Hi everyone, Mou Saha here today on Day One of CK Summer Camp 2012! Let’s talk about coloring transparencies, a fun technique that adds instant pizazz to any scrapbooking layout or card project.
Sweet by Iris Uy, as seen in the Creating Keepsakes Mixed Media Scrapbooking bookazine, page 20.
To get the beautiful stained glass effect of the flowers on this layout, Iris Uy cut out clusters of flowers from a screen printed transparent overlay. She colored the flowers with Copic markers on the unprinted side of the overlay to keep the ink from smearing over the preprinted design.
If you can’t find a preprinted design that works for your project, you can easily create your own overlay design using clear transparencies that you can find at any office supply place. For example, I used a black ultrafine Sharpie to draw a simple vine design on an 8.5” x 11” laser transparency film from my local office store.
Next, I colored the flowers and vine using India ink-based big brush markers from Faber-Castell.
Then, I heat-set the India ink on the transparency by holding my heating tool at least 4 inches above the colored transparency for no longer than 30 seconds in one spot. (Note that these numbers might vary slightly depending on the type of transparency film you are using.) To save tools and time, you could use colored Sharpie or Copic markers instead of ink and totally skip the heat-setting step.
Once I finished coloring my transparency, I used it to embellish the card below.
I Love You by Mou Saha. Supplies: Cardstock and patterned paper: Die Cuts With a View; Transparency: Duralar; Pen and markers: Faber-Castell, DMC, and Sharpie; Thread: Guterman; Pinking scissors: Provo Craft; Adhesive: 3M
Today on Club CK, you’ll find a free printable coloring page for your scrapbooks. Try printing it on a transparency and coloring it using the techniques I’ve outlined here.
I hope you’ve enjoyed your first day at camp! Have fun designing and coloring your own overlays!
–Mou Saha, contributing writer
Giveaway:
Would you like to win a prize? Leave a comment here telling us if you’ve ever colored on a transparency. You could win this prize package sponsored by American Crafts, Clearsnap, Die Cuts with a View, EK Success, Elmer’s, Pebbles, Studio Calico, and Westcott. Comments must be received by Monday, July 30, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. Sorry, we cannot ship prizes internationally. If your entry is chosen and you live outside the United States, you will be offered a year subscription to Creating Keepsakes magazine instead of this prize.
For More Information:
Would you like more information about coloring and transparences? Check out these great links!
- Coloring Using Copic Markers
- 2 Tricks to Scrapbooking with Transparencies (video)
- Using Transparencies on Layouts
Congratulations to our winner!
Joan Tynda: I have never colored on transparencies until now. It was so fun and easy and it looks really cute! Thanks for the technique.
Watch for an email in your inbox with instructions on how to redeem your prize.
Yes, I have colored on transparencies before, but I never thought to create my own. What a great idea: using stamps and StazOn ink on transparencies, then coloring the other side. Awesome!
I have used transparencies that I have purchased before, but never one that I have colored or created myself. Thanks so much for the transparency download. I am anxious to print and color with my Copic markers and add to my Grandchildren’s scrapbook pages. Thanks so much for the inspiration!!
Nunca pintei em transparencia, mas achei ótimo a dica, obrigada!!
Beijos
No, I’ve never colored on a transparency, but it looks like fun!
I have not colored on transparencies since I was a kid and we still used them in school or in presentations!! I will have to try this for my cards and scrapbook pages. I really really like the look.
Yes I love creating transparancies with my stamps, stazon ink and my copic markers.
I love this idea… i have a pack of transparency paper that i bought for some reason (now forgotten) that i have been trying to figure out what to do with. love the idea of coloring on them!
I have coloured transparencies before. This episode brought the idea of using them again back into my thoughts. Thank you
I have never colored on transparencies, just printed sentiments. I think I will give it a try.
Karen L 1020 at gmail dot com
What a simple and useful idea. I have never colored on transparencies….going to my office supply store for this! Thanks.
I have never used transparencies. I have seen them, they look amazing.
This is such a clever tip!! I knew you could write on a transparency in the olden days using an overhead projector but did not think of it for this application!
That is a very cool technique that I will have to try, since you make it look so easy. Thank you for the lesson.
oohh this is such a great technique! Defnitely going to put it in “must try” list. tfs
No, I have not colored on transparencys. I would love to give it a try. You make it look easy. Thanks for the tips.
Yes I have colored on transparencies. I have so much fun it felt like I was a small kid again. Any time I color it brings back childhood memories of days spent coloring and creating my own master pieces. Any person can be an artist with your own imagination and any kind of material. Thanks for all the inspiration I always find on this website.
I haved used a transparency more as a journal area.
I made a page about our cats’ many nicknames.
I wrote the nicknames in the transparency circles and colored the names on background to make them stand out from the uncolored circles.
CK rocks!
I’ve never colored on a transparency (I don’t have the appropriate ink) but something that I’ve done before that works well is I stamp on the transparency (I have one black ink pad with Staz-On ink) and then repeat the stamp on plain cardstock. Then, I color the cardstock, and layer the transparency over the colored image…
I must give this a try! It looks fabulous!
Fun fun fun! I can’t wait to give this a try!~
Amazing idea!! I love IT!
Brilliant idea! I honestly can’t think of a time I have, but I want to now!
I have used preprinted transparencies, but have never colored them. Gah!!….i am definitely going to be pulling trying this! I love the effect, and I already have the colored Sharpies.
Never colored transparencies,but have uwsed pre-printed ones. Going to have to try this idea. Thanks for sharing something new for me.
I love using transparencies. I have painted on them, but have not used ink on them. I love this idea. I also love the idea of sewing the transparencies to cardstock. I usually use a brad or an eyelet so this tip gives me another option. Thanks!!
I like to print on transparencies with my color printer. Great way to use some of the free clip art on the internet without having to fussy cut (I hate fussy cutting!)
Have colored on transparency but on on small items for cards.
i just love your transpancies, what a wonderful idea.
I have never colored on a transparency, and rarely use them in layouts, but would love
to try!
I’ve only done this on Shrinky-Dinks years and years ago, but it looks great on these cards and layouts!
I’m a teacher so I had traced coloring book pages onto transparencies. Then I had my students color them in with sharpie markers. But that was years ago.
I have coloured on a transparency before. I used it one one occasion to make a mermaid’s fin and tail, then heated them slightly until they curled a bit.
No, I have never colored on transparencies, but I have printed words on them.
I have used transparencies in my classroom, but never colored on one for my scrapbooks.
I have never used a transparency before but I love the look. A must try!
I haven’t seen this technique before – how fun!
Just tried this technique this weekend and have posted a 2 page lo to gallery.
I never did until I say this. I think I am hooked. Thanks.
I have not had much luck with transparencies so far. I have tried to print on them but ink jet ink just smears off. I will try printing out what I want in black line and then tracing over it. I hope that works better. How do you suggest that transparencies are best adhered to a project?
I have colored and printed onto transparencies before and the results have been awesome.
Your LO is so sweet. I have done a little colouring on a transparency and even some shrink plastic. The type of medium certainly makes a difference.
Thanks for sharing the easy to follow tutorial.
Most definitely! I love coloring and stamping on transparencies.
I am hoping the 9 am deadline was a type-o and it was suppose to 9 pm, since this was a Monday class.
I have used transparencies but I have not colored on them. I have a sharpie collection so I will be doing this soon.
Thanks for the ideas!
I’ve stamped with Stazon on transparencies and I’ve heat embossed on heat-embossable transparencies. I love them!
I’ve colored on transparencies using colored pencils but will be trying some of the other ideas.