Friday, September 30, 2011

Halloween & Holiday Glitter Sales at Art Glitter


Happy Glittering All! The Art Glitter crew is doing well. We are busy with the changing seasons. I’m in shock really, October is here and Halloween is so close it’s SCARY! To help you get ready we have added a nice selection of Halloween colors to our Overstock Sales going on. 1oz jars for only $6.60 and 4 Monochromatic Pee Wee Kits for only $9.99. Perfect for the holidays! See these sales here…

Speaking of sales, we still have Kooky Kolors for Toni in stock. Boy, with all these colors to choose from you can make a nice inexpensive pallet of Art Glitter colors for yourself! No one is happier about spreading the sparkle than Toni, our veteran salesperson who had a stroke early this summer. She is back in town and doing wonderfully! She’s not quite ready for work yet, but hopefully soon. She and Art Glitter thank you for all your well wishes and donations. See her special sale here…

But wait you say, you have all these colors and want something else? What would you say to 20% off any 1/4 oz jar you want? Yes! Join Art Glitter’s Texting Group and receive 20% off 1/4 oz glitter jars! What’s a texting group? It’s an easy, fast want for you to stay up to date with what’s new at Art Glitter and receive exclusive deals.


Call 90210, text the word “artglitter” to opt in and learn how to get 20% off your favorite Art Glitter Quarter Ounce Colors! Then go shopping and type in your text code in the comments field while checking out and we’ll apply your discount when your order is ready to ship.

Not "into" texting? Give us a quick email and we’ll set you up! But hurry to opt in if you can, Membership Space is limited!

Whew, that's a lot of sales! Better not wear myself out before I get my decorating done, Enjoy!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Pink Fantasy Earrings by Diana Gonzalez

Recently I agreed to work with Art Institute Glitter. No sooner did I get my shipment of art supplies in the mail, then I was already at work, creating. So I made a pair of earrings.


Are these not the coolest earrings you’ve ever seen in your life? Oh man, I love them. And I love working with Art Institute Glitter. Not just because I love glitter, mind you. They have some unique supplies, and are a  fun and easy company for an artist to work with. It’s nice when that happens.
I made these with their Fantasy Film. Oh my god, why didn’t anyone tell me about this stuff sooner? I LOVE it, so much!

To work with fantasy film, took my brown pigment ink stamp pad, and a rubber stamp with typewriter font. I stamped it, let it dry a bit, then crinkled it up. Then, I took a few pieces of film, and sandwiched it between two layers of parchment paper (parchment paper is a crafter’s best friend-it goes right up there with glue and glue sticks).

And then, I ironed it. I forgot to look at what setting I used. But experiment, I say!


Then, I cut out 1″ holes with a paper punch, and made these lovely earrings. Cute, eh? You can CLICK HERE to PURCHASE. And yes, I will be making more in a few different colors.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Steampunk Glass Shards Pendant by Lori Mendenhall

When I got my hands on my first jar of glass shard glitter I knew I had to own every color! I love the chunky, yet refined sparkly look it gives my projects. My favorite thing to do with the glass shards is to encase them in resin.


The steampunk look is still in – especially pieces using gears. The large gear, along with the unique glass shards, gives this design its edgy flavor.

Here is how I made this piece:

1. Fill a pendant blank with glass shard glitter. Shown is Art Glitter Vintage Glass Glitter in Amber, #908.

2. Carefully encase the glitter with resin. When the resin sets up a bit, place the large gear on top. This gear is from Ranger’s Tim Holtz Ideology line.

3. Place a flatback Swarovski crystal in the center of the gear where the little hole is. Be cautious not to get resin on top of the crystal or it will ruin the reflection of the crystal.

4. Be sure to check back after a few hours to make sure nothing has shifted. If it has, use a toothpick to nudge it back into place.  Set aside to cure for at least 24 hours.
5. Once the pendant is completely cured, create a cute accent dangle. This is simply a pearl on a brass headpin. I like a simple dangle here so as to not detract from the focal point.

Note, I received free product in exchange for this article. However, I’ve been using Art Glitter products for years and love them!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Fabulous Fall Leaf Pins by Clare Dempsey


I think you’re never too old to play in Fall Leaves.  The trees here are already changing and the colors are wonderful!  So this year, I set out to capture that color and beauty with Art Glitter in jewelry.  I started by cutting my leaves using SCAL2 on my Cricut and the Art Glitter Transparency sheets.  It cut like a dream, but if you don’t have a Cricut, just hand cut a leaf or cut it with another die such as Sizzix.


I creased my transparency down the center a bit to make my leaf more natural looking.  I then used the Art Glitter Dries Clear Adhesive with the Ultrafine glue tip and laid down the glue where the veins of the leaf would be in green.


I then added more Art Glitter Dries Clear Adhesive in between the veins.  I carefully poured one color at a time, starting at the outside and working in to the center.  This was allowed to dry completely and then I added Ranger Glossy Accents on the top of the glitter one half of the leaf at a time.  The Glossy Accents caused my leaf tips to curl, just like an actual leaf on one side.  I applied the Glossy Accents one side at a time, because the transparency sheet was already creased, and I wanted the GA to dry evenly.  Once the first side was dry, I added Glossy Accents to the second side and allowed it to dry.  Be sure to pop any air bubbles after you add the Glossy Accents before it dries!  I did have to coax the curl into the second side while the Glossy Accents was still a bit soft. 

I then added a pin back from Michaels to the back of my leaf using my low temp glue gun.


I also made a leaf pin on some  metallic cardstock with the Art Glitter Gala Glitz Gold and Gala Glitz Orange.


Supplies:
Art Glitter Transparency Sheet
Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear Adhesive
Art Glitter Ultrafine Metal Glue Tip
Art Glitter Ultrafine Opaque Glitter 278 Poppy
Art Glitter Ultrafine Opaque Glitter 56 Pumpkin
Art Glitter Ultrafine Opaque Glitter 47 Vine
Art Glitter Ultrafine Opaque Glitter 231 Copper Harbor
Art Glitter Ultrafine Opaque Glitter 343 Chestnut
Art Glitter Ultrafine Transparent Glitter 92 Bananan
Ranger Glossy Accents
Pin Backing

Friday, September 16, 2011

Big Bling Luggage Tag by Emily M. Miller

My sister-in-law asked me to make a cool luggage tag for her and I said how big? She said “you know me, make it BIG”! So here’s what I came up with…


This is an altered photo of her and her baby beagle. I scraped off the background and painted it too. I decided to use this laminate from 3M because it is really thick, double sided, and just the right size for a 4x6 print. I also printed out her address info on copy paper. Tore around the info, ran the edges across a couple ink pads and glued it onto the backside of a cereal box. (See backside at end of post).


I trimmed a little off the long side of the photo so I could have more space for the laminate sides to adhere together. I glued the photo onto the other side of the address info and let it dry a little. Then I placed the photo inside the laminate, leaving extra space at top to cut out a hole. I just free-hand cut out the hole with a zacto knife. You can see it’s not perfect, but who cares? Glitter will take care of that!


I used my bone folder to get a really good seal. Pressing the edges and as close to the photo sides as possible. The laminate was pretty slick so I sanded the edges for a better glue surface to stick to.

I wanted lots of bling with different sizes and usually that means I’ll grab for my Gala Glitz. But this  will be handled quite a bit and I can’t use glass! So my next favorite big bling is Dazzlers. Here’s what I used:

D55 Queen’s Robe
D52 Rockettes
D44 Hollywood (stars)
Microfine Opaque Glitter #502 Diva Gold


Here’s how to get a quick easy mix, without mixing all your glitter together: Lay down your Designer Dries Clear adhesive. You can either paint it on or do the lazy messy method I use, take your ultrafine metal tip off and draw a thick line of glue, then smear it across your area with your finger. Start with your largest size of glitter, (the stars), take a small pinch of them and drop them on the glue sparingly. Then take the next size, (Queen’s Robe), and sprinkle some more on. Then fill in the rest with an ultrafine or microfine glitter (#502 Diva Gold). You’ll love the results! Be sure to work in sections so you can get it all done while the glue is wet, white and shiny.

I also edged the photo, the hole and sides with Queen’s Robe and Rockettes for a nice finish. (AND Because I smeared the glue on, the sides weren’t completely covered and I wanted to fix the hole too!)


I don’t know if any of you do this, but when ever I’m working with these larger glitter sizes and I have a left over pile of mixed pieces, I save it in a special jar, a sort of a kitchen sink concoction. I’ll use that later for a quick edging to finish off a piece. I have another one set aside for glass glitter and beads.


Here’s the backside with her address info blurred out. I just did a quick border with my left over glitter pile from the front side.  As you can see the front is not quite dry. My theory was that I didn’t need to do the backside since it would show through from the front. I didn’t have time to find out if that was true, had to mail it off to her before it completely dried, but I’m sure it looks great. It has to…it’s glitter!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Fiber Skeletion Picture Frame by Diana Gonzalez

So, recently I finished up altering a wooden picture frame, with a lovely Halloween theme.


Nice, right? I don’t have any ONE picture big enough for this frame, but I do have a few small ones that will go inside.

I used a memory frame by Plaid Crafts. I used glitter and products by Art Institute Glitter.
Want to make one? It’s easy peasy.


First, you’ll need to paint it black, using Plaid Folk Art paint, in Ultra black.


Then, use their extreme glitter paint (also in black). This gives it a nice shine, and gives it a little more….spook, I guess.

After that, you’ll need your fantasy fiber in a nice foresty green. (English Ivy)

In between two pieces of parchment paper, spread out a thin layer of fantasy fiber, and iron it.
I had to do this a couple times, so that I had enough of it, to fit on the frame.

Then, using Art Institute Glitter’s Designer Dries Clear Adhesive, just dab on a little bit of glue, and adhere it to the frame.


For the next step, get yourself some yellow cardstock, embossing ink, and black embossing powder, and a skeleton rubber stamp. I used one by Deadbeat Designs.

You know the drill: ink up, stamp up, and emboss.

Then, get yourself some alphabet rubber stamps. Stamp the letters BOO with black ink, then go over it with Designer Dries Clear Adhesive, and Art Glitter's FABULOUS Dazzler’s Glitter line, in Hexis Gunmetal.

Cut out the skeletons, and the letters (once they are dry), and glue them on.

Voila!


And that’s that!


The flower was just laying around somewhere. It’s by Prima, if you want to know.

So, if you don’t have the Extreme glitter paint, you can make some yourself with some #79 Black Ultrafine glitter, by Art Institute, and mix it with Mod Podge.

Anyway, this year I’m going to really try for Halloween. I mean, I really want to go all out. Maybe it’s me being pregnant. We’ll see.  What else? It is a beautiful sunny day. Here I was, set for a week of full rain, and the sun comes out and betrays me. So I’m going out today, for a little bit. I mean, that’s what you do, when you have a kid. You know? Playgrounds, and glitter paint, and glue and things.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Glitter By Number by Clare Dempsey


Have you tried the paint by number technique with your Art Glitter and Art Glitter Sticky paper?  Well, you’re going to want to after you see how easy and beautiful it is!  To use this technique you will need a digital cutters such as a Cricut, Pazzles, KNK or other.  See bottom of the post for a full list of supplies for this project.

Set your machine to cut ONLY through the top layer of the Art Glitter Sticky Paper (portion with Red printing).  For my Cricut I used the blade housing setting of 3 and the machine pressure setting of 3.  Create your design and place the Art Glitter Small Sticky paper on the cutting mat with the red printed portion of the paper on top.  Cut with your machine and remove from mat to apply glitter.
For this card, I used the Cricut French Manor cartridge.  I then peeled off the portion of the design I wanted to start with, working with the darkest color first.


I like to use a pin or a piercing tool to pick up the top layer of the sticky paper.  See photo below.  I poured on my glitter and shook off the excess.  Be careful not to touch the portion of the design that has already been glittered as you work.  If you accidentally touch the glittered portion, you can carefully re-pour the glitter over the area again.  However, this does get more difficult as you add more colors.


You may see as you work that you have missed a detailed portion of your design after you apply the glitter.  Just use your pin or piercing tool to remove this small piece and glitter a second time on the detail.  You can see in this close up, that the center of the “s” in Paris still has paper on it.  I just removed this with a pin and poured the Blue Angel again over the small spot.


Continue peeling off the design color by color and pouring glitter as you go.  I applied my lightest color 86 Angel Dust last. This technique is great for Christmas ornaments, Easter items and any detailed design!


Supplies:
Art Glitter Small Sticky Paper
Art Glitter 185 Varsity Blue Ultrafine Pearlescent glitter (Eiffel Tower)
Art Glitter 295 Ensalada Ultrafine Transparent Glitter (Paris)
Art Glitter 280 Lime Rind Ultrafine Opaque Glitter (Merci)
Art Glitter 183 Blue Angel Ultrafine Pearlescent Glitter
Art Glitter 86 Angel Dust Ultrafine Transparent Glitter
Cricut or other digital cutter
Pin or piercing tool
Cricut French Manor Cartridge (optional)

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Glittered Bottle Cap Pendant – By Lori Mendenhall

Whenever a customer notices that some of my pendants are made from bottle caps they think it’s really clever and cute! Well, I did not come up with the idea of making bottle cap pendants, but I do have my own little spin on them and this is what I’d like to share with you today.

My little secret is GLITTER! Notice how the ridges of the bottle cap are accented with gorgeous glitter? I also put a rim of the sparkly stuff around the edge of my artwork. This little accent makes all the difference in the world.



Here’s how to make this piece:

1. Use a paper punch to cut out a 1” circle of black cardstock. If you plan to do more than a few bottle caps I would definitely advise investing in a 1” punch – it’s a big timesaver and you get a perfect result each time.

2. Cut out a pair of lips from a piece of cardstock. These lips just happened to be the perfect size but I am sure you can find birds, hearts, watch faces, and many other things that would work fine too. Glue the lips onto the black paper circle.  Coat both sides of the artwork with a sealant such as Mod Podge. Dry thoroughly.

3. When your cardstock is dry, place it in the bottle cap. Using Designer Dries Clear adhesive,  draw a rim around the artwork and also add a dab to each ridge of the cap. Sprinkle the Art Glitter glitter onto the glue and shake off the excess.  I like an opaque glitter for this look, here I’ve used Art Glitter’s Eclipse Ultrafine Opaque Hologram, #130. I’d also recommend using the Ultrafine Metal Tip. Dry thoroughly. This is extremely important, as resin and moisture don’t play well together.

4. Fill the bottle cap with resin. For this project I used Easy Cast casting epoxy resin. I like it because it’s got UV protectant so it won’t yellow – and it’s readily available from the craft store. Use the coupon they frequently send out and the price is very reasonable too.  Let cure overnight until hard.

5. Drill a hole. I find it easiest to use an awl to start the hole. Then I drill through the resin and partially through the cap. Then I turn it over and use the awl and hammer to finish the hole from the backside. Wire wrap a bail, or you can simply use a jump ring. You could also use a glue-on bail instead.


Note, I received free product in exchange for this article. However, I’ve been using Art Glitter products for years and love them!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Introducing Art Glitter's New Designers

Another three months has gone by and it is time for a new set of Art Glitter Designers. Only this time they should look familiar! We've brought back some goodies for you!

Please welcome back to our family: (Click on names for a look at their profile and blog posts).


Lori Mendenhall





Diana Gonzalez





Clare Dempsey




We are so excited to have these talented designers back! And so thrilled to have had the honor of our last set of designers, hopefully we'll see more sparkling ideas from them in the future too!

Here were a few of my favorites:


Kaaren Poole





Shannon Bielke





Laura Drahozal




They are all my favorites really, I just love all the heart and soul our Designers put into their work. Thank you all! ~Enjoy