April's Review	Chris' Review	Tammy's Review	Stephanie's Review	Pomaika`i's Review

Review by April

Idea books are one of our best sources for gaining creative knowledge and inspiring ideas. Design Originals has long been manufacturing idea books that appeal to artists of all ages in an effort to make crafts easy. They have a number of books that cover a large variety of art mediums and hobbies, and they recently added "Transfers and Altered Images" by Chris Cozen to their fabulous collection. I was very excited to be included in this review and anxious to get started!

For this review I received Design Original's Transfers and Altered Images Idea book by Chris Cozen. The book focuses on exploring techniques, materials, tools, and tips to transfer and alter drawings, photos, words and images onto paper, canvas, fabric, board and plastic. There are a total of 35 beautifully colored and detailed pages in the book and the cover is a work of art in itself. The outside of the book is smooth to the touch, yet has a glossy like effect, and the book is bound by staples but is very sturdy and user friendly. This fascinating book contains a letter by the working artist herself, Chris Cozen, and she explains how the book is divided into two parts: 'The Process' and 'The Application'. She begins the book by supplying a list of surfaces you can transfer onto, basics for image transfers including helpful tools to use during the process, information about copyright issues, paper choices for images, and the best way to set up your workspace before you begin. Since Chris is a member of the Golden Artist Colors, Inc. "Working Artist" team, she has invested quite a bit of time testing the capabilities of the various products Golden manufactures. There is a section of the book that discusses acrylic products used to make transfers and exactly what Chris suggests. This book covers how to create several different kinds of image transfers including: face-to-face image transfers, gel skin transfers, transferring onto clear surfaces, stacked transfers and layering, painted gel skin transfers, transparency sheet faux transfers, rubber-stamped skin transfers, and much more. There is also a section that includes information and techniques on using your home computer and printer with digital grounds, printing on various surfaces, and mixed media applications. Chris also talks about how mistakes can become opportunities for creative techniques, how to make transfers work for you, and various ways to embellish your transfers. The book is jam packed with interesting techniques and inspiring projects. Each image transfer is explained from beginning to end starting with complete details of the process, examples of image results using various acrylic mediums, useful tips to help you during the process, and photographs of stunning art pieces completed by the artist using the specific transfer technique.

For my first project, I was extremely inspired by the process of creating gel skin transfers so I decided to give it a try. Page 10 in the book displays examples of skin transfers using 5 different acrylic mediums. All of them had a very unique look and I hope to eventually try all of them as well, but for my first try I used Golden's Clear Tar Gel. I chose a patterned paper to transfer because I thought it might make a really cool scrapbook page embellishment. After trimming my patterned paper to size, I placed it on a non-stick craft mat and completely covered it with clear tar gel. I left it to dry overnight in hopes of achieving the best results. The next morning I gently peeled the new patterned paper gel skin away from the craft mat, turned it over, and then started the paper backing removal. I spritzed water all over the back and allowed it to soak in, however I quickly realized I basically needed to saturate the entire back in order to get the paper to peel off. I will admit that this step took quite a bit of time and I was starting to wonder if all my efforts were going to be worth it in the end. I let the skin dry a little longer after I finished pulling off the backing and then I lifted it up and just smiled. My newly created patterned paper gel skin was pretty darn cool and I couldn't wait to create my layout! I attached the gel skin to my cardstock by using a little soft gel gloss to adhere it. After that I simply added my photo and other embellishments to complete the piece. Although the entire process took some time to complete, I ended up with a one of kind artistic embellishment for my project so I was extremely pleased.

This is what both of my projects looked like mid way through removing the paper back from the transfers.

Here is my newly created patterned paper gel skin after peeling it away from the craft mat.

Title: Summer Happiness
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Inspiration for Project (Design Originals: Transfers and Altered Images by Chris Cozen)
Patterned Paper (Flair Designs)
Gel Mediums (Golden: Soft Gel Gloss, & Clear Tar Gel)
Fantastic Plastic (Flair Designs)
Paper Ribbon Trim (Flair Designs)
Ric Rac Ribbon (Fancy Pants)
Ink Pad (Ranger Distress Ink)
Glitter Glue (Ranger Stickles)
Die Cuts (Tim Holtz, & Heidi Swapp)
Sequin Flowers (Queen & Company)
Transparency (Heidi Swapp)
Rhinestones (Walmart)
Rub ons (Luxe)
Glitter Pen (Sakura)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

Next, I created a face-to-face transfer using patterned cardstock and soft gel gloss. I transferred my image directly onto the back of a plastic photo box and allowed it to dry completely overnight. After peeling the paper back off of the transfer, I colored it lightly using alcohol ink, and the placed a really pretty patterned paper behind the image. My intention was to create a cute little shadow box of some sort and I really liked how my transferred image allowed me to create an interesting artistic effect on the back of my project. I painted the sides of the box with a pretty metallic paint, and then added rub ons, glitter glue, buttons, and jewels to dress up the inside of the box.

Title: Good Things Happen
Products used:
Inspiration for Project (Design Originals: Transfers and Altered Images by Chris Cozen)
Patterned Paper (My Minds Eye)
Gel Mediums (Golden: Soft Gel Gloss)
Paint (Jaquard: Lumiere Halo Gold)
Glitter Glue (Ranger Stickles)
Alcohol Ink (Ranger)
Buttons (Fancy Pants)
Jewels (Daisy D's)
Bird Image for Transfer (Heidi Swapp)
Rub ons (Autumn Leaves, Luxe, & Unkown)
Acrylic Photo Box (Walmart)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I can definitely say I learned a ton of new techniques from this book and I will continue to use it as a reliable reference from here on out. All of the instructions were easy to understand and I really liked being able to view examples of what the final transfers looked like depending on which acrylic medium you used. I thought Chris was very thorough in explaining her technique details, as were the step by step pictures of each transfer process. The instructions would be easy for a beginner to follow and the results and projects also draw in the most advanced artists. It's not often that you find a great idea book that not only provides explicit instructions, project supplies, and example photos showing the details of each process step, but also gorgeous project photographs and ideas as well. I was very impressed with this book and I would encourage everyone no matter what type of artist they may be to give it a try!

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Review by Chris

Design Originals can always be counted on for their quality idea books covering a wide range of crafts and hobbies. They have a varied selection of books dealing with traditional scrapbooking, digital scrapbooking and altered art. They also produce books on quilting and beading, to name just a couple of other popular crafts. Two of my most favorite of their books are those written by Chris Cozen, Working Artist for Golden Artist Colors, Inc. Chris's books are full of bright, colorful imagery and fantastic projects; they really make me want to get my hands busy with acrylic products! This review focuses on her most recent book, Transfers and Altered Images.

Transfers and Altered Images is a complete idea book which will appeal to all skill levels, from beginner to expert. The book begins with chapters that review the basic acrylic products that are used to create transfers and the tools that will help make the transfer process successful. There are fantastic examples of the different transfer media and what the transferred image might look like on a variety of surfaces.

The following chapters provide detailed instruction on the different methods of creating transfers: face-to-face, gel skin transfers, transferring onto clear products, stacking, layering and overlapping transfers, using multiple transfers, and enhancing transfers with paint. All of that, and we’re only half-way through this idea-packed book!

In the second half of the book, you’ll find wonderful ideas on creating a finished project using the transfers you have now created. Then the author delves into the realm of "faux" transfers, where you get the effect of a transfer without using the various transfer mediums. You can create a "faux" transfer using transparencies, thin tissue paper, rubber stamping on a "skin," and finally using your computer. Using Golden’s Digital Ground products, you can print on a variety of surfaces using your ink jet printer without worry about the ink not drying. Amazing!

Lastly there is the all-important chapter on using your mistakes as opportunities to create beautiful pieces of art. I remember teaching art to elementary students and hearing the dreaded "I messed up" cry from them. We always encouraged them to look at their mistake as an opportunity and move ahead. Creating perfect transfers takes time and practice and Chris Cozen takes the time to help the artist find ways to incorporate the practice pieces into wonderful pieces of art. Thanks for that, Chris!

Since I actually own some of Golden’s Digital Ground products, I was happy to see the chapters in this book devoted to them. You know, you buy something but then when you get it home, you're not quite sure what to do with it? Well, thanks to Chris Cozen, I now know what a fantastic product this is! Altering images in digital photo programs is quite popular and a process that I enjoy. I’m happy to now have a product that allows me to print my altered photos onto material other than paper. For my first project, I altered a photo I had taken of an old doorway. I changed the photo to sepia, reduced the size in gradients and altered the opacity so that the smaller image is also more transparent. I painted a sheet of watercolor canvas paper using Golden’s fluid acrylic paints and a variety of painting and stamping techniques. I then applied two coats of Golden’s digital ground product and once it dried I was able to print my images using my ink jet printer. The doors and quotes were printed on top of the painted surface. This would not be possible without the digital ground product. I then sealed my printer ink with a clear acrylic sealer. After the sealer dried, I was able to add additional painted accents to my canvas.

Open and Shut canvas
Products used: Inspired by projects in Chris Cozen’s Transfers and Altered Images book published by Design Originals
Canvas Paper (Fredrix)
Paints (Golden Artist Colors, Inc., Fluid Acrylics, cobalt teal, quinacridone burnt orange, nickel azo yellow, iridescent bright gold (fine), titanium white)
Ground (Golden Artist Colors, Inc., Digital Ground for Non-Porous Surfaces)
Stamps (Hero Arts, Lisa Bearnson)

For my second project, I printed a digital clip art image on craft metal. Using Golden's Digital Ground for Non-Porous Surfaces, I coated the metal so that the ink from my ink jet printer would stick to it and dry. After printing the image, I sprayed it with a clear acrylic sealer. I then embossed the image, added some color to the leaves with alcohol ink, filled in the raised areas with fast drying plaster, cut out the palm tree image and added it to my card. This is a terrific way to take advantage of copyright free digital images!

Vacation card
Products used: Inspired by projects in Transfers and Altered Images written by Chris Cozen and published by Design Originals
Ground (Golden Artist Colors, Inc., Digital Ground for Non-Porous Surfaces)
Patterned paper (Flair Summer Daze collection, Cool Waters)
Clear sticker (Flair, Clear Cut Stickers, Summer Daze Quotes)
Plastic sun (Flair, Fantastic Plastic, Summer Time Shapes)
Stamp (Technique Tuesday)
Ink (Stewart Superior, Memories, Art Print Brown)
Alcohol Ink (Ranger)
Craft metal
Digital Clip Art image
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech Permanent Bond Tape Runner)

Finally I was confident enough about my transfer skills that I attempted to transfer older photos of my grandparents to a small canvas. First I painted the cotton canvas to my liking. I covered it with the Digital Ground product and printed two images of irises which I had already altered in my photo editing program. After printing the irises, I sealed the surface with an acrylic spray sealant. I transferred images of each of my grandparents onto the piece of painted cotton canvas, using soft gel medium and the "face to face" technique. Once the transfers were completed, I further embellished the canvas with decoupage, rub-ons, white pen and stamping with acrylic paint. I transferred the image of my grandparents seated together onto the back of a clear acrylic tag, again using soft gel medium and the "face to face" transfer technique. Once the transfer was complete, I colored in areas of the transfer using acrylic paints, then added a colored design to the entire back of the tag. I am very pleased with how this came out and believe I will use it on the cover of an album I am planning with additional photos of my grandparents and journaling about their lives.

Herman and Frances canvas
Products used: Inspired by projects in Chris Cozen’s book Transfers and Altered Images published by Design Originals
Canvas paper (Fredrix)
Paints (Golden Artist Colors, Inc., Fluid Acrylics, Titan Buff, Cobalt Teal, Ultramarine Blue, Nickel Azo Yellow, Iridescent Copper (Fine), Iridescent Gold (Fine), Interference Violet (Fine), Naphthol Red Medium)
Medium (Golden Soft Gel (Gloss) )
Ground (Golden Artist Colors., Inc., Digital Ground for Non-Porous Surfaces)
Pen (Ranger Inkssentials opaque white)
Rhinestones (Taylored Expressions)
Flowers (Prima)
Rub-ons (JoAnn Scrap Essentials)
Stickers (My Little Shoebox)
Acrylic tag

Beginning with the cover and straight through to the last page, this book is chock full of inspiration. The bright colors and cheerful designs of the projects will keep the reader turning from page to page. Through her outstanding examples and clear, concise instructions, Chris Cozen has brought this fine art of creating transfers to life and given everyone, from beginner to the advanced artist, the hope of creating equally beautiful projects. She even shares some of her "mistakes" and helps us realize that there are no mistakes, only opportunities to let our art flow in a different direction. If you’ve ever wondered "How did they do that?" when you saw a lovely image transferred onto a new surface, or longed to make your projects more interesting through the addition of multiple layers, this surely is the book for you.

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Review by Tammy

Known for their wide variety of craft books, Design Originals has recently published Chris Cozen’s second book, Transfers and Altered Images.

This 35 page, soft cover book provides a basic introduction to making transfers using acrylic gels and mediums. While Chris Cozen is a working artist for Golden Artist Colors, she states that products from other manufacturers will yield similar results when following the directions given in this book.

The Transfers and Altered Images book is divided into two sections; “The Process” and “The Application”. The first thing that Chris explains in the book is the different acrylic products that can be used to make transfers along with the effects of each one. She then begins to teach how to do the two basic transfers; Face to Face Image Transfers and Gel ‘Skin’ Transfers. This is also known as “The Process”. Once the transfers have been created, Ms. Cozen then begins to demonstrate how to stack, overlap, paint, and create compositions using your transfers.

The final portion of the book is devoted to creating ‘faux’ transfers using rubber stamps and Digital Ground products. Of course we are not all perfect and so failed transfers are bound to happen once in awhile. Chris then shows how she has taken what would be considered a ‘mistake’ and turned it into a piece of art worth of display.

After reading through this book I felt empowered to create beautiful transfers just like artist, Chris Cozen! It did not matter that this artist has 30 years of experience; her easy-to-understand instructions made me feel as though I could be an accomplished transfer artist in 24 hours! It was time to begin my journey…..

It did not take me long to realize that you cannot become an accomplished transfer artist overnight – literally. The use of toner or laser prints should be used to achieve the best results of which I had neither. The nearest copy store is a 25 mile drive from my home, so I decided to go ahead and try my inkjet printout even though they would be a bit fuzzy. My first attempt was to use my inkjet copy using the Soft Gel (glossy) on a piece of canvas paper to create a face to face transfer. Once the gel was dry I removed the paper backing according to the directions and I was less than pleased with the results. I then decided to try this same transfer technique using a piece of scrapbook paper and voila! It was a success!

My next attempt would be to make a gel skin of my inkjet print by using Clear Tar Gel along with the Glass Bead Gel. This is where patience is needed, of which I seem to have very little. I tried to let my images sit but the temptation to touch it was just too much, therefore I ruined my pieces by trying to remove the backing before my images were completely dry.

While working with the Clear Tar Gel I accidentally dumped the product onto my Teflon craft sheet so I poured most of the product back into the jar but left some on the sheet to make a clear gel skin for later use. I then decided that I would make a trip to the copy store to get toner copies to work with. By the time I arrived home with my toner copies, it was late in the evening so I prepped my copies with Clear Tar Gel and set them aside to dry overnight, (I had decided that I would use gel skins for my projects). By the next morning, my Clear Tar Gel skin that I was making on my craft sheet was still cloudy which meant that it was not quite dry. This was due to the humidity in the air from all of our recent rains but once I turned on the A/C to draw the humidity out of the house, my ‘skins’ began to quickly dry.

My Teflon craft sheet was not clean when the Clear Tar Gel was accidentally dumped onto it and I was curious to find out if the color would transfer onto the skin. As I lifted the skin from the craft sheet I found that the color did transfer which gave a transparent skin color in various places. I liked the results that I achieved from this accident.

I then removed the backing paper from my Clear Tar Gel copy ‘skins’ and they both produced excellent results and now I was finally ready to begin putting my projects together.

For my first project I used an 8 x 8 inch piece of acrylic and made a face to face transfer on the back using Soft Gel (glossy) and sheet of scrapbook paper. Since the Soft Gel dries rather quickly this process did not take long. Once the transfer was complete I positioned my Rooster ‘skin’ onto the front of the acrylic. Because the ‘skin’ was transparent it allowed the patterned paper to show through but it muffled the focal point. Since I had not adhered the Rooster ‘skin’ to the acrylic I removed it and used a buff colored acrylic paint to color in the backside of the rooster. This made the rooster less transparent and did not allow the patterned paper to muffle the image. After the paint was dry I used more of the Soft Gel (glossy) to adhere the Rooster ‘skin’ to the front of the acrylic sheet. I added some die cuts along with a fabric hanger and my project was ready for display.

 
Title: project 1
Products used: Acrylic Sheet (Grafix)
Patterned Paper (Daisy D's)
Die Cut Flowers and Letters (Daisy D's)
Acrylic Paint (Claudine Hellmuth)
Rooster Image (Google images)
Tar Gel (Golden Paints)
Soft Gel (Golden Paints)
Fabric (Misc)

Now that my first project was complete, I was more than ready to start on my layout. I have an 8 x 8 inch album dedicated to my grandmother. I love this whimsical picture of her and my grandfather at Knott’s Berry Farm in the 1930’s. Since I had made a skin of the photograph I knew that it would be transparent and objects behind it would show through. It seemed that a love note would be the perfect backdrop for this photograph so I used a word stamp on the Clear Tar Gel skin to resemble a letter. Remember that this skin was discolored? Well, it worked perfectly in this layout to give it the aged look that was needed. I then used a portion of the face to face transfer I made using a piece of canvas paper and scrapbook paper and placed it behind the photograph as well. A few more embellishments and my page resembled a small vintage collage.

Title: project 2
Products used: Cardstock (Prism)
Canvas Pad (Frederix)
Clear Tar Gel (Golden)
Soft Gel (Golden)
Stazon ink (Tsukineko)
Walnut Ink (Ranger)
Patterned Paper (Pink Paislee)
Rubberstamp (TAC)
Marker (Copic)
Pen (Micron)
Trim (Memoryvilla)
Misc other

Exploring the world of Transfers and Altered Images was a great experience and one that I probably would never have ventured into had it not been for this book. Although my experiences started off a little rocky, in the end I was completely satisfied with my results. Ms. Cozen gives plenty of tips and suggestions throughout the book to help make your transfers successful.

One area that I did not cover in this book was the use of Digital Ground Products. According to the book, this product allows you to use your home printer to create ‘faux’ transfers on any number of surfaces including aluminum foil! Now that sounds like an area I would love to explore!

There is a wealth of information contained within these 35 pages. If you love exploring different art mediums then I suggest that you pick up a copy of Chris Cozen’s Transfers and Altered Images book, published by Design Originals.

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Review by Stephanie

Design Originals is the maker of hundreds of “how-to” crafting books. I have several of their books, one of which goes back to 2002, and I still refer to them when I need some information or help with a specific technique, or even some inspiration. Their books are always informative and full of colorful designs with full instructions for completing the many projects that are included in each book. From scrapbooking and stamping to candle making and quilting, Design Originals has a “how-to” book for the crafter in all of us. They even have “how-to” books for kids and teenagers. Design Originals’ website states they are all about “Making crafts easy, one book at a time”.

For my review this month, I received their newest book entitled “Transfers and Altered Images” by Chris Cozen. I have heard about transferring images, but I never knew the process to make this happen. The book is 35 heavy gloss pages full of information, images and instructions for creating any number of exciting transfer projects. I would recommend you read the instructions completely before embarking on a project. I was so excited to get started that I didn’t read all the instructions at first and I couldn’t understand why the process wasn’t working for me. Once I read the complete instructions, I found out what I was doing wrong!

This book is broken into 19 sections, starting with the Basics and ending with Embellishing. The sections in between deal with the various types of transfers, the mediums used, the application processes, numerous tips and all the details to help you determine what to do. Ms. Cozen even goes into details on correcting those creative mistakes that do occur (and yes, you will make them, so don’t panic).

For my first review, I chose to do the Face to Face transfer method. Using a sheet of acrylic, I applied Soft Gel Gloss to the face of my photo, then applied that to the acrylic sheet. I let it dry for a little while, and tried to work with it, but it wasn’t quite ready. Reading the instructions, I found that I should have left it over night for optimal results. So, I put that project aside and worked on another.

For my next project I used the Gel Skin transfer method. This method allows you to work with your photo in a very pliant form by removing the backing. Placing the photo face down on wax paper, I spread acrylic on the back. Allowing ample time to let the medium set, I carefully sanded the back of the photo creating ridges which I then spritzed with water. This allowed me to remove the backing quite easily. I then painted a clipboard, added pattern paper and then adhered the “Skin” to the pattern paper. While the photo is not as transparent as I wanted it to be, I do like the effect.

Title: Summer Clipboard
Products used: Inspiration (Design Originals – Transfers and Altered Images)
Pattern Paper (Flair, Summer Daze)
Paper Trim, Stickers (Flair, Summer Daze)
Acrylic Paint, Gel Medium (Golden)
Other (Clipboard, Office supply)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

Once I completed the clipboard, I went back to my first project. Now that it had set, I followed the instructions and removed the backing from the photo. Unfortunately, in trying too hard, I damaged parts of the photo. As Ms. Cozen indicated, creative mistakes can be worked around. So I lightly painted the background in various colors then added some rub-ons that would add some pizzazz to my piece, as well as cover my mistakes.

If you look closely you can see the mistake in this closeup, just to right of the robin. I was able to cover the mistake with several different rub-ons and it looks like it is part of the creation.

Title: Acrylic Window Display
Products used: Inspiration (Design Originals – Transfers and Altered Images)
Acrylic Paint, Gel Medium (Golden)
Rub-ons (Fancy Pants)
Ribbon (Creative Imaginations)
Other (acrylic sheet, home supply store)

I don’t feel I achieved the full effects as Ms. Cozen described in this book. But, practice makes perfect and I will be doing some more transfers. In fact, I have several projects in process and I’m hoping to finish them soon. Thanks so much Design Originals for publishing such an awesome book.

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Review by Pomaika`i

Design Originals has been publishing “how-to” craft books for many years now. I own a few Altered Art technique books and have found them very informative. I was not surprised to find that according to their website, Design Originals has an impressive array of books in a variety of areas including Beading, Cardmaking, Metal work, Polymer Clay, Quilting, Paper Arts and more.

When I found out that I would be reviewing Design Original’s book “Transfers and Altered Images,” I was excited because I have loved the look of transfered images for years, but never really mastered the technique to my satisfaction. I was ready to give it another try and hoped that this time the information would result in success.

For this review, I received a copy of “Transfers and Altered Images” by Chris Cozen (working artist with Golden Artists Colors). This book is a soft cover publication slightly larger than 8.5 x 11 inches, bound with staples. There are 35 full color glossy pages chock full of photos used to illustrate projects as well as illuminate step by step instructions.

The book format supports its use as a resource, with an index, recommended supply list, start-up instructions for the very beginner and examples using various recommended products. This book is obviously supported by Golden, a company that creates quality acrylic products, but I sort of appreciated the clarity of this in that I knew exactly what product would work for the technique. There was no hunting for this brand or the other equivalent.

I found that the techniques progressed from simple to more complex as the book progressed, each page building on what came before. There was a wealth of information to keep an artist busy for months if not years, playing and experimenting with image transfer techniques and ways to use them. Some of the techniques found in this book are Face to Face Image Transfers, Gel Skin Transfer, Overlapping Transfers, Multiple Transfers in Layers, Transparency Sheets, Faux Transfers and more!

As an experienced beginner, I found the writing to be clear and easy to understand, and the steps to each technique concise. I was favorably impressed with the number of example photos, since I am very visual and find it easier to follow a sequence of steps when they are supported by photos. I really liked that this book was not a recipe book with one project after another, but that it was more like a cookbook, with technique information that one could take into any recipe one likes.

For my first project, I was inspired by the “Transferring Onto “Clear” projects on page 12-13. Rather than using acrylic stamp blocks as the author did, I used a piece of acrylic I had cut a long time ago. I transfered a patterned paper vintage reproduction of an old cigar box label I found in another Design Originals (Cigar Boxes Purses and Projects) book using Soft Gel medium as the transfer agent. After removing most of the extra pulp from behind the image, I added acrylic paint for fun. I like that the image is somewhat translucent when light is shown from behind.

Title: Acrylic Altered piece
Products used: Inspired by Transfers and Altered Images (Design Originals)
Patterned Paper (Design Originals)
Transfer Medium (Golden Soft Gel Gloss)
Acrylic Paint (Golden)
Trim (Joanns Essentials)
Stickers (Fiskars)
Rhinestones (Bead Party)
Other (Lace, Crochet Flowers, Acrylic)
Adhesive (Joann Tacky Glue)

For my second project, I tried a face to face transfer using Light Molding Paste on a magazine picture cut out from an American Girl Catalog. When I placed the image down on the background paper and burnished (rubbed it to make more contact with the background), I didn’t think that it was sticking well enough for a transfer, so I also added some Soft Gel medium. After my piece was dry, I rubbed the pulp backing of the magazine picture away with the help of water. You can see by the huge holes in the picture, that I should have been more patient and let it dry longer, but I was too impatient. Still, I like the transfer and I also like the slightly mottled effect that is characteristic of a molding paste transfer. I used acrylic paint to gussy up the background, and I also added a layer of soft gel to protect the image.

Title: Thanks
Products used: Inspired by Transfers and Altered Images (Design Originals)
Cardstock (Prism)
Patterned Paper (Paper Pizzaz, Old Spanish Book)
Stickers (Creative Imaginations, Doodle Bug, K and Co.)
Transfer Medium (Light Molding Paste, Soft Gel (Gloss)--Golden)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I enjoyed Transfers and Altered Images by Design Originals. It is a great reference for creating and using a variety of transfer images for paper projects. This book is chock full of techniques in an easy to follow format that beginners and advanced paper crafters alike would find useful.

With the transfer techniques I learned and used in my two review projects, I only scratched the surface of the information found in this book. In addition to these projects, I tried my hand at a few more techniques that didn’t result in project worthy pieces yet. I know that I will be using this book again and again to practice and learn more techniques so that I can use transfers in my future work with ease. Design Originals “Transfers and Altered Images” would be a great resource addition for any paper crafter’s library!

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