2017 #6 Squiggly Ink with UTEE {by Ingrid Vichova}

2017 Topic 6: Resin/UTEE

Hi everyone, Ingrid here!

Lovely to be here on the PA blog tonight sharing a few ideas on how to use UTEE (Ultra-thick Embossing Enamel). 

Originally, I was going to use resin, but it turned out to be a disaster. More practice mixing, me thinks :) I went back to my trusted embossing enamel and had a great fun playing. Take a peek at what I've been up to... 

The overall idea behind this was to create a dimensional and cheerful art that would brighten my craft room and my mood at the same time. I also believe that there are no ordinary moments in life so this stamp set was my immediate choice! I used the Bricks & Mortar 1 A6 stamp set (Squiggly Ink).

The process is rather simple, but there are a few things I have learned (the hard way) and decided to share a few tips with you. So hopefully the below photos will give you a better idea...

Gelatos are perfect for adding a bit of colour to your UTEE. They have plenty of pigment so you only need a few shavings to add to your pot. 

Let's get cooking! Melting the 'ingredients' doesn't take long at all. It is a good idea to heat from the bottom first to prevent hot pieces flying around and also to prevent overheating it. 

UTEE = plastic. Make sure you sit in a ventilated room when heating it up and use tweezers to hold the pot so that you don't burn your fingers. Once melted you can pour onto your non-stick craft sheet. 

You need to work at the speed of light at this point and pop your stamp on top of the melted UTEE whilst still hot. I like to use a large acrylic block for this as it also presses onto the stamp evenly and weighs it down a bit. 

You're going to be left with something like this. I decided to trim the heart completely. I have a bright spark for you: You can also pour the hot UTEE into the centre of the stamp and let it cool down. You could also use metal cookie cutters for this. I also have a warning for you: It's addictive!!! :) 

It's a good idea to test your base inks with UTEE first. I experimented with a couple of type of black inks, one of which was VersaFine Onyx Back, but found Stazon to be working well with embossed tissue paper. No smudging. However, later on I found out that the Stazon can smudge a bit once embossed over the paint so try to minimise the heating time once working over stamped paint. You'll see what I mean in a bit. 

Now comes the fun bit! Isn't this the most amazing colour combination ever? I LOVE Tracy Scott's new paint set! I embossed the little house twice only on the front side and let it cool down under my heavy acrylic block to keep it flat. The clear embossing powder makes the tissue completely see-through and the idea was to add the paints on the back of the embossed tissue paper. I also used  a dash of Snowflake here. 

I didn't spend too much time on the background, but absolutely had to use the new paints! So yummy! 

How adorable are these little stamps. The size of these stamps is perfect for cardmaking. How did I not know about them sooner? I was as pink as that prawn paint when Leandra told me what Squiggly Ink were when I asked. I had a good browse soon after and bought a whole batch of Squiggly Ink stamps so don't be surprised when you see them used in a magazine soon. 

Embossing is like magic. Don't you just love when the granules start turning all shiny? So imagine the feeling when the Stazon started to 'leak' a bit in the corner! Nooooo! The plan was to stamp onto the first layer of embossing and then emboss again so this was suddenly a big no no! But fear not! I sorted it out... 

I figured that embedding a stamped tissue was a better idea overall. I knew that the Stazon ink wouldn't get smudged/melted this way. 

The painted house is perfectly bright once embedded, but the tissue paper itself disappears within the melted UTEE. I hope this sparks some ideas for you. A few photos of the completed project for you below... 

*****

One final tip: If you are going to try this technique then make sure you work on a greyboard or similar substrate to withstand the heat! Have fun!

I had a great time playing with the gorgeous paints and loved making my own embellishments using the heart stamp from the set. Thank you for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed reading about my creative journey. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts and if you want to get in touch, my links are for you below. I shall look forward to it! 

Blog: Ingrid Kristina V Designs
Facebook: Ingrid Kristina V
Twitter: Ingrid Kristina V
Instgram: Ingrid Kristina V 
Pinterest: ...and you guessed it... Ingrid Kristina V :) 

All the best, 

Ingrid xxx

Oh my goodness, what a beautiful post Ingrid!! It's so lovely to see the Squiggly Ink stamps out! ~Leandra

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