Artsy Inkers
Stamping/Crafting Fests! => Older Fests => Winterfest 2020 Challenges and Chats => Topic started by: Far North on February 01, 2020, 12:17:02 AM
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Perfect Pearls are made with powdered mica in order for crafters to achieve lots of wonderful shimmer and shine! I am happy to see a recent comeback with lots of fresh new ideas for using Perfect Pearls (PP). For my challenge I am offering you the opportunity to become familiar with a broad range of PP techniques. That’s right. Use your time to practice PP techniques! You will NOT be expected to complete any cards for this challenge. You are encouraged to make notes about the PP techniques you use so that you can apply them to cards made in the future.
Your techniques can be made on any size paper.
You might begin by making color swatches to see what color combos are most pleasing to you. Note: interference colors will not show up well on light colored paper…. but they are great on dark cardstock.
If you have never used PP or feel you have little experience, you might want to start with Bonnie Edgerton’s 2-part You Tube videos. She explains the basics of using the products as well as demonstrates lots of techniques including: Stamp images onto dark colored paper with medium and color with PP; Direct to paper; Dusting background with PP and lift off stamped image; Dusting and coloring with dye ink; Resist on glossy paper; create a watermark. Try as many techniques as you like.
Ranger's Perfect Pearls Primer-Part 1 of 2 https://youtu.be/JbeTZ_ztgO8
Ranger's Perfect Pearls Primer-Part 2 of 2 https://youtu.be/7DyoWKuhUHc
For more experienced users of PP, Jennifer McGuire shares some “shining” examples of more complex techniques at
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTuV6i1nUI6QgK9xusFtYFjqGI0C6X20j
Please post photos in the gallery and link to this thread. Also share your experience with the techniques you tried.
Please do not combine with other challenges. All players in this challenge will be included in a drawing for a RAK.
I hope you have lots of fun testing how you might use Perfect Pearls!
Thank You for playing in Winterfest 2020!...Jan
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Jan this sounds like it will be fun! I haven’t had my perfect pearls out to play in a while, and I like how your challenge is open ended, so I can play longer if I have more time. Thank you for hosting!
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This sounds like a wonderful challenge, Jan. I'm so glad I kept my PP and happy to hear that they are making a comeback. Will be watching videos and working on backgrounds.
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I have these and will enjoy playing with them again. It has been a long time!
April :smile:
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I believe I have these or something like it, thanks for sharing links
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I just went and checked I have Pearl Ex
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Connie, sorry you don't have Perfect Pearls. But know the major difference is Pearl Ex doesn't have a binder in the ingredients which means it will not stick to the surface of the paper. But here is a videos that will show you what to do.
How To Use Pearl-EX - Not Perfect Pearls" in a slightly different way.
https://youtu.be/TjGuaogsNr0
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http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=4751#top_display_media
Ok, I had a ball with this one. I stamped with medium on black card-stock. Added perfect pearls.. loved them all. Made cards, lots of them.
I watched videos and did all the things they said to do. Then I watched Jennifer and made two cards like she showed, easy and supper fun.
Thank you Jan for having us revisit perfect pearls!
P.s. those are Tim Holtz stamps, that’s why there a missing spots.
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I had fun with Perfect Pearls. My cards are posted in the gallery (http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=4757#top_display_media)
The top card uses the technique where I blended two colours of Distress Ink then brushed PP over top. My colours, red and green, were chosen because I plan on making Christmas cards ( I made ten of these). It was a pleasant surprise to see just how much adding PP flawlessly blended the two colours together. I am very disappointed in the fact that my Distress Inks need re-inking. Although the background looks pretty it doesn't cry Christmas. Also, I should have used a snowflake die.
The bottom card technique that I used was found on one of the two videos that were linked (not Jennifer's) and that was to "paint" with PP. I was very happy with the results. I am going to turn the three examples I made into Sympathy cards.
For this technique I heat embossed black on black cardstock. I used the lids as my palate so I knew which colour was which. I did find that the PP were pretty thick so I watered them down to allow the PP to flow off of the heat embossed areas. For my background I blended two colours of PP.
Great challenge!
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I am starting to play with this today. I threw out my perfect medium pads, because the foam was disintegrating. I am substituting my Versamark pad. Of course, that works well for the first technique in the videos where you just stamp and add the PP.
However, in the Lift Technique, it did not lift very well. I am wondering if others are also having this result. My black paper MAY possibly have a coating on it, and I am thinking that might be the issue too. It still gave an interesting result which I will share later when I am ready to photograph things.
I also know that I can get around this by NOT putting Versamark direct to paper first (as they do use the Perfect Medium direct-to-paper), I think I will just get a lighter amount of pearl coating.
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Yesterday, Justine Hovey put out a Perfect Pearl video. I am thinking they are being revived, maybe because Ranger added some new colors this year?
Anyhow, she did the techniques with Versamark and they all worked for her, so maybe it is my paper. She didn’t really add anything new that weren’t in those older Ranger videos.
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Here are 4 of my experiments. I explained what I did in the gallery.
http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=4766#top_display_media
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Okay, here is a finished card project using Jennifer’s technique. I have details in the gallery.
http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=4768#top_display_media
If I have time, after doing the other challenges, I still want to try painting over a heat embossed image.
Thanks for the challenge, I had fun!
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Here are the links to my backgrounds and card. I had fun playing with this today!
April :smile:
backgrounds -- http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=4769#top_display_media
card -- http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=4770#top_display_media
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I had a fun morning ... in to the afternoon, playing with perfect pearls. Thanks for the challenge, Jan! Now I need to go get some work done! It is so tempting to keep on playing.
Shine-on samples (http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=4775#top_display_media)
Oops, as I was picking up my mess I found another PP background.
This one was stamped with Versamark. The berries dusted with Perfect Pearl color, the rest with Mint. Stamp is Hero Arts Flourish Pine.
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Thanks for sharing the link Jan :)
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I have been up since 2:30 this morning. I came here to distract myself from the pain in my hands. It worked. Well, Extra-Strength Excedrin helped too. lol. I have watched all the videos and some others as well. I forgot all that can be done with mica powders. I love the cards and sample pieces that you guys have posted. So beautiful. I had planned on playing along with the challenges. They are all so good, but I've been away from the house every day this week except Wednesday when my son visited and today when my hands are bothering me more than usual. We'll see if I can work up the energy to do something!
Daria
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I have been up since 2:30 this morning. I came here to distract myself from the pain in my hands. It worked. Well, Extra-Strength Excedrin helped too. lol. I have watched all the videos and some others as well. I forgot all that can be done with mica powders. I love the cards and sample pieces that you guys have posted. So beautiful. I had planned on playing along with the challenges. They are all so good, but I've been away from the house every day this week except Wednesday when my son visited and today when my hands are bothering me more than usual. We'll see if I can work up the energy to do something!
Daria
I’m glad you checked in Daria. I hope you will be able to play along, even if it’s just for one challenge. I am sorry to hear your hands are bothering you so much that it woke you up.
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good hearing from you Daria, hope that pain goes away so you can do some creating!
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I am sorry to hear about your hands, Daria. We will extend the fest through wednesday so that you, Jan and Connie can do some challenges. I hope that you can do a few at least.
April :smile:
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The first one I mixed pearl ex with some Decoart - Paper Perfect and it just changed the color, I used a Super Russet, when there wasn't much shine I just taped some on top, but that didn't do anything either
http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=4799#top_display_media
This one I just used the versamark for an all over design, which I liked, and then just to stamp
http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=4800#top_display_media
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I know this challenge is over, but I wanted to share another card. I have seen a lot of Perfect Pearl out in the blogosphere in the last 2 weeks. Definitely making a comeback!
Here is my card:
http://www.duhnproductions.com/Pics/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=4811#top_display_media