Beginner's Luck

I've been playing along with The Documented Life Project - The Journal since the beginning of the year. The theme for September is "Journaling with Photos." This week's challenge is "Photo Transfer," and the journal prompt is "From Here to There."

I'll admit that when I saw the challenge I had an internal "ugh" feeling. I have always wanted to practice transfers; I even bought a book all about transfers, but never did anything more than the packing tape technique (which I never really liked anyway.)

Having read up on different transfer techniques many times over, I was under the impression that I needed a laser or toner copy to expect any success at all with the gel medium transfer technique. Given that all I can make are ink jet prints, I never tried. But with this transfer challenge staring me in the face, I decided to give it a shot anyway.

I coated the journal paper (140 lb. watercolor) with soft gel medium, then coated the image with the same. I applied the image to the journal page and burnished quite well with a bone folder. I let this dry overnight and this morning, with low expectations, removed the paper layer with wet fingertips. Well, I guess there really is such a thing as beginner's luck because the transfer came out pretty well. Not half-bad. It has the fuzzy nature I expected from a transfer, which given the vintage photo, I really do like. I believe I've just found a new way to enhance my art journaling.

© Nancy Lefko