the eggs have it!

as promised yesterday, now for the eggs!

here are three different techniques that you can probably complete with supplies you already own.  each technique is easy, and the excess ink, glimmer mist, and glitter and can be reused! a little bit goes a long way!

for these eggs, use a masking product and alcohol inks.  don’t have a mask? use a die-cut sticker—place it gently on the egg, spray the alcohol ink, and then remove the sticker for the same effect. for this project, each different alcohol ink was squeezed into mini misters.  lay the eggs on a bed of paper, put the mask on top of the egg, and spray the eggs with different colors of alcohol ink. when they’re dry, put coordinating jewels in the center of each egg to finish them off.

ah, glittered eggs.  so simple, so beautiful.  very sparkly in person! to get this look, empty five different colors of glitter into plastic cups. brush glue onto each egg, and then drop them into the various cups. use a spoon to scoop scoop glitter over the top and sides the egg, and once it’s dry, shake off the excess glitter and add a button or a jewel using diamond glaze.  snazzy!

and finally, why not spray some glimmer mist on an egg.  beautiful!  shake each color of glimmer mist really well, unscrew the spray nozzle and pour the liquid into plastic cups. submerge the eggs in each cup to dye them…the longer you leave the eggs in the glimmer mist, the darker the color will become.

when you’re happy with the color of the eggs, pour the glimmer mist liquid back into its appropriate bottle for later use. then add some embellishments and jewels.  gorgeous!

and there you have it.  kind regards, easter bunny!  see you (and the squirrels) soon enough!

a sprinkle here, a sprinkle there…

it’s no mystery that i love glitter.  even the words “glitter” and “sparkle” put a smile on my face.  check out this Sugar Coating Glitter from Doodlebug Designs.  it’s a superfine glitter that comes in a variety of shades like rich chocolate brown and raspberry pink, and the 12 color assortment pack will make hundreds of projects.  just a pinch goes a very long way.

a quick and easy method for adding some sparkle to your projects is coupling the sugar coating glitter with Stick With It transfers, which are precut shapes and letters that can be adhered to your project. 

here’s how:  grab a transfer and stick it to the desired spot.  remove the top waxy paper layer, sprinkle with glitter, and use your finger to rub the glitter in a circular motion onto the tranfers—you’ll get better coverage this way, and you won’t have glitter falling off later on. 

sparkle on!

stuck on stickles

i love stickles.  heard about them yet?  stickles are decorative glitter glues that come in a lot of different colors and textures, and you can write, paint, embellish, create dots, outline, and do a lot more with them. three types are available:  stickles glitter glue, distress stickles, and glitz stickles.  here’s a rundown on the basics:

stickles glitter glue:

 

 

 

 

 

35 different colors available

fine point, easy-flow applicator tip

acid free

tim holtz distress stickles:

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 different colors available

larger easy-flow applicator tip

acid free

variegated glitter sizes

gives a more distressed look

thicker and bolder than the regular stickles mentioned above

 

suze weinberg glitz stickles

 

 

 

 

 

6 different colors available

fine point, easy-flow applicator tip

acid free

extra sparkle to add lots of bling

differences:

so what’s the difference between all these?  a brief rundown:

the applicator tip is larger on the distress stickles bottle, so you can’t create fine lines.

stickles and glitz stickles have the same applicator tip.

the drying time is longer for distress stickles.

the colors can be very similar, but distress stickles are a bit chunkier.

the regular stickles are easier to use for painting.

the samples below show the differences.  check out the different sizes of the applicator tips.

and look how different the lines are when you try to write or draw.  they also have a very different look when applied with a paintbrush. 

depending on your desired finished look, there’s a stickles that’s just right for your project.  pick some up!

 

glimmer mist

with names like juneberry wine, candy apple red, lemon zest, peach delight, sea glass, and honey dew mist, how can you possibly limit yourself to just a few of these 50 beautiful new little things called glimmer mist?  a 2 ounce bottle is $6.89 a pop, so start saving now…you’re going to want every color for all your projects.

the “glimmer” in this mist is archival and acid-free. put on some gloves, because stained fingers are a possibility.  and before each use you’ve got to shake it very well to distribute, because it does settle at the bottom.  might want to put your project in a box or protected area when spraying as well…the mist can travel and get on things you don’t want sparkly.  (is there anything that wouldn’t look good sparkly?!?) since glimmer mist is water-based, it can be rehydrated with water…which makes it possible to re-use dried puddles on a teflon craft mat, stamps and stencils.

techniques:

direct to paper

create interesting backgrounds by spraying (moving your arm as if applying hairspray) across a piece of paper, or spritz puddles and use a brayer to move and blend the colors. a quick spray of this fine mist creates a light tone of glittery shine. a darker shade can be achieved by layering one mist on top of another and drying between applications. you can achieve a completely different look by combining different colors.

if you can’t wait for nature to take its course, drying with a heat gun between colors will quickly set the mist. and get this…you can blend pooled colors while blowing with the hot air! using a heat gun will help to reduce warping—but if your paper curls, you can heat it from the “wrong” side or even iron it to flatten it out. remember to cover your work with a clean sheet of paper before ironing! 

stamping

select a stamp with just a few bold details and spray the mist (using one or several colors) onto a teflon craft mat or wax/parchment paper. place the stamp into the “misty” puddle, and then stamp your image onto paper. this works especially well with foam stamps.

stenciling

with lightweight plastic stencils, you might want to lightly tape the edges down to prevent seepage before lightly spraying the mist. for more intense color, add more layers…allowing the mist to dry in between applications. carefully remove the stencil and flip it over to achieve a reverse watercolor image. brass stencils can simply be placed down on the paper and sprayed, then lifted. if the mist dries on the stencil, just spritz it with water and you can use it again.   lace and plastic or paper doilies can also be used as stencils. try sponging instead of spraying the stencil for another effect.

masking

similar to stencils, masking involves blocking out larger areas. silk flowers, leaves, and chipboard can be sprayed with glimmer mist and a mirror image will be left behind. the sprayed objects can then be used as accents on the sprayed project.  using a liquid mask called miskit, you can paint over areas or images. allow the mask to dry, spray the mist, allow that to dry, and then rub off the miskit.

transparencies spraying onto a transparency or plastic image will cause the product to bead or form tiny pools on the surface. this can create an interesting effect, but requires patience and a heck of a lot of time for complete drying.

for these cards, the background paper was sprayed using the direct-to-paper technique. for the image, stencils were used and then flipped over to create a reverse image.  the acetate snowflakes were sprayed, and the beaded effect created shimmery pools on top. a red prismacolor marker was used to color the backside of the snowflake, and this font is “jack frost”.

on glitter

when it comes to glitter, there are a heck of a lot of products out there.  here are a few good tips to help you choose your sparkle wisely.

art institute glitter (AIG) has a great color pallet, and each AIG peewee kit contains 7 different coordinating colors of glitter. the containers inside a peewee kit seem pretty small, but once you start using AIG, you’ll see just how far these little vials will stretch! AIG’s got a line that specifically coordinates with bazzill monochromatic cardstocks, which is really swell, and is available in opaque and transparent varieties.  they’ve even got a calibrated color chart to help you pick just the right color!

while i think AIG has the best color pallet, they don’t hold a candle to doodlebug when it comes to different types of glitter. whether you want your project sugar coated, chunky glittered, or soft with crushed velvet flock, doodlebug has you more than covered. they’ve got a solid color pallet, but there isn’t much variety in terms of color.  but for what they lack in color choice they compensate by providing everything you need for a project in the same colors – brads, paper, stickers, etc.

for those who prefer a little more ‘hands off’ approach, try the tattered angels glimmer mist on for size.  glimmer mist adds a nice coat of glimmer and a little splash of color – although there are several bottles that are glimmer only and have no color.  glimmer mist doubles as a glitter option as well as a color dye, and they have a fairly comprehensive color line with over 93 color choices.  tattered angels doesn’t provide everything you need for your project in their colors – but you certainly can create any kind of embellishments or even your own paper to coordinate! 

another great ‘hands off’ glitter method that saves you from the mess of regular glitter is “stickles” by ranger. stickles are simply glue with glitter suspended therein…so you squeeze it onto your project, wait for it to dry,  and your project is beautifully glittered!  no clean up or walking around for days with glitter on your face! 

there are lots of other companies that offer great lines of glitter, but these are a few of my favorites that illustrate just how many ways you can get a little sparkle on your project.