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Hello to my fellow crafters! I'm just wanting to get some ideas on the least expensive way to add metallic accents (such as gold and sliver) to cards. I know the usual way is to use embossing powder and a heat tool, but the heat tools are a little pricey, plus one has to buy the powders and embossing ink to go along with it. Are there any alternatives? Thank you for reading!
Sakura makes pens called Gelly Roll Metallic. The containers look like regular ball point pens but have sparkly metallic colors. I have a gold one. These make thin lines, but with a ruler you could draw boxes or frames around things, or add little gold dots, or fill in centers of flowers, etc.
I bought mine at a local craft store, but you can probably find them in some of the big box craft stores.
You can also find metallic gold and silver painty-type pens that have wider nibs (I don't know the company that makes them--I've given mine away). The ink/paint flows a little too fast for me and I feel like I have less control over it.
The Tim Holtz Distress Paints come in a few good metallic colors – I have used the Pewter color to cover chipboard accents and they look pretty good (if a little too new and shiny :-)) You could always use a dark Distress Ink over them of course to make them look a little more vintage.
Hello to my fellow crafters! I'm just wanting to get some ideas on the least expensive way to add metallic accents (such as gold and sliver) to cards. I know the usual way is to use embossing powder and a heat tool, but the heat tools are a little pricey, plus one has to buy the powders and embossing ink to go along with it. Are there any alternatives? Thank you for reading!
Check out a company called Paperwishes online. They have a product called "Dazzles" which is great for adding gold and silver accents. These are great quality "stickers" made especially as embellishments for cards. Here is a link:
For smaller areas I used a gel pen (I have gold, silver, and bronze ones). For a larger areas I have a paint pen. I've had all of these for several years, since I don't use them that often.
The Tim Holtz Distress Paints come in a few good metallic colors
If you're happy with paint then I'd say look at things other than Distress to get real value for money. The likes of DecoArt acrylics have some excellent metallics (gold, silver, bronze, copper as well as some metallic colors) and you'll probably get a better price on those, certainly if you look at the amount in a bottle as well as the "headline" cost.
It depends what you mean by accents. If you're happy die cutting, punching and maybe embossing (with folders) then raiding your kitchen might provide what you need - stick foil to cardstock and you've got silver metal that's easy to cut and emboss. You can use acrylic paint or alcohol ink to "age" or distress it if you want.
If you want to stamp (for sentiments for example) then you could consider something like gold Perfect Pearls - Versamark is best as you're guaranteed no "show through" but you can stamp with a pigment ink if you don't have Versamark in your stash and brush the powder over, it's unlikely the ink colour will have a major impact. A little goes a very long way and you can do things like mix it with water and reinker ink a mister to make your own shimmer spray too.
There are many rub-on waxes available that are great for metallic finishes, especially on textured things. I use Rub n Buff (I like the little tubes rather than a tub, less chance of it drying out) but Treasure Gold and Inka Gold are popular. They're not ultra cheap but you don't need anything else by way of equipment so the cost stops once you've bought the wax itself.
Metallic paint pens - there are lots out there. Krylon Leafing pens give a reliable finish and there are several colours (gold, pale gold, silver, copper, red - I think that's it). Pilot make gold and silver with several nib sizes. Other makers escape me at the moment but I'm sure they're out there!
I second Angelnorth. I use DecoArt craft paint metallics, a great bargain, and I get very good results. Ditto on Rub 'n Buff and Perfect Pearls with Versamark. Perfect Medium, often sold with Perfect Pearls, is not as reliable as Versamark.
Sakura makes pens called Gelly Roll Metallic. The containers look like regular ball point pens but have sparkly metallic colors. I have a gold one. These make thin lines, but with a ruler you could draw boxes or frames around things, or add little gold dots, or fill in centers of flowers, etc.
I bought mine at a local craft store, but you can probably find them in some of the big box craft stores.
You can also find metallic gold and silver painty-type pens that have wider nibs (I don't know the company that makes them--I've given mine away). The ink/paint flows a little too fast for me and I feel like I have less control over it.
Hope this helps.
Absolutely love the Gelly Roll pens my absolute favorite is the Starlite one which is clear and the most versitle. I use it over black, over red over every color to add a sparkly shine.
I think the paint pens your refering to are made by Krylon. I have them but I too don't really like them because the flow is too fast and heavy for me.
I will use sharpies to do borders. Way better than much more expensive leaf edge pens in my mind. Those clog and dry out in my disappointed experience.
Definitely do strips of double sided tape with ultrafine glitter. That glitter goes a long way too. 1/8 inch tape can deliver well visually.
The Dazzles are amazing and they have a gazillion vids for using it. There are also other brands of same idea- might be cheaper.
Foil papers/mirror card-die cut or embossed look great. Just did a bunch of embossed male birthdays with a dull gold paper.
Metallic ink pads...I esp like Encore pigments but there are some Colorbox and Brilliance that are nice. Just be careful with the paper and you might have to dry it.
Very shiny brads on sale. One or two go a long way.
I'm not a charms person. Too much bulk for me. Just MO.
You can emboss heavy duty kitchen foil for sure!
I'm afraid to say you will want a heat gun for more than just powder embossing. Lots of times we need to dry the thing for example.
If you dont want to get a lot of embossing powders keep in mind you can always stamp and then clear emboss-so just one powder and the versamark pad. Which can be used for other things too like watermarking.
I can't believe no one has become an enabler so I will. A heat gun may be an investment but I've has mine for 10 years+ and it is going strong. I use it nearly every time I craft! So that's only about 1c per day! Ok, I don't craft every day so 2c per day! The clean ink pad needed is versatile so it's not a single use item. And embossing powder costs less than most ink pads! Go for it!
But if not, the other suggestions are really good.
A friend recently showed me a card using gold duct tape that was embossed in a Cuttle Bug
and it looked wonderful. I would never have guessed it was duct tape; it really popped.
Cheapest way to add metallic accents to cards?
