I recently brought home several cabinet doors from our local
home salvage store. I wasn’t sure at the
time what I would do with them, but at just a couple of dollars each, I decided
I couldn’t pass them up.
Weeks later I found myself dusting those cabinet doors off
with the intention of creating some seasonal art to sell in my booth at Camas
Antiques using Artisan Enhancement’s Image Transfer Gel. I discovered a few copyright free vintage
images I loved on The Graphics Fairy website and began to devise a plan!
The first step was to
choose the images that would fit well on each door. I emailed the images and the sizes I needed
to the UPS store. I asked them to print
a reverse image of the graphics that had text on them. Image Transfer Gel works only with laser
printed images. Most businesses use
laser jet printers, but I learned the hard way that you can’t always assume so. Be sure to clarify that your images are being
printed on a laser jet printer when you order prints for image transfer.
I then trimmed the
image so that it fit exactly onto the raised part of the door where I wanted it
transferred to.
With my standard
paint brush, I brushed on an even coat of Transfer Gel where I wanted my image
to be.
I immediately laid
out my printed image, face down onto the wet Transfer Gel, smoothing out any
air pockets with my fingers. Once the
paper is completely adhered to the surface, it must dry for several hours. I find that it works best to let it sit
overnight.
The next day I wet
the back of the paper with a damp sponge and began to carefully and slowly work
away the paper pulp with my fingers.
It’s important to
know and remember that the image is supposed to sit on top of the Transfer Gel,
so if you rub too hard and rub away the gel, you will also rub away the
image. I strongly recommend practicing
this process once or twice on a sample board before attempting to transfer an
image onto a surface that you have gone to a lot of work to prepare. As tempting as it may be, don’t use the
scrubby side of that sponge to remove the paper! Just roll the paper pulp gently with your
fingers, and do your best to be patient with this process. It will be well worth your effort!
I took several breaks
during the paper removal process, allowing the leftover pulp to dry now and
then so that I could see which areas still needed work without going back over
places that were complete. Eventually the
image dried and there were no more cloudy white areas.
I did end up with a
few spots where I overworked the surface and rubbed away a bit of the
image. I actually didn’t mind it and
added a bit more of that wear intentionally around the edges to make it look as
if the image had been painted on the door ages ago and was naturally worn and
distressed.
I decided to do add a
little gold to the recessed area of the door to offset and frame my image. I applied Artisan Enhancement’s Leaf and Foil
Size to the areas where I wanted to see the gold. This product is extremely sticky and not easy
to wash out of brushes, so I have designated this small brush specifically for
Leaf and Foil Size.
After waiting about
20 minutes for the Leaf and Foil Size to set up, I cut a strip of ArtisanEnhancement’s Brushed Gold metallic foil and laid it over the Size, shiny side
up! Let me say that another way, because
people have a tendency to do this the wrong way. Put the dull side of the foil down onto the
tacky Leaf and Foil Size.
I then used a dry
paint brush to burnish the foil into place.
Next, I peeled the
foil away to reveal a lovely stripe of Brushed Gold. Because I wasn’t absolutely precise with the
application of the Leaf and Foil Size, I ended up with a bit of gold in a few
places where I didn’t want it. I was
happy to find that it wiped off easily with a damp cloth.
The areas that I
wanted to remain gold then needed to be sealed.
I chose Artisan Enhancement's Clear Topcoat because I wanted an overall
matt finish on my board. If I would have
been looking for a shinier, glossy finish I would have used Artisan
Enhancement's Clear Finish. With my Top
Coat brush, I applied a very thin layer of Clear Topcoat over my entire board,
including the transferred image and gold foil.
The following day I brushed on one more quick, light layer of Clear
Topcoat and my cabinet door turned Christmas art was complete!
Obviously this
project could easily be created for any time of year. In fact, even a laser jet printed copy of an
actual photograph could be transferred onto a prepared board for a very unique
and special way to display family memories!
What a wonderful idea for a handmade gift!
I just had to include
this piece in my post as well because I loved how it turned out. This cabinet door needed another element in
addition to the image transfer.
Using a beautiful
stencil from Artisan Enhancements and their VP Antico product, I created a
raised relief and accented it with a tiny bit of brushed gold foil. I walked through the process of creating a
relief with a stencil and VP Antico in my Artful Storage post if you would like
to read more about that technique.
This was such a fun
project and one I can’t wait to do more of!
With a discarded cabinet door, any laser printed image and a few great
art mediums from Artisan Enhancements, you can create your own unique work of art! Consider the possibilities!
Now, go create
something beautiful!
Thank you so much for your kind visit!
Best Wishes and Blessings,
Amanda
Sharing With:
Home Sweet Home at The Charm of Home
Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Home
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours
Friday's Unfolded at Nancherrow
What's it Wednesday at Ivy and Elephants
