Alcohol Ink and Angelina Film Gravity-Defying Sculpture

This Gravity-Defying sculpture is titled "Be still my Heart".

What makes this Ible different than other alcohol ink and Angelina film projects is this new technique I developed to add an iridescent look to the Inks and the reverse is to add transparent patterned color to the film. The two work beautifully together.

The process is simple yet creates an amazing amount of depth and transparency, resembling pieces of glass floating one into another. If the project was only created with resin and alcohol ink sheets, like my other instructable then it wouldn't have that magical feeling that is attributed to Angelina.

Follow me on this project that uses unique products to create sculptures that dance and float in the light.

Let's Defy some Gravity!

Step 1: Items Needed

• Plastic covered work area and a heatproof area
• Gloves
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Old small craft brush( one that you can use for resin)
• Dotting tool
• Q-tips
• Clothes Iron
• Heat tool ( Embossing heat tool)
• Pressing sheet or piece of cotton fabric
• Alcohol
• QuickCure Clay
• Alcohol Inks
• Woodland Scenics Shaper Sheet or Aluminum foil
• Angelina Film( Color: Aurora Borealis) Other colors can be used to give even more effect
• Canned Air or small air puffer
• UV Resin for coating butterflies and to join together.
• UV lamp
• UV flashlight
• Release paper-like Freezer paper or Lamination pouches. See Resin Sheets
• Spray sealer or matte brush-on sealer
• Die cutter with metal die was used for the butterflies( shaped handheld punches can be used)

Step 2: Creating the Base

Design your project the way you want using these steps.

This project needed to have a base that resembled a heart shape. We say I have butterflies in my stomach when nervous but sometimes your heart gets so excited it wants to fly right out of your chest.

I used shaper sheet because it is more rigid than aluminum foil and has a fiber coating that adds a tooth to the surface giving my Quick Cure Clay something to hang onto. Now the QCC is pretty sticky and will adhere to the aluminum foil on its own but you would need to create a stiff armature to help support it. This is why I used Shaper Sheet.

After the shape was formed, it was temporarily attached to a display base to get things designed properly.

Rangers new Quick Cure Clay is really great stuff. It is much harder than polymer clay and doesn't need to be put in the oven nor does it need to be heated for long periods of time.

Wear gloves and in a ventilated area the clay tends to smoke some and gets pretty hot, read instructions and follow manufacturers instructions.

I needed the quick cure clay to be a paste to brush on but you could just roll out the clay and apply sections.

I took a small amount of the clay and began thinning with alcohol ( get info from Ranger) this created a spreadable paste. With a designated brush I coated the entire surface. Let it sit for a bit so the alcohol evaporates.

Once the surface was coated it was time for the heat tool. I applied the heat to one area and watched as it began to cure, quite amazing process. Keep watching and adding heat if needed. Let cool (too hot to handle)

Small pieces of clay are rolled out to a point to create vine trailers. attach with paste and press into place ( heat cure).

Lay out a piece of freezer paper or foil to place the piece on. Choose the color of alcohol ink you desire and start dropping on color.

You can use plain Alcohol and a brush to spread it out. Various greens, browns, yellows and some red were used on this piece.

Let dry before sealing. It's Butterfly time.

Step 3: Alcohol Ink and Angelina Film Sheets

What makes these sheets unique. First, note that this particular Angelina is fusible to itself. It is this property that helps seal in the alcohol inks. Alcohol inks are dye based and are waterproof and considered permanent unless they come in contact with alcohol. You could put ink in a paint pallet leave it to dry and come back weeks later add a little alcohol and it is ready to go again. So I didn't want to spray a sealer on the film but encapsulate it.

The Film is 4" wide and sold in various lengths some film does come in big sheets and called Fantasy Film.

Cut two pieces of the film about 12" long ( whatever is manageable for you). Place on your prepared work area.

Choose the colors you want for your Butterflies ( red, pink, yellow, orange, light green, blue for me). As you begin to drop color onto one piece you will take the canned air or the puffer and start to spread out the ink. You can just add drops, brush it. This is your creative time just have fun.

The air does make it look very unique.

After the colors are down, I then took a q-tip dipped in color and started adding dots. Then switched to a smaller dot tool for even smaller dots. Alcohol can be used to clean off areas if you don't like the look. Keep in mind the butterflies are small and it is really about the see-through iridized color pattern.

Next place the other clean film on top of the inked one. Move to your heat safe iron area and place the strip between to pressing sheets. Iron should be on cotton setting. Fuse the two sheets together, creating one magical colored sheet. You have now created a transparent pattern within an iridescent sheet ready for cutting.

Option( More heat from embossing tool can be added to help develop a water slick appearance to the surface. See the photos and video.

Moving on:

Step 4: Die Cutting the Shapes

3 different metal butterflies dies were used. I placed the dies on the appropriate plates, laid on the film and then added the top plate. Run it through the Gemini which is a powered roller instead of a hand crank one.

Repeat this until you get the number of shapes for your project I used 15 in this sculpture.

I could only cut one layer at a time but it went pretty quick.

Step 5: Resin Coating the Butterflies

This step you need a release sheet to put the shapes on so they can be easily slipped under the UV Lamp. I use lamination pouches pulled apart. the resin comes off easily from the shiny side, they are cheap and reusable.

Remember Sunlight will cure the resin so best to work in a dark area or at night it really does help. For this Ible, I worked in the daytime and it truly does speed up the curing during the coating process.

Hold the shape with the tweezers, open your Resin, with the piece laying on the release sheet, start to apply a thin coat with a designated brush. (don't overcoat) Transfer to a clean piece, that fits under the lamp. Fill it with butterflies making sure they don't touch, start the curing. ( Watch your eyes don't look at the light)

I start coating more while that batch is in. Then by the time this set is coated the others are ready to be taken out. Flip over and do the other side. I like to do double layers sometimes triple or a dipping method for my jewelry pieces. If its sticky its not done.

Step 6: Attaching the Pieces

Bring your base over to your resin area.

This is the last steps in the creation. You can use super glue to attach all the pieces together. I really like to use the UV resin and a UV flashlight this sets the shape immediately. Just add a small drop of resin to the areas where the connection will be made.

Gravity-Defying becomes a fairly simple process if done in this manner. Link and set, link, and set that's it. You have just created a unique sculpture.

You can set the whole sculpture in the sun to really cure it well.

Have Fun!

Thank you! Please, Like, Comment and Share and don't forget to vote if you like it. The Juliart