Friday Focus - Perfect Pearls

Hello there~ So glad you could stop by!  It’s Rebecca here for Frilly and Funkie and it’s my turn to share a Friday Focus project with you. I've been working with Ranger’s Perfect Pearls range and would like to share what I've found with you. The blue panel is the focal point of my project and it’s layered with Perfect Pearls, using a variety of techniques…

I began by misting some watered-down, white acrylic paint mixed with a pinch of ‘Confetti White’ Perfect Pearls onto a panel of cornflower blue card stock. To set it in place I misted it with a very fine, very light mist of water. I dried mine with a heat gun, but you can also let yours air dry if you’re more patient. Once Perfect Pearls comes in contact with water and then dries, it is set…

The next step was to stamp snowflakes of different sizes on top of the white paint and pearls combo. Using Versamark watermark ink I stamped on top of the misted areas and the exposed card stock. Using a small, inexpensive paint brush I dipped the tip of a dry brush into the dry Perfect Pearls and then ‘painted’ it onto the stamped areas. Once I had applied all the Perfect Pearls I used my secret weapon to clean up the remaining and extra powder…

This ratty, dusty, shaggy thing is a Swiffer duster. I keep one on hand all the time! It picks up Perfect Pearls dust…perfectly! I also push my brush into the middle to clean it off when using Perfect Pearls powders. It will remove the ‘halo’ of remaining Perfect Pearls from your card stock if you wipe the paper with the thin blue fibers underneath the white strips…

When I was thinking about how to use Perfect Pearls for this post, the one thing I hadn't considered in my enthusiasm was the difficulty of capturing the magical effect of Perfect Pearls in photos! As beautiful and ethereal as the effect Perfect Pearls creates, is as illusive as it is as well. The areas that appear grey in the first and second photos are actually shimmering, iridescent white. I added some small stars from my stash. They are cut from iridescent white sequin material and measure about 3/16″. I've been having fun going ‘over the top’ lately! I'm beginning to think that May West was right, ‘Too much of a good thing is wonderful’. While I have no desire to emulate her life, I think she’s right when it comes to paper crafting…at least some of the time

I randomly dabbed liquid glue around the edges of the panel (with a heavier application at the lower corners) and dipped the wet edges into a pile of Clear Rock Candy Distress Glitter…heavenly and once again, my photos don’t do it justice. Below this panel are die cut snowflakes, cut from glitter paper…

I've found that I love using metal embellishments… when they’re painted! They need to be sealed with a coat of Glue-N-Seal first, so they don’t develop rust spots as the paint dries! After the Glue-N-Seal coat I used Picket Fence Distress Stain and then some more Clear Rock Candy Glitter. The sentiment comes from Tim Holtz’s ‘Old Fashioned Christmas’ stamp set. I love the font!! along with the rest of the images in this set.

If you haven’t played with Perfect Pearls before, you’re in for a treat! Experiment, play, go a bit mad..with your duster at hand, it’s very manageable, even for those of us who don’t particularly like ‘messes’! And as ever, with the Friday Focus spotlight falling on them, you will find the Perfect Pearls range has special 15% discount this week over at The Funkie Junkie Boutique. What a fantastic time to stock up on your supplies.

((hugs)) and blessings,
Rebecca

Ranger Perfect Pearls Pigment Powder - Confetti White	Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber - Snow Cap White	Tim Holtz Distress Glitter Clear Rock Candy	Ranger Ink - Inkssentials - Glue N Seal - Matte - 4 Ounces	Ranger Embossing Powder - Enamelware
Snowflake Filigree Metals	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Old Fashioned Christmas

Saturday Step X Step - Faux Embossed Metal

Marjie Kemper here, happy to be hosting this week's Step X Step.  This technique comes straight from Tim Holtz's book, The Compendium of Curiosities Vol 2.  If you don't have that book, you really do need it... I promise.  It has tons of great tips and techniques, and I refer to it often.

I used the Faux Embossed Metal technique on this project, which is the November page for my 2012 Kathryn Wheel calendar:

I intended to use this technique just for the accent piece that shows the month, but it is quite bold and didn't look good against any of my attempts. So I decided to do the entire page with this technique.

I started by cutting a piece of black card stock from the Sizzix Ornamental die, then embossed it with the Collage Texture Fade. I used a shim when cutting, like I demonstrated on this project last month.

I love the rich texture the Texture Fade provides:

I pulled some of my favorite Perfect Pearls Mists and spritzed liberally before heat setting them:

The shine is really rich in person.  I cut two pieces of black card stock in half lengthwise and used the same technique on them with the Retro Circles Texture Fade (you must move the folder once and emboss it a second time to accommodate the length of the length of the paper).

 I attached all the cardstock to the calendar page with Tim's Tiny Attacher, and added some grunge letters painted with Ranger's Silver paint dabber.

I needed something to pop that accent piece off the page. I cut the Harlequin border out of a rich silvery paper and then traced around my Ornamental die to mat it on more of the same.   Cut out my tickets with the Sizzix ticket strip die and stamped Tim's blank 'admit one' image on top.

There you have it.  Remember our new challenge started on Wednesday.  We hope you'll join in!

                             

Ranger Perfect Pearls Mists - Pewter	Ranger Perfect Pearls Mists - Blue Patina	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Harlequin Border Die	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Ticket Die	Sizzix Alternations Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers Ornamental Die
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Odds & Ends	Tim Holtz Sizzix Texture Fades - Rays and Retro Circles Set	Tim Holtz Sizzix Texture Fades - Collage & Notebook Set	Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black	Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber - Pitch Black
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tiny Attacher	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tiny Attacher Refills

Saturdary StepXStep - Perfect Pearls

Welcome to this week's Saturday "Step X Step" in which I am using Perfect Pearls with Perfect Medium for stamping and on embossing folders! When Linda mentioned carrying these luscious and beautiful powders, I was so thrilled and hope you will be as well! For today I made up a couple of Christmas cards and some ornaments, which I may use for gift tags!

I inked up applicator with Black Alcohol Ink (4 to 6 drops) and a good size drop of Gold Mixative, with a little squirt of blending solution! Color was pounced on starting from the center and working out in a twisting motion onto glossy paper (4 1/4 X 5 1/4)to fit the embossing folder. For this I wanted a darker background with touches of gold. Once I was happy with the color, I did use the heat tool to completely dry the background. If you don't have a dry surface and add the Perfect Pearls, it will adhere where you don't want it!! Try to keep the PP as contained as possible.

Now we place the inked background into the folder for embossing. Cover the raised areas with the Perfect Medium, being careful to not press too hard. You can work in segments, but the ink will stay wet long enough to cover all areas.

From there pick up the color you want to use. For this panel, I used red, green and gold Perfect Pearls. Once colored, turn the panel upside down to tap off excess and then lightly brush off remaining powder. I am always careful to brush away from each color as much as possible, because I would not want red to catch in a green area. Think glitters! I do use a cotton swab to pick up unwanted powder.

Pearled, Excess Brushed Off and Sealed

Once I was done with my Perfect Pearls panel, all additional panels were cut 1/4 inch larger and a little trim was added here and there. I was so excited with this, that I went and did a second panel, cut off the lower embossed section (which is MIA) and added some additional edge embossing, sanded and inked this up and colored with Green and added a few Stickle berries! Fun stuff! This really goes quicker than you might think!

Because I was having so much fun, I decided to play with the Carved Ornament Die, which I was never quite sure what I would use it for! The idea of gift tags came to mind and I had a blast! Tried using the Perfect Pearls a couple of different ways. One I stamped on a foil sheet, which was adhered to card stock prior to cutting. A couple I used Dyan's new and fabulous snowflake stencil with Deco Art Decorating Paste, let it set a little and then added my colors (gold and blue). When I was finished, I gave the entire lot a spray with sealer. It worked perfectly and even on the foil, which I was not sure about! I wanted to test before showing this! I did not want any PP rubbing off and some of these surfaces are quite slick!

Things to know: You can use embossing ink, but I really prefer the Perfect Medium as it is thicker and not as wet! Even though there is a binder in the Perfect Pearls, I will always give a quick spray of Krylon Matt Sealer over the surface and especially on a slick material such as glossy, foil or alcohol inked papers. I have also given a quick spray with water out of the misting bottle when inked on regular card stock. Don't over load your brush when you are doing lettering as you risk it falling off and adhering to places unwanted! I like to start with the lighter colors and work toward the dark. Keep a paper towel handy to wipe between colors or wear some jeans!! Before brushing off excess, I will turn my piece upside down and tap off and then brush off excess away from other inked areas if possible. Just try to avoid contamination! I do keep colors as separate as possible, but when I know that is next to impossible or too time consuming, I have a container that I use for Perfect Pearls Dump. Will use that when I don't care about a particular color!


I sure thank you for stopping by and visiting on this Saturday. If there is anything I did not cover or you have a question, please don't hesitate to ask! Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

                                                                   

Sizzix Alterations Tim Holtz Carved Ornaments BIGz Die	Tim Holtz Sizzix Texture Fades - Christmas Background and Borders Set	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Mini Holidays	Perfect Pearls Pigment Powder Kits - Aged Patina
Perfect Pearls Pigment Powder Kits - Metallics	Perfect Pearls Pigment Powder - Forever Red	Ranger Foil Tape Sheets	Ranger Inkssentials Gloss Paper 8.5 X 11
Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink Applicator, Stamp Handle and Felt	Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink - Pitch Black	Ranger Adirondack Metallic Mixatives - Gold & Silver	*Tim Holtz Core′dinations Adirondack ColorCore Cardstock 12 x 12
Ranger Inkssentials Glossy Accents	Ranger Perfect Medium Clear Pad	Dyan Reaveley′s Dylusions Stencil - Let It Snow (5x8")