Don't tell me not to be a hater. Haters gonna hate. And I hate loose glitter.
It's messy. I get it everywhere I don't want it (my face, the dog's nose, my cup of coffee), but it flakes off everywhere I do want it. Unless I use lots of liquid glue, and then, why not just use Stickles?
Are you following me? You don't have to agree, just hear me squawking freedom.
Thank you.
Well, have you ever wondered if you could use Stickles for projects in which you wanted just a bit of glitter, or maybe just a schmear of glitter?
I have, so I decided to experiment by mixing Stickles with a bit of water and brushing it onto a card with a cheap paintbrush. The results were very satisfying!
I chose three very old Hero Arts watercolor flower stamps and colored them with Memento markers...because Memento ink is water-resistant when dry. I didn't want the ink smearing messily while I painted over it with the Stickles. After coloring on the stamp with the markers, I spritzed several squirts of water onto the stamp for a watercolor effect. Love this technique!
The photo doesn't show the effect very well, so here's a close-up:
Cool, eh? I think so! Below are two more cards and close-ups.
This last one had an interesting twist. The orange Stickles seems a little different from the others. The glue in which the glitter is suspended is actually orange, not clear. So the white areas inside the petals turned orange...a fortunate effect in this case, I think! Also, I added a bit of extra yellow glitter right out of the bottle to the center of this flower because the "painted" glitter didn't define the center very well, especially after the white spaces turned orange.
The soft schmear of glitter over the watercolor images looks fabulous. It would look stunning over PTI's Watercolor Wonders set...which will be my next experiment with it!
And I totally want credit for trying something new. I haven't seen this anywhere, although it seems so obvious now that someone else MUST have tried it before. Great minds think alike...whoever they are.
Remember to use a cheap brush when painting glue...that $30 sable brush does not deserve to be mistreated, okay? Also, only use water-resistant or water-proof ink for this technique, or you'll likely make a mess.
And I'm getting rid of the loose glitter, so there shouldn't be any more messes in my craft space.
Right?
("She's delusional.")
I heard that.
Supplies
stamps: Hero Arts, SU Amazing to Zany
ink: Memento
paper: Papertrey white
accessories: paint brush, Stickles, cup of water, post-it notes for a makeshift palette for the Stickles, dimensionals
Lol...there will ALWAYS be a trail of glitter, years after you've stopped using it :-) ha ha...you need to look at my post yesterday on the CardMaker blog. All about glitter! Love your fun creations, Susan! I have Stickles, but have never used them with brush and water! I learn something new every time I stop by here. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteI have been painting my stickles on for quite some time. I did mention it a coupe of times in my blog posts and others were happy to hear of that way too. We all help each other. I never liked stickles because they always clogged and then came out in a big blob but I do like using a water brush with them.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry your Stickles has clogged and blobbed. I had problems with one bottle, but the other 15 or so I own have never given me problems.
DeleteI KNEW I wasn't alone in having "discovered" this!
People who rethink using a product in a different fashion are brilliant. Thanks for sharing, Susan.
ReplyDeleteHalf the fun of glitter is the guessing game of where it will land. I howl gails of laughter every time DH complains about being taken seriously at work with glitter on his cheeks. I once found glitter on the baby's bottom. Now how does that happen? I deliberately use glittery ribbon at Christmas because the glitter on the floor in February makes me smile. Isn't is awesome how we are so different. I do love your idea though. I want to use up all my Stickles. I hate them - there's no fun factor.
ReplyDeleteLOL! Different strokes for different folks! I'll send you my glitter, Christine. Just send me your addy!
DeleteI should have known a Duke fan would prefer Stickles over glitter... : )
ReplyDeleteOnly a Tarheel would prefer glitter over Stickles. Y'all are a messy lot, if my husband is representative!
DeleteI love my Stickles! Use them all the time. Like you, never get on with loose glitter. They just get everywhere!! I will have to try Stickles with water and painbrush. Now that is something new to me! ^_^
ReplyDeleteOh boy! Another way to use my Stickles! The paintbrush is coming out!
ReplyDeletePS In my world, You get the credit for this glitter tip!!!!
What a cool idea, Susan. Your flowers look awesome. Thanks for another great lesson.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great yet simple idea. Thanks Susan. I tend to save my loose glitter for putting onto die cuts of double sided adhesive sheets. If you burnish it for about 45 minutes, it almost stays put :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I tried using it on that red-backed tape, and it still flaked off messily. Ick.
DeleteLove what you did with the Stickles...I have a bunch but don't think I've ever used them in that way...have to give it a try!
ReplyDeleteGreat tip, Susan. I wonder if loose glitter could be mixed with clear glue and a bit of water to achieve this same thing? Hmmmmm... off to try it.
ReplyDeleteLove the cards, BTW.
Let us know!
DeleteGreat idea - going to try it for sure! And just for the record, I am not the reader that said "She's delusional"! Must have been one of the others.....
ReplyDeleteI gave away all my Stickles. We broke up. I failed so often trying to make dots I can't even count them. It got to where the only way I'd use Stickles was to put a bit on an area and move it around with my finger. It would thin out enough to dry in my lifetime. However, once I got my Wink of Stella clear brush pen, I just use that thing on any color I want.
ReplyDeleteI do have a small glitter collection. I use it under protest, and only for techniques. I still mostly use Wink of Stella.
PS: Still chuckling over "delusional".
Heehee - LOVE it!
ReplyDelete