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Colored Walnut Crystals   Basic How-To   ◊   Project using Colored Walnut Ink

By Becky Lemire
Crafty Cruisers
Intermediate Stamping Team Designer

If you live in an area like I do, there is nowhere to purchase Walnut Ink, much less the colored ones.  Just about every product I use in my stamping and scrapping projects has to be ordered online or purchased through a direct sales stamp/scrapping company.  Then I have to wait for the mail or the UPS man to show up at my door.  I really want to get some of the fabulous looking tinted Walnut Ink, but haven't gotten around to ordering some, so.... I am going to make my own and tell you how I did it.

Supplies:

• Walnut Ink Crystals (Tsukineko ~ TAC)
• Dye Ink Refills:
    Moulin Rouge Palette Hybrid Ink Refill (Stewart Superior ~ TAC)
    Rustic Red Dye Ink Refill (TAC)
    Princess Pink Dye Ink Refill (TAC)
    Boudior Blush Palette Hybrid Ink Refill (Stewart Superior ~ TAC)
    Sunset Dye Ink Refill (TAC)
    Orangerie Palette Hybrid Ink Refill (Stewart Superior ~ TAC)
    Golden Wheat Dye Ink Refill (TAC)
    Sunshine Dye Ink Refill (TAC)
    Old Olive Dye Ink Refill (Stampin’ Up!)
    Starry Night Dye Ink Refill (TAC)
    Forget Me Not Dye Ink Refill (TAC)
    Black Beauty Dye Ink Refill (TAC)
• Hot Water-1 1/2 cups
• Ten (10) small jars/baby food jars work well

Instructions:

1.                Mix base mixture of 1-teaspoon Walnut Ink Crystals with 1-1/2 cups of hot water in a spare jar or measuring cup that will hold about two cups of liquid.  A measuring cup works well for pouring the mixture into the smaller jars.  Mix until the crystals dissolve. 

2.                Pour the base mixture evenly into the ten small jars. 

3.                In the color wheel picture, I have put the number of drops I used to achieve the color shown.  Have a sheet of paper and a paintbrush handy so you can test your colors.  Start out by adding about 10 to 15 drops of the chosen color of ink refill to a small jar that has the walnut ink base mixture.  Mix with the paintbrush and test on scrap paper to see if it is the color you are looking for or like.  Continue adding ink until desired color is reached.  Repeat this for the rest of the jars using different colors in each jar. 

4.                Experiment with colors because this is a very inexpensive way to get the walnut inks you desire.  You are only using 1-teaspoon of the crystals and a few drops of refill inks for ten of these possible tinted walnut ink solutions.  Make sure you write down what amounts you used so that you can make more if you find a color that will become your favorite. 

Tag Project using tinted walnut ink 

Supplies:

• Pressed Flowers Stamp Set (TAC)
• Live Limited Edition Stamp Set (TAC)
• Shipping Tag (Avery)
• Rustic Red Walnut Ink mixture (directions above)
• L'Amore Red Palette Hybrid Ink Pad (Stewart Superior ~ TAC)
• Boudoir Blush Palette Hybrid Ink Pad (Stewart Superior ~ TAC)
• Sunflower Palette Hybrid Ink Pad (Stewart Superior ~ TAC)
• Landscape Palette Hybrid Ink Pad (Stewart Superior ~ TAC)
• Burnt Umber Palette Hybrid Ink Refill (Stewart Superior ~ TAC)
• Acrylic Block 2" x 2" (TAC)
• Fibers in coordinating colors  
• Heat tool (Marvy ~ TAC) 

Instructions:

1.                Crumple up the shipping tag.  Smooth the tag out and paint some Rustic Red Walnut Ink mixture over the front and back of tag using a sponge brush or paper towel.  Wipe off excess ink with a paper towel and allow to dry.  You may speed drying process by heating with a heat tool. 

2.                Stamp flowers randomly around the left side and bottom of the tag using L'Amore Red and Boudour Blush Palette inks.  Fill in open areas on the left side and bottom of the tag with the leaf and fern stamps from the set using Landscape Palette ink.  Stamp centers of flowers using Sunflower Palette ink. 

3.                Ink up "Live the life..." stamp with Burnt Umber Palette ink and stamp on the upper right side of the tag. 

4.                Tie some coordinating fibers/ribbons through the hole in the tag and you are finished!

If you would like to print this technique including a near-full size image of the color wheel, click here.  Once you've saved or printed the technique sheet, use your browser's back button to return.

Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to obtain this file.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, click here to download and install.