CAUGHT IN CRYSTAL

This is a great way of using up your Posh inks or reinkers to get a different effect on your cards.

What you'll need

1. Thermal Acetate - Photocopier or laser printer acetate

2. Tissue paper - white and larger than the acetate

3. Masking tape

4. Inks or reinkers - water based inks work best

5. Johnson's Klear Floor Polish

6. Ultra fine glitter

7. Kitchen towels

8. Heat tool

9. LOTS of protective paper and/or a non stick craft mat

10. Rubber gloves if you don't like inky fingers.................

Instructions

1. Using masking tape, tape the acetate down on all four sides. Drop a puddle of Klear in the centre and smooth over with your fingers to cover the acetate.

2. Add a sprinkling of ultra fine glitter - you can also add other things if you're feeling adventurous........ such as fibres, mica flakes, etc
   Crumple the tissue paper into a tight wad, then open again and lay it over the acetate, smoothing down carefully but leaving as many of the creases as you can.

3. Add more Klear - don't be mean with it as that's what makes the inks flow BUT don't put too much on it until you've heated it for the first time.  If you do, the Klear will seep underneath the acetate. Spread it around - using fingers or a paintbrush. Don't worry if the tissue tears - just rip off another piece and place it over the hole - the Klear will adhere it and no one will see it.

4. Take two or three inks and randomly drop small amounts on the tissue, then move the inks around with a paintbrush - or your fingers. This is where you need to be careful not to muddy the inks and why it's best to use small amounts and not too many colours. Add a touch more Klear if you need to lighten the inks, but not too much, then use the kitchen towel to mop up any excess colour or colours which look too dark.

5. Allow to dry, or heat set from a distance with the heat tool. Even though the acetate is thermal, it WILL buckle if you overheat it. Add another puddle of Klear and again, move it around to cover the tissue. Heat set again.

6. Add one last layer of Klear - this is the one which really makes it crystallise. I like to use a spritzer for this one - much less messy and nice even coverage.. Heat set again until it starts to bubble and you see the tissue lifting in small areas - that's what you want. You can actually see the glitter showing through the crystallised floor polish at this point if it's finished. This is where the technique (developed by Deb Cowan of Second Star on the Right) differs from the reinker and Diamond Glaze technique developed by Mary Jo McGraw - you don't get that Crystalline effect with her technique, though it's still a lovely effect.

7. Take off the masking tape, being careful not to pull off the tissue paper and turn over.  If it has stuck to the paper underneath, don't panic.  You can remove the offending paper bits with a baby wipe or with water and your fingernail.  Some of mine stuck but you can't see it now! 

8. Take off the masking tape, being careful not to pull off the tissue paper and turn over. If it has stuck to the paper underneath, don't panic. You can remove the offending paper bits with a baby wipe or with water and your fingernail. Some of mine stuck but you can't see it now!

The pictures down the side show how my sheets of acetate turned looked before I used them to make cards.  You have to imagine the glitter where the specks are!!    

This one was made from one of the pieces I demoed at the workshop.