In Touch: January 2018

(Click on the pics to enbiggan)

Hey, y'all! Julie here, sharing a few products and techniques from the Frozen Product Bundle for adding snow and ice effects to your winter projects! I adore snow but we really don't get much, if any at all, on Whidbey Island, so I have to make my own winter wonderland on paper, LOL!

All three of these cards feature the Arctic Pals Stamp and Die set, along with the Strands Die.

Below the photos (scroll way down), I have a video that walks you through how to achieve each of these effects--all are easy and fun!

(sentiment borrowed from Totally Random Sayings)

TIPS FOR GLIMMER PASTE:

Make your own "disposable" stencil using a die--80# card stock is a great weight for this type of stencil and reduces clean up!
Zig Two Way Glue makes a great repositionable/removable adhesive--just allow it to dry thoroughly, until it is tacky to the touch.
#100/#110 weight card stock tends to perform better with pastes (less buckling from thicker wet type mediums such as pastes)
Moonstone Glimmer Paste is a clear color; ink colors beneath will show through, which can make for some wonderful effects!
Remove the stencil (carefully) while the paste is still wet so it does not become permanently glued down to your project.
Clean up palette knives/tools immediately or paste becomes extremely difficult to remove when dry.
Depending upon how thickly applied, paste can take 10-20 min to dry.

TIPS FOR MICRO BEADS:

Micro beads can also be applied to double sided sticky tape to make beaded borders.
Try covering a stamped image with the wider double-sided sticky tapes and then applying the micro beads for beautifully unique effect!
Made of glass, as opposed to plastic, these beads can also be used with Sticky Embossing Powder.

TIPS FOR PUFF EMBOSSING POWDER:

The grind of this embossing powder is a little more coarse; use a well-inked embossing pad.
It also has a textured, matte finish that cures to a hard finish; takes a little longer to heat emboss than regular grind powder. Take your time and make sure all areas get properly heated/embossed.
Best suited for bolder images, as opposed to finely detailed.

TIPS FOR LIQUID APPLIQUE:

May appear off-white, but whitens as it is heated
Wet, freshly applied Liquid Appliqué will puff up very fluffy and irregular when heat is applied; if left to dry completely overnight, it will puff up very smoothly when heat is applied. Experiment to see which result you like best for your project.
Whether wet or dried overnight, begin to heat with embossing gun about 6" away and gradually move in closer to the point where the Liquid Appliqué begins to puff up. Take care not to get so close you scorch it or the paper surface.
If (wet) Liquid Appliqué "deflates" after heating, that means the outside surface is cured but it's still wet inside and needs to be heated for more time until it is fully dried.
Glitter can be sprinkled into wet Liquid Appliqué for a puffy glittered effect.
If the card is going to be mailed, cured Liquid Appliqué can often become flattened or crushed; to avoid this, you can apply clear embossing powder over the top of it while it is still wet and then heat emboss. The clear embossing powder will act as a hard, protective "shell".

WATCH THE VIDEO