Photo image transfers onto canvas tutorial with Gel Medium (with pictures!)

Dear passer-by reader,

Thanks for stopping by my unfortunate, inconsistently updated blog BUT I do try!!!

For those who stops by occasionally to see what I've made, thank you! :o)

I've started playing with image transfers onto canvas and it can be quite fun despite the "finger fatigue", splits from rubbing off paper fibres and the waiting time for the gel medium to dry!

Here are a few of the canvases that I have done for my friends: 

For a friend/colleague/photographer who took this macro shot

 For a friend's/colleague's first granddaughter

 For my best friend's wall, a picture of Venice that I have forgotten to print as mirror image

As you can see, there are some bits that rubbed off due to: certain spots being rubbed to hard OR have not dried properly OR no gel medium contact OR bubbles.

Here's the brief!

Goodies that I used:

• LASER toner printed mirror-image on photocopy paper (don't waste your money on the good quality papers!) NOT INKJET
• Liquitex Gloss Gel Medium (Purchased from SeniorArt.com.au)
• Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish (Purchased from SeniorArt.com.au)
• Sponge brush/applicator (poly brush they call it)
• Canvas (Sizes entirely up to you! I use primed canvases only)
• Card (Credit card size) or bone folder (Not pictured)
• Spray bottle with clean water 
• A clean, covered work surface OR craft mat (I use the Ranger Craft Mat)
• Hands (Not pictured)
• Lots of patience! (Spiritually in the pictures! haha)

Instructions:

• Print your selected image (colour or blank&white) onto CHEAP-O-SKATE photocopy paper. Make sure it is a mirror image, especially when there are words/letters. My husband has been bugging me for weeks for a picture of our two furry children so I decided to make him one to take to work. He's a manly man but a big softie when it comes to our furry kids!
• Prep the printed image and canvas with the gel medium. I used the sponge brush to apply the gel medium onto the canvas and the medium instead of just one or the other. 

• The paper (picture below) is warped because of the moisture from the Gel Medium. Not too sure if you could see the sheen on the canvas... I applied enough to make the picture look translucent.

• Slap (not literally) the printed image side down onto the canvas

• Smooth out the paper with the credit card or the bone folder OR your fingers (I use my fingers on the paper side and credit card on the back canvas).
• Do NOT press too hard when smoothing out the paper because it will rip due to the gel medium softening the paper. Trust me. IT WILL RIP!!! Do NOT press too hard when smoothing out on the canvas backside because that will move most of the gel medium to the sides making it all lumpy and raised (if the sides have kinda dried a little bit). IT WILL BE LUMPY AND RAISED!!! 
• Gently smooth out the bubbles from centre to side with your fingers on the photocopy paper then apply a wee bit of pressure with the card/bone folder when smoothing from the backside of the canvas.
• ***DO THIS STEP AT YOUR OWN RISK!*** I learned this from the Golden brand on Youtube (may not be a great idea but I did it anyway because I'm impatient!!!) that I can leave the canvas to dry for a couple of minutes then SLOWLY peel off one corner to reveal whether the image have latched onto the canvas. If the image has been "transferred" or stuck onto the canvas, you can slowly peel back the paper DIAGONALLY. It will peel off a layer of the paper and leave another layer that's attached to the gel medium. Less paper to rub off later! ;o) 

**If the image is still on the paper, it is not ready. If you pulled part of the paper where the image is still on the peeled paper, apply a tiny dab of gel medium onto the image then slap it down onto the canvas.... then try to peel from another corner to avoid peeling the image off the canvas**

 See the layer difference after you peel off the paper from the canvas?

• THEN LEAVE IT TO DRY! I gave it a few hours to dry. I can't wait 24 hours!!! There's my patience!
• Now's the fun part but you have to be patient as well. Spray the remaining layer of paper on canvas with water. Enough to dampen until image is translucent then start rubbing the paper off. You have to repeat this process a few times because when it dries, there will still be paper fibres on there. So be patient and slowly rub them off! **Some crafters use soft sponge or rag but I prefer my fingers so I can "feel" when I have rubbed most of the fibres off**

 This was the first rub off.. May have to do this a few times to get rid of most paper fibres!

• Once you reckon that most of the fibres are off the image, let it dry then apply the Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish with the poly brush. Let it dry and apply another layer of the Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish as the final coat of protectionnnnnn.

***You may still see some paper fibres on the canvas when it dries. I tend to rub LIGHTLY (after a few wet, rub and dry sessions) until I could actually feel that no fibres will come off the picture, even if it dried with paper fibres still on it. Then I test a small area with the varnish to see if the image will come up clear. If it does, OH EXCITEMENT TO VARNISH THE WHOLE CANVAS!!!***

Done Done Done DOOOOOOONNNNNEEEEE! :o) Enjoy your proud handmade product! :o)

Whipped Body Butter Tutorial with pictures

 WHIPPED BODY BUTTER TUTORIAL

• 300g Shea Butter
• 2 tablespoons of Coconut Oil 

Melt Shea Butter and Coconut Oil

• 1oz Jojoba 
• 1oz Meadowfoam Seed Oil
• 2oz Sweet Almond Oil
• 12 Vitamin E capsules (popped and liquid added to soft/liquid oils)

Measure soft/liquid oils in Pyrex measuring cup and add to the cool melted Shea Butter and Coconut Oil concoction

• 15 drops of Lavender Essential Oil 

Add Lavender Essential Oil to whipped mixture

 I had to melt the Shea Butter and Coconut Oil because the last time it blended all grainy and lumpy.

I don't know how Soap Queen does it but hers blended so smoothly!

Note the doubler boiler system instead of heating it directly over the fire.

While waiting for the Shea Butter and Coconut Oil concoction to cool to paste-like consistency, I measured out the soft/liquid oils into the pyrex cup.

I added the soft/liquid oils to the Shea Butter and Coconut Oil concoction when it cooled to about 30C/Cool to the touch.

I didn't have to wait almost 2 hours to cool for the last batch. I didn't put this in the fridge but just waited for it to cool at room temperature. As you could see, the paste-like consistency traced the whip when I lift/tilt the Kitchenaid mixer.

 Whip back into the bowl!

That's how I determine when to start whipping. There's no point whipping while it's still in liquid state because it will take as long as the cooling period to whip and increase in volume.

Start whipping from medium for 5 minutes and then fast until the concoction looks whipped and increased in volume.

After much whipping, there's a volume increase. 

Add the Lavender Essential Oil and whip on fast again.

Beautiful whip consistency!!

Looks yummy enough to eat!

Scoop into washed clean and dry containers.

I filled 2x 500ml and a little bit into another container of Whipped Body Butter that I'm still using.

There's roughly 430grams of ingredients when it is unwhipped.

Freshly Whipped Body Butter!!

ENJOY!!

Diced rainbow coloured soaps in Goatsmilk & Oatmeal soap Tutorial!

I was shattered when I couldn't find the magic tool, the butter curler (the one that Eden's Secret used to make the pretty soap curls with), here in the stores in Australia?? Potato/Apple peelers and cheese slicers just won't work for me!!! Kept "almost" sliced my fingers off! :o( I was inspired by her soap curls design that I wanted to try for myself but tough titties for me!

By the way, Karen from Eden's Secret is one of the best soapers that I know of! Her soap designs are absolutely beautiful! She also makes cupcake soaps, soap cakes, massage bars, bath bombs, men soap, etc. I get a lot of inspiration from her! :D She also has a youtube channel filled videos of her making and designing her products!

Here's my first little tutorial that I will share with the world! Or whoever decides to look at my blog...

I get my supplies/goodies from Aussie Soap Supplies!

DICED RAINBOW SOAPS IN GOATSMILK & OATMEAL MELT & POUR SOAP TUTORIAL (MOSAIC DESIGN)

I made up layers of the rainbow spectrum (minus orange) in a container. Good thing about not spraying rubbing alcohol is the layers do not adhere and can be easily "peeled" off. I used clear soap and made red, missed orange, yellow, green, blue and purple layers. Once each coloured layer is almost solid, I pour another layer of coloured soap on top of it. Leave it overnight to fully solidify.

Unmould from the container and slowly pull apart the layers. I am extremely annoyed with myself for not taking pictures of that process!!!!

As I mentioned before, I initially wanted to make the pretty soap curls like Eden's Secret's but because I can't find the right tool, I decided to dice the coloured soap. My last post about improvising? Here's improvising!!

My untidy work bench! 

For now. :D

 This Lock and Lock mould holds 2 litres.

Measurements roughly: 9cm x 9cm x 25cm

First Goatsmilk & Oatmeal layer, I melted 200ml (or grams) for the bottom layer and added Bramble Berry's Oatmeal, Milk & Honey fragrance oil.

Once the bottom layer is almost solidified, I scattered a layer of the diced colour soaps.

I initially wanted it to stay in the middle BUT because the diced coloured soaps are not stuck to the bottom, it decided to do some floaty movements as shown below after I poured another layer on top of it.

REMEMBER TO SPRITZ THE TOP OF EACH LAYER BEFORE POURING THE NEXT LAYER!!

 That's the second layer with diced coloured soap.

Once the layer is almost solidified, spray rubbing alcohol for the little diced coloured cubes to momentarily adhere to the bottom layer. 

For the next layer remember to spritz rubbing alcohol before pouring!!

 

Just keep adding the layers of diced coloured soap.

As you can see, the 2nd layer is scattered because I don't want the coloured soap sitting on top of each other, if that makes sense!

I think it was up to 4 layers of diced coloured soap before I cover the top completely.

Remember the base was 200ml (or grams) of just the plain Goatsmilk & Oatmeal soap?

After the last layer of cubed coloured soaps are laid out, I poured 400ml of the Goatsmilk & Oatmeal soap. 

200ml to fill the layer of diced coloured soaps 

200ml to completely cover the top layer (to mirror the bottom layer)

This is now a waiting game. I will have to wait till tomorrow to ensure that the soap is fully solidified in the mould then I will cut it! EXCITEMENT!!!

***DRUM ROLLS***

...until tomorrow!!...

GOOD MORNING!!!

Lesson learned from last night?
1) REMEMBER TO SPRAY EVERY LAYER WITH RUBBING ALCOHOL BEFORE POURING ANOTHER LAYER ON TOP!!!
The bottom plain layer detached because I forgot to spray some rubbing alcohol...

2) Dice the coloured soaps bigger

I think that's it.
VOILA! Smells like baby powder. :o)