Today i want to tell you all about a product that is indispensable to all crafters – Glitter. Okay, i admit, glitter can be a debatable subject as, more often than not, the quality and texture of the glitter can either add or detract from the project. But i can assure you, any one who sees this particular glitter product will want some, even all those men crafters out there!
I first saw Glamour Dust at a craft fair in Glasgow a few years back. I must confess that when walking round the many craft stalls, i took a quick look at the bottle of Glamour Dust on a demonstrators table, turned my nose up and walked away. After all, glitter was for primary school kids, and i was more sophisticated than that. Boy did i make a mistake! Not half an hour later i met up with my crafting friend for a bite to eat, and she was dying to show me her latest purchases – including a bottle of Glamour Dust. The more i looked at the little plastic bottle glistening magically under the hot expo lights, i began to realise its potential. Of course i dashed back to the stall, fighting through a hoards of excited crafters, getting lost a few times on the way (as i didn’t have time to waste by taking out my expo programme with all the clearly marked stall locations). But it was too late – Sold Out. Then came the hunt. Every craft stall in the expo, and afterwards, every craft shop. Eventually i got my hands on the little bottle of treasure. Ever since then, i have made sure that Glamour Dust has been the first item in my kit no matter where i go, and it is always a big hit with all who see it. So much so that my first bottle of Glamour Dust was pilfered during a craft demonstration one day!
So what is it, and what makes it different? Glamour dust is an ultra fine glitter made by DecoArt, and brought to us by the suppliers Trimcraft. The texture is so fine that to me it resembles a bottle of magical icing sugar that is oh so inviting! It can of course be used in the usual way with glue on paper, but because of the fact that it is so light and fine, it can also be sprinkled onto acrylic paint, watercolour paints, oil pastels, fabric paints and much much more. And the best thing is, it stays put. The fine texture gives an even coverage so that every bit of adhesive is glittered, and also that every grain of glitter is stuck firmly to the adhesive. It comes in a pocket size, 29.5g bottle with a flip lid which has a pouring spout, but the whole lid actually screws off with the result that transferring the excess glitter back to the bottle is an easy task. Don’t be fooled by its petite size, the bottle may look small, but you will be surprised how far it will go – definately worth £3 -£4 retail price. Whats more, it comes in two colours, the original crystal colour and also gold.
How can it be used? It really is a multi purpose product, so here are some explanations of how to use Glamour Dust.
With sticky tape: First and foremost, this is probably my favourite way to use this product. In the Snowmen card below, you can see a simple yet effective way of adding the glitter to your project. Take a strip of double sided sticky tape and lay it unto your project. Cut off any ends that protrude past the edge, and then peel back the waxy backing tape. Place your project onto a scrap piece of paper, and pour the Glamour Dust all over it. Then, take your finger and using small circular motions, rub the glitter into the sticky tape. Shake off excess and return to the bottle. This method gives a great end result, and different thicknesses of double sided tape gives different effects.
With lacquer glue: Lacquer glue, for example Glossy Accents or Anita’s 3d glue, is a thick clear substance that when dried, gives an enamelled effect. In this card i coloured the Snowmen’s hats and scarves with pigment markers, then added Glossy Accents. While the glue was still wet i sprinkled some Glamour Dust over the top. The important thing to remember when using a lacquer glue is to leave it to dry for several hours before touching it, no matter how tempting it may be.
With double sided adhesive sheets. In the photo below i have covered a large area with the glitter. This can of course be produced by using strips of thick double sided tape, but for a quicker, easier result you can get sheets of double sided adhesive. Alternatively, if you have a large sticker or adhesive paper, stick this face down to your project using tape or glue, then sprinkle Glamour Dust on the adhesive side. This method gives a similar result as using holographic embossing powder, but without the need for a heat gun.
With a glue pen. In the ‘Beary Christmas’ card below i have used fine tip glue pen product called Quickie Glue to trace the scalloped border edge around the red frame. This is a really fantastic way to add a little bit of sparkle exactly where you want it. You can also write messages and sign your name using the Quickie glue pen and Glamour Dust with really fabulous results. Running a thicker glue pen along the edge of cards to add glitter also gives a wonderful frame to your project.
With Embossing Paste. Another great effect is to use Glamour Dust over wet embossing paste. In the card below, i used a palate knife to spread embossing paste over a brass embossing template to get the outline marks on the tree, then i lightly sprinkled some Glamour Dust over the top. To make the snowy ground effect on the card, just spread embossing paste on the card using a palate knife, then tap the surface lightly with the flat edge of the knife to roughen the surface which results in a more realistic texture.
Hopefully you will now have a better idea of the flexibility of this product and maybe even gained some inspiration from my projects. Don’t forget to Leave a comment. Thoughts and feedback are always welcome.
I’ve never heard of this stuff. Looks great. I love really fine glitter.
Your cards are so cute!
I will have to check out this glitter. I LOVE the Christmas tree card, very cool.
Cece