Curling card edges

[Rachelrose]

This happens to me once in a while, and just happened yesterday, so I though would post to see it there's a fix.

I sometimes do a mixed media card where the BG just doesn't lie flat, usually it's something painted on WC paper, or something painted on a thin substrate like tissue or kraft wrapping paper that I've gel medium-ed down to cardstock so I can more easily diecut it into a card front. It ends up not lying completely flat, and so when I mount it on the card, it makes the card curl or warp slightly.


Anything that can be done? Either to this card or for the future? I can set it under some heavy books, but my guess it will revert after a while when I take it out. Or maybe not. Maybe wet the back or something? I know the fix for a painted tag that has curled is to put gesso on the back and it flattens. But don't know about this situation. Adding gesso to the back of the BG seems like it would add too much more thickness for a cardfront. Maybe I should have used a non-watery glue, like Yes! to begin with.


Thanks for any thoughts on this.

[Mrs Noofy]

Would a light press with a warm iron help? I do this if my watercolours get 'bumpy'. Might work just as long as the iron isn't too hot and there isn't anything that could be melted.

[maryalena]

I don’t know if this helps but if it’s just one layer like something I have watercolored I run it through my Big Shot several times, just the card front, no dies. I put a price of typing paper over the front of the piece so it doesn’t pick up the mars in my cutting plate or I use a fresh cutting plate. For more pressure you can add a metal plate.

[Rachelrose]

Both of these ideas will be filed in my brain to try next time I have a warped cardfront before I go any further with it, but neither can be done to the card I just made. I'm going to weight this card down with some books for a week or so and see if it helps, but I think it's just going to be a card with the front opening edge slightly curled forward. Probably the recipient won't care.

[maryalena]

I’ve steamed a few pieces over a teakettle and then put them under some weights. The gesso is a good idea. Didn’t know about that.

[Illinois Marge]

I've done both the stack of books thing, and the iron thing, and they work reasonably well. I've also lightly spritzed the back of a piece (before gluing) -- and then the book or iron.

[Rachelrose]

Yes, if I gesso or paint the front of even a heavy tag, I have to gesso the back or it curves and won't lie flat. Something about the water in the paint or gesso. No different than doing a Distress BG - if it curls you spray water on the back and it un-curves.

[maryalena]

I’ve done the curling and uncurling thing with water and then tried to get my craft gun to save me when I’ve gone too far.


Today Yana Smakula on Simon Says Stamp talked about flattening watercolor paper in her die cut machine but she uses the embossing setting. Maybe she feels the regular setting is too much pressure. I’ve noticed that running mine through on a regular setting even helps flatten out those indented inside edges that you get when you use an open stitched die on WC paper. Flattening stuff out is an ongoing challenge and I’m impatient about cutting stuff bigger, taping it to prevent warping, waiting on drying, and then cutting to size. I like those creative after the fact fixes.

[blueheron]

When I have curling problems with cardstock or watercolor paper, I apply heat to the back side of the piece with my heat gun. It seems to make it uncurl. You don't want to get it TOO hot or keep it in one place for too long. But a quick blast seems to do the trick for me.

[bjeans]

This may not apply - my morning brain may not be fully engaged - but besides the excellent suggestions above for after the fact, do you tape down the edges until dry? I use yellow "sensitive" Frog Tape. But I may not be using as much water/as many mediums as you do.

It means making the background piece a little bigger than you need and cutting it down after tape removal, or leaving the un-medium'ed strip that's under the tape as a frame.

When I haven't used tape, I've applied a little water to the back or have run it through my die cutting machine as if embossing, like others have mentioned.

[Rachelrose]

This particular BG I weighted down until it was dry, then diecut. A Kraft paper Gelli print on a cardstock base, adhered with soft matte gel medium and weighted until dry. Still, it curled up slightly. I briefly considered using YES glue instead and I bet it would have worked out better because of it's lack of moisture.

[TexasGrammy]

I have long-kept a small iron in my stampy zone. It's definitely a quick & efficient way to totally flatten card stock or watercolor paper that has curled, warped, etc. due to wetness fro a myriad of techniques. I simply fold a small towel as a protection cushion atop my countertop or table, and iron the back side of any watercolored, spritzed, washed item (no steam). If necessary, I'll turn it over & press the front, but by then any color is fully set.

Check out that retired/replaced iron in the back of your laundry room area, or even check garage sales or Good Will-type stores for a no-frills low-dollar iron ... and keep it exclusively in your crafty tools. If you enjoy occasional or frequent wet techniques ... you'll thank yourself. ;)

[Rachelrose]

The thing is, I have a nice little craft iron. Duh.

Classic case of coulda-woulda-shoulda.

[maryalena]

The thing is I just sent my little craft iron to Goodwill because I didn’t know what I was supposed to be using it for. Duh and duh.

[bjeans]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rachelrose

The thing is, I have a nice little craft iron. Duh.

Classic case of coulda-woulda-shoulda.

I'd rather do anything than iron, even vacuum, so no longer own one, so am sticking to tape (no pun intended) and other solutions that were mentioned.

[Rachelrose]

I use mine all the time. To make ribbon pleats, iron seam binding before I make bows, iron clear embossing powder off when I do batik BGs. I just do it on my craft mat. So it's not like I don't use it so I've forgotten I own it.

I have often said it - if I could have a studio assistant, I would not use her to clean up after me. I would use her to glue my projects together. So many hours of work can be rendered useless in the glueing stage of a project. There is nothing worse than finally getting something looking absolutely right and then ruining it in the final ten minutes of its fabrication. Argh!

[bjeans]

Your projects sound complex and challenging. My hat's off to you, and you deserve a glue guru.

I have a ribbon iron that's like a flat iron for hair and would use it, but don't often use ribbon and have avoided it if wrinkly, and would avoid techniques or materials that need ironing. But laminating is wonderful.