Who wouldn’t want to know how to create custom embellishments, right? If you’ve taken a class with me or you are on my newsletter list, you likely already know some of these tricks (because I love sharing them!) But if you haven’t heard or seen these before, these ideas might just blow your mind! They are super easy. And super versatile. This information was recently shared on CTMH’s blog. But to ensure you also enjoy these tricks, I’m sharing it here with you today.
When creativity strikes, it can do so in a full spectrum of colors! Our exclusive colors can be found in Exclusive Inks™ stamp pads and re-inkers, shimmer brushes, embellishments, and so much more. With these products, you can achieve effortless color coordination in all of your crafting.
Sometimes, however, the embellishments that we want to use in our artwork are only available in neutral colors, such as white, wood, or cork. The good news is that you can get crafty with your embellishments as well and color them to meet your color needs!
First things first, we absolutely love all of our embellishments and the colors that they come in. We wouldn’t have them any other way, and they serve us so well in lots of art projects, as you have witnessed in the many artwork examples shown on this blog, our catalogs, and our other social media outlets. The idea today is to show you just another amazing facet to these already incredible little embellishments that can make all the difference!
(Featured above: Clear Sparkles, Bright Pink Shades TriBlend™ Marker, Dazzle Liquid Pearls™, Hibiscus Stickles™ Glitter Glue, Wild Berry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, White Pearls, Gold Yellow TriBlend™ Marker, Bisque Liquid Pearls™, Platinum Stickles™ Glitter Glue, Sundance Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Silver Glitter Gems, Dull Green TriBlend™ Marker, Sage Liquid Pearls™, Cool Mint Stickles™ Glitter Glue, Avocado Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, white dots, Aqua Blue TriBlend™ Marker, Robin’s Egg Liquid Pearls™, Waterfall Stickles™ Glitter Glue, Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad)
A lot of the color that we’ve added to our example embellishments can be added directly from the tool to the embellishment. For example, markers, shimmer brushes, and glitter glues, all have tips fine enough that can dispense the color right onto your choice of embellishment. When you are coloring with these sorts of tools, we encourage you to color the embellishment before adding it to your project. If it is adhesive-backed, color it while it is still on the backing sheet that it came on. For embellishments that are not adhesive-backed, use a small amount of adhesive on the back and attach it lightly to a piece of scratch paper. This way, you can color the embellishment to just the right color you want without worrying about making stray marks on your project. You can then place the newly colored embellishment after you’ve achieved the color or effect you were hoping for.
(Featured above: Wood Arrows, Pink LePen™, Bright Pink Shades TriBlend™ Marker, Watercolor Pencils, waterbrush, Wild Berry Shimmer Brush, Fuchsia Gloss Spray, Hibiscus Stickles™ Glitter Glue, Picked Raspberry Distress Oxide™ Ink Pad, Wild Berry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Dazzle Liquid Pearls™)
Porous surfaces, such as wood or cork, will absorb a lot of the colors—gels, glues, and embossing powder are the exceptions—whereas the color media will sit on nonporous surfaces found on embellishments like dots and gems. Regardless of the embellishment you may be garnishing, always remember to allow the color to dry in order to avoid any unwanted transfer (onto yourself or other parts of your project).
(Featured above: Sweet as Honey Cork Shapes, White Gel Pens, Embossing Ink Pens, White Super Fine Embossing Powder, Hibiscus Stickles™ Glitter Glue, Wild Berry Shimmer Brush, Bright Pink Shades TriBlend™ Marker, Aqua Blue TriBlend™ Marker, Gold Yellow TriBlend™ Marker)
We will leave you with one final tip. If you are wanting to color match an embellishment with one of our exclusive colors, our Exclusive Inks™ are your answer! Depending on the embellishment, you may want to either use one of our stamp pads or re-inkers. If you are adding color to clear sparkles (see our Wild Berry Exclusive Inks™ example in the first set of embellishments, above), use a sponge or dauber with your ink pad. Ink the sponge, then gently dab the embellishment until the desired color is achieved. For embellishments that may require more detail, a re-inker paired with a waterbrush allows great control and precision. Place a drop of re-inker onto an all-purpose mat (or another nonporous surface that can act as your palette). Lift the ink with the brush to add color to your embellishments in a more controlled manner.
Isn’t it amazing what you can do with your embellishments? Just adding some ink or Glitter Glue can completely change the look of your embellishment. Are you feeling inspired to change up your embellishments to coordinate with your projects? Just looking at the pretty examples of each type of embellishment is so inspiring! Now that you know how to create custom embellishments the sky is the limit for all your future projects.