How to Use Microscope Slide Images

I have about 100 new microscope-slide-sized images coming to the shop soon, so I thought it might be helpful to share some of the fun and creative ways I've seen this image size (three inches tall and one inch wide) used.

The original use for these images is microscope slides. Yep, those same glass slides that you might have used in biology can be repurposed to make lovely pendants. I've had good luck finding the glass on ebay. The slides with ground edges are nice to save getting cuts on your fingers. There's also a shop on etsy that I've had nice interactions with called GlassSupplies who carries pendant glass in 1x3 inches. Robin (the owner) knows a ton about glass soldering and her shop carries all kinds of soldering supplies.

For basics on soldering I highly recommend the book Simple Soldered Jewelry & Accessories by Lisa Bluhm. Lisa runs the company Simply Swank and also has a super-cute soldering starter set (though the customer service reviews on amazon for fullment are iffy, so perhaps try it from Stampington instead). Stampington also has the best video I've found online for soldering basics.

If you're looking for something waaaay more simple, Ranger has a whole line of memory glass with pre-made frames that are super-easy and are available on amazon. You basically cut out your images (they're great double sided), put them between two glass slides, foil tape/glue/sticker the sides closed, the slide it into the frame. Totally my kind of crafting.

I've also seen some really great greeting cards made using the tall, thin images. Plus lovely bookmarks and window/Christmas ornaments.

If you have any examples of crafts you've made with piddix 1x3 images, send them my way and I'll add them here, or put a link in the comments below. I'd love to see them.

How to Prevent Smudges and Bleeding when Using an Inkjet Printer

Look familiar? A decoupaged bird I made long ago that bled pink onto the wooden block.

Here's the conundrum: You love the convenience of inkjet printing your collage sheets at home, but hate that your images smudge when applying a decoupage-type glaze. Happily, there's several tricks you can use to seal your collage sheets and keep them looking crisp and beautiful. These tips were developed through trial and error on literally tens of thousands of test products by myself and several amazingly brilliant piddix customers who have agreed to share their trade secrets.

The core issue that causes smearing is that the ink used in most inkjet printers is water-based. If you put a drop of water on the print, it will run or bleed. Glazes such as Mod Podge and Diamond Glaze are also water-based (do you see where I'm going with this?). Thus, when you add these water-based glazes on top of your print, it can cause the images (especially the red colors) to bleed.

Most of the solutions to this issue revolve around two techniques. You can: 1. Add a water-resistant barrier between the ink and your glaze so they can't mix and thus bleed, or 2. Make your ink and paper as dry or fixed as possible before applying the glaze. Here are some specific ways to go about it:

1. Acrylic Spray Fixatives. After printing out your collage sheet, you can seal it with a permanent, matte acrylic spray fixative. Plaid Enterprises (the company that makes Mod Podge) recommends spraying one very light coat of fixative, waiting for it to dry, then spraying one additional coat. Read the specific instructions on the cans for drying time (normally 2-3 hours) and spray distance. You'll want to find a spray that is 1. permanent, 2. non-yellowing, 3. moisture-resistant. Examples include: Krylon Spray Finish; Folkart Clearcote Acrylic Sealer; Patricia Nimocks Clear Acrylic Sealer; and Print Guard Spray.

2. Polyurethane. Ryan of Littleput Books, who has sold tens of thousands of Scrabble Tile and Lucky Penny pendants, uses this process to coat her inkjet prints and has kindly agreed to share her secret. After printing the collage sheets with an inkjet printer, she brushes on several coats of a clear polyurethane with a foam brush, allowing for time between coats to dry. One benefit I've found to this process is you don't seem to get quite as many fumes as you do from the spray fixatives.

Butterfly Lucky Penny pendant by LittleputBooks.

3. Nail polish. In a quick fix (you know, when it's 2 am and you really need to finish that necklace for your friend's birthday) I've been pretty happy with one coat clear nail polish used as a sealer. You do run the risk of the polish yellowing over time. I made some pendants as gifts this way about year ago and they're still looking good, but I'd definitely try to avoid the super-cheap Wet-n-Wild-type brands.

4. Hairspray. Another good quick fix recommend to me by Laurie's Custom Thingz is hairspray. Laurie uses VO5 Extra Hold that came from her super-crafty Mother. Rumors around art schools say to use the cheapest aerosol can you can find, but expect that the images will yellow over time.

5. Freezer. I had never heard of this tip before Molly Smith wrote this super-sweet blog post and shared her secret for preventing smudges. Molly prints out her collage sheets and then puts them in her freezer for six to twelve hours before applying Mod Podge. I am quite excited to try this one myself. See below for how beautiful her prints turned out:
6. Oven. Another DIY trick for drying your prints is to put them in the oven at 250 degrees for five minutes, then let them cool off before applying glaze. This suggestion comes from Linda and is another one I haven't tried personally, but seems promising.

7. Drying Time. Most inkjet printers (especially ones under $100 or that come free with your computer) come standard with dye-based, water-based ink. According to Annie Howes, who is probably the most knowledgeable professional I know when it comes to this type of work, dye-based inkjet prints become more stable the longer they're allowed to dry. Annie says "My HP Photosmart Inkjet printer works great after two weeks on glossy non-fast-drying paper (fast drying paper has a film that can be troublesome)." The paper drying time varies by printer and paper brand and may take some trial and error to perfect. If you're making pigment-based inkjet prints, however, Annie has found you can speed up the whole process with only a 24-hour waiting period. Especially for making glass tile pendants, this "waiting" option will cause the most professional looking results since the various spray fixatives and varnishes mentioned above can stay tacky under the glass and never fully cure, resulting in a slightly fuzzy appearance.

Crisp & clear glass tile pendant by Annie Howes.

There are two more things to keep in mind. First, the type and quality of ink, printers, and paper can definitely affect how smudge-prone your print is. There's tons of information on matte vs glossy, paper weight, quality of printers, etc. that I may go into at a later point, but generally, the better the paper and printer, the better the results.

And finally, if all of this sealing just doesn't sound worth it to you, print with a laser printer. The printers at most print-shops (Office Depot, Staples, Kinkos, etc.) use toner, which essentially melts into the paper and creates a more permanent, water-resistant print that you shouldn't have to seal before adding glaze.

For any of you who've tried to fix or prevent the dreaded inkjet smudge, I've love to hear your suggestions (or horror stories). I am always so appreciative of the amazing piddix customers (like Annie, Molly, Laurie, and Ryan above) who help the rest of us by sharing their creativity and tips. And thanks also to the crafters who read this article. Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, so if you click through and purchase an item I'll get a small commission. Thank you!

Glass Magnets and Pendants the Easy Way

I'm going to start with a big ol' caveat. I'm a lazy crafter. If something requires sanding or stinking up my house with resin, I'll skip it. So this is a very, very simple process that I've developed over the years for making glass marble tiles, pendants and magnets. It may not be the best, but it is easy and fairly child-proof. To really make professional-looking glass tiles that hold up well, I highly recommend the tutorials and kits by Annie Howes.

Now, on to crafting....

For supplies you'll need:

1. Printed collage sheets. You can find printed collage sheets at any of these stores. Or if you want to print your own collage sheets I suggest using a nice, bright white cardstock to give it a little heft. Laser prints work great. Or if you'd prefer to print with an inkjet, it's best to seal your image first with something like clear nail polish, a Krylon spray fixative, or paint on a coat of clear polyurethane (thanks to littleput for the poly tip). If you don't seal the inkjet first you may get a bit of running in the pink colors, which may or may not be noticeable. The collage sheet used in this tutorial is Flora & Fauna by piddix.
   
2. Glaze. I use DG3, diamond glaze, or silicone gel in a tube from a hardware store. I've even used Elmer's glue and it's worked okay in a pinch.
   
3. Glass marbles. Quality ranges widely on glass marbles. They're easy to pick up at the dollar store or a craft store like Michaels. You'll end up with half a bag of cracked ones, but they're good for beginners. You can also find good quality commercial glass online, or splurge for the amazing handmade options, too.
   
4. Scissors.
   
5. Items for finishing or backing. These might include paint, felt, polymer clay, pretty cardstock, coins, magnets, glue-on bails. You'll also need a fairly strong glue if you want to attach them to magnets, metal or wood. I love gorilla glue and super-glue, but plenty of others work well, too. Just make sure they're made to adhere different surfaces (like glass to metal, for example).

Step 1: Add a pea-sized amount of glaze directly to the collage sheet (click photos to enlarge).

Step 2: Take your glass tile and place it directly on the image. Squish it down slightly and evenly so that any bubbles and a bit of the glaze are pushed out to the sides.
Step 3: Wait. This is always the hardest part. I'd suggest waiting at least an hour or two. But if five minutes is all your 3-year-old can stand, they'll still work okay. You'll just end up re-gluing some of the images or having torn edges, like the one below:

Step 4: Cut out your nice, adhered images.
My helper did the first rough cut and then let me do the finish work of getting nice and close to the edge. The trick is to cut close enough so the paper doesn't show from the front, but not cut so much that you leave part of the glass showing through.

Step 5: Seal the back of the image. For this batch we used some pearl-colored acrylic paint, being careful to cover the whole paper on the back while not painting the glass, then let them dry in a plastic egg tray. Another fun trick I've used in the past is to make custom bezels from polymer clay, bake them in the oven, then glue the clay bezel to the glass. There's a ton of other tips out there on backs and finishing, such as how to use glaze, fabric, stamping, etc., but since I haven't developed any of those techniques on my own I'll leave it to others to share their own creativity. Basically you just want to make sure that the paper on the back of the marble is protected in some way, but even if you just leave the paper as-is it should hold up decently.
Step 6: Finish up your tile by gluing on a magnet, thumbtack, or bail. This can be a great way to reuse those free business-card magnets that often get handed out. Or add a loop of ribbon to make an ornament. Bonus points if kiddos can hand these out as gifts while proudly proclaiming they made them all by themselves. Get creative and have fun.