I purchase 8.5x11 transparencies in bulk at office supply stores. Look for the kind that is made for your printer. Since I have an inkjet, the transparencies I purchase have a smooth side and a rough side. You’ll print on the rough side so that the ink magically soaks in. I follow the drying time religiously (15 minutes) so I’ve never had problems with smearing. Since each sheet costs around a dollar, I use every scrap.
What I like to do is print out a photo on a transparency, cut it out and adhere it to my project. I’ve done this in Bloom Where You’re Planted and Sometimes in the midst of my joy my heart aches for the sadness of the world.
I like the ethereal quality of an acetate photo and I love that my background shows through. You can capitalize on this quality by painting the background before you adhere your photo or place the photo on colored paper.
Adhesion
My experimentation has lead be to conclude that there are two main products for adhering acetate. Each has its own strengths. You can use an acid free spray adhesive or Glue Arts new vellum adhesive. A spray adhesive binds permanently and dries clear, but it is messy to use and once you place your photo down, you cannot move it. On the other hand, Glue Arts adhesive comes in a sheet. You place what you want to adhere to the sheet, rubbing to transfer the glue. Then you adhere to your project. This product is clean, dries clear and can be repositioned. I like that quality. For projects that are smaller or the same size as the sheet of glue, I will definitely use Glue Arts. However, if you have a photo that is larger than the adhesive sheet, like I did when I tried to adhere a Hambly frame to a photo, I found that the glue showed through (only at certain angles) where there was either overlap or where the glue folded over on itself.
Using Scraps
I use my acetate scraps for various projects. For example, if you are nervous about writing on photos, write on your scraps first then adhere that to your photo. However, my main use for the scraps is in stamping. I use StazOn ink because it dries almost instantly. What I like to do is stamp on a scrap of acetate, cut it out and adhere to my project. This is particularly helpful when I:
1. Only want to use a section of the stamp like I did in Bloom Where You’re Planted. The stamp that I had for the wings was actually a Stamping Up! dragonfly. I inked using StazOn, stamped the entire stamp then cut out the dragonfly body and only used the wings.
2. Want exact placement of a wood mounted rubber stamp. I never got the hang of the stamp positioner tool so this technique really helps. I stamp onto acetate, cut it out and place it where I want. This allows me to fiddle with placement, which I do frequently. Plus, if you have a problem stamp that doesn’t always come out well, you have a buffer. Or if you often get corners because you are too vigorous in your inking, this will allow you to stamp then cut out imperfections before placing.
Advanced Techniques
You can easily paint on acetate. I’ve painted both on the back and on the front. Right now, I prefer painting on the front. Acrylic dries beautifully and adds great dimension. I’ve also used Sharpie paint pens with great success. I just started a mini album in which I used my children’s artwork as a base for my creative experimentation. I printed their sketches onto a transparency, adhered to my mini album, painted on makeup and glued on clothing.
Journaling on left: He loved her because she kept dancing even when her hair got a little messy. Artwork by Toodles (age 4)
Journaling on right: It took her 2 years to fit back into that size 4 pencil skirt and after she got it on she remembered why she never wore it much before. It was just a bit uncomfortable.
Artwork by Sweetpea (age 6)
I’ve also used a glue pad (like an ink pad, only with glue) by Tsukinko and adhered art glitter. I did this on Heidi Swapp ghost letters (which are like thick acetate) in Sometimes… see above.
If you don’t have a glue pad, you can use a small paintbrush and some PVA glue. This is used in bookbinding and is acid free and dries clear. (TIP: Don’t use one of your best paint brushes because the glue is tough to get out.) Brush the glue on the stamp then stamp your paper, and sprinkle on glitter. (TIP: Clean that stamp quickly) Or, use the glue like paint and paint it on the surface and sprinkle with glitter. (TIP: When you are using glitter, place a file folder under your project to catch loose glitter and slide it back into your container. And turn off all your fans, for obvious reasons.)
Don’t forget about all those wonderful overlays that are out there either! I used a Hambly overlay for Little Curls. I adhered My mind’s eye paper using diamond glaze to the back of the transparency so that the pattern would show through. However, I would try Glue Arts vellum adhesive the next time because the diamond glaze warped the overlay a little. The photos were placed on the front so they took center stage. The result is a soft and beautiful look.
Also, don’t forget that you can sew and staple on acetate too. (TIP: Before I sew I like to adhere the acetate so that I don’t have any moving objects under my machine.)
I challenge you to experiment with this medium and when you do, let me know, I’d love to hear all about it!
No comments:
Post a Comment