Metallic F/X Finesse

People have had quite a few questions lately about how to use the Metallic F/X powders. I like using them on the Black Embossing Pastes, but you can use them on any color. Both the Matte and the Glossy pastes will give you some startling results. I love contrast and the Peacock (LG731) you see here was pasted with the Dreamweaver Glossy Black Embossing Paste onto a metallic white card stock. To dry my pasted pieces more quickly I have a very large old electric skillet that I put on the warm (lowest) setting and then place my pasted pieces into it. To dry it this way takes less than 25 min. for the glossy pastes to dry and less than 15 min. for the matte pastes, this is less than half the usual time. I then repositioned the stencil onto the dried design and tapped the Stamp & Stick Gluepad all over the stencil using a jumbo foam dauber. I used the color "kiwi" for the leafy swirls and when I load my gold handled Dreamweaver stencil brush I just dip it 1/8" into the powder and then tap tap tap the excess into the lid of the powder to remove the excess and push the powder up into the bristles. When I work on top of the "glossy" paste, which is any of them that have a slick shiny look to them when they are dry, I use a stippling technique for application or a tap tap tapping motion. I used the colors- sapphire, purple satin, glacier lake, goldfinch and gold dust to stencil the bird. If you want to shade with a second color, base coat the area you are working on with the stippling application and then daub on more of the Palette Stamp & Stick Glue to this same area, because you have covered up the glue with your first coat of Metallic F/X. Now you will stencil this same area again by adding your next color for a shaded effect. This time you can use a stroking motion or circular rouging technique to achieve a smooth airbrushed look. Since I like contrast I often leave some of the black glossy paste showing through rather than filling it entirely with color. I believe this contrast will really makes your stenciling pop! When you take the stencil off of the design you may notice a bit of a haloing of the Metallic F/X, sort of like dust, on your background paper. The Swiffer dusting refill cloths can be used to pick up this excess powder. Just do it gently so that your work does not smear. Enjoy!