Monday Morning Review: Spectrum Noir Alcohol Ink Refills

Welcome to Monday Morning Review! Today I’m all about Spectrum Noir Alcohol Pen Refills.

Oh, my. Oh my my my.

Sara Naumann blog spectrum noir alcohol pen refills

First, I’m working on a DVD for Hot Off The Press and have been super-lucky to have Good Mail Days basically every other day as new and new-to-me Paper Wishes product comes my way for use in the DVD. Last week I very nearly swooned (yes, I think I swooned) when I opened the package from Crafter’s Companion to find their Spectrum Noir Alcohol Pen Refill bottles. I just had to try them out and share them with you.

You know I love my Spectrum Noirs. Since I’ve been using them, I’ve longed to get my mitts on the dropper-style refill bottles so I could make a real inky mess. That day has come and now my hands are completely stained. (Which is great fun but not so good for demonstrating on-camera. Whoops.) I love it.

Here’s the thing:

You can refill the Spectrum Noir pens with the refill bottles. (Makes sense, right?) That’s what they’re designed for—so your pens last forever and the investment is a good one. But….take those same refill bottles and use the ink straight from the dropper onto your paper and you’ve got a whole new level of inky loveliness.

This was a stay-up-past-your-bedtime kind of crafting experience. (I know, I’m so wild.)

Dropped on glossy cardstock:

Sara Naumann Spectrum Noir alcohol pen refills

Dropped on glossy cardstock that I first brayered with Versamark: (Just because the Versamark was out on my work table.)

Sara Naumann blog post Spectrum Noir pen refills

And brayered on glossy card:

Sara Naumann blog review Spectrum Noir alcohol ink pens refills

And brayered on text paper that had been painted white:

Sara nauamnn blog Spectrum Noir alcohol pen refills

Then on glossy card that I brayered with Versamark, then sprinkled with black embossing powder and heat set:

Sara Naumann Spectrum Noir alcohol ink refills

Which made a super-easy background for a card: (Stamp from Paper Artsy.)

Sara Naumann Spectrum Noir pen refills

Here’s the background at a bit of an angle so you can see the shine and resist of the embossing:

Sara Naumann blog Spectrum Noir alcohol ink refills

There’s a refill bottle for every color of Spectrum Noir pens (so you could have quite a good time!) and they sell for about $5.00 per 30ml bottle. And yes, if you’re wondering—you can use many of the same techniques as with Ranger’s Alcohol Inks. You can also use Spectrum Noir refills with Ranger’s blending tool.  Find out more about Spectrum Noir online; you can also pop by Paper Wishes.

Okay, now it’s back to that DVD!

Happy Monday!

 

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2 thoughts on “Monday Morning Review: Spectrum Noir Alcohol Ink Refills

  1. Hi, Sara! I enjoyed this post about the ink refills. I can “hear” the excitement in your voice. : ) I guess I’ve kinda limited myself as far as trying new things. I stick to the know to work things I’ve seen. Seems like you have so much fun doing the out of the ordinary things I might just give it a try. lol
    Sorry you didn’t have a traditional Thanksgiving, but really it’s not about the food – it’s about having family and friends around no matter what you have to eat. My husband and I had a cup of soup today and we were both perfectly happy because we had each other. Our kids and grandkids had other places to go today.
    Thanks for sharing your ideas! Hugs!!

  2. You’re so right about Thanksgiving–we’re making our own traditions as we go, and that’s the lovely thing about the holidays. I’m glad you and your husband had a great time together. So glad you liked the post about the ink refills, I do find them really exciting. I also hear you on the process of using the things you know. I do that too! So it’s a good idea for me to push and try new things, even if I do sometimes end up with a full recycling bin! Take care!

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