I love when you make happy little accidental discoveries when you are crafting. I wanted to create a card with spooky bottles die cut from Tim Holtz Frosted sheets. I thought if I adhered two layers together I could make flat bottles that could be filled. I thought that they would be perfect for the front of a card. And then I wondered what would happen if I added alcohol ink to color the Frosted material first. I think it is important once in a while to ask “what if” and experiment with our supplies. What you discover just might rock your world a little!
Die cut two bottles from Frosted using the Tim Holtz Apothecary Bottle die.
Lay one bottle die cut on a craft sheet. I placed the side up that felt slightly smoother. Run a thin line of Glossy Accents around the sides and bottom of the bottle.
Drip a few drops of alcohol ink on the bottle die cut.
Sprinkle a small amount of glitter on the bottle over the ink. Be careful to not get it into the Glossy Accents if possible.
Place the second die cut on top of the first sandwiching the alcohol ink and glitter between the two layers. The Glossy Accents keeps the ink “inside” the bottle and adheres the two bottles together around the edges. Drying takes some time. I would suggest letting the bottle side 30 minutes to an hour.
When the Glossy Accents is dry, ink the edges of the bottle with a Coffee Archival Ink pad. Brush the edge of the bottle directly on the pad for an inked edge.
When the brown ink is dry, add a black inked edge also. Ink the bottle stoppers with brown and black ink also.
Add a touch of Glossy Accents to the stoppers and insert them into the top of the bottles.
Apply Remnant Rubs to Vial Labels to use as embellishments on the jars. You can also gently apply Remnant Rubs directly onto the bottles.
Use an ink blending tool to apply Vintage Photo Distress Ink to the edges of the Vial labels and then apply the to the bottles.
The magic discovery is that the alcohol ink in the bottle doesn’t dry, it stays fluid inside the bottle. If you touch the bottle it will move around.
Take care as you handle the bottle to not bend it. Bending the Frosted material can break the bond of the Glossy Accents. If you “break” the bottle open lay the pieces out to dry and use for another project. Once the glitter gets into the edge you won’t be able to seal it again. In this example, I added too much ink and got a little carried away squishing it around. I let the two pieces dry and will use them on a tag later.
To create the card, fold a jumbo #12 manila tag in half. Trace the front of the tag onto a piece of pattern paper. The 6×6 blocks in the Laboritorie paper stash are perfect for the card front.
Cut along the pencil line. Adhere the paper to the front of the card. Use an ink blending tool to apply Vintage Photo Distress Ink to the edges of the card.
Place the Gothic Layering Stencil over the front of the card. Use an ink blending tool to pounce over the stencil to apply the design with Black Soot Distress Ink randomly to the pattern paper.
Use an ink blending tool to apply Spiced Marmalade Distress Ink to the corners of the pattern paper and to the edges.
Arrange your bottles on the front of the card, adhering each with foam tape hidden behind the label.
Add a Remnant Rub sentiment to the card along the right front edge. Be sure to ink the inside edges of the card so that the parts that show will match the front of the card.
Spread Clear Rock Candy Distress Stickles over the corners of the card as desired to add a light touch of glitter to the background.
The dried Distress Stickles adds a very light touch of glitter when dry.
On the small bottle, I added silver alcohol ink mixative instead of glitter.
It makes the “potion” inside more opaque and cloudy.
When you touch it the silver moves around, almost like it is floating in the other ink. When I put the front on this bottle a bit of the ink leaked out the side and created a drip down the right side of the bottle. I love how that drip dried making it like the potion had oozed out of the bottle!
The bottles are not air tight so I really don’t know long term if the ink will stay fluid. More than 8 hours after I made them though, they are still fluid and haven’t leaked.
In time they may dry up leaving a clear bottle with areas of color. Even if it is temporary, I am going to have fun squishing the ink around a bit! I do think that if you were to make these bottles for a card that you would want to hand deliver the card. I don’t think they would handle being mailed since the bond between the two bottle layers can be broken so easily.
I think this is one of the most fun discoveries I have had in a while. It is just plain fun and so cool looking! I think it is a good reminder to experiment and ask yourself “what if?”. You just never know what little arty discovery you may make!
Feel free to pin this project on Pinterest! While you are there, I would love for you to check out my boards!
Tammy, this is a great idea! The end of your instructional about mailing the card made me think of a really obvious question that I never thought of and can’t seem to find online: How do you mail mixed media projects? Usually when I make a cool card with dimensions or things that extend beyond the border, I have to just hand deliver it without an envelope, but I’m sure there are people out there that manage to mail cards like this. Any tips?
Hi I cover my mixed media with a layer of bubble wrap then use a bubble wrap envelope.
That is a great question. I am glad than Jan shared her solution. I would think a small box would also work. I never mail cards outside of a package so I hadn’t really thought about it before.
In a package! Of course! I’m usually that cheap guy that says the creation IS the gift haha. But a bubble mailer makes sense as well. Good tips, thanks everyone!
You are AMAZING!!! Your creative mind inspires me!! I love this and can’t wait to try it. Thanks!!
AWESOME discovery Tammy! LOVE this idea!
Awesome card Tammy! Love the bottles!
How cool, Tammy!
Oh … my … goodness!!!! This is an incredible idea! I love those bottles. Isn’t it fun to play around and find something new? You are one of the most amazing innovators Tammy AND you create absolutely gorgeous projects. Fabulous make. — Mary Elizabeth
Wow, this is awesome, Tammy!
WOW! This is awesome card & technique! I picked up the bottle die on clearance at Hobby Lobby a couple of weeks ago – not sure what I would do with it, but now that problem is solved!!! Thank for the great tutorial.
Tammy I love it, I have a roll of frosted unopened because I wasn’t sure what to do with it. I live my bottle die and this just gives a new dimension. What a creative lady you are, thanks for all the inspiration x
This project is using the new Frosted sheets which is different than the material on the roll. The sheets do not have adhesive on the back so they are great for using in die cut windows, shadowboxes, etc. The film on the roll has adhesive on the back and is much thinner. It is fun stuff. It looks really cool applied on top of pattern paper. Since it has adhesive on it you can do paper transfers which is really fun! https://www.tammytutterow.com/2013/05/tuesday-tutorial-frosted-film-transparent-tag/
Thanks for pointing that out Tammy! I just saw the frosted bit and got excited!!!!
Just when I think I’ve seen it all … this is so cool !!
Straight up awesome!!
I love the technique with the bottles. It looks awesome. Thanks for sharing,
great job Tim would be honored
Such a terrific idea, and even if the seal breaks and there’s 2 pieces they still look really cool! Thanks for sharing 🙂
That is a super fun “what if”….. and i’ve been a huge holdout on buying an archival pad, love that coffee color you inked the edges. off to go buy that!
This is SO cool!!!
What a fantastic idea and great discovery – so cool!!
Such a cool card and experiment. I can hardly wait to try it. Now I need to get my hands on the potion dies!
This is so amazing and just cool. Great experiment.
wow ! amazing idea! love it 🙂
so cool! Love it – you are very clever :o)
Such a great technique, and a fun, beautiful card! I love your creations, Tammy. Question: Is there a technical reason for using the Archival ink rather than a Distress ink? I’m guessing there is, but it isn’t apparent to me. Thanks for sharing this!
Distress Inks won’t dry on a nonporous surface like the plastic in the Frosted sheets. Archival Inks will.
Thank you so much to share your technique!,I realy want to make this bottles, I didn’t have a FROSTED FILM and this size of die.I use a frosted paper which i had and small bottle.
But I am so enjoyed to make this Thank you very much!!
If you have a chance will check my blog about a bottle ATC
Thank you!!
yumi
sorry my blog is http://stampinup3.blog.fc2.com/?editor
yumi
That is awesome! You come up with the greatest ideas ever.
Hi Tammy, I got carried away with your stunning idea! Unfortunately, in my country it is very difficult to get the latest Tim Holtz-stuff, but I couldn’t wait to that moment that I have enough money to do another online buy-in of cool stuff, so I tried your technique with the things I had: some paper we used as kids to draw over coloring pages and that looks like the Frost film, my old alchol inks and a print out of some bottles from the Internet. I started cutting the bottles out with my scissors, applied Glossy Accent and some drips of ink. Unfortunately, my paper started curling up and my ink got kinda mixed with the glossy accent and I couldn’t place the two layers properly on each other. None the less, I got more or less the same results! Maybe I can find some thicker paper and practice some more 🙂 I love it and thank you for sharing and explaining on a very clear and understandable way this technique!
Evelyne from Belgium
Great tag and great technique!
That was too much fun! Even when the alcohol ink dries, they still would look “spooky.”
As always your tips blow me away!!! LOVE what you did with the poison vials!
So, so seriously creative, fun, and spooky, Tammy! Absolutely LOVE these apothecary bottles! How super fun the moveable liquid insides are….for however long they last, they are super cool!
I love this project, especially since I just scored big time getting that die at a great price at HL. I’m going to try this, it’s just a fabulous idea. TFS.
Such a cool project. I will use this technique for something non-halloween just for fun and see what I can create. Your projects are seriously artistic and super creative and so different than others’ ideas. Your instructions are so well written, thank you for always making this novice feel like she can do it too 🙂
WOW…… love it!!!
Did this with acetate and a stamped canning jar image which is easy to fussy cut. Skipped the glitter inside and love the “fluid” result. TFS.