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I'm trying out the polyshrink, and I'm not sure what to use to color on it. First off, will the craft ink pads work, or do I need to use Stazon? Do the SU markers/watercolor pencils/etc. work? I've seen some posts that say to use Sharpies. Is it that these work better or that the others don't work at all? Help!
In most cases, I like to sand mine with the sanding cubes to enable the ink and colored pencils or pastels grip the surface optimally.
Stamp with Staz-On or Craft ink (there are also a few other brands that work, but if you're demoing it, you're limited to those!). Staz-On I just set aside as it dries so quickly. Craft, I usually heat-set, but take good care not to get too close or you will prematurely shrink it!!!!
Color in with: colored pencils, pastels, sharpies, or fabrico markers for best results and dependent upon desired outcome. Colors will intensify upon shrinking.
Make sure any wet mediums used (i.e. markers) are fully dry before shrinking or you could inadvertently smear during the shrinking process as it curls up on itself before flattening out. don't be alarmed, this is normal (the curling).
I usually use my heat gun to shrink, but when doing many pieces at one time, the oven is faster? I prefer the heat gun, because it's easier to quickly flatten it completely by squashing it with the wood mount of another stamp and sometimes, especially in the oven, they don't always completely flatten as much as I'd like.
HTH,
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I always use acrylic sealer on my polyshrinks after I shrink them. Too often I've had the color smear off ~ usually from other people's work that didn't seal them. But sealing them is an art form in itself. The little buggers tend to want to fly around when hit with the blast of air from the acrylic sealer. Use a stylist to hold them down when spraying.
You can also seal them with Clear EP, by pressing the face of the shrunken piece against a Versamark or Clear Embossing pad, then dipping into clear EP.
Or, coat them with Crystal Effects for a nice dimensional clear as glass seal.
OH, and I found that if I put them in a cardboard box when spraying, that also helps keep them from flying around and off the table!!! LOL!
I was surprised tho, when you said you had some unsealed that smeared on you? Makes me wonder what ink they used to do them in the first place . . . I haven't had any done with Staz-On smear on me at all . . . hmmmmm. I don't usually do them with the Craft ink, so I wonder if it actually does smear after shrinking??? If so, that's good to know!
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I wanted to see if the craft ink smeared, so I just went and TRIED to make one of the little things I tried with it smear. I couldn't get it to. But the one tiny spot I colored with an SU marker DID smear. But then, the markers don't use the craft ink. Just an FYI.
Three posts in and I'm already mis-stating what I mean. The StazOn has never smeared, the colors they've used have smeared. Last year someone took the time to do christmas cards with little snowmen. The color came off the scarf and hat but the snowman image did stay.
I have to say, I don't know that I would emboss them, because then you would have to heat them again and they could curl, but CE might work. Although, aren't your colors supposed to be set before using CE too?
Help! What do I use on polyshrink?!?
