Tuesday, October 28, 2008

"Tile Coaster Question"

I have a questions for you about tile coasters. I am going to do these for my upcoming Christmas class. I think I know what I'm doing but I want to make sure I am doing it right. I am going to use grape stamps, leaves, and the french script background stamp. I have stazon inks. I am going to stamp the french script background on first in black, then the leaves and grapes in green and purple. This is where I am stuck. I know that some people bake them in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes to heat set them, which we can't do at the class but they could do it at home. Some people also spray them which we can't do there either. So my question is, do the tiles have to be heat set or can you use them as is after stamping? If you have made them before, do you have any tips for me? If they have to be heat set, I am going to give them directions to do that along with felt feet to adhere to the back so they won't scratch the furniture, and I am also going to give them organdy ribbon to tie them up to give as gifts if they want. Each person is going to make 4 coasters.
Any information or links would be really helpful.

I went to the doctor today and he said my finger looks great. It is still very swollen and that is normal. I can bend it pretty good now but now I have to work on straightening it out. He asked if I wanted to go to hand therapy to speed up the process a little but when I asked him if I needed it he said, no it looks like I am doing a great job with it now. Woo Hoo!! I didn't want to go to therapy. So I go back in a month. Hopefully I will be able to straighten it by then. I am also hoping that the nerves come back soon. I can't hold a pencil the normal way cause it is too painful to the touch. My writing has improved though, I don't write like a 3 year old anymore. LOL

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have never made tiles - only received them as a gift. I will ask who gave them to me to see waht she did. (I have had them for over 5 years !!! They look new...) I also wanted to let you know that I closed my blog, I am now crafting only on: www.StampingwithKyra.blogspot.com
I just saw that you have me listed on your page here, and would love if you would change the link. Thank you so much.
I am so glad that your finger is doing well. :) No therapy... YAY!!! Take Care... Kyra¥

Anonymous said...

I made these a few years ago. We just used Stazon..and no heat setting and they did fine. No other treatment was used on them. Mine have faded a bit over the years..but it's been at least 4 years since I've made mine...and I'm very satisfied with the way they've lasted. Have Fun.

Sandra Smart said...

The only time I have heat set my tiles is when using SU craft ink. When I use the stazon, no heat set necessary (I tried to wash it off just as a test and it did not come off). One other thing I would recommend is to tell everyone not to seal them with any kind of spray as you want the tile stones to be absorbent, not to resist the moister, otherwise, the coaster is not much help at saving the furniture! :)

So glad you hand is healing! How scary that was!

Anonymous said...

Ditto, ditto, ditto.........I've made these quite often and never heat set or sealed. Mine are great and some are water stained but they look loved.
One tip, when you stamp with the french script, stamp it off first on a scrap paper. That way it is faded behind your grapes.
Have fun.
Tanya million@ntl.sympatico.ca
PS I used one or 2 tiles as practice and they hang out in the craft room with me...

zgrandmakaren said...

I just did a tile class. This was my 2nd tile class but my 1st one ended up disastrous....it rained that night and 4 out of 6 of the ladies designs came completely off (no we didn't bake or spray them before they left). My 2nd class we did 4 coasters, 4 2" squares & 1 6x6 tile and we were able to bake & spray them. It took alot of running up & down my stairs (class in basement), but no bad surprises, and we were done in 2 hrs. The spray dried in 5 minutes. While some baked and cooled we made the others. Hectic but it worked.

One discovery I made is it's important to choose the right type of tiles ... make sure you use the tumbled marble and that there is no finish or glaze on it (if your hands get powdery when choosing the tiles, you have the right ones). At least if you can't bake & spray them, they have a fighting chance to get them home safely. PS-even the Staz-on washed off using the wrong tiles!

If you have any more questions, we could chat or email.

Hope that's helpful.

Anonymous said...

So glad to hear your hand/finger is doing better!

Glad you asked this question and grateful so many have answered you! I've been wanting to make these for a while. So thank you everyone for your tips!

Melissa G.
NY

Anonymous said...

I made tiles a few years ago; as others have mentioned-you need to use tumbled tiles. Those seem to work best. I didn't heat set mine-but did spray them with a clear acrylic sealer(matte finish) to protect them.(Not sure if that is needed-but that is how I made them). Mine look as good as the day I made them(3-4yrs ago), except for one that has been in direct sunlight and is now faded. You might want to tell your stampers that they will hold up better if kept out of direct sunlight. Wish you all the best on your tile class and so glad to hear you are recovering fast.
Best wishes!

Shelly Koskinen said...

I'm glad that your hand is doing better. As for the coasters, If you spray them, they might not take the condensation of the glass when they are being used. How about heat setting them with your embossing heat tool.

Anonymous said...

I have made tiles with Stazon and chalk. Then after drying for at least an hour, spray with an acrylic spray. Allow as much time for drying as possible, as ink could even run after an hour if the ink is not dry when you do the spray.

Dolce Deb's Designs said...

I have to agree with those who said find the right tiles. I have used Stazon ink and they have been fine. If you are concerned you could do a quick heat set with your heat gun being sure to use some kind of heat protection for your work surface. I use a silicone hot pad when ever I use my heat gun. I have never sealed mine because the whole idea of these tiles is for them to absorb the moisture from you drink. Good luck with your class.

I am so glad you received a good report from you doctor. Just keep getting better.

Debbie/Phx AZ

Jennifer Orbaker said...

So glad your hand is getting better! Keep up the good exercises at home, it is so important to do them several times a day!

I did the tumbled coasters several years ago, stamped with staz-on, and then one coat of the acrylic sealer. They have held up nicely, use them everyday for my coffee! And they made wonderful gifts too!

Ret said...

I've never done the coasters or tiles. best of luck with them, you'll have to share when you're done. :) I'm glad your hand is coming along good!!!

Unknown said...

Rochelle,
Here is a link to the tiles I made

http://sarastudio.blogspot.com/2007/10/soak-it-up-part-2.html

In the post I list the ink used and the tile sku from Lowes. They have to be the tumbled tile with no finish on them. I did not heat set or spray and they still look as good today as they did a year ago and they get plenty of use.