No. 214580 - Special Edition

A friend recently asked how I do image transfers so I thought I'd share a simple step-out today in case others are curious too.

(Click on the photos to see a larger version with the lightbox feature.)

I begin with a photocopy or laser printer (toner-based) copy that I crop to the size I need after reversing it (the Photoshop command is Image-Rotate-Flip Horizontal).

Why reverse it? I may not need or want to but it will be essential if there's text otherwise, it will be reversed and unreadable. Pay attention to the direction Mona is facing as I work through this example and you'll see what I mean.

With a paintbrush, I completely cover the front of the image with an even layer of polymer medium making sure to work all the way to the edges. If an area's not covered--it won't transfer.

I flip the image and place the wet side face down on my support (in this case, a Journal Ticket). I gently press and smooth the image down with my fingers to remove any air bubbles. If there's an air bubble--it won't transfer.

I have to work quickly so the medium doesn't dry before I place it on the support. If it doesn't dry--it won't transfer.

Also, I try not to get any medium on the backside of the image but don't worry if I do--it just makes it a little more difficult to remove later.

If a lot of medium oozes out from the edges then I'm pressing too hard or I used too much medium. Blot up what you can.  No worries, my image will still transfer and I'll know better next time.

I let it completely air dry which, in this case, only took about ten minutes due to the small size. In the past, I've rushed drying with a heat tool which can cause the paper to bubble and if there's a bubble... (you know the drill).

Now comes the fun of rubbing the paper away to reveal the image.

I add a small pool of water on my craft sheet then use my finger to spread it over the back of the photo. I let it soak a bit then begin to gently rub the paper away.

I avoid getting water on the ticket border or rubbing it since it's not protected with medium and I could damage it. Using small amounts of water in a controlled fashion is best--I don't want to rush this part.

I just keep adding a little water and rubbing away all the white bits and it doesn't take long before the magic is revealed.

The edges are the most delicate so I use careful, gentle rubbing in those areas. In spite of my caution, it's not uncommon to lose tiny bits and I don't mind because it adds a distressed appearance.

Notice how Mona is facing the opposite direction? Hopefully, you now understand why sometimes a reversed image matters. In this example, it was important to honor the direction Leonardo originally intended.

I hope you enjoyed this step-out and that you'll give it a try. I think image transfers are a terrific technique to use on mixed media projects.

You can check out other projects I've posted here on my blog that were made with image transfers if you need some inspiration!

No. 526714

Tickets is this week's theme at the SSS Monday blog challenge. So I made another entry because I wanted to try an image transfer on a Journal Ticket.

Click to Enlarge

The background paper is from the Correspondence Paper Stash and I used my current, most favorite craft stash--Remnant Rubs.

The local big box only carries one kind and they're always out of them so I will order more online which is my reward (which I think I deserve) for cleaning up the craft room. Yeah!

No. 214577

Gosh it's good to be back making and creating after a marathon clean-up of my craft room. Even with minor rearrangements, the room feels a bit strange and I hope I remember where I put everything!

Click to Enlarge

I made this tag to link up with Simon's Monday blog challenge. This week's theme is tickets.

Most everyone on the Design Team admitted to having lots of them in their stash and surprisingly, so did I. This tag features an Idea-ology Journal Ticket.

Nothing extraordinary here in the way of technique--just good old Distress Ink, a fussy-cut stamped flower and one of Tim's Photo Booth images along with some Remant Rubs, fabric scrap and buttons.

I love the challenge of making new things look old/vintage and this tag was all about that. I'm not afraid to use sandpaper or water on paper to get the right effect and that's just what I used to grunge up this ticket.

Reorganization

My "studio" is a very small spare bedroom and when I began paper-crafting almost eight years ago I had no idea that, eventually, my stash of products would over-run me. So, a week ago, I began to reorganize and declutter to make things more functional.

My biggest problem was my supplies were spread out everywhere. I needed to sort through it all and put my paper together in one spot, move on to tools and then finally ephemera/embellishments. What a chore this has been but I'm beginning to see real progress and expect to have things right again in a few more days.

One accomplishment has been to renovate my Distress Ink storage container to better fit my shelving. And since my original DIY post is so popular I thought you might like to see the changes I made. The original was taller with two vertical rows--the new one is shorter and has four rows.

I just cut the original in half, glued the two shorter sides together and put a new base on it. The material is easy to modify, you can make it whatever size you need and add on to it later, if need be.

I am really looking forward to creating again once my reorganization is complete and vow to use up the materials more efficiently so I'll never have to do this again! (Famous last words?)

B Original

Tim's tag for August features a die-cut mixed media background.

I attempted to mimic the effect by using his Subway stamp over a scrap from the Destinations paper stash.

I also used his vellum Ephemera--the square in the upper-right corner and the checkered board behind the photo (which is a Found Relative that I cropped and altered just a bit).

Click to Enlarge

Remnant Rubs provided the black text (except the "B") and the Mirrored Star was distressed with a copper and citris alcohol ink combo.

The oval frame is a thin textured metal scrap that I tacked to the tag with hand-stitching.

A bit of machine stitching, some stamping here and there for texture (tiny black squares and splotches) and black ink to distress the tag edges finished it off.

Mariposa

Mexico Moods is the summer challenge at Our Creative Corner and their prompt inspired me to create this tag.

Like my last several blog posts, this one features Souffle Gelly Roll pens. It seems I can't get enough of them and really went overboard this time! They are a bit like paint pens with a fine point and they're very opaque and waterproof.

I began with a black gesso background and stamped/embossed the butterflies and the lettering onto the tag. Next, I traced on a few designs with a pencil and some hand-made stencils.

Then the gelly rolls came out and were used to cover the entire surface with colorful mark making. To modify the values, I did use a glaze of thalo-blue in a few areas (particularly behind the butterflies).

The tag almost has an enameled appearance and makes me think I'd like to try this technique on a copper or gold background to see the result. Since they can be applied on any surface the sky's the limit!