Jill Meyer, artist and rubber stamp designer is Stamper's Quest featured guest artist for October, and we couldn't be more excited!   The techniques and media Jill work with include rubber stamps, paper sculpture, calligraphy, water color and trompe'loie. She holds degrees in art and eduction, and for the past 20 years her artwork and articles have appeared in national craft books and magazines. Hampton Arts carries a rubber stamp line designed by Jill featuring collage designs of days gone by.   Jill is inspired by images of yesteryear, creating a unique style of elegance and romantic opulence.

In this article, Jill shares a transfer technique using a top secret ingredient. The beautiful artwork by Jill in this article features the special transfer technique she developed.

Nostalgia Stamp by Jill Meyer for Hampton Arts

Magical Transfer Potion
by
Jill Meyer
www.jillmeyer.com

Make Inkjet or rubber-stamped Transfers, Perfect Dry Embossing  with machines, and......(drum roll pleeze) Stamp Cleaning all in one!

Finally stampers and scrappers have a method to transfer inkjet or stamped images that is not solvent based, so there are no fumes or dangerous chemicals to breathe.  It is safe, and easy to use. You can also use it to soften your paper before you dry emboss in any of the embossing and die cutting machines, which will give you excellent results every time you emboss. Beyond all of this it is fun, fun, fun! 

There is absolutely no need to purchase any product that is intended to make inkjet transfers, and help with preparing paper for dry embossing.  You can transfer a stamped or inkjet printed image and create a dreamy watercolor effect.  Hard lines are softened into a timeworn vintage artistic look.

Pears Stamp by Jill Meyer for Hampton Arts

Here are the directions to the simple transfer process.  Making these transfers is really addicting, but only in the very best sense! 

1. Print out image on an ink-jet printer. A black print works the best, but color also works well. For a more intense color transfer, heighten the color of the image before printing. If you want to transfer words or numbers, they will have to be manipulated so that they print out in mirror image. When they are transferred they will then read correctly. You may also create a stamped image, using almost any dye based inkpad, to use for transfers. Some experimentation may be necessary to find the inkpads which will give the very best results. Use regular printer/copy paper for the printout or stamped master.
2. This technique will transfer successfully to most types of porous paper and to some types of unfinished wood and dry clay. It will even transfer to a wall which has been painted with latex paint, or a canvas which has a coat of flat paint or gesso. It will even transfer to paper which has been marbled or brayered. It is best to make a test piece for each substrate that is used. When the substrate is chosen, place it on a clean firm surface. You may want to tape it in place if accuracy is necessary.
3. Position the right side of the inkjet printout master (face down) onto the substrate. For a small size piece holding the printout firmly is sufficient. For a larger piece it may be necessary to tape a few edges with masking tape.
4. Spray the back of the master with the" Magical Transfer Potion." Wet the back of the print generously and evenly with the fluid. Make sure that all areas have been well covered, but do not soak the paper. When you can see the image through the back of the paper, the paper is wet enough. With a rubber brayer roll over the entire back of the print out firmly with even pressure on all areas.
5. After firmly brayering all areas of the back of the print, lift up one corner of the print, and gently pull it away from the substrate. You will need to pull the print up and away only a few inches to see if the image has transfer satisfactorily. If it has not transferred to your liking, lay the corner back down onto the substrate, and add a bit more fluid to the back of the master. Brayer any areas which have not transferred until they are satisfactory.
6. When the transfer is complete, pull up the master and discard it, or set it aside to use it for another transfer.
7. If necessary, gently dab dry any wet areas on the new transfer with a paper towel, or a clean cotton ball, and allow the transfer to completely air-dry. When the transfer is completely dry, add color.
8. If you want another transfer of the same image, repeat steps #3 through #8. It is often possible to make several transfers from the same master. Each generation of transfer will be lighter than the previous.

Bonus use: Pressure Embossing - Spray "Magical Transfer Potion" on your paper before dry embossing in your embossing die-cut machine.  The fluid will deepen your image like magic!  If you want you paper to be tinted, you can add a few drops of re-inker.  Spray the paper on both sides before embossing.  Dry flat. Voila!

By the Sea by Jill Meyer
Transfer an Old Photo

A few Transfer Tips and Tricks:

I think you will have fun with the "Magical Potion."

• It works beautifully with color or black inkjet printouts.
• Transfer the fluid into a small (2 oz.) spray bottle that you can use to cover the back of your print with fluid quickly and easily.
• Experiment on different papers while you are getting the feel for it.  It does need a porous surface as a substrate. 
• Matte cardstock, Kraft paper, smooth watercolor paper all give great, but very different looking results. Textured papers can yield very interesting results as well.
• Printouts of b/w photographs are dynamite when transferred.
• If you want color transfers to be more bold than pastel, simply heighten the color of the printout master a little. 
• You will be able to get several generations of transfers from one master, so if the first one is too defined, the second will have less definition, and each will be successively less defined, and lighter.
• Lay the master on the substrate and hold or tape both so that there is no movement while you transfer (start with small transfers until you see how it works) and then spray. As you work with it, you will quickly get the idea of how to achieve the effect you want.
• You will never know exactly what you will get, which is part of the magic of working with it, but you do gain a certain "intuition" about it after making only a few transfers. 

Now, beautiful images can be easily and quickly transferred onto cards, journals, books, canvas, tags art, dolls and a myriad of other paper art projects.The magical potion is something that you already have on your shelf, and you use it on a regular basis.  It is called Rubber Stamp Cleaner! Almost any water-based stamp cleaner will work. Now you can enjoy using it for all of these new magical artistic techniques.

Pensive by Jill Meyer
Black & White Drawing Transfer
Colored with Watercolor & Chalks After the Transfer

Postage Stamp Collage Stamp by Jill Meyer for Hamption Arts

Sisters Stamp by Jill Meyer for Hampton Arts

Try Jill's technique and share your work with us!