfly :) – Tutorial

  1. Loydine's avatar Loydine

    Definitely eye-catching! Your tutorials yesterday and today were easy to follow–thanks! I have quite a few of these inks and haven’t used them yet. I will now.

    Like

  2. janice's avatar janice

    WOW! this is just breathtaking! thanks so much for the wondeful tutorial!
    i am a visual gal and those help me so much!
    this is just so beautiful!!

    Like

  3. Linda's avatar Linda

    Michelle,
    Another beautiful tutorial. Thank you for taking the time to give us such a detailed map to follow. I have learned more from you in your tutorials about different techniques than I have from the last 6 years of taking classes. I have one question, how did you clean the brush in between color changes? Did you just wipe it off on paper or did you need to use blender solution? How well does the aqua brush need to be cleaned after putting blender solution inside? Did you cut down the acetate or did it come “card size”? Sorry that was three questions. I want to stay home from work now and play with all the toys.
    Linda

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  4. Linda asked “how did I clean the Aqua brush in between colors?” Linda, I just wiped it on the scrap paper until it ran clear again.
    “How well does the aqua brush need to be cleaned after putting blender solution inside?” I just empty mine and run water over it. It’s Alcohol based so I just leave it lay open after cleaning to evaperate any remaining solution.
    “Did you cut down the acetate or did it come “card size”?” I purchased a full size box of Transparency sheet years ago and I cut the sheets to fit the project.
    Linda, great questions!

    Like

  5. nancyruth's avatar nancyruth

    Oh Michelle this is so so pretty! thank you for taking me step by step through the process, I think I can do this! Big hugs, nancyruth

    Like

  6. Phyllis Gunn's avatar Phyllis Gunn

    I have been an admirer of your art for a long time and recently visited your blog. I do appreciate your tutorials as they are very helpful and give me inspiration. With your guidance, I have created some beautiful cards and it just makes my heart sing! I’ve been toying with the idea of getting into alcohol inks but always hesitated; you’ve changed my mind. Thanks for sharing your beautiful talents. GREAT BLOG.

    Like

  7. How could any of your tutorials be boring? I could comment on each and every card you create. There just doesn’t seem to be a word great enough to describe your art with stamps!! You wow me everytime. I think I especially love the card you created with the girl on the beach from Seaside Sketches (I think that is the set, there was a series of 3 of those sets). I have always loved those sketches and never thought to create a scene like yours….will have to get the brayer out and be creative! I really love that you don’t just stick to one color scheme for sky, ground, water, what ever. You can use any colors. The Perfect Plum is gorgeous. LOVE LOVE LOVE your work! Thanks for inspiring! I will have to check out those alcohol inks and solution. That is new to me…
    Andi

    Like

  8. Tonniece's avatar Tonniece

    ooooooh!!! I love both the alcohol tutorials
    On top of being a wonderful artist who gives the best tutorials and makes some of the most beautiful cards I’ve ever seen,( that was a mouthful) you are an enabler too.
    I have to start buying alcohol inks and blending solution, and stampin up here I come. Those stamp sets are wonderful.

    Thanks again
    P.S.

    Those transparency sheets, are they like the ones at office depot for overhead projectors? And if not could those ones be used for these projects?

    Like

  9. Tonniece asked “Those transparency sheets, are they like the ones at office depot for overhead projectors? And if not could those ones be used for these projects?” Yes, they are the overhead projector sheets. 🙂

    Like

  10. Phyllis Rollins's avatar Phyllis Rollins

    I really have to try this, and I have everything I need , glory be, I don’t have to buy a thing!!! Thanks so much for the great tutorial, your work is always amazing, but I feel like this is something I could actually do 🙂

    Like

  11. Melinda's avatar Melinda

    Michelle,

    Lovely! This looks so elegant. Can you use any other medium besides the alchohol inks? Like, anything from SU and would you get the same effect? I have markers, ink pads, water color crayons. Just wondering if they’ll give same effect??

    thanks! MM

    Like

  12. Melinda asked “Can you use any other medium besides the alchohol inks? Like, anything from SU and would you get the same effect?”
    Melinda, I think the alcohol inks work because they dry very quickly on the transparency, were other inks would just lay on the top of the plastic and stay wet and smear. Alcohol based markers may work. I haven’t tried them though. 🙂

    Like

  13. Deb Vandersteeg's avatar Deb Vandersteeg

    Michelle,

    This is an awesome tutorial. You’ve done a great job. I love this technique and can’t wait to play. Thanks again for taking the time to do this.

    Deb

    Like

  14. Oh gosh, you haven’t bored me at all! I just discovered your blog a week or so ago, and subscribed immediately. I just love all the detailed cards you make….I had just purchased a brayer and you inspired me to make one of my favorite cards ever! I don’t own any alcohol inks currently, but you are certainly making me want some…your tutorials are fantastic – please keep them up!
    Cheers,
    Katie

    Like

  15. I’ve done this before. My first time doing it, I thought I was so clever. Stazon, Acetate, alcohol inks, sharpies. It was going to be a fine day. I was in my stamping happy place. I stamped Santa – it was a good, clean image too. Then I started colouring… *sigh* coming from the queen of screw-ups… I forgot to turn the image over. POOF! Santa’s face was gone… It was so bad that it couldn’t even be salvaged as an altered art project. *snort*

    Terrific tutorial Michelle!

    Loretta

    Like

  16. mnhyrkas's avatar mnhyrkas

    I’m so glad you started blogging. I’ve enjoyed seeing some of your projects at SCS but now I get to subscribe so I know when you’ve uploaded 🙂
    Thanks for taking the time to do a tutorial to break it all out into steps. It really helps to be able to see how your work comes together And I am always tickled to being able to peek into the creative brains of awesome artists like yourself. Adelle

    Like

  17. Tracyg's avatar Tracyg

    Thanks. Thanks a bunch. I have been sooo good at resisting the alcohol inks, and the distress inks, but after seeing this beautiful card, and the tutorial, now I HAVE to have them. I think I need to block your blog……gorgeous as usual Michelle.
    Tracyg

    Like

  18. Mimi's avatar Mimi

    Michelle, you are never boring. I find your tutorials easy to follow and complete. Thanks for taking the time to take all the pictures step by step and describing in detail your process. I visit your blog everyday and hope you will continue to show us your work.

    Like

  19. Tejal's avatar Tejal

    Love it…totally love it..It has such a wow factor..and such easy!
    though I have none of the products to make this card..I love the colors you used..fabulous!

    Thanks for doing such wonderful tutorials..I had subscribed to your gallery in SCS and now I’m glad I know how you do such wonderful cards!!

    Tejal

    Like

  20. Lisa's avatar Lisa

    Do you stamp on the rough or smooth side of the transparency? I’ve been teaching stamping for years now and your blog is the first one that I can’t wait to check out in the morning. I know I will get inspired to do something creative.

    Thanks!
    Lisa

    Like

  21. Lisa asked “Do you stamp on the rough or smooth side of the transparency?”
    Lisa, my transparencies don’t have a rough side, but for those transparencies that do, I would do my stamping on the rough side and painting on the smooth side. 🙂

    Like

  22. Julia (Artystamper on SCS)'s avatar Julia (Artystamper on SCS)

    Wonderful technique Michelle! can’t wait to try this out! I’m using up all the color ink on my printer printing out your daily tutorials!!

    Like

  23. Ann C.'s avatar Ann C.

    I’ve just recently discovered your blog and your beautiful art. I really appreciate your techniques which are so simple yet produce such lovely art pieces. I like to give cards that I put my time & effort into to show that I care and I am sure I’ll try some of your techniques. I have used the brayer quite a bit in the past and I think I”m going to have to buy alcohol inks and transparencies next!

    Like

  24. Michelle, thanks for answering everyone’s questions, now I don’t have to ask! LOL! Your card is just so beautiful! I’ve been playing with my acetate the past few days doing a polished acetate technique so now I’ll have to pull out my butterflies and play with them using this technique! Thanks for the inspiration!

    Like

  25. Gidget-Trish's avatar Gidget-Trish

    Michelle,
    This is another awesome card! You should have shares in the alcohol ink stock market as sales are going to soar because of your great tutorials! I have no alcohol inks but now, of course, I want them too…..just like everyone else who follows your work. 😀 I also want to thank you for the great site with video tutorials that you had on your blog yesterday. I plan to spend some time on there too. Thanks so much for all your sharing. I’ve been a teacher all my career and I must tell you that your tutorials are very well done in teaching your methods. Keep up the fantastic job!
    Trish

    Like

  26. Sandy's avatar Sandy

    Absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much for the tutorial. Your talent is amazing and it is so good of you to share your knowledge. I have the inks but have only used them once or twice. God Bless!

    Like

  27. Kathy's avatar Kathy

    Um…WOW! I think it’s all been said, but I wanted to say how pretty this is. Your design goes so beautifully with that background paper. You are so amazing with all of your ideas! You are just the best, and thanks for all of lessons and sharing your art!!!!

    Like

  28. Harriet Skelly's avatar Harriet Skelly

    Michelle your tutorials are perfect for me – I am a visual learner and I can step through your tutorials with ease. Thank you so much for taking the time to make these every day! You are awesome!

    Like

  29. Barb (GrandmaUpNorth)'s avatar Barb (GrandmaUpNorth)

    thank you so much for the tutorial. I absolutely love this card! You make it sound so easy, but I know its not!!! However, it gives me the desire to try it!!

    Like

  30. Christine's avatar Christine

    I do not have alcholol inks but I must buy some.. this is abeautiful card. You are truely talented and I enjoy reading your blog daily. thank you for the inspiration to become better!

    Christine

    Like

  31. Shawn K.'s avatar Shawn K.

    Wow! Another great tutorial and more product to buy! I always wondered what to use those alcohol inks for, thanks for enabling me. Really love your blog…you are amazing!

    Shawn K.

    Like

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