Glittery Springtime Artist Trading Cards by Laura Fraedrich

The second project I’d like to share with everyone are my Glittery Springtime ATCs (Artist Trading Cards). If you’re not familiar with ATCs, they are small works of art that are made to be traded with fellow artists. There are only 2 rules to making ATCs….one is that they have to be 2.5 by 3.5 inches big, and the other is that they can’t be sold, only traded. Other than that you can make them however you want and with whatever media you choose. I first became addicted to them about a year and a half ago when I came across a few groups on Yahoo that are dedicated to arranging ‘ATC swaps’. Basically, they give you a theme and you make the cards accordingly, send them in to the swap host, then in a week or so you get back cards made by other swap participants. The first time I received an envelope of cards in the mail, I was hooked. I now have a big binder filled with hundreds of ATCs that I never get tired of looking at. To see some of the other ATCs I’ve created, please visit:
http://www.thepeculiarpalette.com/atcs.html
And yes! I would love to trade with you!



For these cards, I started by making a background using alcohol inks on glossy cardstock. Next, I used gel medium to collage some plain white tissue paper onto the background. I then cut out some of my doodles that I drew and glued them onto the card. If you don’t like to draw, rubber stamps will work just fine for this part. I used Designer Dries Clear adhesive with the metal writing tip to randomly put glitter around my doodles. I started with one color, let it dry, then applied the next color until I achieved the desired result. Lastly, I used scissors to trim a decorative border on the cards and mounted them to plain black cardstock.



Supply List:
Black and glossy white cardstock (2.5 by 3.5 inches)
Other white paper for doodling or rubber stamping images
Scissors
Adirondack alcohol inks, applicator, and blending solution (www.rangerink.com)
Fine tip black marker for doodling or
Rubber stamps and inks
Designer Dries Clear Adhesive by Art Glitter Institute and Metal Tip
Art Glitter (Ultrafine Opaque Neon: Shocking Pink and New Wave, Ultrafine Opaque: Ponderosa, Cranberry and Celery)



Additional References:
ATC trading groups on Yahoo (go to Yahoo groups and search for these):
ATC_connection
Artisttradingcards
ATC_world
ATC_Fun
ATC_SwapsGalore

ATC trading website:
www.ATCsforall.com


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Surf and Sand by Emily Montenaro

I have to admit that I’m normally a “flat adhesive” kinda girl when it comes to using glitter on my cards. I’ve had the Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear adhesive in my stash for a while, but usually reach for a two-way glue pen. The two-way glue pen is ok for the neutral glitters, but I found that it just didn’t bring out the color very well for colored glitter. So I pulled out the Designer Dries Clear Adhesive and started playing. WOW – what a difference! The Dries Clear adhesive really brought out the color and sparkle in the glitter! And by adding the Ultrafine Metal Tip, I was able to add glitter in detailed spots on this surf design. I stamped the waves, sun, and surf board with the Art Glitter black stamp pad and then all of the “coloring” was done with Dries Clear adhesive and glitter – not even one marker! Such a fun and easy way to add color and sparkle all at the same time!


Supplies:
Art Glitter Ultrafine Opaque Glitter in Fire Engine
Art Glitter Ultrafine Transparent Glitter in Lemone’, Tropical Rain, and Fauna
Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear Adhesive
Art Glitter Ultrafine Metal Tip
Art Glitter Black Stamp Pad
Rubber Stamps: Surfboard, Curling Waves, Sun, and Enjoy the ride by A Muse Artstamps
Shimmer Couture paper in Robin’s Egg Blue (trimmed to A6 size) by A Muse Artstamps
White cardstock by A Muse Artstamps
Foam tape
Scissors


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Simple Elegant Monogram Cards by Cheryl Waters

Glitter adds an elegant and rich touch to any simple or detailed project. In this case, these simple cards are dressed up with a touch of beautiful glitter. I love the vintage glass glitter and how chunky it is. It really stands out in any project. If you make a set of these cards, they make a beautiful gift. So let me share the ‘how to’ with you on these easy but elegant cards.

Materials Needed:
Fiskars Paper Trimmer
Fiskars XLarge Seal of Approval Squeeze Punch
Printed Monogram Letters
Vintage Glass Glitter
Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear Adhesive
Art Glitter Ultrafine Metal Tip
Cardstock
Double sided Patterned Paper (two styles that work well together)
Pop Dot
Rhinestones
Lace
Ribbon

Print off the desired monograms using a fancy font.
Using the Fiskars Seal of Approval Squeeze Punch, punch out the monogram letters.


With the Ultrafine Metal tip, place Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear Adhesive where you desire the glitter.

Sprinkle with glitter and remove excess. I used four different colors . . . a different color for each card. I used #615 Thistle, #604 Ultramarine, #602 Floragold, and #612 Golden Glow.

Next cut your patterned paper into a 5 ¼ inch by 4 inch rectangle and adhere to the front side of your card (white cardstock rectangle).
Next cut a 2 ½ inch square from patterned paper and adhere to the center of your card.
Next adhere your Monogrammed Scalloped Circle to the center of the 2 ½ inch square with a Pop Dot.
Add rhinestones and lace with Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear Adhesive. Create a set of 4 or 6 cards to give as a lovely elegant personalized card set.


Note . . . try different combinations of your double sided patterned paper and different textures too. In this case I used flocked cardstock by GCD Studios which is also double sided. The other side is a patterned paper with a linen feel. Oh so lovely! So I used two pieces of patterned paper total.


Lastly, tie with a ribbon or put in a pretty recycled box and give as a gift to you or someone else. Enjoy!


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Glue Pad/Glitter Stamping Technique by Emily M. Miller

Hi all. I wanted to share with you a technique I learned from blockheadstamps.com. It is a glue pad/glitter stamping technique that works beautifully! If you happened to read an older blog of ours about glue, glitter and glue stamp pads you will know that I’m not real fond of the glue stamp pads because I can still rub the glitter off. But this technique keeps the glitter on!

Very simple, stamp your image with a glue stamp pad, I used The Essential Glue Pad by Tsukineko, onto cardstock. If your glue pad is a little dry, re-glue it or else nothin’ will get the glitter to stay! Then you can spoon your glitter on in sections, changing colors as you go. Cover the whole image with a clear embossing powder, tap excess off into a separate tray (save glitter/embossing powder for future uses of this technique) and emboss with a heat tool. I’ve tried it with all of our regular glitter and it works wonderfully!


This example is made with our Fine Vintage Glass Glitter. The tutorial from blockheadstamps uses this for the Shards too. I was not happy with the Shards however, it came off too easily for me. I cut my egg shape out after glittering and embossing then placed it into the middle of Art Glitter's Sticky Paper, glittered and embossed again using the saved embossing powder. I tried it with Art Glitter's Sticky Tape too. All successes! (You don't have to use the embossing power with the sticky paper and tape if you don't want to, but while you have it out...) The I added some glitter dots to frame it. Done! Fun!

BTW the stamp is from Holly Berry House Originals. Enjoy.

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Mini Mosiacs by Laura Fraedrich

I am honored to have been asked to be a guest designer for the Art Glitter Institute! I love mixed media artwork and am looking forward to sharing some of my projects with you. I hope you enjoy them!

I am the kind of person who loves collecting different items and supplies that I feel like I can’t live without, but I hardly ever use them right away. They end up getting stashed in the closet and it takes several months or years for me to come across them again and realize that they would be perfect for the project I am currently working on. That is exactly how this project came to be. I came across my collection of beads and recycled jar lids and knew exactly what I was going to do.


First, spray paint the tops and sides of a few jar lids. I used three for this project but you can use as few or as many as you’d like. When they’re dry, flip them over and start gluing beads and/or small tiles in patterns inside the lid with Weldbond glue. Make sure you leave ¼- ½ inch of space in between each bead or tile so you have enough room for the grout. Once you are satisfied with your designs, let the glue dry overnight to make sure the beads don’t come loose when grouting.

Now you’re ready to grout. You can buy grout pre-mixed in the mosaic section in craft stores, or you can also buy dry grout at home improvement stores. I was lucky enough to find dry grout in a rainbow of colors at a local Phoenix store (www.mosaicguys.com) that specializes in art mosaics, and that is what I used here. Apply the grout and wipe off according to package directions and let dry completely.

Here comes the fun part….adding glitter! Mix about a teaspoon of Designers Dries Clear adhesive and a teaspoon of water into small bathroom cups (one for each color of glitter you want to use). Then add about ¼-1/8 teaspoon of glitter and mix well. I found that the microfine works the best. Use a small paintbrush to paint the glitter glue mixture onto the grout. Tah dah! Now it sparkles and shines!

I chose to mount mine onto a piece of wood that I sanded and stained with paint mixed with gel medium, then embellished it with some funky yarn and more glass beads. You may choose to attach a hanger to each mosaic to make ornaments out of. Once you’ve made the mosaics, the possibilities of what to do with them are endless!

Supplies used:

Jar lids (pickles, spaghetti sauce, etc.) washed and dried
Spray paint in the color(s) of your choice
Art Glitter Ultrafine Transparent Glitter in Amazon, White Gold, and Twig
Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear adhesive
Weldbond Glue
Various beads, tiles, found objects, etc.
Tile grout
Sponge
Bucket with water (for wiping off grout)
Small paint brush

Optional:
Wood for mounting
Hot Glue
Funky yarn
String for hangers


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Glitter Puzzle Hammock by Emily Montenaro

I am excited to have been asked to be an Art Glitter guest designer for March-May! For my first project, I thought it would be fun to make a sparkling sunset scene, so I chose several colors of Art Glitter Ultrafine Transparent glitter and some relaxing images from A Muse, then set to work on a glitter puzzle design!

This is a fun and easy glitter technique that I learned from this tutorial on Splitcoaststampers.com:
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/resources/tutorials/glitter_puzzle/


To make my version, the basic instructions are the same. Run a piece of white cardstock through a Xyron machine. Remove the clear plastic, then use a craft knife to cut lines into the coated backing sheet. Peel away one of the backing sheet sections and add glitter. Since the rest of the backing sheet is still in place, it acts as a mask! Tap off excess glitter, then peel away the next section and change glitter colors. Then repeat one section at a time until you have covered the layer completely in glitter! Adhere that layer to your card base. Then stamp desired images on a transparency sheet and attach to the glitter layer and card base using ribbon, brads, or eyelets. With this technique, you get amazing sparkle and color with stunning results very quickly! Love it!


Supplies
Art Glitter Ultrafine Transparent Glitter in Lemone’, Orange Crush, Pink Smoothie, Tropical Rain, and Fauna
Art Glitter Transparency Sheet
Rubber Stamps: Hammock and Life’s a Breeze by A Muse Artstamps
Polka Dot sheer ribbon in White by A Muse Artstamps
4-bar notecard in Slate by A Muse Artstamps
White cardstock
Black stamp ink suitable for transparencies
Crop-a-dile
Craft Knife
Xyron with permanent adhesive cartridge


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Sizzle Sun by Emily M. Miller

Thank you Emily! This looked so fun I had to try it out immediately! Way easy, way fun. Then I started thinking and wondered if it could be done with our Sticky Paper? My first attempt was terrible, no matter how little pressure I used, my craft knife cut clear through. So I gave up for a second and then realized what I was missing was the cardstock. So I glued my sticky paper (the white paper side) to a scrap piece of cardstock and tried again, worked like a charm!


It was slightly more difficult than using the Xyron Machine, the backing doesn't come off as easily. You have to use the tip of your craft knife to lift it up. But same results. And I've never been very skilled at getting a good stamped image and the inside of my sun's glasses didn't turn out so great. So I filled them in with our Microfine #507 Black Wing. I LOVE the Microfine! I also used #500 Ruby Red for the lips. I didn't have an appropriate stamp sentiment so I just drew 'Sizzle!" with the Designer Dries Clear and covered with Ruby Red. And the brads, they were a color that didn't match so...Ruby Red again!

If you click on my photo to see it larger you'll notice that there is a small amount of red glitter on top of the black sun glasses. That's what we call 'polluting' the glitter. When I glittered the lips the glasses hadn't dried much (well, not at all!) and a little of the red stayed. It's more common with the Microfine colors than the Ultrafine so you need to let them dry some. And the Opaque colors will always pollute the Transparent, so make sure you use Opaque first and let them dry before using Transparent. I like it anyway, you almost can't go wrong, after all it is GLITTER!

Thank you again Emily! And thank you for indulging me!

‘Once Upon A Time’ Accordion Album by Cheryl Waters

I am so thrilled to be here to share a little about my love for Art Glitter. Since the first time I tried Art Glitter ‘Designer Dries Clear’ adhesive and Vintage Glass Glitter, I was hooked. I love that glitter can add a touch of elegance, sparkle and shine to any project. I also love that ‘Designer Dries Clear’ adhesive with their Ultrafine Metal Glue tip gives me the opportunity to add glitter to fine lines and unique places. I wanted to share with you some ways that I used Art Glitter in this project I did of my daughter titled ‘Once Upon A Time’ . . . . My daughter is quite the princess. I wanted to display these special photos of her prominently on our mantle so I made an accordion album. These were taken during an ‘every day moment’. As a little girl she loved to dress up and dance. So I wanted capture these photos and create a fairy tale type of feel. No better way than adding some glitter.



With the Ultrafine Metal Glue tip you can precision with ease. Sometimes you desire precision and fine lines and other times you might want to portray a playful element with a thicker application of adhesive. I use Designer Dries Clear to adhere almost anything, metal, canvas, fabric, rhinestones . . . you name it.







I love to add detail and glitter. Here I used the Fiskars Sunburst border punch. I then added just a touch of Amethyst Ultrafine Transparent Glitter to give it some shine. Amethyst comes in the Reggae color combination. I love the vibrant color combination of this set. So with the transparent glitter it leaves glitter with a hue. It’s fine glitter but it’s also ‘transparent’ and while clear, it has a hue of luscious pink.







I love adding glitter to surprising places even places like key holes.






While I’ve always been a lover of all things Art Glitter, I hadn’t tried until recently the Ultrafine Metal tip and I love what it can do. So I encourage you if you haven’t given it a whirl or ‘swirl’ I encourage you to do so. So add a little glitter and sparkle to your precious projects. Until next time . . . shine on!



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New Guest Designers

Please join me in welcoming our next set of Guest Designers! These talented gals will have you creating wonderful things for the next three months.

My name is Cheryl Waters and I reside in beautiful South Orange County, California. I’m so happy to give you a glimpse into my world and look forward to getting to know many of you better. I have been married for 19 years to a great guy and have one beautiful, fun-loving eleven year old daughter who brightens my life. I have a very close family and we love football and sports in general. I love spending time with my family and also enjoy the outdoors. 
 
I have had the blessing of being a lead and founding Fiskateer (www.fiskateers.com/blog) and began my journey in 2006. The fiskateers are enthusiastic crafters who share the Fiskars love and make up a warm and loving community. They mean a great deal to me. My first two years as a lead Fiskateer, I learned a great deal and took great joy in being a part of a groundbreaking experience. I am so grateful to be a part of the Fiskars family . . . a company that loves its crafters, crafters that love each other, the company and community. It has been incredible to watch this community grow from four to almost 7,004 (just around the corner). 
 
I work full time in law enforcement and enjoy working with the community. I have enjoyed having the opportunity to use some of my artistic abilities in my law enforcement position. Crafting is so much about life! Prior to working in law enforcement, my husband and I (later came my daughter) lived overseas, primarily South Africa, Zambia and Madagascar for about six years. I learned so much about life, culture and community. It was a life altering and growing experience.
 
Paper arts and mixed media has always been a part of my life in some fashion. Besides teaching at several different venues as a Fiskateer in several different states, I have also served as a Creative Team Member at my local scrapbook store; Timeless Treasures in Rancho Santa Margarita for almost six years. I enjoy teaching altered and fine art projects and also like to draw. I love altering items of any kind and ‘thinking outside the box’ with my projects. I lean toward a ‘Shabby Chic’ type of style.
I have taken pleasure in sharing some of my artistic world with Stampington and Company. I enjoy writing articles and creating projects for Somerset Home, Somerset Memories (formerly Legacy), Handcrafted, Stamper’s Sampler and others. I’ve been a guest designer with other companies such as Tattered Angels, Jump Create and other sites.
Lastly, I’ve enjoyed being a part of a wonderful group of artists and gals this past year. Some have been friends for years and others are newly developed friendships. Our journey was called “A Year in the Life of Me” but folks call us the Lucky 13. 13 artists came together scrapping each others photos for 2009. In January we swapped the canvas pages we artistically created for one another and these works of art will be cherished for a lifetime. You can see more at www.theluckythirteen.blogspot.com More to come soon in print.
So again, I’m thrilled to be here and share what I love about Art Glitter products. I have long had a love relationship with Art Glitter and I can’t wait to share why.

My artwork is a result of many years of collecting art supplies and reading about how to use them, but never having the time to actually do it. Now that I finally can make art full time, I mix many different mediums into each piece because I am just so excited to use them all. The resulting art is a combination of acrylics, watercolors, clay, collage, chalks, oil pastels, ink, found objects, beads, glitter, fabric, fibers, recycled materials, and whatever else I can find that might become part of a unique piece of art.
Much of my work is influenced by my other passion in life, my pets. My life revolves around them, so why shouldn't my artwork? The portrayal of animals in my work is often lighthearted, whimsical and humorous, and my goal is to put a smile on the face of anyone that views my pieces.
My art contains bright, vibrant, and unusual color combinations. I am attracted to these colors like a moth is attracted to a flame, and it is very apparent in my artwork. Deep purples, yellow greens, rich reds, and warm oranges are like candy to my eyes. Naturally these are the first colors I reach for when creating my pieces. Pastel shades are almost non-existent in my work.
My goal as an artist is to inspire others to grab some art supplies and explore their creativity. Art has always been therapeutic for me. A few hours of sitting at a pottery wheel or smearing paint around a piece of paper can make even the worst mood melt away. I want to help others find that they can enrich their lives and relieve stress by scheduling some time to create art into their days.
I am currently working on developing my own rubber stamp line, as well as taking as many art classes that I can fit into my schedule at the Maricopa County Community Colleges in AZ. 

Website: http://thepeculiarpalette.com/

Emily has always had a fondness for any type of paper craft. When she was little, she made cards for her family with her little "Great Greetings" fashion plate card maker. She remembers going to an art supply store with her Dad every weekend where she got to pick out a fancy marker to add to her collection. She started stamping in 2001 and has been loving it ever since!
After a 10 year corporate career in Information Systems, she became a SAHM in 2005 when she moved from Ohio to California with her husband and young son.
Emily has been designing for A Muse Artstamps since 2006. Her card designs can be seen in local stamp stores around the world and in the A Muse Design Studio Gallery. She has been published in Paper Crafts Magazine and teaches stamping classes in Southern California. http://stampingscoops.blogspot.com/