We are so excited to bring you another technique video. ANYONE can do this spectacularly elegant technique and make it even ‘fancier’ with a dollop of watercolor!
Watch Now!
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At the consumer shows we attend, there’s an email newsletter sign-up box. On a Monday following the show, we draw out 5 winners. It’s a fun way to say ’Thank You’ for signing up for our newsletter. Those 5 winners receive any color MicaColor Palette that they choose (Metallic, Interference, Stargazer, Pastelle or Vintage). It was a nice surprise for us to get the thank you too - and it was so beautifully handmade! Thanks to Vicki for making our day.
By the way…watch for USAQ and Marco’s Paper at these upcoming shows. Maybe you will be the next big winner of a MicaColor Palette!
Stamp & Paper Arts Show
August 7th & 8th, 2010
Rock Financial Show Place
46100 Grand River, Novi, MI.
__________________
Stampaway
Saturday, August 14th, 2010
Sharonville Convention Center Sharonville, Oh
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Speaking of Mica Tiles! These are some ‘wowee’ techniques and pages that staff from USAQ have made using Mica Tiles.
The transfer technique is done with Studio Paper, and is OH, SO SIMPLE! Run Studio Paper through your injet printer. Put it on best, making sure to dump lots of ink. Turn it onto watercolor paper or a nice cardstock, such as Folia. Gently rub the inked area from the backside, using a cotton ball, or Appliqate. When it’s transferred, place a Mica Tile over the surface and cut the cardstock to match the shape of the Tile. Use these images on your scrapbook pages. 
In Jill and Rose we made the transfer and adhered it using Great Tape. Adhere the Tile to the image itself, by coating it with Duo Adhesive. Allow it to dry, and then just stick it down onto the transfer.
Frankie has made a wonderful cover page for a Scrapbook album featuring her father. The Tile is covering his image, is actually raised from the surface using nuts and bolts. Notice the layered geometric patterning she’s used, using lots of beautiful gilded pieces. 
The Fine Liner was filled with Duo and drawn down a ruler, with a cork backing. When dry, apply the gilding. Gently brush the leaves with Duo too, and gild them, using Gildenglitz – Gold.
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This vase was a mere $6, but transforming it into something far more important than an inexpensive vase was easy. I found the pretty paper napkins somewhere in my travels and knew they were perfect for this project.
Materials Used:
Pretty Napkins
Clear Glass Vase
Perfect Paper Adhesive – gloss
Duo Adhesive
Gildenglitz – Variegated
Soft Brush
Studio Paper
Detailing Scissors – ‘Miones’
Begin by washing the vase and drying it thoroughly. Next it’s fun time! Cut out the napkin designs you like best. It’s easiest if you leave all the layers of the napkin together until you’re ready to glue them to the vase. IMPORTANT: Before gluing them to the vase you must carefully remove the two back layers, leaving only the printed top flower.
Carefully apply the adhesive to the back of the paper napkin flower. Just as carefully, lift and place it onto the vase. I found that for tiny pieces, tweezers came in handy. Apply the PPA over the top of the flowers too. This will protect them and firmly adhere them to the glass. If too much glue gets onto the glass, you can easily remove it easily with a cotton swab and water. I looked the vase over at the very end, and found some seemingly dried adhesive. Once wet it still came off fairly smoothly. But I wouldn’t wait too long to do the clean-up, because the adhesive dries rock-hard within an hour or two.
After adhering flowers all over the bottom part of the vase, I decided to add them to the base too. I turned the vase over and adhered the flowers to the bottom of the base. Then I got the bright idea to add gilding. When the PPA was completely dry, I applied a light coat of Duo Adhesive. (Say to yourself, “When it’s white, it’s not right. When it’s clear it adheres.”) In other words, let the Duo dry completely.
When it is completely dry, apply the gilding leaf. I used Gildenglitz – Variegated, but plain gold or silver would have also looked nice. Remove the excess with a Texture Sponge. Apply a generous coat of PPA-gloss to the gilding. This will protect it from getting scratched when the vase sits on the table.
When dry and right side up, the gilding glows through the glass base, giving the vase a rich appearance.
Here is the completed vase, ready for a fresh bouquet of flowers, straight from my garden.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this project and will try it yourself! The vase doesn’t have to be this large. After all, flowers look pretty in jelly jars too. And, jelly jars can be made even prettier with some napkin collage embellishing!
Posted in Duo Adhesive, GildenGlitz, PPA (Perfect Paper Adhesive) | Tagged Duo, Gildenglitz, how to, metal leafing, napkin, perfect paper adhesive, ppa, susan pickering rothamel, US Art Quest, USAQ, vase | 10 Comments »
Today, we’re going to play with MICA! Why, because “it rocks!” Mica Tiles are natural pieces of mica, which are heat resistant, acid free and lightfast. Each Mica Tile is distinctly different from the other, but all can be delaminated and relaminated making them perfect for preserving photos, pressed flowers and mementoes.
The design team has put together some amazing projects! On the USAQ blog, we are featuring ONE photo that best represents their project. If you go to their blogs, you’ll find more photos, and details of and about their projects!
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Hello USAQ readers!!
I hope you’re all off to the start of a fantastic weekend. I wanted to share with you something I made using the frame of the ATC cards.
I’ve used a TON of product with this piece so I will list the products used on each card, under the detailed photo.
I used the napkin collection kit from US Art Quest. It comes with 16 napkins, PPA, and some Crystal Copperstone Effectz!
For each ATC I used:
US Art Quest art canvas
US Art Quest PPA Matte.
US Art Quest napkin collection kit
To create the frame, I sprayed it with Tattered Angels Dreamsicle Glimmer Mist.
After the frame dried, I used a distress ink along with a ‘script’ stamp, and stamped on the frame.
US Art Quest: Bright Yellow Perfect Pigment Paint
US Art Quest: Crystal Copperstone Effectz
American Crafts: Cupid Thickers
Websters Pages tag: “Blessings brighten as they take their flight.”
Book page.
Making Memories tiny alpha. “Faith”
Making Memories Metal Saying. “What a joy you bring to my life.”
Websters Pages tag: “If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves”
US Art Quest: Misty Lavender Jewelz Mica Pigments
Prima bling.
Butterfly stamp: Unity, sold in stores only.
Book page.
Prima bling.
Copic Multiliner to trace over “Dream”
Music paper.
US Art Quest: Mica D’Lights
US Art Quest: 101 Heavy
US Art Quest: Little Dippers
US Art Quest: Black Folia Cardstock
Tattered Angels: Butterfly Screen
Black card stock.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my project!
You can check this post, and this one for details as to how I’ve made some of the ATC cards, and the butterfly.
Jessica
Posted in 101 Heavy, Design Team, Duo Adhesive, Jewelz, Mica D'lights, PPA (Perfect Paper Adhesive), Stencils, Studio Essentials | Tagged Jessica Griffin, Duo, Adhesive, USAQ, US Art Quest, 101 heavy, mica d'lights, little dippers, tattered angels, jewelz mica pigments | Leave a Comment »
This weeks challenge features US Art Quest’s napkin collection kit. The kit includes 16 napkins, a 1 ounce container of PPA matte, and some Crystal Copperstone Effectz! The design team paired the napkin collection kit with the art canvas, which is available in black and white. The art canvas measures 2.5″X3.5″ and can be used for card making, ATC’s, mosaics and several other arts and crafts.
Many of our design team members have created projects using the napkin collection kit that are not featured on todays blog post. Be sure to stop by their blogs to view their other projects AND for detailed instructions on how they’ve made the projects featured below!
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- travelatc2
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Posted in Design Team | Tagged design team, Sarah Anderson, Suzi Blu, Terri Sproul, Lea Cioci, Jan Hennings, Jessica Griffin, Connie Vogt | 4 Comments »
Congratulations to our
first ever
Blog Hop Winner
Karen Denson
Karen has won the beautiful Draw and Gild Kit.
We all hope you not only enjoy using it Karen, but that you share your many wonderful projects with us afterwards. Visit Karen on her blog at http://stampollage.blogspot.com/
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Draw and Gild, Fine Liner, Gilding, usartquest | 9 Comments »
FOR THE USAQ BLOG HOP CLICK HERE!
Connie Stover is an amazing artist and graphic designer. (She designs amazing websites through her business Webmastersnow.com (See the USArtQuest site for instance.) She did a painting using the Fine Liner I just HAD to share it with you! There are no step-outs, but she told me what she did, which I’ll share here. (She’s also the gal on the Fine Liner video – so you can see a LOT more of her work by viewing that. http://usartquest.com/images/videos/video_fineliner.jpg)
The painting is entitled “Red Feather” (approx 16 x 20)
Connie began with a pre-gessoed canvas. Using Perfect Pigments and Perfect Glazes she painted the background. Next she sketched onto the dried surface and then began painting in the large areas of color, using more paint, refining and defining areas using a paintbrush.
In this close-up, you can see the great amount of detail of work done with the Fine Liner. Loaded with Duo Adhesive, Connie drew the robe’s patterning, and when dry she applied the Gildenglitz in Silver, Copper or Gold. She also used the Fine Liner to add touches of detail color using the Perfect Pigments. Larger areas were filled in with Duo using a brush. Gidling was applied there too, once the adhesive had dried. What you might not see, is the beautiful variegated gilding that was used.
Here is another detail of the larger painting. Connie is an artist who obviously maximizes the Fine Liner. While we may not have the talent to accomplish this level of art, I believe even a novice can draw swirly curlecues, little lines and squiggles onto larger areas of color. So, whether on paper or canvas, cards, scrapbooking or alterd art and using acrylics, watercolor or gilding techniques, this is a tool that should be a necessity in everyone’s toolbox.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Gilding, Gildenglitz, MicaColor, Fine Liner, Duo, Adhesive, paint, Canvas | 9 Comments »
Having a design team, blogging projects and holding design challenges are new to me. But I love it! I love the whole concept of sharing and socializing through online media. Our fabulous team was handpicked for their talent, creativity and agreeable natures.
Everyone got to work with USArtQuest’s fun and fabulous Draw and Gild Kit. In the kit here’s a Fine Liner and Duo, Gildenglitz, Mica Pigments and other goodies. Of course each can be used independently or mixed with many other art materials. My project began with a simple pencil line drawing.
When complete, I mixed Perfect Pigment’s – Dark Violet 50/50 with water and loaded the Fine Liner. It only took 4 refills to complete the whole piece, which is about 18″ x 24″. I knew by using the acrylic paint, the watercolors could be used freely and not disturb the dried lines – and too, they’d remain visible through the watercolor. Use a white eraser to eliminate any stray pencil lines. A white eraser can be used confidently since it won’t leave color on a white surface.
Using lots of MicaColor watercolors this piece will soon be matted and framed. I call it ‘Homage to Tiffany’.
Enjoy the blog hop and make sure you leave comments on each page. Someone WILL win a Draw and Gild Kit of their very own! Also stop by the USArtQuest website. We have lots of projects and videos for you to explore, as well as the most wonderful art products in the world!
Make sure you visit the USAQ Design Team Blogs! Don’t forget the comments – doing that will automatically enter you into the contest for the Draw and Gild Kit.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Perfect Pigments, Gilding, Gildenglitz, Texture Sponge, Appliqate, MicaColor, Watercolor, Acrylic Paint, Tiffany, Fine Liner | 91 Comments »
