Focus on...... Mica Powders

Good Saturday Morning Ladies,
  This week I thought I would spend a little time focussing on Mica Powders, I am sure that many of you have them in your craft stash somewhere, I have had them for years and rarely even think about using them!
This is what I am hoping to change with these 'Focus on' features, each week looking at something that we bought after seeing them uysed , got them home , found them a place to live and them forgotten about them! (Well that's what I did)!!

Mica powders are pure powdered pigments,ground into a super fine dust,
You can use them Wet or Dry, here are some of there many uses......

Coloured Embossing Powder.....Mix a little of your Mica powder with clear embossing powder, you would then use it just the same as any coloured embossing powder, this way you could match your embossing powder to other elements of your project, it also saves you buying many different coloured embossing powders.

 In these two photos I have used the Mica powders
To highlight the design in this beautiful embossing
Folder ( Bed of Roses ) by Creative Expressions.

I inked the embossing folder with Perfect Medium
(Clear Embossing ink), I then put my piece of card
Inside the folder and ran through Platinum,
After carefully removing from folder, I dusted the
Piece of card with a lilac coloured Mica powder, so you have the 'letterpress' technique but shimmery, as Mica powders are so reflective and shimmery!

In this photo I have used the Mica Powders to paint with, I think the best way to do this is to put a tiny spritz of water into the lid of your mica powder pot, add as much powder as you need to make a thick paint consistency, then use as you would any other paint medium, when you have finished, replace the lid, you can then reactivate any remaining powder with a little water,
Therefore no waste!

I Did exactly the same on black card, using  the
'Hearts Blossom' stamp from Creative Expressions,
The colours look much more vibrant on black card.
They look more subtle on white card, but oh so shimmery!

 In this photograph I have inked up my stamp with
Perfect Medium and stamped as normal, I then dusted over the stamped image with Mica powder, giving a lovely background paper!

Here I have used 'Perfect Medium' to ink up my Sentiment stamp,stamp as normal and then as above, I dusted over the stamped image with Mica Powders to reveal a gorgeous shimmery sentiment!!

Now for a quick look at the "Kissing" technique.
Cover your chosen area with Perfect medium embossing ink or Versamark, then dust all over with your chosen
Mica Powder, dust of any excess..............

Now take your chosen stamp, ink it up with the Embossing ink as and then stamp onto your Mica covered piece, press firmly and the lift off, this takes the Mica powder away from the stamped area, leaving your stamped image visible, it looks great on black card too,
So that is the 'kissing' technique.

Add Mica powder to water in a spritz bottle,
Shake well and then spritz over your card for a
Super shimmery background, I put my card in an old box before spritzing, as it goes everywhere, it gives a 'messy' background but thats what we need sometimes.

On this sample piece I used double sided adhesive sheet on black card,
I then dusted over it with three different colours of metallic Mica powders, I then cut the Eternal Rings Striplet Die and popped it over the top, then added a few pearls!

I used the Quilted Blocks Striplet Die by Creative Expressions in the same was as above, using double sided adhesive then dusting with
More subtle colours to dust over with, giving a super pretty, delicate background.

I will add that Perfect Pearls do have a fixative in, others don't, to fix them just spritz a little water into the air and waft your 'mica'd project' through the mist of water, then dry with a heat tool.

I hope you have found my quick glance at Mica powders helpful, go get them out and have a play!! I hope I have inspired you.
I would love to see anything that you made using them.

Have a great weekend ladies, keep warm and dry as the weather is not forecast to be very good!

Oh by the way, the girls loved their bedrooms, phew!!!!

Day of rest for me today,

Love and hugs

Sandra
xxxxxx