Butterfly Canvas Zip Case Using Artesprix Stamp Pads
Artesprix Design TeamCanvas Zip Case, Stamp Pads
Hi friends! It’s Sara today on the blog and I hope you’re ready for a fun project! We will be making a canvas zip case today using the new sublimation stamp pads! Have you tried these stamp pads yet? I love that they make sublimation more accessible, easier and so much fun!
Today’s project is inspired by gel press printing. So, we’ll be using our gel press, a stencil and sublimation stamp pads to make a sublimation gel press print! This should be a fun easy project and I think you’ll like it! Let’s get started!
What is Sublimation Iron-on-Ink?
Artesprix’s iron-on ink and sublimation stamp pads are both made with sublimation ink. The sublimation ink gets embedded into poly-coated materials once it is subjected to heat via a heat press. So, these stamp pads are formulated specifically for sublimation and the designs that we’ll create with them can be transferred permanently once they’re heat pressed on any sublimation blank!
Materials:
Pencil
Step-by-Step Tutorial:
Step 1: Place your canvas zip case on mixed media paper and trace it with a pencil. Your canvas zip case blank is double-sided. So, I went ahead and traced it twice. Tracing our blank with a pencil is crucial since it will not get transferred when we subject it to heat!
Step 2: Get your Gel Press and sublimation stamp pads ready! Place your Gel Press on your work area and use your stamp pads to ink its surface. Artesprix stamp pads come in 9 colors so they’re so perfect here! I used blue, purple, pink, red and yellow to ink the face of my Gel Press. You could do a rainbow or a specific color palette, the sky is your limit here!
Step 3: Place your stencil on top of the inked gel press plate. I used a butterfly stencil that I had purchased from dollar tree so feel free to use any stencil you have on hand. Then, I carefully placed my paper it over the stencil. Our goal here is to pick up the ink through the stencil. So, you would want to firmly hold the paper while pushing it down on the gel press plate. You’ll need to make sure you’re picking up the ink across the whole stencil without changing the placement of the paper. Then, peel off your paper to reveal your design!
Step 4: (Optional) I’ll be sublimating both sides of my canvas zip case, I needed to make another design for the second face. I gently peeled off my stencil leaving the opposite design on my gel press. So, I placed my second paper on my gel press to pick up the tracing of my butterfly stencil!
Step 5: Allow designs to air dry. This is a great time to turn on my heat press while we tape and prepare for pressing. For this canvas case, we will need to set our heat press to 400°F for 45 seconds.
Step 6: Place your canvas zip case face down on your sublimation design and secure it with heat resistant tape.
Step 7: Let’s make a sublimation sandwich using our protective paper! We will place the design and the case in between a sheet of protective paper. It is very important to use protective paper because it will catch any extra ink and you won’t have to deal with getting ink on your heat press!
Artesprix zip cases are high quality so there is no need to insert a sheet of protective paper inside your case to prevent anything from transferring to the other side, but if you are not using an Artesprix branded case, be sure to do this.
Then, we will use a pressing pillow to cushion the inside of our case while pressing, an easy press mat will work too if you have one available. If you’re sublimating both sides of your case, you will need to sublimate each side separately. So, we will repeat these steps after we press the first face of our canvas zip case.
Step 8: Press the design! Your heat press should be ready to go at 400°F and we will press it for 45 seconds.
Step 9: Once you’re done pressing your design, it is time for the peek test! The peek test is crucial to make sure you got vibrant results. So, gently peel one corner of your design to get a peek at how good the design transferred. If your design looks vibrant, then remove the tape and reveal it! In the slightest chance you did not get a good transfer, feel free to go ahead and re-press your design! The peek test is a project saver!
Step 10: (Optional) Repeat steps 7-9 for the other side.
I must admit, I like the face with the colored butterflies more, which side is your favorite? This was such a fun and easy way to use our sublimation stamp pads with just a gel press and a stencil. I hope it inspires you to create something fun and exciting this week!
This canvas zip case would make such a cute gift! So, make sure you grab some! These sublimation stamp pads are a must have! Get them now, experiment with different techniques and share with us your creations on instagram or Facebook!
Thank you for reading!
Until next time! Keep on crafting!
Best,
Sara Ali
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