Stay Weird Artesprix Heart Ornament

Hello! This is Alison Heikkila, and I appreciate you visiting today. I have a new Artesprix  project to share, that uses the January Blank of the Month, which is the Heart Ornament. The Heart Ornament comes in a 2 pack, and the ornaments are double sided, so you can do some fun sublimation up to 4 times! I’ve got to be honest, I’m not a huge heart person, but I found a way to make this ornament very much my style.

What are Sublimation Markers?
Artesprix Sublimation Markers and Ink are specially formulated inks that allow you to use basic copy paper to: color, stamp, and stencil 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. 

Materials:
Sublimation Stamp Pad-Black
Original Sublimation Markers (Black only)
Gnomies Sublimation Markers (Almond & Mustard Seed)
Pastel Sublimation Markers (Mint & Ballerina)
Heart Ornament
Protective Paper
Heat Tape
Heat Source: Home Iron or Artesprix Heat Press.
3” x 5” Gel Press Plate (You can use other sizes, but this size was perfect for the ornament)
Erin Lee Creative: Stay Weird Stamp Set
Lawn Fawn: Fairy Friends (single star only), Unicorn Picnic (triple star only)
Stamping Positioner/Platform or Acrylic Block
Pencil
Copy Paper
Craft mat

Step-by-Step Tutorial:

Step 1: Trace the outline of your blank on to a piece of copy paper with a pencil. The pencil will not transfer during the sublimation process.

Step 2: Scribble on your Gel Press Plate using Artesprix Sublimation Markers. I opted to use only 3 colors at a time, so that my results wouldn't get muddy. Please note, I made a few prints, and ended up not using 2 of the colors shown above in my final project. I used Mustard, Mint, and Ballerina in my final piece.

Step 3: After getting enough color on to your plate, spritz the plate with Isopropyl Alcohol (AKA "Rubbing Alcohol" at least 90%) to get your colors to move and blend.

Pro Tip: I attached my plate to an acrylic block, so that I could pick it up easily to swirl the colors around.

Step 4: Lay your paper on top of the Gel Press plate and press it gently. The paper will get pretty wet, and you can see that my pencil lines are showing through the back. This is fine. Pull the print off of the plate and check to make sure you're happy with the placement and amount of color. You can add more if you need to by repeating the process. Let the paper dry fully before moving on.

Step 5: Stamp your image using the Sublimation Ink Pad. The focal stamp I used had 2 little star bursts, but I wanted to add more, so I found some that were similar and I added them around the focal image.

Step 6: Using the same Sublimation Markers I used for the background (plus Almond), I colored in the design. Since the background colors have been "watered down" by the Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA), the colors straight from the marker will be more vibrant. I applied the Almond to the rib cage with a brush and water. The star bursts were filled in with my black Sublimation Marker.

Step 7: Using Heat Resistant Tape, attach your completed design face down on to the Heart Ornament. You can line up your design easily by using your pencil lines as a guide. If you are using a Heat Press, you don’t need much tape, but if you are using a home iron, be sure to use Heat Tape around the entire blank to ensure that it doesn’t move during the sublimation process.

Step 8: It’s time to make our "Sublimation Sandwich". This is an extremely important part of the process whether you are using a home iron or a Heat Press. Cut two pieces of Protective Paper that are bigger than your Blank. Lay one piece down, then your taped Blank and colored design- with the blank on the bottom- and then your second piece of Protective Paper.

Step 9: If using a Heat Press like me, press the Heart Ornament for 75 seconds at 400℉. If you're using a home iron, use it on the highest setting dry, and press firmly for 3 minutes.

Step 10: It’s time for the "Peek Test"! This is a very important (and exciting!) step. Very carefully peel back part of the copy paper to see how your image has transferred without removing any, or very little tape, in case you need to press the item again. Look at how vibrant those colors are now!

Step 11: Ta-da!!! Look at how fantastic this Heart Ornament came out! I really love that wash of colors in the background. Now all we need to do is attach a ribbon. I went with one from my stash, as opposed to the red ribbon the ornaments come with.

Here is the completed Heart Ornament. I really love it. I know this style isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I wanted you to see that you can use any type of image or style you want with Artesprix's Sublimation Markers and Ink. I am now brainstorming what I am going to do on the back side of this ornament. 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