2018 #12 Transfers: Where did you get that hat? {by Lucy Edmondson}

2018 Topic 12: Transfers

Lucy figured out how to do an image transfer by sheer determination. Sometimes, you just have to keep trying different methods until the one you like best clicks with you! I love how her transfer is made more 3 dimensional with the addition of shrink plastic flowers for the hat! ~ Leandra

Hi everyone, it's Lucy from Lucy's True Colours here, and today I'd like to share with you a wall hanging where I have transferred a magazine image onto linen using gel medium. I made a wall hanging with Tracy Scott's striking floral stamps. As it's rather an Ascot and garden party time of year here in the UK, I thought a boldly decorated hat was called for, although this lady makes me think rather more of a mad painter wearing an artist's smock, venturing out of her studio onto the lawn on a hot day for some alfresco painting. I think she has a glass of something refreshing and alcoholic by her side, which she absent-mindedly dips her brushes in from time to time. Anyone want to claim her?! 

I have lovely Lesley Ebdon to thank for helping me eventually get the hang of image transfer using gel medium, having failed at so many image transfer techniques in the past. I do like a distressed look but when you lose an eye or a whole foot when doing a transfer, it gets a bit soul destroying after a while! This was the stunning post Lesley did for PaperArtsy where she showed the technique off to great effect.

I roughly drew around the torn upside down image first with a pencil, so I could fill in the area with gesso, and once it was completely dry, smeared the image with my gel medium (I used Liquitex) and smoothed it down thoroughly. I left this overnight.

I spritzed it with water and it was very easy then to rub away the paper pulp and reveal my image.

Now to the hat, and Tracy's stamps! I stamped a selection onto the shiny side of some translucent shrink plastic, with various shades of StazOn ink, and then added some colour on the reverse with alcohol pens and cut out. 

I used flowers from Eclectica Tracy Scott 06

Eclectica Tracy Scott 07 

and Eclectica Tracy Scott 08

In fact I made rather a lot! I cut a frilly bit from around one of the flowers to make a trailing scarf, and twisted it as I heated it. I curled some of the flowers up whilst they were still warm so they would sit neatly against the curve of the hat brim. You can see the hat here, which was from a pack of Easter bonnets, which I cut in half and gesso'ed.

In this photo you can see her face, from underneath the brim of her hat. She is not going to get sun burned! I wrapped the linen around a couple of chopsticks and secured with more gel medium. To finish off, I emphasized a few of the lines with a little pencil and added Fresco Finish Gloss Glaze to her shoes.

This was great fun to do, and I found myself doing a number of transfers as it is so addictive, so I can report back that it works with both Liquitex and Golden Gel Medium, and with a huge range of magazines and clothing catalogues. I liked knowing that it was going to work, and wasn't going to ruin the substrate, as you could confidently transfer directly on to a ready made item such as a canvas tote bag, as a unique starting point for a mixed medium project. I hope you will enjoy browsing the 'Sundays' this weekend with a new purpose!

Blog: Lucy's True Colours
Twitter: @CraftyLuce

To join our challenge and win a new Zinski apron:

Simply make something arty relevant to the topic, and link your creation from any social URL (eg. Instagram, Pinterest, Blog Post etc) sharing your original make to this challenge page.

The current topic link Topic 12: Transfers will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, 22nd July 2018, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

NB you have 3 weeks for this challenge due to New Products being announced

All links go in the draw to win a PaperArtsy creative apron. Please make sure we can contact you as a prize winner - it helps if you share your contact info from the platform you opt to use.

Good Luck! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!