stamping on tiles --
 

hey everyone!

i've stamped on tiles using stazon, but i'm wondering what would you suggest to use to color an image in on a tile?

also -- i've never done anything to seal a tile --- do i need to? i've heard people talk about heat setting -- how do i do this?

thanks for your help! :)

I've colored on them with pastels, but they need to be thoroughly sealed. We used a spray sealer, like Krylon, in a matte finish. I've never tried any other coloring medium, so I'm interested to hear from others, too.

I've stamped the tiles with Staz-On inks and then colored with more Staz-on. I found it easiest to buy the re-inkers and squeeze a drop of the ink onto an ice cream pail lid, pick up the color with a Q-tip, and color away. When doing this technique you need to be careful not to go over the inked design too much, because it will smudge if you do. It isn't near as tedious as it sounds and does produce very nice tiles. You can even mix colors together to create new colors.

Recently the makers of Staz-On created a product that allows you to seal the Staz-On ink and then add other colors of Staz-On over the top. I haven't been able to find this product locally so I have no experience with it. I don't want to seal my tiles, since usually they are being used as coasters and I want them to absorb condensation, which would not be possible if they were sealed. I would, however, like to be able to add color without fear of the smudgies.

Please come back and share your experiences with us. I love making the tiles and wish someone would come up with products that worked well for stampers.

I made several sets of stamped tile coasters for a craft show a couple of years ago.

I used tiles I found at Lowes that were "tumbled", kind of rough, not the shiny ceramic tiles. I used black Stazon ink. I found it to be a tricky process and the stamps tended to slip on the tile easily when I stamped.

I did find that if I goofed up, which I did several times, I could quickly "erase" the ink with rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and start over.

When they were thoroughly dry I colored them carefully with Sharpies and Bic markers. I did not bake or seal them. They have held up pretty well.

Here is a picture from my gallery. I decided to use images that didn't require too much coloring as I found it pretty tedious to do for a bunch of sets of the coasters.

Craft fair items by buggainok - Cards and Paper Crafts at Splitcoaststampers

Here's a good video tutorial by GinaK showing tiles stamped with Stazon and colored with Stazon inks:

Tile Coasters - stampTV

thanks buggainok and annie* ---

i've used the sealer that meyeore talked about -- but on small magnets. i had the same thought - i want them to be coasters and absorbent, so didn't want to seal with a chemical.

that's a great tip about the re-inkers, hadn't thought of that. i did think about the sharpies, but was afraid they would smear or run ---

i also use the tumbled tiles from lowes -- i like the look. i've never done anything with the ones i've done before -- and i've given them as gifts. my sister's look great after a few years. but, i've on;y just stamped the image and not added any color - that's what had me curious.

thanks for the video link -- i'll check it out.

thanks for the help ---

anymore ideas??? keep posting ;)

I'm trying this for the first time - with gusto!! But here's a problem I've encountered:I bought a box of tumbled marble tiles from Lowe's. I rinsed them off, wiped them, and then let them sit in the dish drainer overnight.

Today, I stamped a cute little 'teacher/school' themed collage onto one tile...I used a combination of Staz-on (for all the outlines) and then CAREFULLY colored in with Copics, being sure I didn't get onto the outlined image.

For one image, I used Staz-on "Blazing Red"... and this is where I've seen a problem...

I let the entire tile sit for a while. Then, following the directions I saw on a YouTube video recently, I baked the tile in a 300-degree oven for 30 minutes. I opened the oven door and let the tile cool inside the oven.

I wanted to be sure it would all work - my main concern was with the Copics...would they hold? I placed a glass-glass of ice water on the 'coaster' and let it sweat...the only thing that 'ran' was the Staz-on Red!!!! It was a pretty healthy image ('thick' letter images)...but I'm sooooooo disappointed. I was sure that if anything might not work, it would be the combination of the Copics w/ the Staz-on -- those images stayed clean and crisp (beautiful!), but the letters I stamped with the Red ink ran away from the image and have stained a small area just above it...

I am not sure what to make of this!? I just finished 'baking' several more tiles, some of them colored with Copics, others are a single Staz-on color...anxious to see how they hold up...

But this one issue has me concerned - and disappointed that it might not work -- and I've 'wasted' a tile!! Ugh.

Any suggestions?? Have any of you heard of (or tried) baking the tiles? Here's the link:
Something Else: Stamped Tile Coasters - YouTube

Really REALLY want to get this right..these will make such great gifts!! I'm doing a bunch of "singles" for that office party, Secret Santa, etc...hoping these will find a niche!

Thanks for your input!

I have only used Staz-On (black and colors) when stamping on tumbled tiles. I followed GinaK's video and never had a problem with the ink running. I've never sealed or baked. I wonder if an ingredient in the red ink reacted to the baking.

I've made & sold a few of these, too. I have one that I have used almost everyday for about 2 years. I also stamped with black stazon and "smudged" around the edges with a sponge & sharpie. I did not bake or seal mine. It has faded slightly, but almost looks as good as when I first made it. I used a few different colors, however, never a red. I also have used it for sweaty glasses. All I do to clean off the coffee/tea stains is wipe it with a slightly soapy dish cloth. Mine were also the tumbled tiles from Lowe's.

Lisa and Cookie...it appears that large areas of RED is a problem...but not just the Staz-on but a red Copic, too.

I repeated the process, but this time opted to LIGHTLY coat each tile with a very thin tile sealant...got to a tile that I'd stamped with a Timber Brown ink, then colored in with the red Copic. The second I swiped the sealant over it, the red seeped onto the tile, outside the image. Thing is, I used that marker on a couple other SMALL areas and there been no problems....I thing LARGE areas with red are gonna be problematic, and therefore likely a no-no.

Either of you ever used hairspray as a fixative? I tried some on the first tile I goofed up...not sure if it helped, or makes any difference.

How did you price a single coaster? I do plan on making sets of 4, either matching or coordinating, but think singles will make a great little gift...but wonder how you've priced them....I am planning to make gift boxes per Gina K's design - the ones she made for the tiles and coffee beans...

Thanks again for chiming in...I will post again if I find a solution to the RED issue.

When I made tiles with Stazon, I let it dry overnight, than color in with either Bic Mark-Its or Sharpies or color Stazon, one color at a time and allowing to dry 24 hours, than move on to another color. Yes, it does take more time but if you are making more than one, do it assembly line fashion. Remember to let dry so your different colors don't blend it with each other. I don't seal or bake and mine have still like brand new.

Here is a link to the ones that I did:

Tile Coaster 2009 #1 by craftymomto2 - Cards and Paper Crafts at Splitcoaststampers

Beautiful work, Mary! Thanks for the tips...I've had better luck, but am not using the RED in such loud quantity...the stamp pad is really REALLY juicy, so maybe its just too much to start with? I did start using Sharpies to color in (ULTRA fine tip) and it seems to be working quite well.

I'll send some photos your way once I get my lightbox figured out and ready.

THANK YOU!

Thanks! :)

Mary...I just noticed you are in KC! I grew up in Blue Springs, and my folks still live there! Small world!!!

My bil and sil lived there for a couple of years and I have a niece and her family that live there, it is a very nice place, Blue Springs! Yes, it does seem that the world is alot small than we think! :)

I made coasters last year for Christmas with the ceramic tiles (too expensive for the tumbled tiles up here in Canada). I used black Stazon, then I painted them in with alcohol inks. I had to be careful not to go over the stazon since it would dissolve the ink. Once they were finished I used outdoor formula Mod Podge to seal them. The outdoor mod podge is water resistant, so it won't ruin the work on the tile and you can clean them off with a damp cloth.

Does the mod-podge affect the absorbancy? That's my concern...is making sure any sealant doesn't cause the tile to let the water drip off onto the desk/tabletop.

THANK YOU!!

Its water resistant so it won't let water soak into the tile. Its the only alternative I had when making them. Its not the perfect solution, but at least the image isn't ruined.

subbing - have some coasters and need all this help!

Oddly, the coaster I did yesterday has held!! I did try to not 'smoosh' the image onto the RED Staz-On...(its pretty juicy) and it has done fine. I did give it a light spritz with aerosol hairspray (for whatever that was worth), and when i checked it this afternoon, rubbing it vigorously under running water, it has done fine!! I'm stumped about what may have caused the first issue...but at least this one is good. Still, I'm going to re-think the use of that particular image again...I'll keep trying.

I do wonder about someone's post about using other inks, then baking them??? Anyone done this? CRITICAL the absorbency of the tile...coating it with lots of sealant seems, to me, to really defeat the purpose of the tile/coaster to start with....right?? So, if the inks cannot be baked in, but will only stay-put with a generous coat of goo, then lose the purposefulness of the coaster...what else is there besides Staz-On??

Thanks, girls!
-Kim in IN

Yes, Kim, I agree that sealing the tiles/coasters defeats the purpose of them. So far, my coasters have all 'held up' with only being stamped in Staz-On.

I sold stamped coasters for a while.

Tumbled Tiles.
Images stamped with Staz On - avoid Red.
Colored with sharpies
OR
Colored with colored pencil (AFTER heat setting)

Put them on baking sheet in a cold oven
Heat to 300, and bake for a half hour.
Allow to cool overnight.

Spray seal with Krylon.


When I first started this venture, I did 1 tile with the same stamp, and different coloring mediums. Then used and abused the tile for a month.
The only two coloring mediums that held were sharpies and colored pencil.
Fast forward a year, and my sharpie colored tiles bleed a little.
(Different mediums - twinkling H2Os, colored pencil, sharpies, chalk.... I'm sure there were a few more)

I stick with Staz On ink (except red) and colored pencils.

Alison....yes, the red does seem to be problematic...but it sort of 'skips' a generation! I'll do one = BAD. Do another = pretty good. Next = BAD. etc etc etc....frustrating to say the least. and the Krylon doesn't affect the absorbency?? That's a concern to me..

Also, you used 'regular' colored pencils THEN baked? Or baked first THEN colored? Or do you use Stampin' Up! watercolor pencils...

I like using the Sharpies...seems to be holding very well. As do most of the Copics I've used....its just that darn Red Staz-on. Cra**y stuff.

-Kim

I had to think about this because I live in chilly Canada. We're more concerned with hot drinks ruining our tables so they don't have condensation on them. :)

Cat, that makes PERFECT sense of course!!! I RARELY have a hot drink...menopause, you know !!!

back again ---

so has anyone had any trouble with the ink spreading? i made a set of coasters - 4, with a SU wheel of holly. it looked fine, until a few minutes later and the green kinda all blobbed together???? i used staz -on.

these are definitely finicky ---

Hi Diane,
Can you give a few more details about your question? Did you stamp the design with colored green Staz-on and then later it "blobbed"? Did you stamp with black and then color in the green? What was the process you used and what kind of stamp were you using? What kind of tile were you stamping on? Any details you can give may help us all to be able to figure out what went wrong on your tiles.

hey annie --

i stamped on a tumbled tile with green stazon. i used a wheel stamp from SU. the color blobbed as it was drying.

does that help???? :)

I have made dozens of coasters and tile magnets and even a few large tiles as candle bases. I make sure to start with a tumbled or unglazed tile. I don't use Stazon or solvent based inks. The best results I got were from Brillance and Versacolor pigment inks. I heat set between stamped images with my heat tool until the ink goes from shiny to matte. (I do this on game pieces as well). A coat of workable fixative and a simple coat of krylon Kumar Varnish sets the colors off. I've had no trouble with the inks running with either a cold glass. There IS a product in the home improvement department that is to seal counter top tiles and such. It seeps into the tile and seals it without making it shiny. The pigment inks are fairly stable. I will color with Prismacolor pencils.

Polyshrink film always works best with colored pencils (wax and pigment inks). If you want to use alcohol inks, don't over stamp with Stazon, try Ranger's Archival black instead (comes in a white pad) - you can heat set it, but it won't react to the solvent inks and you can also cover it with Glossy Accents without your image blurring. That combo came straight from Tim Holtz himself.

AnnaBanana, your technique sounds very interesting and is quite different from what I do.
I think it is important to use a tumbled tile that is unglazed, clean and dry. I use Staz-on to stamp and to color images. I am very careful to color only after the original stamping is dry. I often wait awhile and use my heat gun to try to be sure the stamped image is good and dry. I then use Q-tips to carefully color with Staz-on reinkers, trying to avoid going over the stamped lines. It is best to fill in areas like you would color in a color book. I also heat set in the oven when I am done, but I don't use any type of sealer. It is sort of a fussy process and you might find more success with Anna's techniques. If your tiles are dry and unglazed, I am not sure what would cause ink to blob as it is drying. Maybe someone else has some additional ideas as to what would cause this to happen.

hi anna --

thanks for the tips!

i've stamped many sets and haven't had any difficulties - in general, so it could very well be the ink or something -- not sure. i don't use any sealant. i usually sell these at craft shows and such, and people are looking for absorbent tiles -- and that isn't a good possibility with a seal.

annie -- i'm doing mine much like you do yours - i don't heat set, and i've had no trouble before. hard to tell what the deal is with these. i "wasted" a bunch of tiles - trying to get it to work -- maybe it's the ink, a fluke idk. i've done a bunch of coasters and trivets and magnets. sometimes they work great, and sometimes i get the result like i just posted. maybe there isn't an answer ;) hehe ---

thanks for the help ---

For coasters, I use StazOn to stamp the image and then color in with chalks. I do not heat set, but I use 3 coats (drying between each) of sealant. I've tried several sealants and most work pretty well for me. My mom still has some coasters I made several years ago that have glasses sweating on them every Christmas season and they still look very new. I have many coasters that I've purchased from retailers where the sweat beads up on the coasters, so it doesn't bother me if my coasters don't absorb the sweat. Also, if you're using StazOn and your image doesn't turn out exactly the way you want it, you can use rubbing alcohol and a rag to wipe off the ink and start over (before sealing them, of course). I have saved myself a lot of money by restampingi tiles until I get them exactly the way I want them!

I have found that certain StazOn inks seem to work better than others for me, and usually use Jet Black or Timber Brown to stamp my images. When I stamp tiles for decoration (such as tiles that are displayed on stands or for magnets), I use SU craft ink and UTEE and then put them in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes (or until the powder starts to melt). That works really well for me, but I wouldn't use that method if I planned to put hot or cold items on them.

Stamped Tiles
 

I have found that heating the tiles right after stamping eliminates the need for heat setting in the oven. I heat the tiles with my embossing tool until they are very warm on the underside (I hold them in my hand when I am heating them) and then set them aside to cool. You can color with a permanent marker and then heat them again. When completly cooled, I spray them with a matte finish from Krylon. Before I did this, I had problems with the stazOn washing right off the coaster when it got wet. Here are a couple my neighbor and I made yesterday.

I stamp mine with Stazon and I color them in with my Bic markers. When I seal them it's not the marker that smears, it's the Stazon...not sure why though.

I have had that trouble too. I found that if I spray the sealer from a distance above the tiles, it won't smear. I had to go to a very light coat to start. I stopped using a gloss sealer and went to Matte. Matte does not smear the stazOn like the gloss. Not sure why, but it seems that some of the sealers have something in them that acts like a solvent.

It is definitely a sealer problem. The "carrier" is solvent based. I find a nice, very light coat of workable "fixative" will keep things safe from the varnish. Fixative is used to "seal" and protect chalks, pastels, graphite and charcoal drawings without smearing the image.

I made several sets, but all of mine have run or flaked. I do not understand this as I have used the Krylon matte & gloss finish. I tested some with a glass with ice and the water made them run.......
I don't see anyone here mentioning that problem :(
Miranda

HELP!! I hate to give as gifts & they wipe off!! lol

Are your tiles by any chance glazed? Did you clean them before you stamped them? I am not sure what the problem is, but maybe we can eliminate some things and get to the root of the problem.