Tuesday, March 6, 2012

ToolBox Tuesday: Polyester Glitter

OK, so I had a little surprise today, well...actually two kinda.  I hosted Bunco last month, but found out last week that our new member, scheduled to host this month, dropped out due to a totally crazy schedule.  So sad.  Sad that she isn't able to play, sad that we were not going to have bunco this month.  
I offered to have bunco at my house, spend the whole afternoon cleaning up and cutting out some cute shamrocks for prizes.  Low and behold, :0) I didn't read and further in the email that said "Bunco is a GO" or I would have read that it would be NEXT WEEK!  
Yep.
So, come 7:30 myself and three other ladies sat around my empty tables...NOT playing bunco.  
After one short phone call we discovered the news, that the SewCakeMakers will be deep cleaning the craft room once again next week :0)

With more fabulous friends arriving, I decided not to waste the moment, hit the garage, and cut out a few more shamrocks!  We had ourselves a mini craft party and my ToolBox Tuesday is about the fabulous glitter I found at Hobby Lobby.

Poly Flake has also been tested to extreme temperatures, as well as other extreme conditions, for periods up to 18months and the glitter never lost it's shimmer or it's color.  This glitter is different than the regular glitter because it made for the professionals, for professional applications.  It is quite often used to bring sparkle to boats and carnival rides. It is completely non-toxic, so you can mix it with make-up, lip gloss, hair gel, or playdough.  You can sprinkle it in balloons, add it to finger paint, or mix with regular glue to make glitter glue.  Want a fairy princess room?  You could even mix this into your polyurethane to add sparkle to the walls or floor! 

I stumbled upon it by accident one day, but was pleasantly surprised when I found out how amazing it is!
Poly Flake is ultra finely cut and that is why it spreads so evenly when mixed with any kind of clear or gel like substance. I used it the traditional way for the following project, but I have mixed it into polyurethane before and LOVED the shimmery effect I got.

Here is a little example of the difference.  The shamrock on the left, I sprinkled the glitter right on wet glue.  The shamrock on the right was painted with polyurethane mixed with the glitter, after the shamrock had been painted.  It was sparkly all over in a very uniform kind of way.  One plus to doing the glitter this way is that your glitter is all held on by the poly, and it doesn't flake everywhere.  It was very pretty and would have been gorgeous on finger nails, but for crafts I would still use the good old way of sprinkling the glitter on top.  I like them *Sparkly*

After all of that, the project I used it on seems rather boring.  It did turn out totally dazzling though, so I will show you anyway.

I started with cut wood projects that had been pre-painted and dried.

I modge podged the paper in place and let it dry without a top coat.

Once the glue was dry, I inked the edges with permanent ink.

It makes me smile already.

I brushed glue over the areas I wanted glittery...

then sprinkled the glitter over the wet area.

A little tap, tap, tap on the paper...

And Sparkles EVERYWHERE!

Same for the clouds.  Again, because it is cut so fine, you can glitter a project and still have the design underneath show through.  Did I mention that the glitter actually does come in different colors?  I should say hues, rather than colors, because the color underneath really does shine through.

A little wood glue, 

Then I let it dry. 

There you have it!  Sparkly rainbow of colors and four leaf clovers.

Now here is another side-by-side comparison.  The bright green, smaller clover was made with regular ultra-fine glitter.  The big, darker clover was sprinkled with the PolyFlakes.  With the PolyFlakes, the original color shows through where it doesn't with the standard glitter.  Now, the best way to get the glitter to stay where you put it is to spray your project with finishing spray.

Now, Jessica, from My World, Made By Hand recommends using the UV-Resistant Clear acrylic coat, 

but my friends and I used regular Matte Finish spray and got the same effect...Glitter that sparkles and stays where you put it.  
Next time you are in Hobby Lobby, check Poly Flake out and see what you think.
Next week I will start my truely "Tool" portion of ToolBox Tuesday.  I am SUPER excited to show you my Band Saw!!!  Be sure to come back and get the scoop on that AWESOME tool.  You may just want to run out and get one for yourself ;0)

8 comments:

  1. Hi again! I was just wondering... where in the world did you get the *cute* little rainbow w/clouds and the wood shamrocks?! Or did you just 'make them up' by your little own self? I wouldn't put it past ya to think up something so cute! Please, please, pretty please let us know where they came from... so I can get some too! My 5 year old Emmy would love a little rainbow cloud (she's really into rainbows)... maybe I could get it/buy it/make it(?) by her birthday in May. That would be AWESOME! Thank you!

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    Replies
    1. Heather, I can HoOk YoU UP! I put together the rainbow and shamrocks, then cut them out on my saw. I can totally cut you a rainbow! Think about if you want it totally made, or if you want the wood and printables and then you can do it there by yourself or with your girl. No prob. Just email me at vanessa.cam5@gmail.com and we can hammer out details.

      Thanks,
      Vanessa

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    2. YIPPY!!! I actually have a band saw... and I just got a new blade and new rubber bands for it to move/start working again! I would LOVE a printable of the rainbow cloud! I will e-mail you soon! More than likely, after I pick-up the kids from school! Thank you so much!

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  2. It was a pleasant surprise indeed! :) You were such a sweetheart to just jump up and get a craft ready for us, you are amazing!

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  3. I have been looking everywhere for Poly Flake glitter, I even called the manufacturer Glitterex. The only place that carries it is AC Moore, and we dont have that store in Canada. Anyone have an online link to somewhere I can buy this awesome stuff?!

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    Replies
    1. I am out of town right now and will look when I get near a computer, but I would search HobbyLobby.com or Amazon.com. one of the two has to have it!

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    2. I am out of town right now and will look when I get near a computer, but I would search HobbyLobby.com or Amazon.com. one of the two has to have it!

      Delete
    3. I am out of town right now and will look when I get near a computer, but I would search HobbyLobby.com or Amazon.com. one of the two has to have it!

      Delete

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