In Touch: Vintaj

Today I would like to share some information about the new Vintaj Patinas by Ranger. Julie and I were so lucky to be able to attend the class at CHA this past January and I have eagerly been awaiting the arrival of these gorgeous colored products. The thing I am most intrigued by, is the ability to color over any metal with these specialty inks and to have that coloring remain permanent without any additional products to cover them!

To begin I wanted to share some basic information about the Vintaj/Ranger Patinas and Glaze products.

First these inks are opaque, which allows you to paint them atop any metal covering the color beneath. Leave them as is, or use a sanding block to reveal some of the color and texture beneath.
There are 15 beautiful, blendable colors and a little of the color goes a long way!
They dry VERY quickly to a lustrous satin finish, so when working with them less is more - work in small areas at a time. Use about a pea size droplet to avoid the patina drying on your non-stick craft sheet. AND yes, work on a non-stick craft sheet to keep clean-up simple!
The Patinas are acid free and UV safe.
They differ from alcohol inks in that they do not need a coating atop them to make them permanent.
Clean your brushes immediately using water to avoid damaging your brush.
Do NOT mix the Patinas with water to thin, rather use the Vintaj Glaze. By mixing your Patina colorants with Glaze you will extend the Patinas creating a more glaze-like, semi-transparent effect atop paints and inks.
The Vintaj Glaze acts as a clear top coat that dries to a satiny finish.
The Glaze is non-yellowing and non-cracking.
It is fast drying and permanent once dry.
It is also acid free.

To begin I wanted to share a project that is so simple you can complete it in less than 15 minutes! Who doesn't love a personalized gift you can create in such a small amount of time!!

I had great intentions of getting an order together for myself when the product first arrived, but guess what... that didn't happen and by the time I went to check out my cart the colors I love and always use were gone!!! Oh dear, what to do? I'm not really a "purple" girl --- I should be being my birthstone is an Amythest, but... Well, as luck would have it those were my available colors and so I decided to just give them a go.

Using the Basic Grey Plumeria collection as my color inspiration I just went with the purple, put all my cards on the table so-to-speak, and let it ride. Oh my, but I was so mistaken - what an absolutely LOVELY combination! I hope these projects inspire you.

It is tough to create both a video and photo instructional post. Please excuse the quality of the pictures as I needed to take them out of the video as I was working this project completely on my own. For a complete step-by-step visual in high-speed (and yes, my hands will be moving at the speed of light - LOL) please watch the video here on our You-Tube channel or below.

Begin by vigorously shaking your Patina bottles until you feel satisfied that the pigment and liquid is thoroughly mixed. Each bottle has a B.B. in it to aid in mixing.

Place a pea-size amount directly on your non-stick craft sheet. I love using Claudine's Studio Brush shown above to apply the patina.

It is easiest to dab the Patina to the surface of your metal blank as it will get the color down into the dimension of these fabulous charms. While the Patinas are still wet you can easily mix the colors.

While the Patina is still wet you can also alter it's appearance by blotting with a paper towel or wiping away the excess. In this case I wiped away the excess Patina on the top surface of the metal blank leaving the colorant that is recessed in its' depths.

Apply colors - mix, dab, wipe, and blend. To reduce the intensity of the brighter colors I opted to apply the more neutral toned Agate over the brighter tone colors to mute them down and then wiped away the excess once again.

Once you have achieved the coloration you desire, use the Black Side (this is the coarsest grain of sandpaper on the block) of the Vintaj Sanding Tool to remove the excess Patina from the surface.

I was thrilled that I could also use the Patina to colorize the Filigree beads!

TIP: Create a holder for your bead using a fine-gauge wire. You can then use this same "threader" to insert and draw your ribbon through the bead.

Use Distress Stain to color your Essentials Ribbon or seam binding to coordinate. To create a mottled appearance do not apply the stain evenly.

Once again use your threader, created from fine-gauge wire, to draw your ribbon through those hard to reach holes.

Knot the ribbon on either side of the bead to hold it in place.

Attach your gorgeous colored metal charm to the opposite end. So quick and simple!!

This next project is definitely more in-depth, but I can assure you that it took far less time to create this beautiful necklace than it took to edit the video! The theme of course is birds, because just like in Portlandia, I like to put a bird on it - ha, ha!

I am by no means a jewelry designer, but this craft intrigues me and I so love creating projects using these beautiful products! You could easily incorporate any of these elements on to a card-front or tag as well, so I hope that those who are card makers will still enjoy this post and be able to use some of the information that follows in your projects.

Vintaj has also partnered with Sizzix to create these fab embossing and etching folders! It is fantastic having a couple of different methods of altering the metal blank surfaces as it affords two completely different looks! To begin I used a DecoEmboss Folder.

Simply position your metal blank over the design in the folder that appeals to you. Your Big Shot or Vagabond sandwich is simple - just use the platform and two clear acrylic cutting pads. Place your DecoEmboss folder between the cutting pads and send through your machine.

If you want to use the metal blank in the middle of a chain length, use the small size on the Tim Holtz drill press to create another hole directly opposite the original hole.

TIP: Mark the location where you would like to drill using a Copic Marker. Align the drill press and turn the crank. Release the metal piece by turning the crank back the opposite direction.

The second type of die Sizzix/Vintaj has created is the DecoEtch die. This die creates more of a line drawing or etched look. It is easy to see the difference in the completed project below.

Once again simply place your metal blank atop the area of the design that appeals to you. Sandwich between the two clear cutting pads and send through your Big Shot, Vagabond or Cuttlebug. (For those with a Cuttlebug use your B plate with this die.)

Dab the Patina directly atop your DecoEmbossed piece. While the colors are still wet you can easily mix the colors to create your own custom palette.

For the etched piece I used only one color of Patina.

While the Patina was still wet on the etched piece I used a paper towel to wipe away the excess that was on the surface of the die. The Patina that is embedded in the etched design will make it really stand out and is a gorgeous effect.

To pronounce this effect even further use the Black side of your Vintaj Sanding Tool to draw out the detail and expose your shiny metal surface.

My DecoEmbossed design was set aside to dry, but I used a Heat It tool to ensure that it was completely dry to make the Patina permanent before sanding.

Always remember to sand both sides of your project! You never know when your necklace might get turned around ;-D

Once again use the Black side of the sanding tool to remove the Patina from the raised, embossed surfaces.

Over time this surface may darken again as the metal is exposed to the air. You can apply the Vintaj Glaze to create a barrier from the air, but I love the look of the exposed metal in it's original state and so would rather take a sanding block to it from time to time to refresh the beautiful satin-like quality of the metal.

In this photo is is simple to see the extreme difference between the etched and embossed details. The etched blank is on the left and the embossed on the right. Combining the two on a single piece of jewelry or project creates a coordinated, yet diverse look.

Create your own little "fancy" embellishments from the fabulous wire we carry. I love to use some of the specialty Jewelry Making Tools we carry to create these little pieces. Specialty pliers make forming these rounded pieces so much easier, but you could also use a paintbrush handle, pencil or marker as your base to help you form your shapes.

The lower the number or gauge of the wire, the thicker the wire. I like to use the 18-gauge wire for the focal components of the embellishments with a lighter weight, 26-gauge wire used to wrap the details.

Place a steel block atop a rubber block before doing any of the pounding on your work surface to avoide damaging your table-top. As well the rubber block helps absorb some of the noise (definitely not all - LOL!) The flat-top hammer we carry is designed specifically for flattening wire. I LOVE the look of flattened wire! You can see how I used it here on one of my Feminine Tags as well.

Do not flatten the entire piece, but only portions. In this piece I flattened the top of the "horseshoe" as well as the little curliques, leaving an area round. This creates a lot of interest in a piece.

If you do not have a jump ring that is the correct size for your project make your own. Wrap the wire tightly around a pencil or brush handle that is the size you need. Be certain to push the wire tightly against itself with no space between the "rings." Snip using a wire cutter making certain that you only snip through two strands at a time. This will assure that your jump ring closes correctly - you always want your jump ring to be a complete circle before beginning.

The last component I created was the charming little bird's nest. I had no idea how to create this little gem and so I googled "wire-wrapped bird's nest" and up came a plethora of information. I read through multiple tutorials and then just went for it. This is my first bird's nest! So if I can do it, so can you!

To begin I used three little beige colored wood beads I had in my stash. They are itty-bitty! I didn't like the color and so decided to see how the patina worked on these little wooden beads. I dabbed Marine Patina on them and allowed them to dry before beginning.

Using a length of 26-gauge wire that was between 3-4 feet in length I began by stringing the three little beads onto the wire. Leave about a 3 inch length on one end and then wrap the remaining wire around a pencil to curl it as shown.

Stretch the wire long again leaving some kinks in place.

Continue by wrapping wire around the "eggs" ten times. Secure these strands in place by threading the end of the long wire up between the eggs, wrapping around all ten wires 2-3 times before moving forward and wrapping around the next egg. Once these wires are secured as shown above, move on.

Add additional layers of wire to the bottom side of the nest. I wrapped about 5 times and then would thread the wire back and forth through these layers, securing them to the top layer of the nest. I love this messy looking little bird's nest and hope to make more!

As you can see as I worked with the wooden beads the Patina did not adhere fully, so once my nest was completed I went back in with a tiny paint brush and dabbed on a little more Marine Blue to make the eggs look more like Robin's eggs.

Using two lengths of chain, a few more beads, an amethyst colored stone and this lariet-style necklace was complete. I feel giddy with excitement that it turned out so beautiful and look forward to presenting it to a wonderful lady in my life some day soon!