Tile Tutorial

For some reason, this tile has been generating comments and questions over at Splitcoast Stampers lately - even though its been in the gallery for a long time. I tried to explain how to make it when answering PM's with questions, but I thought something with pictures might be more helpful. (having said that - please excuse the tutorial picture quality. I knew there would be some glare, but yikes!)

These tiles are extremely easy to make. The hardest part for me is finding quality tumbled tiles that are not too chipped or pitted (you can see in the tutorial that the ones I have left are not the best).

You can find tumbled tiles in most home improvement stores. The tumbled tiles are better than glazed tiles for coasters since the can hold moisture better. I look through the tiles and choose ones that are smooth and have few holes so any stamped images will stamp cleanly. Sometimes this takes a while and pretty much all of them will have some imperfections.

Other supplies you will need are:

• A selection of Ranger Alcohol Inks in the colors you desire. Include one of the Metallic Mixatives if you wish,


• An alcohol ink applicator and felt


• Alcohol ink blender solution


• Permanent ink for stamping your image


• Stamps

Before beginning, put a small amount of Blender Solution on a paper towel and clean off the tile to make sure there is no dust or oil.

I wanted a green tile so I chose a selection of green Ranger Alcohol Inks (Meadow, Lettuce and Bottle).


My method is to choose a primary color (Meadow) and apply the most of this color to a clean felt pad. Then I choose a secondary color (Lettuce) and apply less of that. Then I choose a third color and apply a small amount of that to the pad. I add a small amount of blender solution (the more solution you add, the less intense the colors will be).


I "pounce" my applicator on the tile surface, turning it as I go to keep the colors random. I just keep pouncing until I'm happy with the coverage (don't forget to color the sides of the tile as well). If the colors are not intense enough, you can add more alcohol ink to the felt.


If you really don't like what you are creating and want to start over, you can clean off the tile with blender solution. It will still be somewhat stained, but lightly enough so you can try again.



If I want to add some Metallic Mixative (in this case copper), I add a SMALL amount to the same felt pad I've been using and add a little squirt of blender solution. Then I pounce on the metallic in the same fashion, over top of the alcohol inks. A little metallic goes a long way.












Here is the tile with the Alcohol ink and the copper metallic (sorry about the awful picture). The white spots are pits in the tile. Smoother tiles come out more uniform.

Allow the tile to dry completely before you stamp it. Any wet alcohol will cause your stamp ink to bled.

















Then you just stamp on your design . I used Stazon black here. I have also used Ranger Archival black successfully. Keep in mind that the tile surface may not be perfectly smooth, so you may need more pressure than usual to get a good image (the surface is a little slippery though so you need a steady hand).




If you mess up the stamping, you can start over by cleaning the tile with blender solution before the stazon dries. But it will also clen off most of the alcohol inks too, so you will have to start over.


I put the tile in a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes to heat set everything. This step may not be necessary, but it makes me feel more secure.

The last step is to put something on the back of the tile to prevent the tile from scratching furniture. I like to use the cork shelf liner available at home improvement stores - but you could also use felt.

This green tile uses the justjohanna stamp called "shrubbery" (I love it for backgrounds) and the green and copper inks listed above.



This tile uses a beautiful background stamp from Stamp Camp called "Pretty Leaves" and the Ranger colors Current, Cranberry and Eggplant; and some copper. The design shows up much better in real like without the glare.

I hope this little write-up encourages someone to try making a coaster. They reall are easy and fun. If you make one, let me know - I'd love to see it.