Embossing Enamel Transfers (UTEE or Opals etc) / Tipnique Tuesday

Hi all
this is actually an old technique of my own. One week-end 6 yrs ago I was reading about heat transfers on a plane and then suddenly had a thought that you should be able to use the heat from melted embossing enamels to transfer Laser printed images the same way. So when I could I spent a week-end and worked out exactly how to do this. That technique is below from a past post that I have bumped up to now. There will be a video at the end too :o). OF COURSE you can use Ultra Thick Embossing Enamels from other companies but I have never tried this with any other brands

I'm a great fan of Opals embossing Enamels and one of things I love doing with them is heat transfers. Once the Opals are melted and poured onto toner or Laser copied images or over images printed with Dura Bright inks they will transfer the image to the back of Opals. I quite often use the Franklin Opals to do clear transfers this way but they also look good when you use some of the paler Opals colours. You can use colour images or black and white ones. Wrapping papers and glossy magazine images work too. When I print I use plain copy paper not photo paper. Coat images to be transferred with a good amount of Versamark Watermark ink...directly from the ink pad onto the image. Today I mixed a small amount of Franklin clear with Sandstone Opals in the Melt pot. While it melted I put an oval cookie cutter near my image which is one from an old magazine.

I coated the image in the Versamark Watermark ink pad ink. Then I used the re-inker of the same pad to apply a thin line around the cookie cutter.

Next I poured on the melted Franklin and Sandstone mix over the image

Press the cookie cutter in while it is still molten, Versamark ink side down into the Opals and leave it till very cool. The metal cutter will stay warm longer then you think so be careful and patient or you may burn yourself. At this stage you can use the heat gun to move the Opals if needed while it is still in the cutter over the image. Don't be tempted to hold the metal cutter though

Once COMPLETELY cool gently peel off the backing paper and pop the transfer out of the cutter. The Versamark Watermark ink helps the transfer release easily from the cutter but if it is a little stuck you can carefully run a sharp craft knife close to the edge if need be

Now place the transfer paper side up in slightly warm water and use your finger to rub the paper away. Its the same process you use when doing package tape or cold laminate transfers. Continue rubbing till all the backing paper is removed.

TADA I now have a lovely colour image transferred to my Opals ready to use in my art work. If you do clear transfers and want to colour the transfer use alcohol inks, acrylics and permanent markers. The other at left on my desk are all transfers...the blue one is colour and some of the others are down straight in metal frames.

Here are two step videos for those who like to watch the technique instead. Here is video one



and video 2 is here



I've finally worked out how to enhance my old videos in Youtube to make these two videos not so dark looking LOL. Youtube says it may take a bit for the changes to be processed but you can still watch the old one till then. Hope this is of use to SOMEONE!!!
hugs
Annette In Oz