In a digital age where everything is stored in a virtual world of phones, tablets, laptops (you get the point), I challenged myself to see my work come alive. Rather than relying on Facebook or Instagram’s user-friendliness, I’m challenging myself to print my work, and photos to see them daily and to remind myself of the beauty that I was blessed enough to see. Whether it’s fond family memories or great once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, I want to find new ways to appreciate them other than frame them. So now I’m welcoming a new series to the blog, I’m so cunningly calling “Print-your-photo-prints.” Its a la Martha Stewart meets Anthropologie meets Serafin Love.
One of my recent finds is this nifty tool (yes, I just said ‘nifty’) called the blender pen. I’d say that this is magical because it can instantly transfer a paper image onto almost any kind of surface. In less than a few minutes, your image can be on anywhere from a wood block to your daily planner or anything else your heart desires.
I’ve had a few film proofs lying around the office for a while. I don’t have enough wall space to hang them up, or am a little to uninspired to reconfigure my wall real estate. I pulled some of my favorites from a little memory box I keep to store proofs and non-client images. After sorting out the selected photos, I took a few to Kinko’s and made copies due to my toner less printer. For this kind of project, it is ABSOLUTELY imperative to photocopy your images and/or directly print them from a photocopier that uses toner. Laser inkjet printers won’t cut it. [I had to find this note out the hard way].
For this crafty project you’ll need:
- Digital images ready to print from a toner printer or
- Photocopies of your images (from the office or Kinko’s)
- A blender pen (can be found here or at your nearest art supply store)
- Scissors
- A transferable surface of your choice (maybe nothing with metal) Can be a notebook, planner, wood block, book, etc.
- Garnishes like flowers or ribbons (optional) you know, to make the workspace pretty or to gift away
Now, I must say this in advance, I’m not craft guru nor pretend to be a super genius when it comes to DIY projects, but I love to work with my hands. The result may come out a little rustic and definitely not commercially perfect, but I think that’s the point. Also, the pen may release an unpleasant-paint-like stench, so do it in a space where the smell may not bother others. Feel free to let me know what your results are…
I realized that working on wood blocks might prove to be a bit cumbersome, so here are some tips:
- Make sure to hold your image steady on the transferable device.
- When turning the image down, completely saturate the area that you wish to transfer. Maybe even use the blend twice.
- Let it dry and be patient (no peeking beforehand!)
- If you feel it didn’t transfer 100% as well as you envisioned, feel free to repeat exactly from where you started!
Onto what did you transfer your photo?
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