In the way that a tree produces oxygen, I now produce stickers thanks to some built in chemical reaction. Growing up, my Mom was always very into crafts. I have very fond memories of making reindeer out of clothespins and ghosts from cheesecloth soaked in starch. I’ve maintained a love of doing crafty stuff as is evidenced by the way I run my D&D games. I have often joked that running games for me is just an excuse to visit Michaels. Even when it comes to Wargaming I think I prefer that building and painting to the actual playing. My latest obsession, sticker making scratches a lot of my itches. I get to draw and then I get crafty with the art once it’s printed!
I just finished this fun little Gabe and Tycho sticker sheet over the weekend and I’m very happy with it. I wanted to do something that harkened back to the stickers I used to collect in the 80’s.
I’ve been sharing lots of progress pics over on my Instagram as I learn the process. I’ve had a few people ask about the equipment I’m using. So let me break it down for you. The process starts with printing the artwork and for that I’m using a Canon IP 8720 Inkjet printer. It was easy to get set up and the prints it produces are excellent.
At this point I take the artwork and apply a transparent laminate to the sheet. This can be a simple clear cover or it can apply all sorts of fun holographic effects to the sticker. Here’s a Jim sticker I made with a cool magical star finish on it.
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For the actual cutting of the stickers I’m using the Cricut Joy Xtra. This machine is what cuts the outline around the stickers using what’s called a “kiss cut”. This cuts the first layer of the sticker paper but not the backing so you get a page of stickers you can peel off.
My family has gone crazy for these stickers. I’ve been tasked with making custom stickers for all of them. They each have their own sticker book now to collect them in. I even made a sticker set for our family!
I know folks want to get their hands on these stickers and I’m already working with Lidija who runs our store to get them online. I’m also in the process of figuring out a way to sell the actual stickers I’m making here in my house. Obviously we would be making fairly limited runs because they are all made by hand. So right now I’m imagining these being available only to Club PA members. I’ll keep you updated as I get the details sorted out but God help me, I’ve got to figure out some way to move all these stickers.
-Gabe out