Ingredents:
some gum arabic
Lampblack (see below)
Hot (not boiling) Water
Instructions:
Lampblack or soot as we'll call it and you get it by placing a spoon or something over a candle for a long period of time to get that thick, black layer, but be careful not to burn yourself).
* Note that the soot is very light and will float off target of the small bowl you intend to mix it in and is very messy when it get stuck on something.
After getting about a teaspoon of soot, add equal amounts of gum arabic and grind them together until it's a fine, dark grey powder. Add some water and stir until the gooeyness is gone and the soot and gum arabic is mixed well. Contain in a small bottle. If you feel like adding a little more water, then do so, but note that the more water you add the weaker the solution. If that be the case when the water is a dark grey and not black, then add some more soot and gum arabic mixture and continue to stir out the gooeyness.
When done the liquid should be very black and have a similar consistency of a regular bottle of ink.
You can make ink from fresh inkberry (or known as pokeberry), but be warned that the seed are poisonous. So you should of course not put it in your mouth. Other berries or fruit that can be used are blackberries, bosenberry, and grape juice. Just add gum arabic if the ink is too thin to write with. Beet root juice can be made for a red ink, just also add the gum arabic with it to thicken.
Essence of saffron is excellent for ink, but very costly.
This information was adapted from Scott Cunningham's T"he Complete Book of Incense, Oils, and Brews."
BB!
- Stephen Fox
http://come.to/stephensdomain
