Packing Tape Transfers

from my art journal with new tape added: Sing For Your Life

I. Making a Clear Tape Transfer

An easy way to add print and color to art journal pages is through tape transfer. In the image above I added the phrase, Sing For Your Life, using the tape transfer image. Here's how you do it.

To make the transfer you'll need:

• clear packing tape
• a magazine
• a basin with warm water
• wooden spoon to burnish the image 
• your art journal

1. I looked through a recent copy of The New Yorker and the most recent New York Times Magazine and found images and print I wanted to use to create transfers.
2. I placed tape over the images and words I wanted and then ripped the taped images/words out of the magazines.
3. Next, I burnished each using the back of a kitchen spoon.
4. I then placed the taped images/words into a basin of warm water and let them sit for  few minutes.
5. Using my fingers I rubbed the paper pulp off the back of each piece of tape and the set it (tape side down) on paper towels to dry. You can see in the image to the left how translucent the images are.
6. As I am not planning on using all of the tape right away, I placed the sticky side of the tape on pieces of wax paper.

tape in the water

Sample piece of tape

Clear tape drying

Using the Tape in Art Journaling

I added the phrase, In the End, to this unfinished art journal page.

1. Two pieces of text caught my interest and I added them to art journaling pages I had been working on. 
2. Because I am not sure yet if where I placed the tape is where I want to keep them, I just stuck the tape on the page.  
3. Later, if I want to adhere the tape more permanently I will use some gel medium (matte) to attach it.