Greet Your Friends

By: Jana Ewy for AMACO

Show your friends you're thinking about them. Send them a friendly greeting card from AMACO just to say "hi, I miss you." In 13 steps you can have cute cards that will go a long way, literally.

Materials:

Friendly plastic 7” sticks: 3, mother of pearl/white,
Adirondack Alcohol inks: colors of your choice. I recommend playing around with all of the colors.
Alcohol blending fluid
Rubbing alcohol, 91% isopropyl
Paintbrush
Scissor
Ruler
Stylus
Paper cutter
Envirotex Lite, resin sealer, or any high gloss acrylic sealer
Non-stick cookie sheet
Distress ink: vintage photo
Black card stock
White card stock
Black and white checkered paper
Printed sentiments or words
Antiqued brass 1/8” eyelets: and setting tool

Instructions:

Place the stick of plastic on a protected work surface. I start with a wash of the blending fluid over the plastic stick.
In a random pattern apply drops of ink in one or two colors as your background colors. Allow the colors to blend together. Use your paintbrush to fill in any white areas that are left. Clean brush.
Dip the brush into the rubbing alcohol and touch the plastic where you want to create white circles. These circles will resemble puddles.
Choose another coordinating color of ink and dilute slightly with rubbing alcohol. Using the brush apply this color within the white puddles. Continue this process until you have obtained a pattern you are happy with. Try using different colors.
Now comes the splashing part: dip you brush into the rubbing alcohol, apply a drop of a desired color of ink to the bristles and splash (splatter) the ink across the surface of the plastic. Repeat this with as many colors of ink as you like. Allow the finished design to dry completely.
Using a scissor cut the plastic to the desired size. I cut mine 2 3/4”.
Apply the Envirotex sealer following the manufactures instructions.

Note: I like to place my pieces on a non-stick cookie sheet. This way if there is any run off, it will be easy to remove later. Once I have the Envirotex mixed, I like to pour it into a small squeeze bottle. The application will be more precise and much easier. Blow softly, through a straw to pop any bubbles that remain. Allow the resin to dry at least 12 hours. If there has been any run off, remove the piece from the pan by pressing the needle tool under it and lifting it off the sheet. You can cut the excess that has run off with a scissor. Envirotex cures completely in 24 hours.

Create three 5 1/2” square cards, using black card stock. Measure 1/2” from the fold and score using a stylus.
Measure and mark the hole placement along the fold. 3/4” from the top with the holes 2” apart. Punch the holes, insert and set the eyelets.
Print the sentiments of your choice onto white card stock and cut out as 3/8” strips. Tear the ends off to a suitable length. Use the remainder of the white card stock and cut three 2” x 3 3/8” rectangle mats. Distress the edges of both the sentiment strips and the mats using the distress ink.
Now cut three 1 7/8” x 3/1/4” rectangle mats from black card stock and three 1 3/4” x 3” mats from the checkerboard paper.
Layer and adhere the mats together using glue or double-sided tape. White, black, checkerboard. Adhere the Splashed plastic onto the checkerboard mat. Next, position and adhere the matted piece to the center of the card.
Position and adhere the sentiment below the splashed plastic.