Magic Butterfly

Post-posting note: A couple of people have asked me if they couldn't just use Alcohol Inks and Blending solution for this. The answer is no. Because AI's are so fast drying and solvent based, they will coat the embossed design. Thanks for keeping me on my toes, folks!

This month at Blockheads it's all about the butterflies! Suits me fine. I can spend hours being mesmerized by butterflies flitting around. You remember that, right? Sunny warm breeze, everything blossoming, butterflies riding delicate currents from one flower to the next? I know, it seems impossible while you're huddled under the blankets and drinking hot cocoa, but it'll happen again soon enough.

It puts me in mind of one of my favorite Camus quotes, "In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer." It's true. After all the holiday crafting and snowman hot chocolate cards and reds and greens and... oh, you know I love me some winter stuff, but... I can so easily close my eyes and feel the sun and see those butterflies. So, I was delighted to have an excuse (What. I need one?) to get crafty with butterflies.

This technique is a little like magic. To do it, you will need, glossy paper, a VersaMark ink pad, clear embossing powder, Distress Re-Inkers (or any water based reinker), and 91% Isopropyl Alcohol. It's important that you use 91% alcohol (sold in any pharmacy) and not the more standard 78% (which has more water in it and won't work well).

For these examples, I used Blockheads Painted Butterflies and Botanical Silhouettes sets. I started by stamping the butterfly image using VersaMark on glossy cardstock. I then dusted over that with the clear embossing powder and heat set it. Next I soaked a cotton ball in the alcohol and then put about three drops of ink on it. Here's where the magic happens! Simply dab the inky cotton ball all over the cardstock and the image "magically" appears. Wipe away the excess inkiness with a clean dry paper towel to fully reveal the image.

To give the card a little added boost, I used a water based marker in a very light yellow to color the inside of the butterfly image and stamped the flower silhouettes in a matching blue.

I decided that since this card is going to a friend who is ill, along with some magazines and crossword puzzles, that I'd go ahead and make a bookmark too...