Craft Fantastic Glass Cabs and Glitter, Part 1!

A glimpse of something shiny out of the corner of my eye is all it takes to divert my attention from whatever I'm doing. I can be deep in thought, contemplating the meaning of life, but a wee bit of shimmer will immediately send me into a sparkly daydream. I love it, I can't get enough and apparently you can't either. I have received more requests to demonstrate using the Craft Fantastic products with glitter than any other tutorial. I'm more than happy to oblige.

At first, I thought this would be super quick and easy, but there are so many glitter options, I decided to break this post into 2 parts to give the glitter category the hoopla it deserves. 

As far as ease of use, there is no quicker way to add an eye-catching detail than to sprinkle, paint, or dab some shimmer onto your image. 

Lets get started...

What You'll Need

Craft Fantastic Glass Cabochons - I reached for whatever was handy, but really like the larger pieces to showcase the glitz of the glitter elements. 

Assorted Art Images - They're all beautiful, you can't go wrong.

Ultra Fine Powdered Glitter - I used Art Glittering System's ultra fine glitter in Fossil. The is a transparent glitter meaning that it won't cover too much of my image compared to an opaque glitter. I have had this jar of glitter in my stash for probably 10 years. Any fine glitter will do. 

Glitter Glue - I used Stickles Glitter Glue in Diamond. I am addicted to this stuff. 

Wink of Stella - I love this brush pen! It comes in an applicator that looks a lot like a tube of mascara. I use Clear for all of my projects, but Wink of Stella also comes in a variety of colors.  

Craft Fantastic Glaze & Glue - This is a staple in my art studio. 

Craft Fantastic Jewelers Dots - Another staple I cannot live without.

Cotton Swabs - To swipe away the excess glue from the cabs. 

Scissors - To trim away excess paper.

Scrap Paper - Important for keeping your work surface clean. 

Ultra Fine Powdered Glitter

Each of these glitter products produces a different finish and shine. Some are shinier and more obvious and others are more subtle. How do you choose? It really just depends on your desired results. 

One of my favorites way to incorporate shimmer is the ultra fine powdered glitter. This method does not allow for much control over where the glitter ends up, but that's half the fun. 

Working on a scrap piece of paper, add a generous amount of Craft Fantastic Glaze & Glue to the back of the glass cabochon. Use the nose of the glue to move the glue around and cover most of the glass. Take the smallest pinch of glitter between your thumb and forefinger and gently sprinkle it over the glue. Trust me when I say, less is more. Too much glitter will obstruct the image. That is why I do not recommend shaking it right out of the container onto the glass. Another tip...when using loose glitter, do not work under or near a fan. If you're not careful, everyone in the house will look like they work at a strip club including the family cat. 

Once you have your desired amount of glitter, press your glass cabochon onto your image. Press firmly enough to push the air bubbles out from under the glass and gently hold it in place until you feel it "grab" the paper. Use a cotton swab to swipe away the excess glue and once it's had a moment to dry, use your scissors to trim away the excess paper.

Here's my finished samples using the loose glitter. I really love the results and how the entire image has a gorgeous shimmer to it. The glitter almost looks suspended in the glass. 

Glitter Glue

An advantage to using glitter glue is that you have complete control over where and how much glitter gets applied because you're adding it directly to the image. In my samples, I used the glitter glue to add shine to the Eiffel Towers and also to the flapper girl's necklace and hair accessory. Be sure to let the glitter glue dry completely before applying the glass otherwise it might smear. I let this dry for a good 20-30 mins and then proceeded to make my glass cabochon as I normally would.  

I love the juxtaposition of the glitter against the sepia tones captured in all three images. It has a lovely, romantic quality, don't you think? It reminds me of vintage holiday postcards.

Wink of Stella Brush Pen

This product was the most subtle of the three. The sheen is hard to capture with my iPhone camera, but in person, they really do exhibit the softest hint of shimmer. 

Since the product actually sports a brush tip, this was the easiest of the three to control where my shine ended up. Again, I applied the shimmer directly to the image. I painted the little girl's wings, the sunflower's petals, the blue flowers, and the background behind the kitten. This dries fairly quickly, but a good 10 mins will ensure it stays put once you add the glass.  

They may not stand out as much as the previous samples, but when the light hits the glass cabs just right they dazzle with the softest, most alluring glow.

Here is a my pile of shimmering cabs, all dressed up and ready to be made into jewelry! I will finish these up and share some pics on the Craft Fantastic Facebook Page. 

This tutorial focused on using glitter to highlight an image or details of an image. Tune in next week, when the glitter will be the star of the show.

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