Trendy Tuesday – All that Glitters…
by Katherine Elliot
“All that glitters is not gold, ” is a true statement in the papercraft world.
And what glitters may not even be glitter…
but today we”ll focus on some chic stuff that can turn your
basic project into something truly lustrous.
True glass glitter is made up of tiny, thin shards of glass (careful, these bits can be sharp!). Vintage glass glitters can tarnish or fade over time to add additional charm. Other forms of chunky glitter are made of plastic or other synthetic materials, or mica, a mined flaky mineral. Whatever type you prefer, glitter comes in a large variety of colors and grit. With lots of options, you”ll surely find that glitter is not just for Christmas any more. Take for instance these sparkling Halloween theme projects…
Pumpkin Fence card with a mix of Stampendous glitter, mica flakes, etc. by Jan Garber, image source Scrap”n Surprise
Black chunky glitter (along with twine & googly eyes) sure make the spiders
on this page seem a lot cuter than the real ones!
Zombie Apocalypse scrapbook page by Wendy Price with Stampendous black glass glitter, image source Paper, Ink and Smiles
There are many color options in the Stampendous line of Fran”tage crushed glass glitter and chunky mica flakes called Fragments. The flakes make great additions to a variety of projects including cards, scrapbook pages, home decorations, and handcrafted jewelry.
Stampendous glass glitter and mica fragments , image source Stampendous.com
Pendant with Fran”tage Fragments by Tenia Nelson, image source Jazzy Paper Designs
A traditional glass glitter from Stampin” Up! was used below for a
beautiful addition to this very elegant birthday card.
Birthday card by Andrea Ewen, image source Ewen Style
Stampin” Up Champagne glass glitter, image source Stampin” Up!.com
Several other brands of chunky glitter are available.
Most brands have a variety of grit as well as a variety of traditional metallic,
bright or pastel colors.
The glitter may be sold in sets and/or available in individual selections of a single color.
Doodlebug Chunky Sugar Coating glitter, image source Simon Says Stamp
German Glass Glitter & image source from Kristal Arts Studio
Card by Melissa Samuels, image source Art of Scrapbooking
Chunky glitter can be used to cover an element in its entirety for beautiful texture and glitz. For coating an element with glitter, use a liquid glue that dries clear, then sprinkle the glitter on, lightly press it in, then tap off any excess. Don”t forget to leave plenty of dry time.
Dream Tag by Lisa Pace, image source It”s in the Details
Cherished Friend card, image source Stephinka
Glitter can also easily highlight a feature or precise line on a project. A line of sticky adhesive or tape helps you press the glitter onto the precise area you desire.
Watermelon card by Laurie Schmidlin, image source Just Give Me Stamps
Barbara Trombley”s Clear White Vintage glass glitter, image source SimonSaysStamp.com
For Baby card by Melissa Phillips, image source Emma”s Paperie
Melissa Frances glass glitter, image source Ellen Hutson.com
Try hard as I might, I cannot stop myself from adding an example of a lovely chunky glitter Christmas card…
Ornament card by Joanne Travis, image source Sleepy in Seattle
Go ahead, try a little or a lot. Save the leftovers to create your own custom blend of sparkles and have fun with it. Hope you get a chance to add a little sparkle to a project you are working on… Happy Crafting!
I love glitter; these are fabulous!
Great projects show casing glitter. I don’t use it much, but these examples make me want to pull it out and put it to use. Thanks for the great review!
Wonderful projects! I esp. like the first- the Halloween card. The glitter just blends in and becomes part of the image. Beautifully done!
I don’t use much glitter although I seem to have plenty of it. I really like the extra dimension this gave your projects. Very effective! Guess I’ll have to put this on my wish list, too.
where do you buy your chunky German glass glitter?