The May Cherry Box is a fun box to get you into the summer mood. Included in this box are both glitter and embossing powder along with different pens to apply each! In this post, we are talking about the differences between the two, when to use one over the other, and some tips to get the best results out of them!

 

Glitter

Most people have heard about glitter and have an opinion on if they love it or hate it. Glitter is small sparkly bits that shine in the light. They can add an extra pop to a project. Typically, glitter is made of a mix of aluminum and plastic and applied to your project using wet glue. In this Cherry Box, we've included a set of 8 WOW glitters and a Heidi Swapp glue pen! This glue pen allows you to make precise marks on your page so the glitter ends up exactly where you plan it to be. To get this pen flowing you need to hold down the felt tip for about 1 minute. When I tried to use mine for the first time I thought the glue was dry because it was not coming out. I just needed to hold it down longer and be patient. Another thing you can do to get it flowing is to get the felt tip a little wet. This will allow the glue to start traveling through.

 

Embossing Powder

Embossing is a technique meaning to make something stand out in relief. It leaves a raised surface on what you add it to. Embossing Powder is also made from fine plastic and you melt it to your surface using a heat gun. Embossing powders start out looking much duller than what they will be after they are heated. They can be glossy, shiny, or even clear! This Cherry Box has a jar of Tim Holtz Distress Embossing Glaze along with 2 Distress Embossing Pens. 

 

Some Differences:

Application: The biggest difference between glitter and embossing powder is the application process. Glitter is applied by adding glue to your surface, sprinkling the glitter over it liberally, then shaking off the excess back into your glitter tube, and letting it dry. Glue for glitter can come in a pen, bottle, ink pad, or as glue with glitter already mixed in (glitter glue).

For embossing powder, there is an added step. Do all of the same steps as you would with the glitter, but after you have the excess off your page you need to set it into place by heating it up, typically by using a heat tool. (A hair drier also works). Instead of using regular wet glue, embossing ink is used. This can come in a pen, ink pad, or dauber. 

Texture: Both glitter and embossing powder can have a similar look, but the texture is often very different. After heating embossing powder it is often smooth to the touch and after it has cooled down it does not shed. I find glitter to be brighter and more textured because it is not melted into one. If you run your finger across applied glitter, it is likely that you will have picked up some. It is somewhat less permanent than embossing powder. 

 

Some ways to use your glue and embossing pens:

 

Trace over one of your Heidi Swapp stencils with the pen and cover it in glitter or embossing glaze. If you used embossing make sure to apply heat!

    

Practice your hand lettering. One of the embossing pens has a brush tip, which is perfect for hand lettering.

 

Trace around an image on your patterned paper! This will help on area stand out and is a fun added pop of color.

 

 

We are so happy to be offering both of these essential craft products in this Cherry Box! Let us know in the comments if you prefer glitter or embossing powder!

(I'm team glitter)  -Jess

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You have until April 25 to subscribe to receive the May Cherry Box, which includes glitter, embossing powder, and much more!

Have you subscribed yet? Get paper-crafting goodies sent to you every month with the Cherry Box!

Posted by Jessica.

What is impasto paint? How do you use it? How is it different from regular acrylic paint?

Today we will be looking into impasto paint! It is one of the items featured in the April Cherry Boxes from the Art Alchemy line. The color of the paint that will be in the box is the beautiful purple heather.

Impasto is a technique in painting where the paint is applied very thickly so you can see the brush or knife strokes. You can use this technique with either oil or acrylic paints. It does not work as well with watercolor or gouache paints because of their inherent thinness. You can use any type of acrylic paint to achieve this look, but it is helpful to add Heavy Body Gel to your paints. Today we will be using acrylic impasto paint, which is already thick and does not need the added gel. Impasto painting can add a lot of emotion and movement into a piece. It also becomes a one-of-a-kind piece that no photo or print will ever do justice to the original. I find that you can build up the most texture using a palette knife rather than a paintbrush, but you can use either and see which gives you the desired look. If you do decide to use a paintbrush to paint I recommend one with sturdy bristles. Most brushes make for oil painting would work well because oil paint is a thicker medium so the brushes are made to withstand thick paint. 

I LOVE to use my heat gun because I don't have the patience to watch paint dry, but I hold back from using it on my impasto paintings. This is because when the paint is so thick, you have to be careful of the surface paint drying much faster than what is underneath and cracking. I have never had a problem with it cracking while letting it air dry.

When I started painting with the impasto style and told my mom about what it is called, she would always say, "ooh, I like the pasta", or "that needs more pasta!" And saying this isn't actually too far off because the word impasto comes from the Italian meaning "dough."

Why use impasto? Because of its ability to turn a flat surface into a more sculptural one! The way the paint can catch light and cast shadows can add magic to a piece. You can use a little to make one area of your painting pop out, or cover the entire canvas with it!

   

For today's painting, I am using the Heather Impasto Paint and mixing in some regular black and white acrylic paint so I can get a gradient. I am using a palette knife and mixed media paper to work on. To create the texture I am grabbing a good-sized glob of paint with my knife and tapping it on the canvas. I repeated this technique the whole way down, getting darker in the center, and lightening it back up at the end. Watch the video below for a better look at how this background was created.

 

I used this painting as a background for this layout. I used other items from the April Cherry Box including the Watercolor Floral paper pad, ephemera, puffy stickers, and leaf mechanicals. I also used some micro beads around the photos and ephemera and some purple glitter on the high spots on the background.

 

Here is another example of how to use impasto paint. You can also water it down to be used as regular acrylic paint, or water it down, even more, to use it as splatters or as a wash.

 

You have until March 25 to subscribe to receive the April Cherry Box, which includes the Watercolor Floral collection, Impasto Paint, and much more!

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Have you subscribed yet? Get paper-crafting goodies sent to you every month with the Cherry Box!

Posted by Jessica.

 

 

The March Cherry Box is filled with Vicki Boutin Mixed Media goodness and in this layout, I wanted to try using as many types that I could of it. I ended up using the CreativeFX Glaze, art crayons, and texture paste that I used with a stencil. I backed the photos with the Ready-to-Use mixed media paper for an added mixed media look. I then embellished the layout with the ephemera and mini envelopes that are also in the Cherry Box. The only thing I used that wasn't in this month's Cherry Box was my 12"x 12" Mixed Media paper for the background.

This is actually my second attempt to make a mixed media background for this layout. My first one didn't turn out well, but that's okay. I just grabbed another sheet of paper and tried again. The second attempt turned out much better! Don't get discouraged if it doesn't turn out how you imagined on the first try!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Check out the video below for the process video!

 

Here are some close-up shots of this layout. I hope you enjoyed watching and have a ton of fun with this Cherry Box. I know I did!

   

   

You have until February 25 to subscribe to receive the March Cherry Box, which includes texture paste, mixed media paper, stencils, and much more!

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Have you subscribed yet? Get paper-crafting goodies sent to you every month with the Cherry Box!

Posted by Jessica.

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