Holiday Altered Tins by Shelly Hein-Simmons

Looking for a cute and creative way to give someone a gift card, cash or small gift? Look no further than your recycling bin!


I have created these gift boxes from candy and cigar tins. The mint tins are the perfect size for holding gift cards or even a small piece of jewelry.

To create these fun gift boxes, you will need the following supplies:

Art Institute Pee Wee Glitter Kit – Noel (this kit is the perfect mix of glitter colors for your holiday projects!) The colors included in this kit are: 230 Halo, 
47 Vine
, 291 Fire Engine
, 163 Egyptian Gold,

95 Summer Sea, 
298 Polar Bear
, 84 Shiny Silver

Cardstock and Patterned Paper scraps
Sand Paper
Foam Paint Brushes
Clear Drying Adhesive
Spray Adhesive
Misc embellishments
Optional: Fabric, Fabric Stiffener, Paints


For both tins, I used Cosmo Cricket “Jolly by Golly” patterned paper and American Crafts cardstock. The Snowman Box included Cosmo Cricket “Jolly by Golly” rub-ons, and American Craft velvet scalloped trim (these supplies were all scraps left over from the December mini kit at Citrus Tree Studio) In addition, I used Robin’s Nest Dew Drops for the eyes and a couple of rhinestone stars.


Instructions/tips/techniques:

• Sand the top of your tin to “rough it up” for better adhesion.
• You may paint the top edges of your tin to better coordinate with your color scheme, if desired.
• I free hand cut my snowman “parts”, but a good source for making paper piecings is to look up free coloring pages on the internet to print and use as a pattern.
• I used a spray adhesive on my snowman parts and then liberally sprinkled the glitter on top, tapping off excess. Using the spray adhesive gives a nice “sugared” effect to the paper.
• For the poinsettia, I cut some petal shapes from scrap fabric and then machine stitched around the edges (this helps to give the pieces “shape”). I then brushed fabric stiffener on both sides with a foam paint brush and arranged them on a glass plate, scrunching and shaping, to dry.
• Once the petals were dry, I again brushed glue onto the inner edge of each petal using a foam brush and sprinkled on a combination of Fire Engine and Egyptian Gold glitter.
• The flower center is a shank style button, covered in glue, then dipped in glitter.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/2

Joy Fantasy Film and Fiber Card by Emily M. Miller

Here’s a card I literally threw together as fast as I could! I just started making this paper with colored ink sprays with a technique Barbara Trombley developed and I went a little crazy! It also employs one of my favorite ways of stamping with Fantasy Film and Fiber where you don’t need to use very much fiber. Making the paper does take a little bit more time, and is on the messy side, but I welcome messy! It’s also a great way to use up some not so desirable paper you have laying around. And it’s fun! However, if creating a small mess makes you queasy, all you need is some appropriate decorative cardstock to make this fast and easy!


Materials:
Fantasy Film
Fantasy Fiber
Rubberstamp: ‘Joy’ or any suitable words
Permanent Inkpad: Black
Iron set to Med-High
Parchment paper
Polyester Lace: poinsettia pattern
Plain Cardstock: 8.5” x 11”
Memory Mists by Superior: Whipped Cream (white), Margarita (green-yellow), Green Tea (dark green), Iced Coffee (earthy red)
Matboard and newspaper to cover surfaces affected by sprays
Designer Dries Clear Adhesive
Silver Metallic Marker


Directions:
Prepare your spray area (approx 30 square inches). Drape several pieces of newspaper over area and place matboard in center. You could also use a whole section of newspaper for your center area, (a place for the ink to saturate).

Set one piece of paper in middle of matboard and cover it with lace. I have 3 pieces of lace that are about 5” x 7”, so I just laid them next to each other covering paper. If you have dark cardstock, pick a light ink first and spray over lace. Spray again with another color, then before you take the lace off, set another clean piece of paper on top of ink saturated lace and press down for a few seconds then remove. This piece can be used for the inside of your card.

Remove lace and spray a couple more colors over pattern, same colors or new ones, this will be the outside. Set aside to dry. Spray over inside paper pattern a couple more times too. While these are drying make another set of inside and outside papers and set aside.

Now go back to the 1st set you made and spray the other sides. This time lay the lace on the clean side of the inside paper you made, spray then cover saturated lace with clean side of outside paper! I hope that’s not too confusing! Continue making paper until you have enough. Your area becomes too saturated after about 8 or 10 sheets, so you’ll need to clean up a bit in between if you plan to make more than that. Having a wet paper towel (or two) near by is handy too!

Wash lace out with ‘Goop’ or just dish soap. It doesn’t matter if it has dyed, you can still use it for more paper or glitter lace paper!

Set rubberstamp on table rubber side up. Ink with black inkpad. Cover inked stamp with a slightly thin layer of Fantasy Fiber (a lighter color seems to work best) just until surface is covered. Place two sheets of Fantasy Film, cut just long enough to cover image, on top of fiber in an ‘X’. Cover film with parchment paper and iron for 3 to 4 seconds until image shows through parchment. Peal off stamp.

Once paper is completely dry, cut in half to make two 4.25” x 5.5” pieces. Fold in half and glue stamped image to center of card. Write your greeting inside with silver pen.


These two examples actually have the outside pattern on both sides, but it still works!


Change the stamp and lace pattern for any kind of card! Enjoy!!!

Frame Gift by Anam Stubbington

This is a super quick and easy present to make. You can personalize any way you wish making it a perfect gift for this time of year.


Supplies:
Art Glitter Designer Dries Clear Adhesive with fine Metal Tip
Art Glitter Ultrafine Pearlescent: #175 Retro Red
Art Glitter Gala Glitz: White
Frame
Paper

Cut your page to fit your frame, remove and draw your image. It doesn’t have to look neat and tidy – freehand draw or use clipart to make your image.
Place the paper back into the frame – make sure you like how it looks. Work out what lines you want in what colours – this helps you when tracing later.

Using the fine metal bin, start to trace your artwork with the Adhesive. Try to work in steady moves. Only trace what you want in 1 colour.

Add your glitter to the glue – tap off excess and allow to dry.
When Dry use a soft brush to brush off the remaining excess glitter.

Trace again the next colour and repeat until you have your image complete.


Remove your drawing. Replace with a photo and enjoy.


DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/2

Christmas Window Decoration by VintageImageCraft.com

Here's a beautiful, unique craft put together for us by our friends at VintageImageCraft.com Be sure to check out their wonderful site and sign up for their newsletter!

"We wanted a decoration that could be displayed inside a window every Christmas, and then simply stored away. Dramatic but subtle. Beautiful by day or night. Easy to make. Cheap."

"We began with an old six-paned double-hung window from our local Habitat for Humanity recycling center. $5.00 and the window was ours. You may even have one in your garage.

The rest of the story on this Christmas Window Decoration is on www.vintageimagecraft.com. We've provided eight FREE templates and vintage images, ready to print on your home inkjet printer. Of course, we recommend authentic Art Glitter brand Vintage Glass Glitter Shards, because the glitter is far coarser than regular glitter and translucent, which is what you need for the beautifully textured stained glass effect!"

Festive Christmas Ornaments by Brenda Wampler

These are super easy, and a great stocking stuffer. Also a great TV project and the supplies are inexpensive.


Okay, for supplies, I use microscope slides that I get from work, I work for a doctor part time. A friend works for a vet and she gets hers from there. I only pay about $4 for a box of 72. You can find them online, and there is a link on my blog to American Science and Surplus and they have slides.


You can also purchase the ones made for Ranger in various sizes. They sell them in 1"x1”, 1 1/2" x 1 1/2", 2" x 2", and the microscope size 1" x 3". Ranger's have 24 in a pack and cost between $5-$7. You can also purchase an inexpensive glass cutter for under $5 and cut your own glass which you can purchase at Hobby Lobby, or any glass store in your area. You can also purchase cheap frames at the Dollar Store and use that glass and cut it down.


Next thing you need is glitter for the edges. I use the Vintage Glass Glitter Shards by Artglitter.com. This is the best glitter to use as it will give you a nice chunky look. The adhesive that I use around the edges is Continuous Glue Lines by Glue Dots International. I prefer these best. I have used the Clear Adhesive Lines by Therm O Web, but they seem to have a tacky feel to them for awhile. You can also use the double sided red liner tape, you just won't get as thick of a glittered effect around the edges. You can also use copper tape, or anything else that you would like to seal the edges, it just depends on the look you are wanting.


Other Supplies: Papers, vintage photos, family photos, scrapbook papers, wire - various colors and/or sizes, beads. All of these supplies are up to you and once again the look you are wanting.


Okay, now how to do it!


Cut your paper or images (please don't use original photos!) to sandwich in between two pieces of glass. Remember to put images back to back for the front and back of the charm since these have two sides. Run the glue lines around the edges. Press into glitter. Add hanger by wrapping wire around glass and add beads as you desire. Also, sometimes I add rubons to the top of the glass, and sometimes I highlight certain areas with more Art Glitter.


The possibilities are endless as these can be any size and for any occasion. I give these as small gifts, stocking stuffers, and make various ones to decorate a tree for each holiday...Easter, Fourth of July, etc. 


Have fun, and if any of these instructions are not clear, please email me and I will be happy to respond and help you! Enjoy and let me see some of your creations!

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/2

Art Glitter on Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Runway!

It's hard to out shine these gals, but if anyone can do it, Art Glitter can! The Victoria's Secret models expertly glided across the runway shimmering with Art Glitter's Vintage Glass Glitter on December 1st, 2009.

A mixture of #907 Obsidian and #900 Silvery Moon dazzles with perfection.

Isn't it fantastic how the color changes to pink as it reflects the background. Magical!


To see more photos click on this YouTube video link.


Style at it's best on our best. Enjoy!

New Guest Designers

Wow, another 3 months has flown by and it is time to say hello to three new Art Glitter designers!

But first let me see what have I learned from our great designers over the last 3 months. Jan has showed me how much style you can accomplish with adding just one color of glitter to your projects. Violette has taught me how to use any paint laying around the house, even the house paint! And Lisa has made it official; I cannot throw ANYTHING out now, not even bottle brushes, cake figurines and so on. How do I explain this to my already frustrated husband?

I am purposely not saying goodbye to our out-going designers because once a guest designer, always a guest designer for Art Glitter. Feel free to keep your Art Glitter designer badge on your sites girls and buzz us anytime with a new idea! Thank you so much!

And now let me introduce you to:

Shelly Hein-Simmons

I share my home with husband Danny, 3 dogs 1 cat, 1 stray cat, Sheldon the Wonder Turtle and his fish friend, in Lakeside (San Diego) California. When I am not scrapping, I love being on the water and fishing (hence my online name – Reel Girl!). Animals and water are a big inspiration in my creations. I also love sewing, reading and crossword puzzles. I have been scrapbooking my life and “altering” things since childhood - always gluing pictures and memorabilia into some sort of album and personalizing every item I owned. My scrapping and paper crafting took on a new dimension and truly became a creative outlet for me in 2001. I am proud to have been published in Memory Makers Magazine, and several online scrapbooking and paper crafting Ezines, including Ready, Set, Create! and Scrapbook News and Review. Visit my blog: Reel Girl's Animal House.

Brenda Wampler

Brenda is an artist and teacher of many mediums. A Lover of Life. Treading Lightly. She has been creating for many, many years and is happiest when in the studio. She dabbles in just about every medium, and is all smiles when her hands are dirty.

Brenda has also been privileged to be published in various international magazines, including Cloth Paper Scissors, Quilting Arts, Haute Handbags, Altered Couture, Belle Armoire and other Stampington Publications. Brenda is married and living in the tiny town of Smithville, Texas. Brenda would be over the moon if her new amazing and perfect granddaughter didn’t live 1800 miles away!

If you would like to see what Brenda has been up to and learn a little bit about her, feel free to check out her blog: 
Memories and Treasures

Anam Stubbington

Hello, my name is Anam and I am so stoked to be here! I have been scrapbooking nearly 6 years now and enjoy it so much – it is my down time, creative space and personal therapist. Some of you might know me as ‘Kihaku’ around the internet (it means spirit and pronounce Ki-haa-Ku and is Japanese for Anam).

I am originally Irish, moved to the UK a billion years ago to be with Ian – my now hubby – and then 3 years ago we moved to Canada for Ian’s work (he’s a computer games artist). We have 2 little girls who are our blessing – both came after a long struggle with infertility so they are very precious to us. Fay is 5 ½ years old and about to enter grade 1 – She is a gentle soul but also can be frustrating. Lily is just over a year old and is the
opposite of Fay – lily is loud and constantly moving – if anything just by personality Fay is Ian’s and Lily is mine except in the mornings – both Ian and lily are NOT morning people. Ian is very understanding with my paper obsession. We’ve been together 11 years now and he is my best friend – supportive and annoying in good measures but I love him totally.

When it comes to scrapbooking, I am all about the stories, the memories, the moments. I love bright colours, dimension and texture. I try to make the paper part of the emotions of the page – getting them to help tell the story so it’s a combined effort of photograph, title, journaling and the papers!. Visit my blog that contains little bits of what goes on in my world: A Little Of My Life

Are you interested in designing for Art Glitter? We are always on the look out for new guest designers. Please visit our Guest Designers Call page to learn how.