IOD Full Colour Transfer - Emily Claire

The Emily Claire – 8-Page 8x12" Transfer Pad comes from one of our favorite archive finds to date. Taken from an 1868 family album belonging to Miss Emily Clare Harvey, the artwork began as her pencil and watercolor illustrations lovingly added around her family’s portraits. The Cooper Hewitt preserved the album, and when we discovered it, Sam (our Senior Designer) and Sally immediately fell in love with its whimsical, beautifully hand-painted details. The set includes charming elements like kittens, hummingbirds, butterflies, banners, and even a proud little rooster—each one quirky, delicate, and full of character.

These illustrations strike that rare balance of sophisticated and playful, giving makers something fresh and delightfully unexpected to work with. Use the elements with their given frames or stand alone as focal elements in art pieces, décor projects, and mixed media. Emily Clare brings a sense of story and creativity from a young 19th-century artist directly into your hands, inviting you to build scenes that are as unique and joyful as the originals.

PREPARATION IS KEY.

Keep your transfer with its backing sheet until you are ready to apply. Keep free of dust or debris, which will interfere with adhesion. Do not allow the adhesive side of transfer to touch anything prior to application. When handling the transfer, avoid letting the adhesive side touch itself (don’t do in a windy environment). Do not store transfer in extreme temperatures or humid conditions, which can affect adhesion.

APPLICATION

Start with a clean, dry, matte surface. If painted, make sure it’s well cured, and if you have sanded the paint make certain there is no residual dust. All of these things will interfere with adhesion. For best adhesion, seal your project surface with a high quality, water-based polyurethane sealer in matte before applying a transfer.

Carefully remove the transfer from its white backing. Slowly and carefully lower the transfer onto your intended surface, making sure that it does not touch until the placement is correct. Use small pieces of low tack tape to hold it in place.

Using the provided tool, or one of your choice, start at one end of the transfer and rub firmly to adhere the image to the surface. Do this until the entire image is transferred. You are welcome for the free arm workout as well. If any parts aren’t transferred when you lift, simply lay it back down and rub more on that portion. After it is transferred, with a clean dry hand, smooth down any bits that aren’t flatly adhered.

We recommend sealing with a water based (or not harsh solvent based) sealer (waxes created for chalk type paints also work well if they don’t contain harsh solvents).