Sparkle and Shine: Mastering Metallic Sprays in Your Cardmaking

Hey there, crafty friends! Karen here and today, we're diving into the magical world of Metallic Shimmer Sprays and how you can incorporate them into your cardmaking and papercrafting projects. Whether you're a seasoned crafter or just starting out, these shimmer sprays are sure to add a touch of fun and sparkle to your creations.

Today, I am sharing several bright and colorful cards. It was a play day for me as I experimented with ink sprays and a fresh new background stamp called Abstract Feather Bold Prints.

Rainbow Color Shimmer Cards

 My Process:

• I added 6 colors of Metallic Shimmer Spray to the individual wells of my paint palette. Add more water for a softer more watercolor look.
• Metallic Sprays used: Fuchsia + Gold, Orange + Shimmer, Bright Yellow + Copper, Green + Shimmer, Blue + Shimmer, Royal Purple + Gold.
• I put the Abstract Feather Bold Prints background stamp in my stamp positioner with a piece of Luxe White Watercolor Paper.
• With my Flat Water Brush, I brushed Metallic Sprays onto my stamp and then stamped on the watercolor paper. For the "Smile" card, I wanted a softer watercolor look so I brushed water on the stamp and then brushed on six colors of pigmented spray.
• I let my panels dry and then trimmed with my Rounded Rectangles Infinity Dies.
• I finished by adding my sentiments and embellishments, which I detail below.
• All of my die cut sentiments were cut three times, stacked and glued together.

As I stated above, I wanted to try a softer watercolor look for my "Smile" card and in person, this card seems to have the most shimmer and shine. After trimming my card, I lightly ink blended the edges with Amethyst Core Ink and added my Smile sentiment, which was die cut from Amethyst cardstock. I added Translucent Pink Enamel Dots for a little added interest.

Card #2 was made the same way as Card #1, except I did NOT brush water on my stamp before painting my stamp. You can really see how the amount of water used can change your project.

I finished my card with a Nautical blue sentiment die cut with the Smile Friend Stamp & Cut XL set plus a few Clear Hues Enamel Dots.

Minimalist Mixed Media Card

I wanted to play a bit more with my final card. I added some rub-ons from the Collage Backgrounds Part 2 Hero Transfers set and then, with my Hero Tools Palette Knife, I added Gold Hero Paste in random spots through the Leaves and Abstract Shapes Stencil. You can see a stencil process photo below.  Remember to quickly either soak or wash your stencil so the Hero Paste does not dry on the stencil.

I stamped and die cut a sentiment from the I Appreciate You Bundle. Finally, I added a few black Neutrals Hero Hues Enamel Dots.

PRO TIP: Protect your work surface with a piece of deli paper when working with messy media. It makes for a quick and easy cleanup.

What Are Metallic Shimmer Sprays?

Metallic Shimmer Sprays are versatile crafting mediums that contain finely milled metallic pigments suspended in a liquid base. They come in a variety of metallic shades and below, you can see the six I used on my cards today. When sprayed or brushed onto paper, these shimmer sprays impart a beautiful shine and metallic sheen, adding depth and dimension to your projects.

Don't you just love this shimmery rainbow of metallic sprays? I can't decide which is my favorite!

• Two-Tone Fuchsia + Gold
• Tone-on-Tone Orange + Shimmer
• Two-Tone Bright Yellow + Copper
• Tone-on-Tone Green + Shimmer
• Tone-on-Tone Blue + Shimmer
• Two-Tone Royal Purple + Gold.

Final Thoughts

Stamping with metallic shimmer sprays is a fun and easy way to elevate your cardmaking projects and add a touch of shine to your designs. Whether you're crafting for a special occasion or just because, these metallic sprays are sure to make your creations shine bright. So, grab your stamps and start sparkling!

I hope you found this tutorial helpful and inspiring. Happy crafting!