Wax On Wax Off Photo Transfer

Ever had a project where you did a ton of research,

were still a little unsure of the result,

but decided to just go for it and hope for the best?

And a little prayer too?

That was this photo transfer project for me.

I have seen them all over pinterest,

and they all say use laser printed images.

Unfortunately the client wanted an image that was

2 ft by 3 ft.  My home printer doesn't print that big.

I asked at Staples and Office Max and their engineering prints

which would meet the size critera, weren't laser printed.

Originally I thought the client was going to get the image 

printed for me so I wasn't going to worry about it,

but she didn't.

Now I was getting nervous.

All the other tutorials said Laser prints only.

I was getting really nervous.

So I decided to go to the source.

I went to Liquitex's website and scoured their information

on doing photo transfers.

No where did it say it had to be a Laser print.

So on a wing and a prayer, I decided to go for it.

The client wanted a gray-blue background heavily distressed.

I knew I couldn't do the transfer of a photo like this on pallet wood.

Too uneven.

So I headed over to Lowe's and picked up a sheet of birch plywood.

It was $25 for the sheet.  I had the guy cut it down a bit for me.

I think it ended up being 3 1/5 by 3 1/2 feet in size.

Then I needed a way to finish the edges so you didn't 

see the crappy plywood layers.

I found a small piece of moulding that was rounded on one side.

It fit the edges perfectly.

I got the image from the client and flipped it horizontally

before getting it printed.

Then I saved it to a flash drive and took it to Staples for the print.

It was less than $5 for the print.

Turns out you don't need it Laser Printed!

The Liquitex Gel Medium was around $10.  I used a coupon at Joanns.

After I got all the supplies, painted the board and let it dry, I was ready to get started.

First I laid the print out on the board and decided where it was going to be.

Then I used Frog Tape to tape off the edges around where the paper would be.

This step is to keep the gel medium where it's supposed to be and

I don't have to worry about wiping off any escaping drips.

Next, move the image out of the way and get a large brush.

Start going to town brushing the Liquitex Gel Medium all over the board

keeping inside the tape lines.

It should be a good thick coat of medium.

Try to keep things as evenly thick as possible.

Then carefully place the paper face down on the gel medium.

I used my vintage rolling pin to smooth the paper out.

I did get a couple of creases in the paper that wouldn't come out,

but it added to the vintage feel to the image.

A brayer would work too, the rolling pin just covers more surface area.

Keep rolling until you get it as smooth as possible.

Then set the board aside and let it completely dry.

At least 24 hours.

I let mine go 48, partly because I didn't have time to get back to it until then.

Not it's time to face the music.

Will it work or wont it?

I grabbed a couple of dish towels and soaked them.

Ring it out so they aren't dripping but very wet.

Lay them on top of the image and let sit for at least 20 minutes.

You want the paper to be wet all the way through.

I removed a section of rag at a time and started wiping in circular motions.

This step totally reminding me about Karate Kid.

Wax on. Wax off.

And for as long as it took me to get all the paper off,

I totally could have taken Daniel-son.

Wipe and wipe and wipe some more.

Ring out the rag and start again.

It took several passes to get all the paper off.

Then I would walk away and let it dry, but when I came back,

there was still more paper. Ugh!

My shoulder was super sore after that.

It would be much easier with a smaller image,

but I really love how it turned out.

Pull the frog tape off and wipe a little more.

The edges were a little raw and uneven, but that added to the vintage feel.

Wipe it one more time and let completely dry.

I finished it off with a topcoat of ModPodge to seal the image.

The quote was a custom scripture the client wanted in High Tower font.

I painted it on, then added the trim painted in the same creamy white.

The trim was glued and staple-gunned in place.

Then I used some filler to cover the nail holes and painted and sanded the edges a bit more.

It's amazing what a little sand paper can do.

I definitely had to take a bunch of photos of the finished project.

I will do one for me sometime soon.
Maybe when my shoulder forgets all the work of wiping the paper off.

Beautiful!

Where have you been?

 

I have obviously been on a blogging hiatus for the last month.

Sorry about that, but it's been for a very good reason.

Summer Vacation!

This year we took a 3 week road trip and traveled over 4000 miles 

from Phoenix, Arizona to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and back.  

We saw some of the most beautiful country 

I've ever seen.  

There were places where you could swear we were in Hawaii, 

then the Rainforests along the equator, Parliment in the United Kingdom, 

and some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen.  

Almost a world tour.  

The water was freezing cold for sure.  

The water temperature never got above 55 degrees F.  

But since my kids are related to their Dad, 

they went swimming wherever they could and for as long as we would let them.  

Not me.  I'm a super baby when it comes to cold water.

But let me share a little of our vacation with you.

We were going to stop at Lake Tahoe, NV but didn't quite make it.

We spent too much time at a Vegas Breakfast Buffet on the way up.

That trip will have to happen later.

We did get kicked off a military base somewhere near Area 51.

Yes that place really does exist.  I've seen it.

My uncle was pulling a 30 trailer and a piece came off.  We stopped to

fix it and let the kids play on what looked like an old abandoned lookout tower

while the Dad's fixed the part.

What we didn't realize until we got in trouble was that it was a highly secret

military base and they didn't want us taking any pictures and to leave immediately.

Kinda scary, but oh so cool!!

After Nevada we stopped at Crater Lake.

If you haven't been, definitely add it to your bucket list.

I didn't even know it existed until I flew to Portland, Oregon and

the pilot tipped the plane as we few over so we could see it. 

Then and there I decided we had to go.

Crater Lake is an imploded volcano that is only filled with rain and snow.

It's also the deepest lake in the USA.  

The water is so clear and so blue it's indescribable.

                                      

Next stop was Portland, Oregon.  There are a series of waterfalls along the

Columbia River.  This one was Horsetail Falls.  We hiked up and could play

behind the falls.  It looked very close to Hawaii.

We spent a few days in Seattle with family, then up to Vancouver, Canada.

From there we took the ferry over to Victoria, BC.

These are the Butchart Gardens in Victoria.

55 acres of breathtaking gardens.

This is the Parliment Building in Victoria.  

I really felt like we were some where in the UK

exploring some ancient architecture.

From Victoria, we headed south back to the US.

This sunset is on the Pacific Ocean at the Dungeness Spit.

The Spit is a 5 mile sand bar with a Lighthouse at the end.

It's a little known place that is one of my favorite places to be.

Crescent Lake, WA is another favorite place for me.

I love the blue of the water and the tree line that goes right up to the water's edge.

Simply breathtaking!

North Head Lighthouse.

There are actually 2 lighthouses on this penninsula of Cape Disappointment, WA.

This one was my favorite.

There's a soft spot in my heart for lighthouses,

and I feel drawn to see as many as I possibly can.

There will definitely be some projects comming soon with my lighthouses.

Cannon Beach, Oregon.

The beaches along the Oregon Coastline are some of the most beautiful beaches

I've ever seen.  I love the huge rocks that stick out randomly along the coast line.

Have you seen the old 80's movie The Goonies?

This is Goonie Beach.

It's actually called Haystack Rock.

We were lucky enough to time it right at low tide.

The base of Haystack Rock is a huge set of tide pools full of starfish,

sea anemone, rockfish, hermit crabs, etc...

It was so fun to play and explore the tide pools.

This was a new discovery for our family.

It's called Fern Canyon in the Redwood National Forest.

It's a tricky drive to get there and you have to ask for directions because

it's not on the usual maps, but definitely worth the drive.

The walls were probably 3-4 stories tall and completely lined with ferns.

Beautiful.

This was my favorite picture from the trip.

We happened to stop at just the right time to snap this beauty

in the Redwood Forest.

I think God spent some extra time crafting this area.

I believe it's some of His best work!

Where did you go for summer vacation?

Now what do I do with all the stuff we collected along the way?

Come back soon.  

I have some fun projects comming up to showcase your vacation treasures!

Etsy shopping

Hi all,

I now have an Etsy shop with some photos I have taken. Check it out. For my blog readers I will do a BOGO FREE for another print of your choice. Just send me a message in the notes letting me know you're from my blog and which print you would like.

Also, other sizes are available. Just let me know.

Thanks for looking!

PS. I'm going to upload some more photos so check back often.

How much do I love thee?

We've almost been in the Pacific Northwest for a year now.

Every time I go outside, yes every time,

I'm so amazed at how beautiful it is here.

Let me share a few more pics.

Another pic of the beach at Deception Pass. I love this picture of the kids in the surf. It's actually my wallpaper on my computer.

Lord Hill Park.

This was the first hike of the summer that we went on with some friends. I'll never get over the trees.

Our first time Clamming on Sammish Beach. Sooo fun catching the clams. Not so fun prying them open and figuring out what is edible or not.

Sunset at Lincon Park.

We do see the sun sometimes here. It truly is a gift when we do.

We got to watch the life cycle of the goose in the pond next to our

house. It was so fun to watch the family dynamics of the geese. The dad was so protective of his little flock. Always alert. Always ready to defend. It was amazing how fast the goslings grew. I was sad and grateful at the same time when they finally flew away. They pooped all over our yard and driveway. When we tried to shoo them out of the yard, the neighbors got mad and accused us of traumatizing the geese.I didn't want to eat them, just not have to watch my step when I went out to get in the car.

I think this is the Stillaguamish River. We stopped here to play in the water on a day trip. Too cold for me. Perfect for my family.

Leavenworth, WA A great little Bavarian town with cool shops and great eats. Uli's Pub had the best pretzels I've ever had.

Padilla Bay

Of course they had cool shells there. My niece had to have a picture taken since she couldn't bring the shell home.

We go to pick blueberries,

raspberries, and strawberries. The kids loved it. My youngest, not so much. He really wasn't a stinker about it. I just loved this photo.

This was the Big Four Ice Cave hike. I'm not sure why they call it Big Four. Doesn't it look like Five peaks to you? Either way it was a fun easy hike with breathtaking mountains around us. For some reason the ice flow makes these huge ice caves. I was floored at how much water continually flows from the mountain. Cold and clear.

I'll finish with the Seattle Skyline from the Space Needle.

It was great having my sister here for a few weeks to go exploring and enjoy the summer. I know I did. 120 degrees is just not fun. 70 is more like it.

Oh the places we've been!

Now that summer is pretty much over. It did get into the 70's today and sunny, but back to 60's and rain the rest of the weekend. Plus school is officially started. This week is the first 5 day week. I wanted to post some pictures of amazing places we went this summer.

I've also decided to dabble a bit in increasing my photography skills. So here goes:

I needed a picture of the Seattle Temple. After many attempts and settings, I think this one is the best with the flowers and sunlight across the face of the temple.

This isFranklin Falls. It is east of Seattle. Easy hike, beautiful reward.

Martha Lake Beach park.

My little girl at Waverly Beach.

Then all the boys jumping into the water.

We tried to go Huckleberry picking and ended up on this remote mountain somewhere between Mt Ranier and Mt St Helens. No berrys but a cool log pile.

The beach at Lincoln Park in Seattle.

Undoubtedly our top beach to go to. Well... so far.

A close competitor is DeceptionPass beach. My little guy with his cousin out to chase the waves.

Suncadia Resort

Everything about it was amazing. I so can't wait to go back!

A beautiful church on the way home from the Tulip Fesival in La Conner.

Stanley Park, Vancouver, BC That's almost my birthday. Just off by a year... or so...

The Vancouver BC Temple.

I have many more pics to share, but for tonight, lets start and end with Temples.