| - Ready to decorate KrystalKraft - Clear acrylic pieces that have been laser cut to smooth edged shapes great for making jewelry, domino size pendants, key chains, magnets, pins, art dolls, embellishments, journals and more. One side is pre-treated to accept a variety of inks & coloring media. It looks like frosted glass, but once it is inked/stamped/marker colored/glittered/glued on etc. it becomes clear. In the package photos below the acrylic shapes may appear brown because there is a sticker liner attached to each shape. This brown paper protects the crystal clear shiny surface while you decorate, just peel it off to expose your art! Unlike regular acrylic, plastic or acetate products, KrystalKraft's treated surface is not slippery, making it easy to stamp or paint on for beginners. Unless otherwise noted each has a thickness of approx. 1/8". Enjoy a glass-like appearance without the fragility! Scroll down for the tutorials and example art gallery. |
| A note about using Adirondack Alcohol Inks by Tim Holtz / Ranger Ink.: I do not recommend using these with rubber stamping. Since all stamp inks (Stazon and VersaFine included) have blurred or lightened images when reacting with these alcohol inks. I tried both stamping before and after the application of alcohol inks with different but ultimately disappointing results. However, you can still get some beautiful effects by using alcohol inks on these acrylic shapes without stamping. Or by first stamping onto paper, and then using clear drying glue to attach the image to an acrylic piece that has been colored with alcohol inks. Other tips & tricks: Remember that word stamps will appear backwards if you stamp on the back (frosted) side and view the art through the other shiny side. You could add a personalized written message or design on the front side using permanent markers or StazOn ink pads for an image that appears to "float" above your decorated backside. Rub-on stickers also look nice on clear acrylic. Since the front is very slippery it may take practice not to smear your ink by wiggling while stamping on the slick surface. If you're coloring with Stickles or other glitter glue and your first coat doesn't give you enough glitter density, just wait for it to dry and apply another coat. There will always be some light that shines through, but this is not noticeable when you're wearing the art (not viewing from a backlit angle.) If you want to make it completely opaque you'll have to add a paper backing or a paint layer/dark sealer. If you'd like to use my instructions or pictures on your website or blog, please include credit to: www.TheEnchantedGallery.com Store Index: pg.1: Rubber Stamps, pg. 2: Acrylic Shapes to decorate, pg.3: Mold Making Compound, pg.4 Face & Button Molds, pg.5: Nature Spirit Molds, pg.6: Goddess & Mythology Molds, pg.7: Fairy & Mermaid Molds Gallery & Information Index: pg.1: Customer Art Gallery, Mold Info & Instructions, pg.2: Kimberly Crick's Art Gallery, pg.3: Artist Biography & F.A.Q., pg.4: Shipping & Store Policy Ordering Information: Orders ship via USPS to the United States only (policy,) estimated delivery time is 7 to 14 business days. Shipping chart, info and optional insurance available here. US based credit cards or e-checks accepted through my secure PayPal shopping cart (you do not need to be a PayPal member to use it.) All sales are final. All orders over $100 ship free! I have an "Angel Policy" You may sell handmade artwork using my craft supplies. You may not use my products to make new molds from the cast / impression or to create machine reproduced images. Comments or Questions? Check Q&A before you Email: EnchantedGallery@gmail.com |
| Above I've tested out stamping my image with VersaFine ink onto patterned scrapbooking paper. I then coated the back (frosted) side of the acrylic pendant with Glossy Accents (or use any clear drying glue) and press it onto your decorated paper. I accidently used way too much glue in this picture, so I wiped off the excess with a damp paper towel. When you press the glue covered acrylic onto your paper be sure to give it a little circular motion spin to make sure all areas of the image are coated. Depending on how much glue you used it should be dry within a couple minutes. Use a craft knife or small scissors to cut the paper around the edges of the shape. Use a craft knife to cut away the paper blocking the hole. Be careful if your glue is still wet your paper may be damp and prone to tear until dry. You can also use a Cropadile or 1/8" hole punch (only the extra thick acrylic 1/4" pieces are too big to fit in the Copadile tool if you use that to punch the hole.) Also, since the hole is 1/8" the most common size of eyelets fit nicely. You can add a pretty finishing touch by placing a metal eyelet into the hole using glue (any glue rated for bonding plastic and metal, you won't be able to flatten it to secure it.) |
| Package of six domino size (1" x 2") shapes with a 1/8" hole drilled for hanging. |
| Extra thick package of four domino size (1" x 2") shapes with a 1/8" hole drilled for hanging. Each piece is 1/4" thick. |
| $4.99 Dominoes |
| $4.99 1/4" Thick Dominoes |
| General instructions for all media - How to rubber stamp and color on krystal kraft acrylic pieces: Step 1) Wipe the treated (frosted) side with alcohol or a damp cloth to make sure the surface is clean and free of dust. As a personal choice I peel off the brown sticker paper from the front so I can see what I'm doing as I color. If you're working with something messy (like alcohol inks, glues or anything that won't easily wipe off) and you want to protect the front side of your work, you can leave this brown paper on until you're done stamping/coloring the back. The paper also helps minimize finger print marks on the glossy surface, which is avoidable if you're careful to pick up the piece by its sides while you work. |
| Step 2) Stamp your image using a permanent ink pad such as "StazOn" or "VersaFine" on the treated (frosted) side of the acrylic. I recommend StazOn because it dries quickly on its own (usually in well under a minute.) If you already have a different ink pad, such as VersaFine or Archival Ink that you want to test out, you may need to blow-dry/heat gun set it for about 30 seconds to be sure it won't smear when you move on to coloring. I lay my inked rubber stamp face up on a table and press my acrylic down onto it. If you're working without the brown protective paper, you'll be able to see the ink penetrate the treated surface. This is handy because you'll see all the inked areas soak in, eliminating the possibility of missing any of the impression. |
| Step 3) Color! Here's where you've got a lot of choices: Alcohol based markers (like Sharpies or Copic), Pigment ink pads (direct or applied with a sponge dauber then heat gun set, I prefer Brilliance pads), Glitter (either coat the surface with a clear drying glue and dump loose glitter on it, or use glitter glue like Stickles brand), Air-dry enamel or other paints rated for use on plastic or glass, Paint pens or permanent markers, Metal leafing, Decoupage with scrapbooking paper or magazine cut outs using clear drying glue (like Glossy Accents) and patterned papers, Spray paint, Stickers / rub-ons etc. Experiment ;) |
| Package of ten small charm shapes with two holes. Two each of five designs measuring just under 3/4" w. each. |
| $3.99 Charms Kit |
| Great for bracelets and wire wrapped pins or pendants. |
| Step 4) Sealing: Depending on which coloring method you picked, sealing may or may not be needed. Alcohol inks and permanent markers are pretty durable on their own. Stickles glitter glue stays in place pretty well, but has a grainy texture so you may want to coat it with a brush on glaze of your choice. I have discussed a variety of sealers (with pictures of each finish) on my domino pendant instruction page here. Sealer types that I've experimented with will also be noted with the example art photos below. As a personal choice I no longer use spray paints or spray can sealers. However, if you're looking for a really smooth finish and prefer to use a spray I recommend "Polycrylic" spray by Minwax which is usually in the wood / floor sealing area of Michaels or Home Depot. Alternately, for almost all methods, you can also use clear drying glue to place a paper or felt backing onto your piece. Magnets or pin backs can be attached to the paper / cardboard backings. Optional finishing touches: There is also the matter of transparency. If you find you dislike the amount of light shining through your pieces, I suggest adding a layer or two of acrylic paint or spray paint before sealing. If you are wearing your piece as a pendant, bracelet or attaching it to a project where it will not have light shining through the backside, this is probably not necessary. There may also be times where you want light to shine through your piece, such as when you're using alcohol inks or glass paints. It gives it a nice stained glass appearance that changes in all lighting conditions. |
| Once my acrylic piece was stamped I then brushed on a layer of the PermEnamel paint. And there it was... LOVE! If you've ever used craft paints you've probably been frustrated by the transparency of some. You know the kind where you have to brush on 3 or 4 layers just to make it opaque and cover your background? Well this paint is far far better! It's very opaque. With one coat I got solid color coverage that will be satisfactory for most people. With two coats it's so good you won't even be able to see through it with back lighting. It dries to the touch quickly (less than a half hour.) If you have more time to dedicate to your project this paint also looks great when you fill in each area of the design with a different color (instead of the one color coat shown here.) PS. Always use a clean and soft paint brush to apply acrylics. If you have a dirty brush and it has hardened in some spots it will dig into your paint layers giving you uneven (thin looking) coverage no matter how nice your paint is. You just want your brush to gently glide your paint over the surface. As with any paint being used on a non-porous surface, care should be taken not to chip the paint or have it come in contact with rough/sharp surfaces. Sealing with a thicker brush on sealer will help protect your paint layer. Also, just in case anyone gets confused about the "surface conditioner" that comes with these paint kits - It's just alcohol (regular rubbing alcohol, isopropyl) and it is fine to use with KrystalKraft pieces. (All of these paints have some alcohol in it, that's also why you'll see a drug/chemical warning label on it.) |
| Here I used large particle glitter glue from Michaels craft store. I laid out all my acrylic pieces from the charms kit in the order I wanted them for my bracelet. If you are not happy with the glitter coverage on your first layer, wait until it dries and add another coat. |
| My experiment with Delta PermEnamel air-dry paint: Is it possible to fall in love with paint? I spent a long time browsing craft stores looking for the perfect enamel paint (rated for use on slick surfaces like glass, tile or plastic.) I was disappointed that so many needed to be baked (probably not a good idea, I think the KrystalKraft acrylic piece may melt if exposed to prolonged heat.) While all paint finishes are somewhat fragile, regular crafting acrylics are more easily scratched or chipped off non-porous surfaces, so it's worth it to look for a better paint. Finally in the glass painting section at Michaels craft stores I noticed PermEnamel by Delta. I was sure I was going to be disappointed, it was cheap and looked like most other paint as far as I could tell. I bought one of those value pack kits with a tiny plastic string of jars with an assortment of colors. (It was about $4.99 for the assortment pack, but you can also buy larger bottles of the paints if you have a specific color in mind for about $3.00. The small assortment containers contain plenty of paint for many many projects, so I think that's the best deal to start with.) |
| I wanted to color in any spaces between the glitter, so I painted over it with PermEnamel paint. Once dry I put on a thick brush-on sealer to protect the paint. (Your choice - many brands will work over acrylic paints.) |
| (The Klimt style swirl pattern stamp is from sheet #Impr-004) |
| Package of two torso shapes. Each measures 1" wide x just over 1.75" tall. |
| $2.25 Torsos |
| <-- Day of the Dead skeleton playing guitar thick acrylic domino pendant. Stamp image from sheet #Posa-002. |
