Hi Folks! Kelly here to explore the new Brutus Monroe Surface Inks that just came in stock. I've been dying to try them out since chatting with them at Creativation this year and seeing all the different surfaces they are permanent on. For this post, I thought I'd go for the gold and pick the least likely item I thought would work out...subway tiles! In keeping with the current color palette, I chose Brutus Monroe Surface Inks in Aubergine, Sea and Cabbage. Let's take a look at 4 different looks ...
1) Stamping. I am happy to report that the surface inks work as advertised! I was really happy with how bright the colors are. There are a few things I learned along the way that I'd like to share. After you stamp, you must be very careful not to touch the image, as the ink is not permanent until you heat set it. I used an embossing gun for this, although I believe you can also put it in the oven at 250 degrees. For designs like this with a lot of images, it works best to heat set as you stamp to minimize any of the ink wiping off accidentally.
Some of the ink wiped off on this one before I got it set, but I do like that it has a "weathered" and soft look to it. I was surprised that even with my nail I wasn't able to remove the color after it was heat set.
The edges of the tiles are unglazed, so it's real easy to run the ink pad around the edges to color them and give it a finished/framed look.
At 3x6, subway tile is similar in proportion to an A2 card, so I got the idea to make an easel for the tile as opposed to hanging it on a wall. I covered some cardstock with pretty paper from the new Lawn Fawn collection Gotta Have Gingham, bent the top, and adhered it to the paper on the back of the tile. The easel kept slipping so I adhered a ribbon on both sides to keep it in place.
Doesn't it look cute standing up just like a card? How fun would this be to give someone (in person, of course, I'm sure the mail would be risky). And they're so affordable! I found these tiles for only 15 cents each at my local home improvement store.
By this point, I was thrilled that it worked and wondered what else I'd be able to do!
Although I was happy with the floral, I wanted to make something with fewer stamps to minimize the risk of smearing as I worked on it. This large, narrow sentiment from Concord & 9th's Fill In Phrases is perfect.
Knowing I'd want to stamp it a couple times, I took out the inserts in my MISTI and put the actual tile in. Who knew you could MISTI with subway tile? I have to admit that after the 2nd or 3rd time I stamped it I may have introduced too much ink and it started puddling. Next time I'd heat set the stamped image before stamping it an additional time.
The edges of this "subway tile card" are inked in Aubergine. I liked this design, but in the end decided that the large, thick letters weren't as crisp as I would have liked. I still wanted to use this sentiment, however, since the size fit the tile perfectly, so...
2) Embossing. I tried out the Brutus Monroe Gilded Embossing Powder, also new in the store. LOVE this! I made sure to destatic the tile well before embossing. Very crisp, and it was so fun not to have to worry about my cardstock warping.
I wasn't sure what color to stamp the heart, so I practiced on a spare tile. I have to say, the nice thing about working on tile is that if it doesn't work out, you just wipe it away! This would be a good project to use for Valentine's Day next year (maybe even teacher gifts!) It definitely looks a lot more fancy than it really is.
3) Dry Brushing. Given how strong the ink colors are when stamped directly onto the tile, I wondered if there was a way to dilute the color and tone it down. I first tried watercoloring, and that was a big fail. It just puddled and ran off the tile.
Then I picked up the ink with a dry brush and started moving it around the tile. Success! It stayed on the tile long enough for me to heat set it.
The nice thing about this technique is that you can get more variance in color, and can blend colors together, like a real flower would look. At first I was going to leave the sentiment off because after all that effort I didn't want to ruin the tile. Then I remembered the wonderful property of glazed tile and how you can just wipe it off if you don't like it. So freeing!
4) Smooshing. I figured these inks would make a great background on paper, so why not try it on tile? Guess what, that worked too!
I inked directly onto the tile and added tiny drops of rubbing alcohol, but you can add drops of an alcohol blending solution too. This tile happened to have a beveled edge so once I was happy with the ink, I used a damp paper towel to wipe off the excess.
I used Otterly Awesome to make the otter peeking his head above the very wavy sea.
Like the other "subway tile cards" this one has an easel on the back so you can stand it up. Right next to your piece of driftwood and sea shells!
I had to try this with multiple colors, and I think this might be my favorite!
Like the otter's sea, I directly inked the tile, dropped the alcohol and watched the magic. Then heat set it when I was happy with the design.
Adding a simple sentiment from Winnie & Walter's Sentimental:Birthday set mounted on foam tape and embossed in gold is an easy way to finish this project off. This would make a wonderful gift or home decor item.
It would also be an impressive place card on a table setting. The colors could match your decor and you can gold emboss each person's name by using a small letter set like the Essentials by Ellen Clear Stamps.
So, what do you think? Are you ready to try the Brutus Monroe Surface Inks, and run out to Home Depot? I really can't get over how nice these look in person, for how little I have invested in them. After I made these I read how some people added a fixative, like this one, to seal in their artwork. The Brutus Monroe inks seem to be pretty strong, so I think I'll leave them as-is for now. Or pop them in the oven to set a little more (after I take the paper off, of course!)
Thanks so much for looking!
-Kelly
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