In this video and article, Tanya Alexander from Jacquard Products demonstrates how to customize a coffee mug with the vibrant colours of Piñata Alcohol Inks.

“With inside access to all things Piñata, it's hard to resist trying to use them on just about everything. From YUPO and clayboard, to canvas, denim and glass, it's been fun exploring different substrates that these vibrant alcohol inks bloom on. When two plain Jane coffee mugs and five new Piñata Colors showed up in my studio, it only seemed fitting to create something uniquely colourful!”

• 2 white ceramic mugs
• Jacquard Piñata Alcohol Inks: 
  Colours: 004 Golden Yellow, 006 Pink, 008 Coral, 016 Blue-Violet, 020 Teal and 036 Pearl 
• Jacquard Piñata Claro Extender
• Jacquard Piñata Clean Up Solution
• 70% Isopropyl Alcohol
• Paper Towels
• Cotton Swabs
• Gloves
• Tape: 3M Automotive Refinish Masking Tape
• Krylon Kamar Spray Varnish
• Krylon UV-Resistant Clear Gloss Varnish
• Krylon Triple-Thick Clear Glaze

3. While the first colour is still wet, repeat this process with a second colour. Alcohol inks tend to be very cohesive; if you drip your second colour close to your first, it will seek out the same drip path and blend. Try for a varied mix of cohesive blends and distinctly separate colour drips as you move around and add more colours. I worked light to dark in the five non-metallic colours I chose (Coral, Golden Yellow, Pink, Teal, Blue-Violet) using the Blue-Violet very sparingly to avoid losing distinction between the colours.

While I tend to use Claro Extender and spritzes of 70% Isopropyl Alcohol in other projects to achieve pebble effects and unique halos of colour, I used both very sparingly in this project, as I intended to keep a very drippy effect, but feel free to explore these to achieve different blends and effects.

4. The last colour I used was Pearl, which is a really interesting colour. It is not only a metallic ink, it also contains highly-reflective mica particles. When it comes in contact with other vivid Piñata Colors, unique pearlescent shimmers and blends happen. I love all of the metallics, but I think Pearl is my favourite!

5. Let the mugs dry overnight, then remove tape and discard. Interestingly, only two of the colors permeated the adhesive of the 3M tape (Coral and Pink). If you run into ink bleeding under the tape line, simply put a little Clean Up Solution on a paper towel and scrub off any bleeds from the masked area and mug base. You can also use a cotton swab with Clean Up to crisp up your line work.

ABOVE: I threw a boring bowl in the color mix, to better show the possibility of ink seepage. As you can see post-tape peel, a bit of Coral and Pink seeped under the edge. A simple fix: wipe off any larger masked areas with a bit of Clean Up Solution on a paper towel, and crisp up any line work with a little Clean Up Solution on a cotton swab.

6. Once your mugs have dried for 24 hours, you'll need to seal them. Since these varnishes are not food grade, you will want to carefully mask off the unpainted rim area of your mugs with 3M masking tape prior to varnishing (you can skip masking the unpainted areas if your pieces are decorative only). 

Varnishing alcohol inks on ceramic is a 3-part process, and the product type and order of use really does matter. Alcohol Inks can be easily reactivated by varnishes, so be sure to carefully follow these instructions to avoid a sad blurry mess! 

1. In a well-ventilated area (outdoors out of direct sunlight is recommend-   ed), spray your overturned mugs with 2-3 light coats of the Kamar  Varnish, allowing 60 minutes dry time between coats. Cure 24 hours. 

   
   
2. Spray 2-3 light coats of UV-Resistant Clear Varnish, again allowing  60 minutes dry time between coats. Cure 24 hours. 
    
3. Finish with 2 light coats of Triple Thick Clear Glaze, allowing 60 minutes   dry time between coats. Final cure 24-48 hours.

HELPFUL NOTES: 

• Stay 8-10" away from pieces when spraying, and spray in light, sweeping strokes across the piece (not straight on, otherwise you may end up with varnish drips). 
   
• In between spray coats and curing time, protect your mugs from having dust  settling on them by covering them with a plastic bucket or other container large  enough to cover them without touching. 
   
• Handle these little beauties with care once they're done... hand wash only with non-abrasive sponge and mild dish soap. 

DO NOT MICROWAVE - especially important when metallic inks are used, otherwise those metal pigments may result in a surprise light show!

Thank you from our friends at Jacquard Products and Tanya Alexander for the article.