Yet another coaster question
 

Yes, I realize these questions have been asked a zillion times before, but I don't have time to go through all the threads, and the ones I was looking at confused me more. Here's all I need to know...can someone please help me out?

I have the tumbled tiles (Lowe's) and want to do a simple medallion on them.

I have Staz on ink.

Do I need to bake? If so how long and what temp?

And do I need to seal? Will the ink run if I don't?

Do I need to do both?

Straight up Staz on is all I am doing in this case...no other coloring.

THANK YOU in advance!!

I did 160 or so tiles turned into magnets for my wedding favor. I had plain white bathroom tiles (2x2", 36 on a sheet, that I cut all up)

I used stazon and waited a day or so to let it dry. Then stamped the greeting in a different color of stazon and let that dry. Then I took them to my garage and sprayed them with a clear coat sealant let that dry a day or so and then glued on the magnets.

I did notice that the sealant stuck to the other tiles if I stacked them, so be careful -I had to re do 20 tiles.

I also noticed that the ink smeared if I didn't seal them and I touched them before they were dry (but some I touched several days after stamping and they still smeared). I didnt use them as coasters, but I can imagine that water or general use in your home would probably smear or rub off the ink. I think its just best to seal them. I got the sealant in Michael's in the aisle with all the other sprays. but I forget the actual name of it, sorry.

also, I got smooth, white tiles, not tumbled. But if you seal them, they should be just fine.

good luck

If you are using tumbled tiles...you don't have to bake and you don't have to seal. Stamping on smooth tiles will almost always have issues.

I used tumbled but still baked

Stamp with stazon
bake at 200 for 20 minutes
colored with sharpies or bics
bake again (just to be safe)
sprayed with matte finish

but I was talking with a demo who didn't bake or spray and has never had a promblem (using tumbled tiles)

I am by no means an expert, but I have found from experience that the tumbled marble tiles work best. Some of the tumbled tiles have a slight glaze on them. I like the unfinished tiles because they do absorb the condensation from the glass placed on them. I have used both with stazon and have found that both are waterproof and require no baking or cover coat. I haven't even needed to give them more than a couple minutes to dry. It's really quite amazing, and so much fun.

Also, I have recently found adhesive cork shelf liner to use as a protective liner on the bottom of the tile. I LOVE it. It looks so professional and finished and does an excellent job of protecting the surface of the table where the tile coaster is placed.

I have a tutorial here

Thanks jenndspencer.... you are a life saver. Your tutorial really helped me! I was looking all over for directions! Thanks again !!!!

Glad I could help!

Here is a great video:
http://stamptv.ning.com/video/tile-coasters
:)

in my short experience i have stamped tumbled tiles with staz on ink and colored with sharpies... no sealer... (if you seal that is when i had the problem with colors running) ...must have sprayed too much sealer on first coat... that being said ,colors did not run when not using sealer but when cleaning the tile after i spilled coffee on it there is color (from sharpies) on towel when wiping it dry. i then baked it to see if that would help but still color rubs off. still experimenting -next i will color with staz on colors and a dauber like the video instructions online and see if color rubs off. I am not sealing them cause i want tile to be absorbent.
I cover the whole bottom with cork and use my rounded corner cutter thing to make corners on the cork rounded.

katshe.....Very interesting your trials with creating the coasters. Question.....Why do you want your coasters to be absorbent after you stamp them?

Patti

You want the tiles to be absorbant for the condensation from the glasses, otherwise it defeats the purpose of a coaster.

Lisa808.....Thanks for your comment. I never thought of a coaster as being absorbent other than paper ones. The ones I have and those I just had made as a gift are shiny and certainly not absorbent.....they have a photograph on them.

Patti

I use the tumbled tiles. I stamp on them with stazon and don't bake them. If you bake them and use sharpies to colour then you don't get smearing but I find that the colours are too intense. I actually apply the colours of sharpie to my tiles using sponges and q-tips and you can get some lovely soft looks that way. I don't seal them either.
Have fun with it!

no smearing with sharpies for me either just when using a paper towel to wipe dry there will be sharpie ink on the towel -baked or not ...i didn't think to check that out on my first set that i stamped with penguins and i colored their scarves with sharpies ...so i checked the other day and i am getting sharpie on the towel when rubbing with paper towel...no smearing though. My concern is if i give as a gift this way and someone dries them with a regular towel it will certainly ruin the towel. i can seal the sharpie part but prefer not to.

guitargerle, i love your idea on how to apply the sharpies with a qu tip and sponges ...i too don't care for the boldness of the colors of the sharpies...i will give it a try on some of my mistake tiles to see how it comes out.

i just want to mention also that i did some tiles using other colors of staz on ink other thatn blavck and it too rubs off ...not completely but it dose come off on the towel so maybe i need to let them set longer

Here are the coasters that I made for Christmas gifts this year. I stamped with black stazon, let dry overnight, than added stazon greens (or color with Bic Mark-It's), let dry overnight, than added my plastic bumper pads to bottoms and let dry overnight. Was very well received, people were amazed that you could create something like these!
http:////www.splitcoaststampers.com/...&ppuser=170439
:)

craftymom2 those coasters are really nice i too have the same script stamp and am loving how it lools with your choice of stamped treeage...just beautiful!!
What is a bic markk-its? could i use something else if i cant find that?

Here is a written tut for those who can't view videos:
http:////www.splitcoaststampers.com/...tile_coasters/
:)

I'm guessing that Bic Mark-It's are very much like Sharpies, but I don't know that for sure. You can find the Bic Mark-It's at Target, Wal-Mart and probably some other stores too maybe office supply stores. They are very reasonable in price, I think I got 36 markers for under $20.00??

Bic Markits are just Bic's version of a colorful permanent marker like Sharpies.

I've done these with alcohol inks as a marbled/tie-dyed look and that doesn't come off. Maybe you can also 'paint' with the alcohol inks?