Here are some of the applications:

Fabri-Tac is a solvent-based glue, so you should be aware:

• it’s not meant to be used by children
• use in a well-ventilated area
• the acetone in the glue can damage wood finishes, so protect your work surface
• flammable when wet (safe when dry)
• clean up quickly with a paper towel- not water soluable!

Now that you have the facts, we’ll have some great wearable & fabric projects for you coming up. But don’t miss these projects using Fabric Tac already published on CraftsUnleashed:

• Mother-Daughter Apron Set
• Easy Flower Girl Basket

Image from Krylon.com

I love sparkle and personally live by the motto, “Glitter makes it better.” Sometimes, though, a project calls for sparkle but the question is HOW to apply it. I’ve tried using a spray adhesive and then sprinkling on my glitter, but often that’s just too much. Enter Krylon Glitter Spray.

Krylon Glitter Spray comes in Shimmering Silver, Resplendent Red, Glamorous Green, Magical Multi-Color, and Glistening Gold. What I love about these colors is that all you see is GLITTER. The “base” is clear, and you get wonderful flecks of glitter applied to your project without completely covering up whats underneath!

Furthermore, you can use Krylon Glitter Spray on just about everything- Wood, Metal, Wicker, Plastic, Glass, Craft Foam, Plaster, Ceramic, Fabric, Paper, & Paper Mache. However, remember it IS a spray and you should take precautions to protect your surface from over-spray and make sure you use it in a well-ventilated area.

Last year Stacy used Resplendent Red on her “Tower of Hearts“- that red glitter added a special touch to her fabulous heart topiary.

And tomorrow, I’m going to show you how to dress up a coffee filter snowflake:

Multi-Color Krylon Spray makes it magical!

How would YOU use glitter spray? We’d love to hear your ideas!

]]> http://www.craftsunleashed.com/index.php/home-decor/meet-it-monday-kryon-glitter-spray-ready/feed/ 1 http://www.craftsunleashed.com/index.php/home-decor/product-reviews-home-decor/100-pack-cotton-craft-thread-done/ http://www.craftsunleashed.com/index.php/home-decor/product-reviews-home-decor/100-pack-cotton-craft-thread-done/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:04:53 +0000 Alyice Edrich http://www.craftsunleashed.com/?p=2065 Several years ago my husband thought it would be fun to take up cross-stitching. He liked it so much that he went out and bought a bunch of cross-stitch kits that were on clearance for pennies on the dollar. Of course, being the man that he is, he quickly got frustrated with how time consuming cross-stitching was and packed the kits away.

Last year, I found those kits, disassembled them and chose to use the thread for my own artsy stuff. However, I was soon frustrated with the quality of those threads. No wonder the kits were not selling. The threads were horrible! They frayed and knotted constantly.

100 Assorted 8 meter Skeins

So when I heard that Consumer Crafts had a kit of 100 assorted skeins (Item 1170-93) for just $9.97 I was really skeptical about the quality of those threads. I thought for sure I’d experience the same problem but I was mistaken.

Some fun ideas

I tested the thread by embroidering t-shirt material, then canvas, then painted canvas paper, then cardstock, and the threads held up beautifully. I was impressed, not only with the price but the quality of the cotton.

Stitched outline of close-captioned flower

The only drawback is that the kit has 100 skeins and only comes with 12 paper bobbins. If you’re an organization freak like me, that will drive you nuts. Luckily Consumer Crafts sells a set of 25 plastic bobbins (Item 10803) for just 65 cents!

Here’s the thing about thread skeins. If you don’t place them on a bobbin as soon as you remove the little paper tube holding the skein together you will end up with one huge tangled mess! So take my advice and order the extra bobbins.

Almost tangled

To properly use a bobbin, wrap the start of your skein through the two slits at the top of the skein, like this:

Secure The Ends

Then wrap the skein around the bobbin, going in one direction, until you reach the end. Then go back the other way. Repeat until the skein is completely wrapped around the bobbin like this:

Wrap The Thread Around The Bobbin

Now, when you need a color, you simply unwrap the skein, separate the threads, then wrap up the unused thread. It’s that simple.

I have to admit that I tend to stick to using the thread as embellishments on paper and canvas projects but the more I thought about it, the more I thought, “What else can I do with the thread?”

So I browsed Consumer Crafts’ online catalog and did a little brainstorming to come up with these seven simple—yet fun—ideas for using craft thread:

1. Friendship Bracelets: This is actually a craft my daughter does every couple of months. Usually, she wraps the finished bracelet around her arm, then comes to me to complete the final knot as she can’t get it herself.

2. Wrapped Ornaments – Take an already shaped wire object like Consumer Crafts’ wired heart (Item 1726) and turn it into an ornament by wrapping various colored thread around the wire. (Editior’s note: you can also wrap Styrofoam balls, too.)

3. Friendship Ring – Make a smaller version of a friendship bracelet- but instead of measuring your wrist, measure your finger.

4. Fancy Headbands – Use a headband blank like (Item V35565-01), and then wrap the threads around for some decorative texture! Secure ends on the underside with Fabri-Tac.

5. Embroidered Canvas Shoes – Draw an outlined image or scene onto the tops of canvas shoes. Use a hand quilter’s needle to stitch the thread around the outline, then seal the shoes with a spray-on waterproof fabric protector.

6. Embroidered Hand Towels –  Look for hand towels with simple designs—preferably light colored towels with outlined images. Then hand stitch the outline of the images with craft thread.  You can usually find the best hand towels around the holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas. (My sister usually likes to use gold or yellow colored thread so that the stitching stands out more.)

7. Embellished Ties – Tired of buying the men in your life ties that don’t reflect your heart’s intent? Purchase a light, solid colored tie, write your message or draw your design in white ink, then hand stitch the design with craft thread.

What other ideas can you come up with to use the craft thread as the main focus of your arts and crafts project?

MATERIALS:

• Plain wooden block (scrap from hardware store).
• Old cardboard box.
• Precious Stone powder mix.
• Water.
• Children’s little hands.
• Hobby knife.
• Gesso Spray.
• Acrylic Paints.

STEPS:

1. Get a plain wooden block (scrap from a hardware store works fine).
2. Cut cardboard panels form an old unused box to fit around your wooden block.
3. Use shipping tape around the cardboard panels and also underneath, taping to underside of wood block, creating a box-like structure.
4. Place this “box” on old newspaper to protect your table in case of leakage.
5. MIX your Precious Stone solution. Directions on container say to mix 1/2 cup of water to every 1 cup of powder. I used TWO cups of powder and ONE cup of water to fill the area I needed (12″ x 8″). Make sure solution is smooth, without lumps, before pouring.
6. Pour Precious Stone mixed solution into your box.
7. Let the solution sit for 30-45 minutes. The solution will need to be ALMOST FIRM in order for the hand prints to be imprinted into the mixture. Keep poking the surface regularly with your fingertip to check firmness.
8. Get the kids! Tell them to keep perfectly still while you press their hands into the mixture – press hand down straight and firmly. Hold down for a few seconds and then bring hand up directly so the hand print doesn’t get smudged.
9. WASH HANDS! Make sure the kids wash their hands immediately to avoid mess. This stuff dries like powder very quickly when it’s just a thin layer on their hands. Wash thoroughly so there is no leftover residue on their hands.
10. After washing everyone’s hands, take a hobby knife and cut away the cardboard panels. If you wait until solution is completely dry, you will have trouble – the Precious Stone will stick to the cardboard, impossible to remove without damaging your mold.
11. While Precious Stone is still moist, dip your finger in water and smooth down the edges around the piece so your edges have a nice rounded appearance.
12. Let it sit for the rest of the night. Overnight is best to wait, to make sure it’s good and dry before the next step.
13. Apply Gesso Spray. I had to use liquid gesso (painted on with paintbrush), but Gesso Spray would have been better to get a nice even coverage without brush streaks. Gesso is necessary because without it the Precious Stone will ABSORB any and all pigment you try to apply! I tried using markers on a plain dried Precious Stone surface, and by the next day, the marker spot had VANISHED!
14. Let gesso dry. This doesn’t take long at all. After an hour at MOST, you’re ready for the next step!
15. PAINT AWAY! WHEE! I decided to use acrylic paints, but you can use any medium you choose. After the gesso is applied, it will be like painting on any other primed surface!
16. Display your finished work using an easel to prop it up – makes a nice finishing touch!

This will make an excellent keepsake for any mother or grandmother!

Disclosure

Studio 71 Acrylic Paints

I would have to say Studio 71 Acrylic Paints fall in the craft paints category. (It’s important to know because creating collectible art requires a different type of paint.) When you’re creating art for the pure fun of the project or to master new skills, Studio 71 Acrylic Paints is the perfect choice.

When I first received my set of 24 tubes, I felt like someone had just gifted me with a wonderful present. The set comes in a rich burgundy colored box with each tube nicely displayed side-by-side. The paints come in plastic tubes with plastic lids—which I must admit that I prefer as the metal tubes with plastic lids always end up with broken lids and dried up paint.

This won't happen with Studio 71 paint tubes.

The paints are easy to use, blend together nicely, wash off with soap and water, and provide great coverage—though I did discover that some colors require two to three coats to reach the desired depth of color presented in the tube while others only required one coat. And that, too, is not a bad thing if those are the colors you’d like to appear more translucent.

A little paint goes a long way.

To test the paint, I applied a small drop of paint and created a block of color. Notice how rich the color appears? Very nice coverage, indeed.

Some paints are more transparent than others.

Then I  applied a dab of yellow. This is the same yellow I’ll use in an upcoming project—which didn’t provide as solid of a color as I hoped. However, on a nice white sheet of paper, two coats seem to cover quite nicely, as you can see above.

But the real test came when I took a small drop of paint and mixed it with water. I paint a lot with water/acrylic mixtures so it’s important for the paint to hold up under such stress. “Would the color hold up? Would it still look vibrant?” I wondered.

Adding water create watercolor paint.

The answer was a surprising, “YES!” Not only did the color hold up but a small drop went a long way! That’s great news, and in my opinion, truly shows the paints’ versatility. It even works very nicely as watercolor paints.

Get creative…

FTC Disclosure

Ranger inks are great for any non-porous surface

When I decided to make the “Tower of Hearts” our Craftista Jenny said “Why don’t you use Ranger alcohol inks to color the acrylic rhinestones?”.  “Alcohol inks?  What the heck are those?” (Okay, it was not said that nicely!)

Well, I know what they are now and I love them!  As I am not really a crafter,  many of these products are foreign to me, but this one has become a new best friend.  They are so easy to use and so versatile that you can just about color any non-porous surface with them.

Use these inks to tint rhinestones to match!

My first attempt was with large acrylic rhinestones I used to add some pizazz to the “Tower of Hearts”.  All I did was lay a few of the rhinestones out on a piece of heavy paper, open up the bottle and squeeze out.  The ink just poured over the surface, no painting, sponging, or dabbing.  No nothing!  They were dry w/in a few minutes and ready to hot glue to the surface.  I was thrilled.  I even did a few on the fly when setting up the tablescape.  Brillant!

Use a piece of felt or the Ranger Applicator to spread the ink

Next, I decided to “recolor” some old votives I had.  I had found these several years ago in a quaint shop  they were originally a deep crimson red.  I thought they were “cased glass” – the color is w/in the glass itself.  But I found out “not so” when I washed them.  It was simply a coating that came off when it hit water.  To color them,  I cleaned the surface off the votive holder with the blending solution, held it up by placing two fingers in the opening and squeezed some of the ink over the surface.  I used a sponge brush to smooth out drips and streaks and kept moving over the surface in the same manner.  I kept repeating until the deep crimson color I desired appeared.  Go quickly though, as the inks dry fast.
Held on my fingers for about a minute and it was done.  Viola, my favorite votive holders are back!  Any ink that got on my hand was wiped off w/a paper towel dabbed in the Alcohol Blending Solution.

Alcohol Blending Solution you say?  What is that?  Well, it is a cleaner, remover and blending solution all in one.  It can be used to completely remove or rework  the ink from a surface if wanted or it can be used to blend colors together to create new ones.  You can also use to lighten the color as well.  It can even be used to clean a surface.  How great!

We cut the monogram with the Cricut, using vinyl

Last but not least, I decided to color one of the 4″ beveled round mirrors I utilized for a wine glass coaster in the Valentine’s Day table scape.  I haven’t learned to work the Cricuit yet, so I asked our Craftista to come to the rescue.  Jenny cut out a “H” mask to fit over the surface of the mirror and away I went.  I thought a little personalization would add some zing to my table.  Again, I simply squeezed the ink over the surface, smoothed out any runs or splotches w/the sponge brush and waited for it to dry.  After drying I removed the mask and had a great personalized coaster.

Coaster with mask removed

I like deep jewel tones so I saturated the color on each surface. I used the “Tuscan Garden Kit” but there are seven other color kits available each w/three colors.  But remember, if you would like the color to be lighter use your Blending solution to do so.  On the back of the Alcohol Ink package there are directions to create a “Polished Stone Technique” that could be quite interesting.

So as you can read, I am a fan.  So simple, so easy and what an impact.  Have fun creating.

FTC Disclosure: this product was provided gratis by ConsumerCrafts.com for purposes for review. However, they can’t buy my truthful opinion. Just sayin’.