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Using Sharpie Pens to Create Polished Stone Effect Backgrounds
By Evelyn Kennedy Duncan for
Third Coast Rubber Stamps
(Posted March, 2006)
Sharpie Pens are alcohol based inks in a pen form. They are easily
available in a great range of colors, and so much fun to work with. With
Sharpie pens, you can create quick and easy polished stone effect backgrounds on
game tiles, and many other non-porous surfaces.
 
Third Coast images
used left to right: FT-198-J, Sorcha, $4.50; FT-013-H, Marcela, $4.00;
FT-153M-D, Brenna Mini, $3.00; FT-009M-BB, Melaina Mermaid Mini, $1.75
 | Start with a solid game tile or domino that has been
wiped with rubbing alcohol on a cotton pad. |
| Scribble with two or three colorful Sharpie pens on the
blank side of the tile. (It is best to use colors that will blend together
well to keep from getting a muddy or brownish finished color when you’re
done.) |
| Spritz tile with 91% rubbing alcohol, and lightly daub
or swirl the colors with the aid of a felt pad. (The more you daub or mix, the
less definition between colors you will get.) |
| Keep playing around with the color by trying various
things until you are pleased with your background. Try the following:
 | Continue to spritz the tile with alcohol and daub with
the felt pad. |
| Instead of spritzing the domino, lightly spritz the
felt pad and tap it on the inked tile. |
| Apply more Sharpie color to the tile, using the
alcohol and felt pad to work it in. |
| Use the shiny side of an old unusable CD as a palette
and scribble it with Sharpie color. Spritz your felt pad with alcohol, swirl
the pad in the color on the palette, and daub it on your game tile. |
| Mix and match any of the above procedures. |
| If you don’t like your background, spray it with
alcohol, wipe it clean and start again. |
|
| Let your background dry. It takes about a minute to air
dry, or you can heat set with a heat gun. |
| Ink your stamp image and lay it on your work surface. I
like to use
StazOn ink for this process but I have had success with other types of
ink, so you might want to experiment with what you already have. |
| Attach a piece of double stick tape to the un-inked side
of your game tile, and press it to your index finger. (This process is not
necessary, however I find it the best way to get a clean image without smears
or smudges.) |
| Lower the game tile straight down onto the inked stamp.
Press firmly without moving the tile around, then lift the tile straight up
and off the stamp. (This is where the tile being taped to your finger comes
in handy.) |
| Let the ink dry, which will take several minutes by air,
or you can speed it up with a heat tool. |
| If you want a black or colored edge, color the sides of
the game piece with a
Leafing Pen or Sharpie pen. |
| Attach a bead or tubular finding with
E-6000 Industrial glue to the top of your tile, if you want to create a
pendant. |
IMPORTANT – Alcohol inks have to be sealed when you are finished. For
jewelry, if you do not seal your creation, and any alcohol-based product comes
into contact with it, the ink will run and your piece and clothing may be
damaged. Even once sealed, I suggest you keep alcohol away from your pieces to
be on the safe side. For example: Apply your perfume and allow it to dry before
you put your game tile pendant on for the day.
How to Seal: Believe it or not,
most spray sealers have some alcohol in them, so you have to be a bit cautious
when you seal your piece so the inks do not run at this stage of the process. I
use a double process to stay on the safe side:
·
First, I lightly spray my piece top and sides with
Krylon Workable Fixatif, and let that dry a minute or two. (Some people skip
this step and use two super light layers of their chosen spray sealer before
they fully seal the project; however I have better results with the Workable
Fixatif.)
·
Next I spray a light coat of clear
Krylon Matte Finish or
Krylon UV-Resistant Clear Gloss Acrylic Coating to the top and sides of my
game piece. The spray finishes are available at most craft stores.
·
Let this dry for about 10 minutes.
·
I usually spray a second coat of my chosen finish across the top and
sides of my game piece to make sure it is well sealed.
·
An alternative sealing method is to use a liquid glaze like Liquid
Lacquer or
Diamond Glaze™, which will form a tough shiny shell over your work. I’ve
even know some people have used Future Floor Sealer on there pieces, so you
might what to test out what you have around the house.
Image used: FT-009M-BB, Melaina Mermaid Mini, $1.75
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