Transparency Transfer

Transparencies, oh how you plague me.

Today, was the first time I've tried to do one since deciding to focus on the paper transfer that was successfully working in order to have enough product for the upcoming show.  Its been a nightmare from the beginning.  All the you tube videos claim how easy it is, how quick and effortless... ha ha ha I say.  Who are they kidding.  They don't have my printer, apparently.  Or my brayer.  Or my Acrylic Medium or whatever the deference is that is making this not work for me.  But I am determined that this is the technique I am learning this month.  So, I gathered up my supplies this morning, printed out a transparency sheet on my Kodak printer (which I do not recommend for this technique at all, I will be switching to an Epson Stylus as soon as money allows), and take a deep breath and plunge in.  

Supplies:  Apollo Transparancy, printed on Kodak 5100 printer, Liquitex Acrylic Matt Medium Gel, A pallete knife to get it out just cause, the lid was to put the little bit of meduim in cause I was tired of throwing out paper plates.  I was going to use the foil as protection for my desk but didn't need it.  Scissors, Card stock and an Acrylic paper note pad I picked up in the art supply at walmart.  oh and a bowl of water and a rag! 

After running the kiddos to bible school, I decided to jump head first into this while the house was nice and quiet.  I don't get a quiet house very often.  The first two attempts went a little wonky.  I'm not sure exactly what it was but am guessing at too much medium and not giving enough time to let the medium dry.  

first and second attempt.  Sad Sad Sad.  Hardly any ink transferred at all.  At this point I was thinking it might be a waste of time to continue, but I did continue.

 After the second attempt turned out much like the first, yet worse... I got to wondering if maybe the paper didn't like the acrylic medium.  So, I pulled out my paint and painted the rest of the paper with my white paint.  I just so happened to pick up a new blue color called Lake blue while at hobby lobby on Monday, and I thought "What a perfect time to see its color!" so I painted the edges of the page with it.  I mean, why not!  The white had to dry, didn't it? 

I love love love the color!!!  I wish I could have bought more paints as they were 40% off, but another day right?

 While I waited for the Paints to dry, I tried another on just card stock, with a little better results.. confirming my belief that it was the acrylic paper.   So, next up back to the acrylic notebook with the addition of my beautiful blue paint and white under painting.  First, I tried a zinna picture which actually did decent.  I was shocked.  I was like ok here we go!  But then, came the picture of my kiddos.  Have you all ever wanted to just steam roll your children?  I mean, really truly roll over them with a steam roller?  I got to today.  Seriously, look!

 And enjoyed every single second.  I think I might have taken a few hundred extra passes over, just to make sure the ink transferred of course. Right.  That's my story anyway.  ;)  And most of it did.  Things seemed to get better with each transparency I worked.  By the time I got to the last one, I decided I could call it success.  Its not perfect, by any means..   not by a long shot.  But its way better than where I was with it last week.  Those were positively scary, horror film worthy even.  I kid you not.  Here is my last two transfers.  I'm proud of these, even with all their little specks and missing teeth.  At least they arent competley bald or missing faces all together! HAHA

 So There ya go, you can say you knew me in the beginning when she posted her very first post about learning to do transparency transfers.  So when I make it big in the craft fair circuit, and become some famous transparency transfer lady making millions traveling fairs and selling fig jam with cool labels, you can say "I remember when she was just that girl who couldn't figure it all out!"  Hopefully, I figure it all out before then!  lol.