2017 Topic 14: Glitter {Intro and Challenge}

 2017 Topic 14: Glitter

Jimmy Choo

Well hello everyone, Darcy here, and a brand new topic for you. Today we embrace all things glittery and sparkly, go on you know you want to..

Before we start, let's see who won the Topic 13: Metal Challenge...

The winner is: Jane  from Dizzycrafter

Email Darcy to claim your prize. Darcydotneedles@gmail.com

So where do we think the love of glitter comes from? the glam 70's perhaps, or maybe the roaring 20's? is it just the thing of childhood art sessions? nope, it is so much older, we have been shimmering for thousands of years.  In fact our oldest civilisations were using mica flakes in red, white and black in their cave paintings. I wonder if they wore lurex?

After that the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Greek and Romans were all fascinated with reflective qualities and used a bit of shimmer whenever they could, in makeup, clothing and home decor. Makeup was a little different back then, Cleopatra made hers from crushed up beetles. 

Lime Crime

In the 1930's modern glitter came into being, it is ground up plastic with a very fine coating of aluminium or other reflective substance, this is then coloured. Glitter aficionados may tell you that glass glitter is the only true form, but it is sharp and impractical for heavy handling and no good at all for children to use. so for most glitterati it is the plastic type that is used, this is available in countless sizes, colours, shapes and grades. Glitter can be found in very fine powder form both for edible and non edible purposes, chunkier fragments, suspended in glues and shaped into sequins. 

Martha Stewart

Glitter ruled the 70's 80's and 90's, on clothing, art, home decor, stationery, faces etc, By the millennium the shine had faded a little, but it has never gone away completely, and never will as you will know if you have ever spilled a full tub of glitter.. there is something quite magical about a forever sparkly carpet. 

If you have a sparkly carpet then why not sparkly wine glasses to match.

Glitter is often seen as a sure sign the festive season has arrived, but we are a little way off that yet. Autumn colours are stunning when glitter is added, those deep reds, oranges and purples become magical. 

Lucy Meek

Using the same rich tones this card is beautiful in its simplicity, a few liquid pearls add just enough shimmer to lift these neutral colours. 

Lisa Addesa

Liquid pearls are a shimmering paint that can be a wonderfully subtle way to add shine to your project. 

The original glitter that is mica flakes, are ground up to make mica powders, these can be brushed over textures to give fabulous highlights. Here they are brushed over glimmer mist sprays to give a double whammy of sparkle. 

Creating Keepsakes

The next size up is very fine glitter, it works perfectly here suspended in resin for these potion bottles. 

Sarah

This card using fine glitter and the packing tape method, click through on the name to find out about this super easy technique. 

Connie Stewart

If the thought of having to control super fine glitter makes your knees wobble then have no fear the hard work is done for you with the availability of glitter card, all you need to do is cut out some pretty shapes and you are good to go. 

Ang Mansfield

The letters on this fun layout were precut, but you could die cut them yourself from glitter card or cut plain letters and cover them in glitter to add real impact to a scrapbook page

Studio Calico

Next up is glitter glue, we all used it as a child and now there is the grown up version in the form of Stickles, hands up, who is a self confessed stickles addict? * Darcy raises hand sheepishly*

This card uses stunning colours for the stamping and colouring and then a final layer of gold stickles was applied here and there to add punch. 

Wendy Janson

Here Tim Holtz uses distress stickles on an Easter Bunny for a slightly less blingy but still eye catching effect. 

Tim Holtz

Now for embossing powder, some of which has the most sparkly of sparkly glitter added to it. here is a nifty video showing how to trap WOW embossing glitters inside clear melt it powder to create ornaments. 

Slightly larger glitter and resin works beautifully in jewellery, these are so pretty. 

Olisava

I adore these glittered feathers, I think they are my favourite sample this week, so beautiful and elegant. 

Anabela Piersol

These dresses are watercolours, but you could achieve this result with a stamped dress too, colour in your stamp very lightly and add your glitter , perhaps for a sweet sixteen card, or for a graduation. 

Grandhorse

For a fun home decor piece take a plain white canvas and add your glitter to the bottom half, then string some fairy lights behind for this simple but effective statement piece.

JoAnns

Finally I could not resist this glitter drip, like shiny lava tumbling down the side of this building in Iceland. This was created by artist Theresa Himmer and comprises of oversized metal sequins. I would love this on my house. 

There are so many more ways to add glitter and glitz, what about glittered brads or buttons, adding a glitter border by sprinkling glitter over double sided tape! You can add sequins, sequin waste, lurex fabric, you can dip and dab and dot your way to glitter heaven. Try making a shaker card or a snow globe, whatever you do, have fun and glitter your world. 

Don't forget to follow Darcy and Leandra's Pinterest boards if this topic pushes your buttons, you will see plenty more examples to whet your appetite there! I am really looking forward to seeing what you create over the next 2 weeks!

~ Darcy

We hope that you  learn something interesting from our blog. Our bloggers deeply appreciate your comments so much, so please take time to let them know you've been inspired! Why not join our challenge by blogging your interpretation of the current topic and link it here?

The current topic link will close 17:00 (London Time) Sunday, Oct 15th 2017, and the winner will be announced 2 hours later at 19:00.

All links go in the draw to win a £50 voucher to spend on products of your choice from the PaperArtsy online store.

Challenge Guidelines

• The challenge is a for you to show how you are inspired by the current blog topic. We encourage you to play with us and explore your personal creative style.
• Please mention which PA blog post inspired you and and why (link directly to that post). Please don't link to the home page of your blog because then no-one can track back to easily find the original post.
• We prefer your challenge blog post is created exclusive to our challenge, but if our topic fits perfectly with another challenge, then you may link to both if appropriate.
• You are most welcome to use stamps/ products/ substrates you have to hand from a variety of companies, we do not expect you to exclusively use PA products - it's lovely when you do though!
• You can enter as many times as you like. We don't want to restrict your creativity! 

NB. Link closes at 17:00 Sunday Oct 15th 2017   (London Time)

Prize: The winner will receive a £50 credit voucher to be redeemed on the PaperArtsy Website. The credit voucher includes VAT and postage. We request that one of your purchases is an A5 rubber stamp. You can add any other items to your basket, but the final total should not exceed £50. It's your responsibility to claim your prize coupon from Darcy. 

email: darcydotneedles@gmail.com

NEW Challenge/ winner: Each fortnight on Sunday, the winner will be announced at 19:00 (London time). In the same post, the link for the next fortnight will be posted. 

Good Luck! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!