Hi, so glad you popped along for today’s post featuring iCraft Transfer Gel.
I recently ordered this transfer gel after seen a variety of people on Youtube use it in a range of projects. As you know, I love to add a little bit of foil to my projects where possible and thought why not give this ago. Now part of me was thinking, is this just like the Minc reactive paint which was cheaper to buy.
It does have a vary similar purpose – adding hot foil without the use of the toner, but I have found there are some differences when I started using it. The consistency of the product is thicker – it can hold its shape much more than Minc reactive paint. This allows you to have more control when applying it with a spatula. Whereas, Minc reactive paint is as it says more of a paint and you need to apply with a paintbrush. Because of this difference in consistency, Transfer gel can be applied through a stencil. There is another Minc medium, the Minc reactive art screen ink, which states its purpose is to be used in conjunction with stencils. However, as I have not bought this product I cannot compare this, but it is more expensive to buy then the ordinary reactive paint.
Once dried, it has a raised appearance similar to an embossing paste. This is great for adding foil with dimension, as most methods currently produce a flat foil finish. Having said that, it also can add a textural element to your project depending on how you apply it. Applying more of a thick layer, and haphazardly removing excess gel off, can leave an uneven and textured surface. Alternatively, if you prefer a smooth layer, apply a thin layer of gel and careful smooth off all excess gel.
The quality of the foil finish is also related to how you apply and remove the excess gel. However, anywhere you apply gel, foil will adhere well!
Materials required for iCraft Transfer Gel Foiled cards
- iCraft Deco Foil Transfer Gel
- Spatula
- Stencil
- Non-stick craft mat
- Low tack tape
- Minc Machine or laminator
- Heat reactive foil in the colour of your choosing (this project features Light Pink from Heidi Swapp)
- Card base – the cards in this project measure at: Just a note – 7″ 1/2 X 3, P.S I love you – 4″ X 6
- White cardstock
- Velum
- Sentiment stamps
- Ink
- Double sided tape
- Foam tape
- Clear glue
- Addition coordinating patterned papers
- Embellishments – i.e sequins
iCraft Transfer Gel Foiled Cards
To start these cards off, adhere the cardstock to the non-stick craft mat with low tack tape. I placed my stencil over the top and repeated the step. It is easy to apply the gel with a spatula, but apply gently. You do not want to push any gel under the stencil, which could happen if you apply it quickly. Scrape of any excess back into your pot – no point wasting it!
You need to leave the gel to dry – this is for at least an hour or more. You will know when it is dry as it will turn from white to clear. Perhaps not as easy to tell on white card, but you will notice a difference.
Once completely dry, cover with foil and run it through your machine. Make sure you cover every mm of the gel with foil, otherwise when you run it through your machine, it will melt and stick to your transfer folders! I used a heat setting off 3 on my Minc machine.
I trimmed the card down to make more than once card. I used a long strip of card to create a small notelet card, layering with patterned paper. The black paper helps to add contrast and lift the foiled patterned off from the stripped paper.
I stamped the ‘Just a note’ stamp on to white cardstock and trimmed this down into a banner. To finish this card off, I adhered colour matching sequins with clear adhesive.
I kept the ‘P.S I Love You’ Card simple and clean by wrapping velum around the foiled card. This produced a brushed foil look where the vellum overlapped. This piece was mounted onto a card with foam tape and once in place, the sentiment was stamped in black ink.
A few more pointers!
Make sure you clean your stencil and spatula as soon as you remove it from your project. Otherwise this gel will dry and stick to you stencil. It is easy to clean in cold water just rubbing with your fingers.
Apply the gel gently, holding you stencil down to prevent it moving slightly in areas not secured by tape.
Place a piece of paper beneath your project when placed in your transfer folder. If any squeezed out from the sides when melting in the heat, it wont stick to your folder!
I hope you have found this post useful and has highlighted another great crafting medium. Have a go and let me know how you get on in the comments below!
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Till next time,
