Technique question

[MrTroy]

I've done a bunch of sprites now, but I'm starting to question my technique, so I'm looking for some tips from the pros here on how you do things. Here's what I've been doing:

• 1. Lay out beads (duh )
  2. Cover with paper
  3. Iron
  4. Immediately remove the beads and the paper from the tile
  5. Here's where I've tried two things:
  • a. One is peeling the paper off the beads while it's still hot then moving the paper to the other side and ironing that side as well
    b. The other is leaving the paper on that side, under the beads, and using another paper on top and ironing that side. However, this can cause the beads to balloon as both sides of the bead are sealed up and so the air in the middle is trapped. It makes them REALLY sturdy, but doesn't look very good.
  6. Putting weight on it as it cools to prevent warping

So my questions are, should I be ironing both sides? Should I be removing it from the tile while it's still hot?

[ashleyl0413]

I have noticed most people iron both sides to keep their pieces sturdy. There is someone on here I saw who flips the image and makes it backwards and then leaves the underside not ironed to achieve a cleaner look. I iron both to make my piece a bit sturdier. I typically iron the top side and put something weighted on it to keep it from warping too much. I usually have to peel back the paper to check for beads that didn't fuse properly and iron again if needed. I usually have the item sit for a little bit, pull the paper off and then flip it if there are not anymore loose beads. I try to iron the back side more than I do the front because if there is any bubbling or any other imperfections they will end up on the back. Hope this helps!