Heat Transfer Images Using Opals Embossing Enamel VIDEO

Google have finally freed my little how to on making the Opals Embossing Enamel transfers after 8 days.I had to upload part one five times before it finally got there all in one piece.When you are using images take care you are not breaching anyone's copyright.Also take care with melted Opals as you can burn yourself with them or if you use metal objects to pour the melted Opals thru or into etc(the metal retains the heat longer then you think).Use tweezers if you need and be patient in letting them cool again.I always leave a cm or two of paper around the images as sometimes the Opals spill over the edge and can trap the paper so you can't remove it.IN the video I used the Franklin clear Opals Embossing Enamels but any of the lighter colours make transfers too though you wont be able to see thru them.I get my Opals here in Australia from Pipe Dreamink or overseas from After Midnight Art Stamps
I still can't watch them without hitting the mute LOL but if they help someone some place then that is good.You will note that the Franklin Opals is slightly orange in the videos when it is usually clear.That is because I ran out of the Franklin and used some that I had melted four or more times before and had over cooked it at some stage.As you can see by the others on my desk they are usually crisp and clear though.If you make a transfer that is not to your liking you can remove it off the Opals once it is all set and cooled by using a scourer on the transferred side and scrub away.If you want to make a large transfer or you are worried it may crack add some thinly chopped clear slow melt glue stick to the melting Opals.Just put it on top of the Opals as it melts and once the Opals melts rock the melt pot or skillet gently to mix it thru before pouring.Have fun and ask questions if you need or look at the other post below for still step by photos and more info.

Bright Collages by Three

WOOPS I forgot to upload this with the cards yesterday so forgive me for adding it to that start and not the end....just go past it to the collages if you like.It is a Radiant rain sprayed and stamped envelope for one of the cards to go in.The Radiant Rains come out grogeous on the enve paper and although you can't see it in the photo it has a beautiful metallic shimmer to it

My hands are covered in inks and paints but I am happy with these three collages I got done today after lunch.The first one uses the base sample Celeste sent me so all I had to do was stick the image down,add the wire embellishment,flowers and word plus a bit more ink wash.I'm no where near as good at these as Celeste is but they are very rewarding

This is the same card taken at the top side...hope you can see the lovely textures

From the side bottom showing the three flowers and more texture

Once I was done I made my own version of the bases and used images from After Midnight art stamps.This Gypsy child from the Music plate is so lovely and quite a large stamp so was an excellent choice for this technique

From the top side view

Bottom side view

For the last collage I just had to use "the Hunk" LOL from the Lea Cioci stamp line at After Midnight Art Stamps

View from top side

and bottom up

Now I have been side tracked for half the day I had better get back to making my fabric ATC's...four of which are done....only 12 to go

Another Gorgeous card from Celeste

OH MY look at this gorgeous card that came in the mail today just for me.It is from my friend Celeste Santin.The cuttlebug parts gives it a beautiful texture which Celeste has high lighted with paints and wax rub ons.Just love the two little birdies there too.I'm just in awe of her work and wish I was not so far away from my arty friends.

This is the view from the side.You can see the texture a bit closer here

Celeste kindly let me know how she does these wonderful creations and even sent me a sample to play with...somehow I doubt mine will turn out anywhere near as amazing as hers.She really needs to get a blog to share her creativity with others in blogland :o)

How to make Inkjet Water Transfers

I've started to make some fabric ATC's for my radiant rain pocket book.I'm using cheap calico as my base and thought some people may not know how to make inkjet water transfers.I read about these years ago and just couldn't get it in my head that they could be that easy.I'm a very visual person and it wasn't till I did a class with Nina Bagley last year and she showed us how to do them that it sunk in that they were really easy to do.
Anyway I just did a quick video to show you how to do them and that they are indeed easy.I forgot to tell people that in Oz the best glossy photo paper I have found that works for this is the one above.I buy it in Woolworths and it is quite cheap.I've tried several others and the good ones ?absorb the ink too well and the water wont transfer the image like it does in the video.In the USA they can get one called Jet Print Photo that works for this.OH and the Durabrit inks that some inkjets now have do not work either.The calico I use is unwashed.
If you give this a go you learn quickly on how much water is too much or too litte so don't expect perfect results straight up.If you use too much water the image will bleed colours and you wont have a crisp image transfer.If you use not enough water this causes the transfer to be very patchy.If I peel it up a little and notice areas are patchy I lay it straight back down and rub some more.If it's still patchy I lay the image back down and turn it over.Wet your finger in water and dab it on the back where you know its patchy and rub it in gently.Turn it back over and then peel it up and it should be fine.I'll try to embed the video within the post for you below

Radiant Rain and Opals

WOOPS...I accidentally deleted this post so here it is again LOL.Here I have mixed some Radiant Rains with Franklin clear Opals embossing enamels.I'm hoping to use the custom made mixes to stamp some images on to go in the ATC book I am making.I tried a bit last night and the Radiant Rain and Opals don't seem to want to mix too well.I'll have a further try today before work but if all is lost I have my usual gorgeous Opals colours that I can use.Now I have had to uploaded this again I'm thinking I'll get some more shots of my Radiant Rain sprayed thin Vilene Opal paper house pages and do that as a separate post.I'll make some thick vilene Opals paper so you can compare them as well.I did spray some Radiant Rain straight onto heavy weight vilene and the shimmer sort of disappeared...wonder how they take to being stamped and then add the ironed on Opals...aaaahhh brain is going into crafty ideas over drive LOL.Pity allot of these thoughts come off bad when I actually try but it is all fun and good in the end :o)

Radiant Rain Pages

My Radiant Rain sprayed vilene and tissue pages are dry now.Below are the stamped pages.I have stamped using Lumiere's,fabric paints and acrylics using Asian images from After Midnight art stamps.The sheets are A4 size so I had to stand back a bit to fit the four pages in.

Then I folded each A4 sized page into passport folds or ATC holders.There are two ATC holders on each side of the single folded page to give you four pockets.I got up really close to the pockets so you could see the detail when I photographed them.The images below show one side only.There are two pockets behind each image as well

Now to fill the pockets...I'm thinking of doing fabric ATC's and also using the Opals and Radiant Rain mixes I made to stamp Asian images with.Then I want to tie all the pages(16 pockets) together to make an ATC booklet.Well that is the plan but we will see how it all works out LOL

A Good Man Or A Hard Man

Yeh I only have a few more tissue and vilene backgrounds left now...thing is I love how it takes layers of colour and is sturdy enough to bend as well.I really think I'll be making more things from it but will go for some bright colours in my next batch.My inherited sense of humour got to me again here with the Good man card above until I stopped myself that is.I made this for a visiting stamper Nola Muirdock.Her and I were in a chunky book swap last year.I had never met her in person but her and her hubby are currently in Darwin and Nola wanted to meet me.Like many of us paper crafters we can't meet another paper crafter without making them something if we have the time.....so hence the card above I made to give to her.
I so wanted to be a bit cheeky as I love hiding elements in pieces but I had no idea if Nola was conservative or anything like that.What I had wanted to do was put the words for "good" and "hard" onto a thin magnet or Velcro so they could be removed and their position changed LOL.Anyway I decided to just leave it the way it was so as to not offend her just in case.As it turns out she is a gorgeous person with a warm and funny manner about her and I doubt she would have minded at all.She laughed when I told her what I was going to do with the words and loves the card which I am glad for.The card was very hard to get a good image of as the gel medium,shaky hands and my flash were not complying with each other so Nola eventualy got the picture above for me.I've since replicated the card and did the magnet thing for my Father-in-laws birthday last week...and he loved it *grin*...still waiting to hear from Mun :o)