Coasting Along

Yep, folks. I did it. I bought a stack of glazed tiles, poured on a bit of alcohol ink, and I made my very first coaster. Want to see?

Nice, huh? Well, I think so. This was my first “practice” tile, using two of my favorite colors, blue and violet. I added white as a final step. First I applied a bit of blending solution, then did a “puddle drop” for the colors. I then moved the colors around a bit, but they dried a bit faster than I’d expected.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

• Yes, alcohol ink is fun.
• Yes, the colors are beautiful.
• Yes, there’s a practical purpose — assuming you need a set of coasters.

I learned something else. Do you know why a coaster is called a coaster? I was curious, so, of course, I looked it up.

The word coaster comes from the phrase “bottle-coasters,” which are round wheeled trays that were originally used to hold decanters. These trays “coasted” around the perimeter of a table to each guest during dinner, serving them their drink. Beermats were first referred to as “coasters” in 1913. — Wikipedia

After all my fussing about the impracticality of alcohol ink… well, now that I’ve found some purpose in what I’m doing, I think I’m hooked for sure! Yes, this is fun. By all means, give it a try. Nobody ever has enough coasters, right?