Create a Fall Garland with Artesprix Ink Pads and Sublimation Key Chains

I am thrilled to introduce you to an exciting sublimation project featuring the fabulous Maple Key Chain blanks from Artesprix. I'm Miss Carrie of Miss Carrie’s Creations, and I am excited to be making my Guest Designer Debut with Artesprix! I've been sharing online crafting tutorials for over ten years, and one of my favorite types of projects to share are ones that combine craft items you might already own with new discoveries I find. Today, I'm going to show you how I created this adorable fall garland using stamps and stencils from my paper craft collection and a set of new Artesprix Ink Pads.

But first, let me share my experience with the amazing ink pads from Artesprix and how they can be used to create stunning fall décor projects like this one. As a paper crafter, I’ve worked with multiple inks, and these were an absolute joy to use. The pads are super juicy, bold in color, and have a spongy texture that makes blending incredibly easy.

**This post may contain affiliate links. That means that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher, but I may get compensated.** 

What is Artesprix Iron-on-Ink?

The word "sublimation" often scares people, so I’m here to keep this simple. Sublimation is a chemical process that turns a solid into a gas when heat is applied. The ink turns into tiny particles that embed into the poly-blend products, which are often referred to as sublimation blanks.  Sublimation inks require heat, pressure, and time to transfer the dye onto different materials. The dye doesn't sit on the surface, like most inks. Instead it becomes an integral part of the project.  It won't fade or wash off and lasts for a long time. 

Supplies:

Artesprix Maple Key Chain blank 
Artesprix Ink pads - Brown, Yellow, Green, Orange 
Stamps and stencils of your choice 
Wooden beads 
Orange & White Beads 
Jute or jewelry twine 
Decorative ribbon 
Blending brushes 
Heavyweight white cardstock 
Stamping press 
Heat resistant tape 
Protective paper 
Heat press 
Heat press protective mat
Pencil
Scissors

Step-by-Step Tutorial:

Step 1: With a pencil, I traced the tags onto heavyweight card stock. It's important to use a pencil because pen or marker ink could transfer to your project. Place the card stock on a stamping press to help align the image and re-stamp if needed.

Pro Tip: I downloaded the guide from Artesprix. I love that they provide free instruction sheets! One of my favorite features is the before-and-after chart. Most beginners are often confused that the color of the sublimation ink looks so different from the finished product. Before heat is applied, most colors are very dull, the heat gives them their vibrancy. This chart is a great representation and helps me see what the ink will look like before and after I heat press my project.

Step 2: Stamp the images onto the heavyweight card stock with the pencil template. Keep in mind that your image will be mirrored, so if you’re using tradition text stamp designs, it will be backwards on your project. Artesprix has a mirror stamp plate designed for using stamps for sublimation. 

Pro Tip #2: When choosing a stamp, start with one that isn’t super detailed. Many of the sublimation inks I’ve worked with will bleed, and those details can get lost. However, I didn’t have any issues with the Artesprix inks spreading, so I’m excited to try more delicate designs next time. 

Step 3: Let the ink you stamped with sit for about ten minutes before blending over it with stencils. The nice thing about these ink pads is there’s no time limit on the ink design, you can stamp and transfer them whenever you’re ready. 

Step 4: To add some color to my floral image, I am using a set of layering stencils. If you are going to blend Artesprix sublimation inks with brushes like these, you will need to designate them specifically for sublimation ink. They can be washed, but some of the residue will remain and it could mix with your standard dye or pigment inks. 

Pro Tip #3 : Layering stencils: Each stencil has cutouts of portions of your stamped image, and you shade these in with an ink color of your choice using blending brushes. 

Step 5: Set the temperature on your heat source to 400°F for 60 seconds, as instructed on the worksheet. If using a handheld heat source, protect your work surface with a heat resistant mat. 

Step 6: Use Artesprix heat resistant tape to secure the design on all four sides to the Maple Key Chain blank. This reduces the likelihood of the image "ghosting". Instead of a solid image, a shadow, will appear next to the original image due to lack of a tight bond between the blank and the ink. 

Step 7: Place a piece of protective paper on your pressure surface. Then add the secured project, design on top (face-down). Finish with an additional piece of protective paper. As the project is heated, some of those little particles might also escape and stain your heat plate or work surface. Adding layers of protective paper above and below the project prevents these items from getting stained. 

Step 8: Center the heat press over the project and apply firm pressure for 60 seconds. Applying an even amount of pressure ensures a tight bond between the sublimation ink and Maple Key Chain blank.

Step 9: Once the timer goes off, do a "peek test". Carefully peel back a corner of the design and confirm your transfer was a success. If you feel it could be more vibrant, review your temperature, pressure, and how you project was positioned and re-press. 

Step 10: The reveal is always the best part! If Step 9 went well, remove the paper fully from the sublimation blank. Seeing the image come to life is so much fun. When you place these side-by-side, you can really see the vibrant color change.

Pro Tip #4: Allow to cool completely before repeating the steps above to decorate the other side. 

Step 11: To create the garland, string some jute through the maple key ring hole and add orange and white wooden beads in an alternating pattern. You can paint wood beads or buy pre-painted assortments online. 

I hope you enjoyed learning how to use some of the paper crafting supplies you have in your collection to create unique fall décor pieces with Artesprix Ink Pads. This is such a simple project that you can create for just about any holiday. 

For more project ideas, join the Artesprix Iron-on-Ink Inspirational Facebook Group. I’ll be sharing this project in the group this week. If you have any questions, feel free to post those in the comments. Visit  Miss Carrie’s Creations to learn more about me! 

I can’t wait to see what you create!

Miss. Carrie

**This post may contain affiliate links. That means that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher, but I may get compensated.**