Contact Paper Transparency Tutorial....

A couple of you asked yesterday how I made my wings for the botanical piece, so here is the technique. I am not sure where I first learned this method of making a transparency, but it was either from Somerset Studios magazine or Ms. Claudine Hellmuth's Collage Discovery Workshop book. Both highly recommended by the way:)

Supplies Needed:

• laser or toner print of image
• clear contact paper
• scissors
• spoon (or if you are fancy a bone folder:)
• bowl with warm water

Step 1 Choose an image that you would like to turn into a transparency. It works well with images that are not too dark. You must make sure that the copy you are using is NOT an ink jet copy, but a laser or toner copy. Ink jet copies do not work with this technique. Believe me, I learned the hard way:) I get mine copied at an office supply store.

Step 2 Cut out your image and cut a piece of transparent contact paper that is slightly bigger.
Step 3 Place the image face down on the sticky part of the contact paper. I then use a spoon ('cause I'm usually in the kitchen) to burnish the back of the image to assure it is completely adhered to the contact paper surface.

Step 4 Place image in a bowl of warm water until the paper is saturated. I leave it until the white paper turns grey.

Step 5 Remove from the water and begin to gently rub and roll the paper off the contact paper with your finger. This takes some time, but don't rush it or rub too hard because you can rub some of the ink off the transferred image. Sometimes once the image has dried there is a white residue visible. Just wet your finger and rub it away.

Step 6 Trim your image and use in your art project. You can glue it down, sew it, use eyelets anything you wish. I glued my wings down yesterday. Easy! You can also use packing tape to make transparencies, but you are limited by it's size. I like the contact paper because it can be sized to fit any image.