Technique Thursday: Glitter

by Lis Whiting

Hi everyone! I hope that you are having a fabulous week! How would you like to add some fabulous bling to your next project? Well, I have just the thing… GLITTER! Glitter is a wonderful addition to any crafter’s toolbox. Today I would like to share three techniques for getting more out of my favorite glitters, all available at FranticStamper.com.

I was attending the Carson show for scrapbooking and card making and came across a booth that was teaching a wonderful technique with glitter and lace (alas I didn’t think of it!).

This technique requires shipping labels available at office supply stores like Staples. You can use any size, but I used pieces cut to 4 1/4" x 5 1/2". To keep my workspace organized and glitter-free I used Martha Stewart Glitter trays; a package comes with a few trays and a brush. Each tray is made of a thick cardboard-like material and has a funnel at one end. The glitter doesn’t seem to cling from static when using this tray. If you choose not to use the trays, be sure to have plenty of space to work and cover your work surface with paper. It is also probably a good idea to wipe your surface with an anti-static bag or dryer sheet before you start.

Peel the backing off of a label and place the label into the tray so that the sticky side is facing up. Choose a piece of pretty lace large enough to cover the label. The lace that will work best will have a larger design and some areas with large spaces (see photo.)

Put the lace onto the label side and press it down to adhere. Now – sprinkle your first color of glitter all over the lace. Remove the excess glitter and return it to the bottle using the built-in funnel. Take a damp paper towel and wipe the inside of the tray to remove any stray glitter.

Turn the glittered lace/labe upside down and rub the backside to press the glitter into the adhesive. Remove the lace. Now sprinkle on a second, darker glitter color. Repeat the step of pressing the glitter into the adhesive by rubbing the back of the label, and then remove excess glitter. Once the extra glitter is off, you can see the lace pattern in glitter!





For my second glitter example, I glittered some little die cut houses and added them to my card as an embellishment. Simple, you say? You bet!

I started by die cutting the houses from the Heritage cartridge by Cricut. For those of you who like vintage and who have a Cricut, I recommend this cartridge. It not only has the little houses and a great font but it also has some beautiful cameos. After cutting the houses, I brushed on a thin but even coat of tacky glue over the die cuts and then dipped them into glitter to coat them.

I am IN LOVE! I didn’t think that glitters could get much better than the ultra fine but I was wrong. WOW! You should see these glitters. They are called Glitter Ritz and are MICRO FINE. The sparkle that this glitter lets off is incredible. The pictures don’t do it justice. The micro fine glitter has a velvety feel to it. It is incredibly fine and adds no bulk to whatever you are glittering. This glitter comes in a fabulous selection of colors. (My favorite today is coppery rose.)





I love glitter! It’s so fun and beautiful to send and receive glittered cards. I sometimes don’t like to use it, though, because glitter can find its way onto most anything! So, for my third project I wanted to share with you a painting technique with glitter that practically eliminates stray glitter.

For this technique I used the Glitter Ritz micro fine glitter, Diamond Glaze and a small paint brush. The micro fine glitter is so tiny that when I mix it with Diamond Glaze I get a glittery paint. I then simply used my brush and painted each glitter “color” onto my card. I even mixed a couple of colors together to get a brown-green to create a “shadow” on the pumpkins.





Note: I didn’t have any micro fine orange glitter so I used ultra fine glitter that I have from Martha Stewart. When you look at the card, look at the pumpkins, which were colored with that ultra-fine glitter, you can see through the glitter to the stamped image. With the micro fine glitter you cannot. The difference is really significant.

I hope that you enjoyed my glitter techniques and try some of them for yourself!

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