Shell Shaped Card Featuring a Glitter on Acetate Mermaid!

Glitter! Most every crafter I know likes to add a little bling to their projects once in a while, and glitter is an easy way to do it. This little fact may surprise you; glitter was invented by an American cattle farmer named Ruschman during the 1930s! Although some sources say he invented the product after World War II. His company, Meadowbrook Inventions, is still the world’s largest supplier of glitter.

Did you know that Sakura 3D Crystal Lacquer is a fantastic adhesive? In my experience, it will hold just about any two materials together, including glitter and acetate. For this card, I started by stampingMermaid With Drink 2¼ x 2½ (#14565 from Viva Las Vegastamps!) on a piece of acetate with StazOn ink by Tsukineko. Be careful to stamp straight up and down when stamping on acetate. It’s slippery and it’s easy to get a blurry impression. Once it’s dried, fussy cut out the mermaid.

Work on the backside (the dull side) of the acetate and apply a thin layer of 3D Crystal Lacquer Clear to the image in sections, based on color. The fine applicator tip makes it easy to get in to the smallest of areas. Try to stay right on the lines of the stamped image, but don’t worry if you go over a little. Work one color at a time; apply the lacquer for that area, sprinkle with glitter, flip and quickly tap off the excess. If necessary, nudge the glitter back inside the stamped lines. When you’re finished with one color, move on to the next, repeating the process. Be sure to start with the darkest colors and work your way to the lightest colors. When you’re done, let the piece dry overnight.

Cut a card base in the shape of a clam shell to make a shaped card. Mine is about 5” wide and 5” tall so it will fit in a square envelope.

I cut a liner for the card using the same shell shape (inset about ¼”) in lavender (to match my Mermaid’s hair!). Use 3D Crystal Lacquer to apply some fine lines of adhesive and sprinkle with sand. Tap off the excess sand and let it dry. A pink pearl finished it off. Adhere this piece to the inside of your card.

For the front, I created marbled paper using shaving cream and dye ink refills in shades of blue and green. You can read how to do this on eHow.com. The technique is lots of fun and the results are absolutely amazing! The shaving cream can even give your paper a nice scent!

Cut the marbled paper the same size/shape as you cut the liner and embellish it. To create an ocean floor, coral and seaweed, I applied sand, micro beads, assorted beads and vintage glitter using 3D Crystal Lacquer as an adhesive. A pearl starfish brad and a shell brad from the Eyelet Outlet completed the look. I loved all the different textures I got using so many different materials. Adhere this to the front of the card. And then use pop-dots to adhere the Mermaid to the card.

The sentiment “I used to have an hourglass figure…but the sand shifted” (#510 from Viva Las Vegastamps!) seemed to fit this card perfectly. I stamped it on a scrap of the marbled paper using brown dye ink, cut it out in the shape of a speech bubble and attached it to the card front with pop-dots.

I hope you’ll try adding some sparkle to your projects using 3D Crystal Lacquer and glitter on acetate. The results can be dazzling!

For more project ideas, visit my blog on the Create & Craft website. Happy crafting!

Joe Rotella