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Ok, I bought the polyshrink almost a year ago, tried it once, couldn't get it to do what I wanted. Ended up putting it away.
So I pulled it out a couple of days ago, and I still can't get it right.
I want to know how to use it without it curling up on itself and ruining my shrunken image. That is my main problem. I stamp on it, color it, trim it. Then I go to shrink it with my gun and it blows all over the place and eventually shrinks, but curls on itself, I try to keep it from doing that with tweezers but it ruins the image.
I also tried doing this in the toaster oven, but the same thing happens.
Just keep blowing it!! Keep the embossing gun on it and it will unfold!
I use Stazon, and color, cut it out and then use either my pamper chep cake tester or an dry embossing stylus to hold it down and just keep blowing on it... then I move whatever I'm holding it over and make sure I get the other side. If it shrinks onto itself..... keep blowing on it (with the embossing gun of course) and then when it is all shrunk, and still hot, roll it back out flat. Make sense?
I always put my cut pieces in a box lid with high sides. The pieces blow around the box as they are shrinking and always curl ont themselves but I just keep the heat gun on them until they uncurl. Eventually the plastic gets thick enough that it can't curl.
I love polyshrink. If you've punched a hole in it, then it's easier to keep track of. I always use a skewer to hold it in place and it curls up great and then unfolds. I've used Stazon and Classic as well as fabrico markers.
Please try again and I'm sure you'll grow to love it as well! There is so much you can do with it!
I, too, use a small, high sided box to heat the poly shrink....I have found that it is best to start out by keeping the heat gun well away from the object being shrunk when you first start (and if your gun has a low speed, use it...the higher flow of air shoots those little buggers right out of the box!) I gently "wand" the heat over the poly shrink, about 10" away, for maybe 20 - 30 seconds. As the piece starts to shrink and curl, resist the urge to mess with it!!! Keep up the gentle heat until object has shrunk completely and is mostly flat. At this point, I grab a stamp and press the wood end (not the rubber!) right over the warm shrink art and press firmly for a few seconds. This leaves the piece perfectly flat and undamaged by forceps or chop sticks.
I happened upon an interesting product that has really helped get consistently good shrink art . It is a product called Release Paper, by Embossing Arts Co. It comes in a package of 4 sheets that measure 4" X 5" each....they are small by most paper standards, but the box I use for my shrink art is 4"X4", so the paper can be cut down to fit the bottom of the box exactly. What I have discovered is that the polyshrink doesn't grab the cardboard anymore, it now floats on the release paper as I apply the heat. This Release Paper is not a new product, I purchased mine in the discout bin at a local stamp store for $1. I suspect that any of the release products made to use with hot glue guns would work the same way.
Poly shrink is not the most user friendly product out there, but when you screw up your courage and accept the fact that not every piece will be a keeper, it can be quite fun to use
hmm i warm up my toaster oven to 350, then pop it in on a brown paper bag and it curls and shrinks and unshrinks and uncurls ...i dont touch it until it comes out then if its not completly flat, i smoosh it with my thumb between the counter and the paper bag (it hurts cuz its hot...lol) but it works...suppose you could do this with a block of wood too...hmm....
I just dont take it out until it UNCURLS...(its not done yet...)
Alaska: I did the VERY same thing... only I put my polyshrink away for years!
Then, while in a stamp store several months ago, the owner showed me how she 'shrunk plastic'... as it started to curl I exclaimed that it was ruined. She straightened me out quick enough. I thought the curl was a problem and would immediately stop heating - but you gotta keep the heat up until it flattens out - pretty much by itself.
I remembered from doing Shrinky Dinks when I was a kid that they curl first and then flatten out! Otherwise I would have worried too!
I usually have a hole punched in mine and I use a wooden skewer or toothpick to hold it in place (in the hole I punched) and then use the wood block part of a stamp to flatten it down while it's still hot.
When using a heat gun, try holding a popsicle stick or wooden stick between the ends that tend to curl. When the plastic hits the wood - it won't stick and will flatten out when completely shrunk.
I also have a Shrinky Dink machine - yes, i know not Stampin' Up - but this is great for your own use. You can do 2 or more items at one time and actually let it go and work on somthing else. I purchased it at a local Hobby Store - but I'm sure toy stores still carry it also.
__________________ Wendy If I'm not stampin' - I hope I'm golfing!
If you want me to elaborate on the toaster oven, message me. At work and too lazy to type it all out. But they curl and then flatten, don't have to use the big oven and it is fast!
I use a heat gun, doesn't take as long as heating up the oven. I use a skewer to hold the item from blowing away and then I have a wooden block ready to flatten the plastic out, after it has finished curling and uncurling. It's usually fairly flat but I have the block ready just incase.
Kelli
I tried the heat gun but liked the oven better. I just set the timer and walked off until ready. My problem is what to color with? I tried the colored Sharpies but they smeared with the black Stazon. Can someone help? TIA.
I confess, I cook in mine still. I may be killing my family slowly but haven't though about it until recently. Whoops. Better get a new toaster oven. Darn, another toy for my scrappin room!!!!!!!! hehehe
Polyshrink...I can't work it!
