Including a Prayer Labyrinth in a Journal
A labyrinth needs to be printed or copied on a machine that uses toner and then the image can be transferred onto the page of a journal. Ideally you will size the labyrinth in a computer document so that it suits the size of your journal page. It is most likely that the print from the computer will be to an inkjet or laser printer which must then be copied on a copy machine that uses toner. [Important point: when you are using this technique for an image with words or which has distinctions on the left or right you need to print on a machine that allows you to “flip” the image because when you transfer the image it will reverse and make everything look backwards.] I generally drop my images into PowerPoint to do the advance set-up because there are simple photo adjustments to crop, shape, tweak, and flip the image. Then I just need a “straight print” at the copy machine. It seems complicated, but once the set-up is done and the hard copy printed you can keep a printed file copy of “inkjet/laser” master images so you can easily grab one and make more toner image copies as needed.
To make the toner transfer to the journal page, place the toner size down onto the journal page and secure with paper clips. Wear disposable gloves and work in a well-ventilated area. Using a disposable rag which has been dampened with Xylene (a solvent available in the paint section of a hardware store), slightly rub it across the back of the toner paper, being careful not to shift the page. Then use a hard plastic edge of brazing tool (an old credit card works) and rub back-and-forth across the damped paper until the image transfers. You might have to re-dampen the cloth and apply more Xylene, but be careful not to over-do or the image will run. To check, carefully peel the paper back to check. Line art images like the labyrinth are easy to transfer; photos are a little trickier because there is more inked image that needs to show up on the journal page. You can use layers of watercolors, pencils, and/or chalks after the copied image is dry.