Janelle's color journey: Decorative Tiles

This week I want to share a fun and easy project. We are going to be decorating white ceramic tiles with alcohol inks and stencils. These decorative tiles make great art for gifts or to display in your home. I went to my local DIY home store and bought tiles in three different sizes to experiment with, 4 1/4" x 4 1/4", 6" x 6", and 3" x 6". These plain white glossy tiles don't cost very much so it is inexpensive to buy a bunch and have fun.

I started by cleaning the tile with rubbing alcohol and wiping it off with a clean rag. I didn't want any dirt or dust on the tile.

Then I chose three or four Adirondack ink colors and started dropping them onto the tile. There are several different ways that you can blend the inks and get interesting designs.

You can turn the tile different directions until the inks run into each other adding more as you go until the tile is covered and the inks blend.

Dropping more ink into the ink that is already on the tile will create lighter spots and organic shapes.

You can add the Adirondack alcohol blending solution to lighten the colors and allow them to flow more easily.

You can use canned air or blow through a straw to blend and create interesting patterns as well.

A heat tool also will push the inks around to blend them and to dry them.

I used different combinations and kept working the inks until I was happy with the way that the background looked.

On some of the tiles I used a spray bottle with rubbing alcohol to add a fine mist to the ink in select areas. This creates speckles and light spots and will add nice patterns in the ink. You should do this in a well ventilated area or outside and avoid breathing in the alcohol to stay safe.

At this point I let the tiles sit for a couple of days to make sure that the inks were completely set.

I got out my Artistcellar stencils and had fun picking which stencil I wanted to go with which background. I laid the stencil over the tile and using my black Faber-Castell Pitt Pen with the brush tip, I filled in the areas of the stencil that I wanted to use. I used the whole stencil on some of the tiles and on others I only used part of the stencil. I also used the black Pitt pen to add a word to one of the tiles.

This tile is 6" x 6". Explore

This tile is 4 1/4" x 4 1/4 ".

This tile is 3' x 6'.

This tile is 6' x 6'.

This background was a bit dark for the black pen to show up so I went over the lines with a white Sakura Gelly Roll pen. I also added hair with a water-based Sharpie Paint pen in white. I added color in the lips with a red and pink gelly roll pen and added some sparkles to her face with a clear Stardust gelly roll pen.

I used these stencils on the tiles:

Pari
Tumbling Pods
Petite Pods
Coy
Hemp Flower
Apparatus

I am going to seal these tiles so that the inks don't lift off or get scratched. I want them to be durable and last for a long time. I'm still experimenting with what sealant works best for me, so I can't share that information yet. I'll try and share later after I figure out what works the best.

I have done some experimenting now with two different products. I used Liquitex pouring medium and triple-thick crystal clear glaze spray by Krylon.

The spray is easier to use and worked well. I followed the directions and put four layers on each tile.

To use the Liquitex product, I set the tile slightly above a level surface and carefully poured on the medium. It isn't always easy to get the whole surface covered without the pouring medium flowing off the edges. I let it cure for several days.

I tested them by wiping with a wet cloth, letting water set on top of the tile, setting a cold drink on it, and setting a hot drink on top. The inks stayed put and the water wiped of easily in all the tests. The glaze spray and the pouring medium did melt when a hot drink was set on top of it however. If you want to make coasters for cold drinks or make a back splash these would both work well. The spray is easier to apply though. I haven't yet found something that won't melt if it exposed to heat from boiling water.

Here are a couple of the other tiles that I decorated.