What you need:

• Tumbled marbled tiles, unfinished ( I got mine at Home Depot, a set of 9 for $5.98

• Golden matte medium

• Golden matte gel medium 

• inexpensive 1" brush

• Wooden brayer

• Teflon transfer sheet

See the Tools for transfer page of this website for several of the above products)

• acrylic paint (optional)

• dampened cheese cloth or rag

• Color or blank and white photocopies NOT inkjet. Don't make the image too dark or any paper not rubbed off will show.  REVERSE THE IMAGE

• 1/8" Cork sheet or Fun Foam ( I found self-adhesive foam at Walmart.)

Matte medium can be purchased here

Wipe off the tile with a dry towel. Because the tiles are unfinished they are covered with dust.  Paint the top and sides each tile with light coating of matte medium.  I have slightly tinted the medium with a light brown color.  I emphasized the crack and surface imperfections by working the colored matte medium into the cracks.  Wipe the tile with the dampened cheese cloth or rag to remove brush strokes.  Allow the matte medium to dry , approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

Spread the matte GEL medium to the image to be transferred. The gel medium is the consistency of cold cream.  If you leave a paper border around the image, you can hold on to the paper while you are spreading the gel medium.  It is thick. AVOID getting gel medium on the back of the paper image.

NOTE:  I forgot to reverse the picture.  I noticed after I spread on the matte gel.  I fixed it before transferring to the tile.

Place the tile face down on the image.  It is easer to center the tile if you look down on the picture.  

Step 4

Immediately flip the tile over and flatten the image with a wooden brayer, pressing firmly from the center outward to the edge.

 Let the coaster lie flat to dry for 4 hours or place in the oven for 15 min at 150 degrees, allowing to cool for 15 minutes.

Update: Or use your home iron to press the image onto the tile (covered by a teflon transfer sheet) for 30 seconds.  Then put the tiles in the oven. 

Step 5

Spray the back of the transfer with water  or dampen with a sponge to wet the paper.  Let set for a few minutes until the paper becomes translucent. As the paper comes off, you'll see the mage on the tile.  Let the tile dry and you'll see a white haze of paper fibers not yet removed.  Dampen and gently rub again.  Be more careful at this stage, as it is easier to tear the transfer as the paper is removed.

Update:  If you get a bubble while rubbing off the paper, you can re-iron the tile to stick it down.  Just be sure and cove the tile with your teflon transfer sheet.

Step 6

You can add stamped images and words or hand color the tiles with inks, chalk or matte medium tinted with paint.  Be careful if you use a water soluble inks.

Seal with a coat of matte medium. (Not gel) Let dry for 30 minutes. Add a second coat.

Step 8

Turn your coaster upside down.  Apply cork or fun foam to back of tile.

I took one of my pieces of artwork and 4 different images from different sections.  I love that they all go together but are different.  The tiles are much more muted than the original piece.  I assume this is due to it being a transfer of a photocopy onto a tan marbles tile.  The original artwork was painted on to a white canvas board.

I bought this set of tiles at an expensive boutique for $50.00 last fall.  I just knew I had to find out how to make more.  I can't wait to make these for  presents.  You could use artwork or old family photos.

These are the best of the several sets of tiles I have made.  They all have a medium value, brownish background.  This goes very well with the tile color.