Welcome SNR Readers!!!!

Hi there! 

Thanks for stopping by!!  Welcome to all who arrived here by way of Scrapbook News and Review! 

For those of you who may be new here, I'm Heidi.  I'm a papercraftaholic.  I don't purport to be particularly good at it, but I love it and try my hand at anything I can!!!!  I'm mainly a scrapper but an occassional card sneaks in there and lately I'm really getting into art journaling.  

So, today, I thought I'd share one of my newest technique obsessions: gesso/paint transfers.  What's that, you say?  It's the process of transferring a picture - usually a photocopy - into gesso or paint. 

You need to use a photocopy, or if you are lucky enough to have one, a laser printed copy of the picture you want to use.  This technique doesn't work very well with ink jet printers because it's the powder from the toner used in copy machines and laser printers that transfers into your gesso. 

Closely crop your photo so as little of the white paper will show as possible.  If you have a clearly defined edge on your picture go ahead and cut it out.  If not, as is the case with my camera pictures, I like to tear the picture out which gives any white paper surrounding your picture more of a feathered edge.  (Note: Your picture will be reversed when doing the transfer so if you have any text in your picture, print it reversed.)

Next, paint your base with gesso (or paint) and immediately lay your picture onto the gesso.  Make sure you have complete contact between your picture and the gesso, smoothing out any air bubbles with your fingers.  Allow your gesso to completely dry, at least a few hours but it's best if you can leave it alone overnight. 

After the gesso has dried, saturate the photocopy with water.  I have a little spray bottle I use for this.  Once saturated, use your finger to rub off the paper.  Keep rubbing and re-saturating with water until most of the paper has rubbed off.  I say most because if you rub too hard you run the risk of rubbing your image off. 

And voila, your image has been transferred into your gesso.

I made this for a set of mini canvasses I'm making of various vintage camera images. 

You can then paint and embellish as desired.

This is still a work in process - I'll share when I have them all finished!

I also recently used this technique on a layout I made for my friend and Pink Ninja Master Ally's birthday. 

Does this woman not have the most beautiful eyes or what?  (Or eye in this case, lol.) 

I transferred the image of her eye directly into the paint on the paper.

As you can see, I rubbed just a tad too much in one spot but I think it lends to the overall effect. 

I also used the gesso transfer on the junque journal I recently shared.

I hope you enjoyed my quick mini tutorial on gesso transfers.  I feel so lucky to be a staffer for Scrapbook News and Review because you can find lots of these types of tutorials and projects in the pages of the magazine every month.  And there's always lots of discussion on the forum about techniques and ideas, too.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope to see you again!

- Heidi

Sheesh! Just Do It!

It's time for our next Pink Ninjas prompt.  This one is brought to you by our Ninja Star Christina.  If you missed it, click here to learn a little more about her.  She is so much fun!!!!!!

Prompt:  Personal Motto
Technique:  Stamping
Pink Twist:  Transparencies

I admit I was a bit stumped on this one at first.  I just couldn't think of anything new to do with a transparency.  And then the mojo gods smiled on me and brought me inspiration in the form of THIS awesome layout by Mme. Leah L'Orange herself!!  Transparency + gesso = happiness. 

So, I went to town on an old Creative Imaginations transparency I'd been hanging onto forever because I've been unsure how to put it all together.  Let me tell you, I will now be scouring my stash for all transparencies contained within (and there are a "few") because they're all getting painted and stamped and generally "piled upon"!!! Woohoo!!!

~back detail~
I began by masking taping down my picture and then just slathering on the gesso with a bit of pink, black, and yellow paint dribbled in.  Then I smooshed in some floss, dictionary scraps, and flowers.  I'm showing you the back of the transparency so you can see these added goodies as they only very subtly peek through on the front. 

I realized when I went to photograph this layout that it would be hard to visually demonstrate on the screen that the entire layout is on a transparency.  There are many areas where either the gesso is thin or not covering at all and I wanted to show that.  So I photographed the layout with two different cardstock backgrounds.  Above is with a black background, which I think looks best.  Below is with a hot pink background.  I think it makes the layout look too cloying and some of the pink paint gets lost on this background.  But I was torn which is actually the best.  Which do you think?

I'm a procrastinator at heart.  (Just ask any of my Design Team Coordinators!  I'm that DT member slipping in her layout 2 minutes before the deadline even though I've had the prompt for a month.  ~shake head~)

As my stamping says, I ponder, I ruminate, I list, I plan, I collect, I prepare...I just don't get anything done!!  I'm spending too much time preparing for Pete's sake!

~heart detail~


So I'm adopting a new personal motto:  Just Do It. 

~title detail~


This area that is covered with flowers actually said "LOVE" on the transparency.  See??!!  Another alterable discovery for my arsenal.  Woohoo!!! 

Head on over to the Pink Ninjas blog to check out what the rest of the Design Team made for your inspiration.  And let me tell you, you will most definitely be inspired by this batch.  There is nothing but incredible talent on this DT.  I am not worthy!!  But I sure am enjoying the ride!

Play along with us!  You don't want to anger any Ninjas do you??  ;oD

Have a great Wednesday!

Heidi

Details - Creative Imaginations transparency & bling; Making Memories paint; StazOn ink; EK Success & Tim Holtz stamps; Prima flowers & pearl bling; Heidi Swapp & Rhonna Farrer chipboard; DMC floss; unknown metal and brad alphas; gesso; vintage dictionary page.