Twinkle Pendants

I have a confession to make. Since I was a wee girl I have had a fascination with all things shiny. The high gloss paint job on a swanky new bicycle, the iridescent glass ornaments that dangled precariously from the limbs of our Christmas tree, the pristine coral polish on my mom's perfectly manicured fingernails, all of these things enchanted me. I would stare at them wide-eyed without blinking as if they would instantly lose their shine should I close my eyes for even a second.

Forty some odd years later (don't bother doing the math) and not much has changed. I am still that wide-eyed little girl instantly distracted by anything shiny, glittery, sparkly, twinkly, etc. And based upon my review of the most popular Craft Fantastic blog posts of 2015, you are, too. The nail polish techniques and the glitter tutorials proved to capture your attention, so I thought, why not combine the two to create Twinkle Pendants. 

Let's get started.        

What You'll Need

Craft Fantastic Assorted Glass Cabochons - whatever size, whatever shape your heart desires.

Craft Fantastic Assorted Trays - to match your glass pieces.

Fantastic Jeweler's Dots

Clear Nail Polish - nothing fancy.

Assorted Colored Nail Polish - whatever is handy. No need to buy new polish.

Ultra Fine Glitter - I have had this jar of glitter for at least 15 years. Check your craft stash and use what you have readily available. I like this Fossil color as it's fairly neutral yet still super sparkly. 

No need for a lot of supplies. That means I can quickly gather my tools and get started without much preparation. My kind of project!

I start with a quick coat of clear nail polish on the back of the glass cabs and then gently sprinkle the glitter on top. Sit these aside to dry.

Next I follow with a coat of nail polish. Most of the polish I used required a minimum of 3 coats to get a nice opaque finish. If the polish was too sheer after 3 coats, I topped it with a coat of white or black polish. If I leave the glass too sheer, the jeweler's dot will be visible behind the glass when I affix it to the tray. Not a good look. 

After my glass cabs have thoroughly dried, I'm left with glittery, twinkly brightly colored glass pieces ready to be added to Craft Fantastic Trays using a Fantastic Jeweler's Dot.

Antique Brass Small Fancy Heart Charm Kit, Antique Brass Medium Heart Tray

Antique Brass Medium Round Frame Tray

Antique Brass Large Oval Ornate Tray

Antique Brass Medium Square Tray, Silver Medium Square Tray

Antique Silver Medium Fancy Heart Tray, Antique Silver Medium Round Sunflower Tray

Silver Medium Square Tray, Antique Silver Medium Round Owl Tray

Antique Silver Small Fancy Heart Charm Kit, Silver Medium Heart Tray

Well, it doesn't get much easier than that! I hope you'll try making your own Twinkle Pendants. If you do, be sure to share pictures on the Craft Fantastic Facebook Page! We love to see what our Crafty Friends are working on! 

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Craft Fantastic and Glitter, Part 2!

Welcome to Part 2 of my glitter primer. Last week I used glitter to highlight and add a bit of shimmer to an image and then topped that image with a Craft Fantastic cabochon. The results were fun and eye catching! And the process couldn't be any easier. 

This week the glitter is the star of the show. I found some glitters were more appealing than other glitters and I also found that sticking the cab into the tray became more of a challenge, as well. I experimented with using the Fantastic Glaze & Glue, Fantastic Jeweler's Dots, and E6000. All products we sell on line. 

A few words about affixing the glittered cabs into the trays...

Fantastic Glaze & Glue - As I suspected, the Fantastic Glaze & Glue did not hold the glitter covered cab in the tray. It is designed primarily to use on paper and needs a porous surface in order to cure and work it's magic. Pressing it into a tray didn't allow enough air to circulate under the glass for it to dry. 

Fantastic Jeweler's Dots - I also suspected that these would not be the best option and I was right. The Fantastic Jeweler's Dots are formulated from a high-tack adhesive perfect for adhering the glass cabs to the trays, however, the glitter had a tendency to peel off the back of the glass and stick to the dot. So all in all the dots did their job well, but the glitter was a stinker.  

E6000 - With the exception of the Ultra Fine Glitter, the E6000 proved to be the most effective for sticking the glittered cabs into the trays. Read my results below and I'll walk you through my observations.  

I used an assortment of glitters from my own craft stash for these projects...ultra fine opaque glitters, Tim Holtz Distress Glitters, and vintage glass glitter shards.  As you can guess, I had a favorite, but you'll have to read on to find out what it was.  

Let's get started...

What I Used

Craft Fantastic Glass Cabochons - Any shape or size will do. 

Craft Fantastic Pendant Trays

Ultra Fine Opaque Glitter - If fairy dust did exist, it would be this. Yes, it is that fine.

Tim Holtz Distress Glitter - Tim Holtz offers an entire line of "distress" products to give your projects a vintage feel. The Distress Glitter is not quite as shimmery as some glitters, but it comes in a variety of colors and has a retro appeal.

Vintage Glass Glitter Shards - Glass shards are big and chunky and oh so beautiful, but do be careful. These are lovely and shiny because they are actually created from glass, so keep this glitter out of reach, far from the wee ones and the family pets.

Fantastic Glaze & Glue

E6000

Clean Scrap Paper - And LOTS of it! Use a new piece for every glitter you're using. When you're finished you can gently crease the paper and pour the remaining glitter back into the jar. No waste!

Ultra Fine Opaque Glitter

I LOVE ultra fine glitters! Nothing catches the light quit like these little jars of magic, and yet, this was my least favorite glitter for this project. The variety of color is amazing and the shimmer is stunning. With that being said, even the opaque glitter proved to be too light and delicate to provide good coverage on the back of my cabs and because of that I ran into some trouble with the E6000, as you'll see below. 

The basic process was the same for all of the glitters I used. I started with a glass cab and generously covered the back with Fantastic Glaze & Glue. I used the nose of the bottle to push the glue neatly out the edge of the cab. I took a generous pinch of glitter and applied it heavily over the glue. Once I achieved good coverage, I gently used my finger to lightly "pat" the glitter into the glue and then sat it aside to dry a good long while. 

                           

No matter how much glitter I applied, I could not get the coverage I wanted with the ultra fine glitter. I felt the finished cabs looked a bit transparent. I used the E6000 to affix the cabs to the trays and the E6000 ended up coming up through the glitter and making my cabs appear cloudy. Boo :(  I was not happy with these results at all.

Tim Holtz Distress Glitter

Next up, I used the Tim Holtz Distress Glitter and was much happier with the results. It's a heartier glitter, not quite as fine, and I was able to achieve much better coverage on the cabs. I used the same method as before to apply the glitter. 

I used the E6000 to affix the cabs into the trays and did not have the cloudy results I had with the ultra fine glitter. YAY! I love the look of this particular glitter. Teeny tiny uniform circles. What a great finish!

Vintage Glass Glitter Shards 

I used the vintage glass glitter shards for the next two projects. Look at those jars of glorious, glimmery, shimmery, light! They are practically hypnotic. 

I prepared my cab using the same method as described above, however, the glass shards are considerably chunkier than the other glitters, so this posed a problem getting the cab into the tray. I affixed it with the E6000, but as you'll see a couple of pics down, the glass cab sits higher in the tray. This could be a problem for some, but it didn't bother me. 

This was my favorite glitter to play with. The shards catch the light and really provide a spectacular finish, giving the illusion that the shards are suspended in the glass. 

Here's a side view so you can see how much higher it sits in the tray. This angle sort of exaggerates that height. It's not quite as noticeable in real life.

As I said, the vintage glass glitter was my favorite to play with and this next project was my favorite to make. This time I went straight for a tray and covered the inside with Fantastic Glaze & Glue. I did  not fill it up, I just covered the bottom.  

I didn't want to fill the tray too full, so I applied just enough Glaze & Glue to coat the bottom.

Then I filled the tray with the vintage glass glitter shards, pressing them gently into the glue.

I topped the shards with another thin coat of Fantastic Glaze & Glue and sat it aside to dry overnight. 

I did the same with this tray.

Now, isn't this fun! I LOVE how these turned out and they were the simplest to make! The glue dries clear so there is still a lot of glitz in the finished piece, plus the rough texture adds so much rustic detail. I added a little less glue to the top of the square piece and I like how that one maintained more of the roughness. I will definitely be making more of these in the future. 

That concludes my Two Part Glitter Primer. I had a grand ol' time playing with all this shiny stuff, but I have a feeling I will be picking glitter out of my teeth for the next month. I hope you will give glitter a try and share your results with me on the Craft Fantastic Facebook page. Also, sign up to follow this blog via email by adding your email address to the box in the sidebar. Never miss a post!

If you have suggestions for future tutorials or you have a question about the Craft Fantastic products,  feel free to send me an email to DearCrafty@CraftFantastic.com. I LOVE hearing from you :)

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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