Grungey Iron-on-Ink Rainbow Picture Frame

Hello! I’m Alison Heikkila. I’ve been on the Artesprix Design Team for quite a while, and you might think that I’ve used all the Blanks (or substrates) that Artesprix has to offer, but you’d be incorrect. There are still a couple I haven’t used, and I realized that one of them was their Picture Frame, and guess what? It may have just become one of my favorite Blanks! I was inspired by the Ribbon we just decorated on the latest Facebook Live (you can catch the replay HERE) so I decided to make my Picture Frame coordinate with the Ribbon. 

**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?
Artesprix Sublimation Markers, Ink, and Paint are specially formulated to allow you to use basic copy paper to: color, stamp, stencil, and monoprint anything you wish and turn it into a heat-transferable design. These designs are then applied to a polyester or polyester coated substrate with heat and pressure. You can use a heat press or a home iron! These designs, through this process of sublimation, will become permanent on your substrates.

Supplies:
Sublimation Picture Frame
Sublimation Stamp Pad Ink Refills: Red, Blue, Yellow, and Purple
Sublimation Stamp Pad: Black
Heat Tape
Protective Paper
Canson: Mixed Media Paper
Gel Press: 8”x10” Plate
Speedball: 6” Brayer
Carabelle Studio: Rubber Texture for Gel Printing: Postcard (retired)
Stampendous: Mixed Mesh 6x6 Rubber Stamp (retired)

Step-by-Step Tutorial:

Step 1: Apply thin lines of the Sublimation Stamp Ink Refill colors to the Gel Press Plate in rainbow order. You can omit the purple, if you wish, but I love purple, so I wanted to make sure it was well represented on my finished piece. 

Step 2: Use the brayer to blend the inks together. If you want to see this in action, it happens at around 14 minutes in on this month's Facebook Live.

Step 3: Lay the Mixed Media Paper on top of the Plate and rub it with your hands to get the ink to transfer. Peel the paper off the Plate and admire your print!

Pro Tip: You will probably be able to pull a second print with what ink is left on the Gel Press. You can also spritz the brayer with water and roll it onto a separate piece of paper to get an additional print. Above, you can see what my 3 finished prints look like. I’m using the first, boldest print. 

Step 4: Allow design to dry and choose what area you’d like to sublimate. Take the Picture Frame and use a pencil to trace around it, so you know where to attach it to later. 

Step 5: Ink up your chosen stamp design with the Black Sublimation Stamp Pad.

Step 6: Press the stamp into your monoprint. Repeat as desired go around the entire outline of the Frame. 

This is what my finished design looks like. I used 2 stamps and some bubble wrap. Admittedly, I probably should have reinked my Black Sublimation Stamp Pad before I started, but it still works out beautifully.

Step 7: Tape the white side of the Picture Frame to your design. Be sure to tape it well, as this is a heavy and thick Blank, and we don’t want it to shift. Also, make sure your heat press is set to 400℉ for 90 seconds and adjust the pressure to accommodate the thickness of the frame. 

Step 8: Let’s make the "Sublimation Sandwich"! Flip the Picture Frame over so that the design is on top. Then, cut two pieces of Protective Paper to go on top of the design and under the Picture Frame. Be sure that your Protective Paper is cut larger than your paper so that none of the color escapes and winds up on any surfaces it’s not supposed to. 

Step 9: Press the Picture Frame for 90 seconds.

Step 10: It’s time for my favorite part…the "Peek Test"! Lift a corner of the design away from the Picture Frame to ensure that your design transferred well. Mine looks amazing, so I can pull the design off completely. 

Here is my Picture Frame next to the original design. The colors are so much more intense! And I love how glossy the Frame is.

Step 11: Remove the adhesive backing from the strips on the back piece of the Picture Frame. Then align the Frame with the backing, and press firmly. Please note, there is a piece of mylar between two pieces of tissue paper. You can place that into the window with your photo after the Frame is secured to the back. 

Here is the finished Picture Frame with a photo of my husband and I. This photo works so well with the frame. I love the bold colors and fun design we made, and the shine on the Frame is fabulous. Plus, it matches the ribbon we made during the FB Live! Because of the design I made, this can be display horizontal or vertical if I ever swap out the photo. 

How would you like to get more ideas on how to use Sublimation Markers? There’s a Facebook Group that’s just for fans of Artesprix! You can click HERE to join. Also, don’t forget to visit the Artesprix store to see all of the available blanks and bundles, so you can get started with sublimation.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Have an inspiring day!

Alison Heikkila 

**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.**