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On a whim, I bought a set of Dyan Reavely's Dylusions spray ink. Instant love! I was trying to get a background similar to Weekend Warrior's "Hello Spring!" card from MIX 64.
I used the Dylusions mixed with some Distress Stain and threw in some watercolor. It came out great.
Now I'm wondering if anyone has successfully made spray ink? I can tell you that Distress reinkers mixed with water did not work (expensive mistake). I have tried acrylic ink with water and with alcohol. Still not satisfied. So, I'm thinking about trying one of the following (i) Rit Dye, (ii) india ink or (iii) highly pigmented watercolor. However, I'm not sure whether to mix these with water or alcohol.
DIY spray inks are all over the internet. But I trust my SCS' first hand knowledge the most!!
Thanks!!
__________________ Debbie "Make it work, people." - Tim Gunn My Gallery
What went wrong with Distress reinkers and water? I've done this in the past (both with and without PerfectPearls in the mix) with success so I'm intrigued as to what didn't work for you. I'm attaching a card I made last week using Tumbled Glass reinker, water and turquoise Perfect Pearls in a mister so you can see how that worked for me - would this pass your satisfaction test?
It might be helpful to know what made you dissatisfied with the things you've tried. I've seen people use things as simple as food colouring mixed with water in mister bottles with success but without knowing what you're not liking about what you've tried, it's difficult to know what to suggest.
Thanks, Joanne. I must have used to much water with the Distress reinker because it hardly showed up on the paper (I tested with Crushed Olive). I filled a 2 oz spray bottle about 2/3 full and added three full squirts of reinker. I didn't want to throw good money after bad, so I stopped adding ink.
The acrylic sprays were more opaque than I was looking for. It looked like exactly that - watered down paint. I love the translucent qualities of the Dylusions.
I checked on the Frugalcrafter's website and she made her spray inks using concentrated watercolors. I may buy a couple and try it out before investing $$$.
__________________ Debbie "Make it work, people." - Tim Gunn My Gallery
I love the intensity that Dylusions give and the fact that you can add water over it and dim it. I would want those 2 qualities in anything I made as a substitute.
Thanks, Joanne. I must have used to much water with the Distress reinker because it hardly showed up on the paper (I tested with Crushed Olive). I filled a 2 oz spray bottle about 2/3 full and added three full squirts of reinker. I didn't want to throw good money after bad, so I stopped adding ink.
Sorry, I'm rubbish at capacities but 2oz sounds quite big - I think that's the size of the big Ranger ones? That's a lot of spray so unless you're doing a really big project, I'd say aim smaller in any case so you don't have loads left over. I'd typically use a Mini Mister with a dropper full of Distress ink (squeeze the bulb of the dropper while it's in the ink to fill the tube then squeeze the whole lot into the mister) and top up most of the way with water.
Joanne, your card is absolutely gorgeous!! Are those real feathers or vellum or something else? Love this card. Your homemade spray is fabulous. I love making my own sprays too. But like you have no idea of the measurements...I rarely measure anything
Joanne, your card is absolutely gorgeous!! Are those real feathers or vellum or something else? Love this card. Your homemade spray is fabulous. I love making my own sprays too. But like you have no idea of the measurements...I rarely measure anything
Thank you, Kathy! The feathers are from the Waltzingmouse Stamps Fine Feathers set (here) stamped with Pearlescent Chocolate Brilliance on vellum. I blogged the card here if you want any other details (I always list the stuff I used when I blog a project).
I love the intensity that Dylusions give and the fact that you can add water over it and dim it. I would want those 2 qualities in anything I made as a substitute.
Don't you love Frugal Crafter?
I'm not overly familiar with Dylusions but wonder if they have similar properties to Inktense - which can be grated, add water to make a spray https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFjRXEhlL1k
Just wanted to follow up and let you guys know I made spray ink using gel food coloring. It is awesome and cheap! It's the closest I found so far to the Dylusions.
__________________ Debbie "Make it work, people." - Tim Gunn My Gallery
Could you post your recipe using the gel food coloring?
The one I saw on YouTube used a mini mister and probably added at least an 1/8 of a teaspoon. She didn't really measure but she used a lot to ensure an intense color.
I don't use sprays often because my room is so cluttered I would end up ruining something (there's a plan in progress for getting it more user-friendly!).
However, I use craft foam pen nibs often (Ranger Craft Nibs | Ranger Ink and Innovative Craft Products) and soak them in a plastic Dixie-type bathroom cup to clean. The water is often a beautiful color so I plan to pour it into a mini mister. Free dyed water, less waste, something else to play with ... CRAFTY WIN!
I've used the watercolor paint that is in a tube...cheap brand bought at the Flower Factory when it was still open. I squeezed the entire tube (I didn't plan to ever paint with them) into a 2 oz mister bottle and filled it with water. You have to shake it alot and the pain will settle after sitting a bit and you have to shake it a lot again. I have a bunch of these bottles filled with my "misting inks" in my favorite colors to use again and again. Just another option. You could certainly use the mini misters and less of the watercolor paint.
I remember reading somewhere (long, long ago, don't remember where) that you can put a couple of pony beads into the bottle to make it easier to mix it up by shaking. Sort of like the balls that help you shake up a can of spray paint...
__________________ "When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad, and that is my religion."
--Abraham Lincoln
oh why didn't I think of that?! Think I have some somewhere from when my stepdaughter did beading...I will thow a couple in each bottle. I just like doing it in the 2oz bottles because I'll have lots of "ink" to spray again and again. Thanks for the suggestion!!:p
I remember reading somewhere (long, long ago, don't remember where) that you can put a couple of pony beads into the bottle to make it easier to mix it up by shaking. Sort of like the balls that help you shake up a can of spray paint...
definitely. I actually don't wait for a problem I just pop one of my son's bb's into the bottle.
I have some very old Dr. PH Martin's concentrated watercolors in a huge variety of hues. I'm going to try that and se what happens. Sure haven't used them for much else over the years!
I have some very old Dr. PH Martin's concentrated watercolors in a huge variety of hues. I'm going to try that and se what happens. Sure haven't used them for much else over the years!
Should work. I bought Blick Liquid watercolor as per the Frugalcrafter's demo for this. Dr.Ph Martin's is just the fine art level of the same type of product.
Should work. I bought Blick Liquid watercolor as per the Frugalcrafter's demo for this. Dr.Ph Martin's is just the fine art level of the same type of product.
Thanks for the info. Will check out the instructions on the Frugalcrafter's demo.
I did the Frugal Crafter idea and love what I've got. I got the Blick water colors. I liked them enough to get more. Mine work like shimmer sprays and the colors are great.
After using actual Dylusions, I'm thinking of trying the food color recipe.
I'm resurrecting this thread in hopes the original posters that tried the food coloring option can chime in again and tell me the longevity of their results. Since it is a food based product, I wonder about mold, smell and fading since there are no light fast properties to it.
Did anyone try rubbing alcohol in any of their recipes?
__________________ Shannon
"We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." - Nin
Not tried this myself yet, but having been a receiver of many of my friends tags- she makes them rather than cards,- and seen many of her canvases, I think that's proof that they work fine.She doesn't use water in her home made mister sprays, instead she uses gin or vodka. She says that that means the liquid evaporates quickly, so next to no drying time. And there is no alcohol smell from those two either. She also uses the mini misters recommended by others. Hth.
Just took a quick pic of two I bought from her recently. Distress inks diluted in alcohol, and Perfect Pearls.
The Real Truth Behind DIY Spray Ink
