Image Transfer Solution

There are a couple of problems with being a crafty type. Today's it's a combination of having too many options, even in one medium, to experiment easily, and the other problem of lack of time. When doing full-time work, spending time with your family, and participating in other creative hobbies, it's hard to find the time to play around and experiment. It feels like it takes forever to perfect new techniques.

This is a crafting story that starts out at geekdom - Dragon*Con 2008 - and my friend Tricia. I think a lot of crafters don't have geekish roots, but since my mom had me watching Star Trek in second grade, I don't think I'm able to deny mine with anything resembling a straight face. (I always see such lovely, elegant crafts that are more artistic than geeky. I'm just not particularly elegant, I guess.)

The Powers That Be of Stargate - which would be MGM - have created a small series of photo dog tags of their favorite characters. Tricia showed up to D*C 2008 wearing the Sam Carter dog tag, which is beautiful, but I wanted a dog tag for Elizabeth Weir.

E-mails to MGM about when an Elizabeth photo dog tag necklace would be available were, of course, unanswered. (I suppose that's what happens when your favorite character is killed off three or four times.) The only solution, therefore, was to make my own completely geektastic girl power necklace for Elizabeth Weir. However, having a family, a job, and a belly dance troupe kept me too busy to work on making my own. Except that Dragon*Con 2009 is coming up soon. I want an Elizabeth Weir necklace before then.

The problem is this: Do I use Liquitex, Image Transfer Solution, or just grab a photo, re-size it, glue it on with Mod Podge (the name is silly, but it's oh-so-useful stuff), and then cover it with EasyCast?

So many choices, and all of them cost money. Of course, I already have the Liquitex ($9 for a 237 ml container) and you can use it with an inkjet printer, which I have. The Image Transfer Solution ($15 for a 2 oz container) requires special paper, use of a laser printer (necessitating a trip to Kinkos), and special wax as sealant after. Possibly just not worth it. I already own the EasyCast and the Mod Podge.

I read through the Image Transfer Solution tutorial (PDF file linked on there), and it doesn't seem too bad, but it does seem a bit more complicated than the Liquitex tutorial. I guess we'll find out how Liquitex goes. It was easier to get.

Why did I pick now as the ideal time to play? I've only got a month left to Dragon*Con, and no free weekends.