Diamonds? No. Diamond Glaze is a Girls Best Friend

***** SEE AUG 15 20080 UPDATE TO THIS POST*****It finally slapped me in the face today that "Diamond Glaze" by Judikins is recommended just about everytime I read instructions for a jewelry and paper related product in any magazine, book or blog. I know it has been around for a while, but none of my local stores seem to carry it so I had not tried it myself until a month or so ago when visiting my crafty mother-in-law. I tried it. I liked it. I tried to find it and buy it, but to no avail. Today I decided to find it online. I Googled "Diamond Glaze" and also checked Etsy supplies and was amazed at all of the rave reviews and usage ideas that came popping off the page.

Maybe Marilyn had it wrong... it's not "Diamonds are a girls best friend". It's DIAMOND GLAZE. This stuff is amazing.

Here's what other people are saying:

"I LOVE this stuff! I use it on almost every layout! You can use it as an adhesive, or as an enhancer to any item - paper or not. I've used it to fill in conchos to make typewriter keys. I've used it on flowers to simulate dew. On water to simulate movement. You can mix it with a few drops of refill ink to do stained windows. It ROCKS~! " (www.scrapjazz.com/reviews by "PrincessDallas")

"I love this stuff. It's great as a glue, especially for see-through items like watch crystals and works as a great glaze too. Follow the instructions and you won't be disappointed." (www.scrapjazz/reviews by "Dreamweaver")

"Judikins Diamond Glaze is a dimensional adhesive that dries to a clear glass-like finish. Why buy five when one will do? Dimond Glaze is an adhesive, glaze, medium, paint, and lacquer all in one: Judikins Diamond Glaze securely holds Vellum, Embossable Window Plastic, glass beads, glitter and many other mediums! Unlike other clear adhesives, Diamond Glaze is mixable with dye-based inks, watercolor, and pearlescent pigments. Use this liquid lacquer directly over artwork, chalking, or embellishments for a raised glass-like finish. Thin with water for a lacquer-like finish. This is one of the best adhesive for gluing glitter, beads, glass, plastic and vellum" (www.scrapbook.com store)

Check out this long review including a few tips on Ebay Reviews. And there's many, many more rave reviews and uses mentioned out there.

So what is this stuff? It is...

• Acid Free
• Perminant when dry, but easy soap & water clean up for brushes.
• Medium for dye inks, pigments, micro powders, chalk, pearlescents
• Top Coat sealer
• Adhesive for many things including paper, glass, glitter
• Light resin for thick glassy coatings
• Paper embelishment. Make certain parts look 3-D by topping with a shiny coating
• Decopage medium for clear objects

It is not....

• Waterproof
• Scratchproof
• Non Yellowing when applied thick
• Good for use on fabric
• A heavy duty adhesive. Best for paper and light items.
• Fast drying. Times depend on thickness.
• Bubble free. Never shake the bottle. Pop bubbles with a dry paint brush.

Cool little project using Diamond Glaze that demonstrates how to pop the bubbles too!

Here's some resources for the little frame charms like the ones used in the video.

http://brightlingsbeads.com/picture-frame-charms.html

http://www.rubbernation.com/servlet/the-CHARMS-cln-Photo-Frame/Categories

http://www.smallstudioproductions.com/Emporium/bibelots.html

http://www.artchixstudio.com/mall/abimage.asp

Here's a resource for some fun shaped LARGE frames you can collage in:

http://www.hhhenterprises.com/ezines/07-18-2008/home.html

You can find Diamond Glaze here:
or try before you buy...Judi Kins offers FREE SAMPLES!!!http://www.diamondglaze.com/sample.html

Have Fun! I know I will. =o) Happy crafting.

Super Smart Unmounted Rubber Stamps Storage!

All of us diehard stamp-o-holics tend to accumulate an abundance of unmounted rubber art stamps as we progress deeper and deeper into our stamping obsession. We all start out buying one or two mounted stamps, and before long we have large storage bins or shelves full. Then we move on to the "hard stuff"... Unmounted rubber stamps.

At first you say, "I'll just buy one". Then you say, "Well, they cost so much less than mounted, I can get two for the price of one, so I will get two." The next thing you know you are up to buying whole sheets at a time.

One day you will stop and take a long hard look around you and discover you are up to your ears in unmounted rubber stamps and that it is a real pain to dig through the pile to find just the one you want. What to do? What to do?

Well, I found this wonderful YouTube video from pinkcatstudio that has storage solutions that are pure genius!


Check it out:



Note regarding the CD jewel cases...A responder to the video post wrote, "This is a well made well presented video. One word of caution CD cases and similar storage methods are highly acidic. Over a number of years this could cause your stamps to deteriorate."

I cannot say for sure if this is true, but it might be. A possible solution might be to use heave archival paper to line the case??? I am not sure, but for a temp solution, it sounds great to me.