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I was very jazzed about the idea of coloring my kosher salt with reinker and really liked the way it looked. Well, let me tell you, it's 24 hours later and my salt is not so pretty now... the salt has somehow changed the color of the ink so that now it's just a yucky grey. It's so unattractive that I don't think I could ever give this card to anyone... I'd be too embarrassed. So now I will probably deconstruct what I can and toss the flowers.
Does anyone know why this happened, or what could be done in the future to stop it from happening? Will sugar react the same way?
Going on the idea that there is no such thing as an original idea, I figure that someone out there has done this before me.
__________________ Kathryn
Do you know if there's a 12-step program for stamping? No, seriously, is there??
I'm guessing there's a chemical reaction gone on between the ink and the salt. Some inks change colour even with water (if you try using inks for watercolouring, test first before starting to colour your image) so something as alkaline as salt is quite likely to have caused a breakdown of the ink in some way I would have thought.
I think sugar would just dissolve and you'd have a sticky patch in the centre of your flower after only a few minutes.
Sorry, I'm sure that's not what you want to hear :(
Joanne is right about sugar dissolving if you stick it with glue.
It would take time, but you could colour sugar this way: add some reinker to plain water, and stir in enough sugar to make a super-saturated solution. Tie a bit of string round a pencil and suspend it over the jar so the string hangs down. Over a couplle of days as the water evaporates sugar crystals will form on the string.
And for attaching sugar to paper, don't use any wet adhesive. Double sided adhesive film is what I have used for sugar. But I've only used regular brown, I haven't gone to the bother of colouring it - not since I was a kid.
If you think about how salt is used to bleach the colour on watercolour backgrounds, it's not too surprising that you had this problem. Shame though, it looked lovely.
I'd be afraid that sugar would attract ants, lol. Could you color rice (especially short grain), let it dry, then use it instead of the salt? Nice card, otherwise!
i didn't read everyone's posts, but i think the problem might be that salt can actually be used as a resist technique. (look in the resources) it naturally deters the ink.
just wanted to add, i think it's a shame that your card didn't work out because i thought it was BEAUTIFUL. you're mega talented!
Thanks for the feedback ladies! Joan, I love your suggestion to try rice. (am I actually considering making another food made card?!?) If I put it in a coffee grinder and give it a few quick pulses, I could probably get a similar texture to the kosher salt. Hmmmm....
On the other hand, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing... I think that now that I know that salt does this, I'll definately have to check out the salt resist technique and see how I can play with that!
__________________ Kathryn
Do you know if there's a 12-step program for stamping? No, seriously, is there??
Oh good! I figured that most people have rice in their pantries and since it's usually the white variety, this might work, especially doing the quick pulses in a grinder. You could also use white beans, lentils (there are several colors of those where you might not have to dye/ink them). Now, if insects aren't a problem (;) ) you could also grind up some white bread into bread crumbs, dry those and dye/ink them (or even dye/ink as you grind?).
Now if you are desparate...er, willing to try... how about taking some flour, sugar, or even cornmeal (but you'd have to use blue dye/ink) and adding a little dye/ink at a time in a baggie and shake? Be careful, as the flour and sugar will dissolve easily. Gluing into lumps on the flowers would give the knobby look.
Or try using coconut flakes and dying/inking them as you would for Easter grass? (Although it isn't as knobby as what you were aiming for).
Originally Posted by kaloso05
Thanks for the feedback ladies! Joan, I love your suggestion to try rice. (am I actually considering making another food made card?!?) If I put it in a coffee grinder and give it a few quick pulses, I could probably get a similar texture to the kosher salt. Hmmmm....
On the other hand, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing... I think that now that I know that salt does this, I'll definately have to check out the salt resist technique and see how I can play with that!
what the heck happened!?!
