Black Light Shrink-film Earrings

Black light Earrings

I love stuff that Glows in the dark, or glows under black light!  Each year I attend a charity Cosmic Bingo night to benefit Special Olympics and Honor Flight.  For this event, everyone wears as many glow-in-the-dark or black light items as they can find so I wanted to create some fun earrings for the event.  If you used Shrinky-Dinks as a kid, you are familiar with the concept of shrink film.  Grafix Shrink Film is a much improved product in this medium.  Grafix Shrink film does not distort like the old shrink films did.  Remember cutting a perfect circle - only to end up with a warped oval?  Grafix Shrink Film is also available in a printable version, to print designs from your computer, as well as many colored films, including the new metallic silver and gold.  The newest addition to the Grafix Shrink Film line is the Artist line, which offers pre-printed designs in many fun motifs.  Grafix Shrink Film pairs perfectly with Sakura Glaze & Souffle pens to create these fun and funky Black Light Earrings!

Materials:

Grafix Shrink Film (Silver Metalic and Artist Series "Doodle" used here)

Sakura Permapaque Marker - Fine Point - Black

Sakura Glaze Ink Pens - Orange, Pink, Black

Sakura Souffle Pens - Yellow, Light Green, Pink

Jump Rings

Earring Hooks

Supplies:

Scrap Paper

Sticky Note (optional)

Scissors

Heat Gun (optional)

Hole Punch

Teflon sheet (optional)

Jewelry Pliers

Artograph Light Pad (optional)

Step 1 - Create your pattern on a piece of paper and cut it out.  I used a simple teardrop shape.  Hint:  If you use a sticky note for this, your pattern piece will stay in place while you trace it onto the Shrink-film.

Step 2 - Trace your pattern onto Shrink Film and cut out your pieces.  I tried to get the same sections of the "Doodle" design here, but I was off a little bit.  Don't stress if this happens to you - remember - no one can look at both of your ears at once!

Step 3 - (optional) - Since I want a lot of color and minimal background, I used the Perapaque Marker to add some more "doodle" to the design.  The Artist Series designs are great for quick projects!  They give you fun, read-made designs that you an use, as-is, or embellish.

Don't forget to punch holes at the top for your jump-rings!  (maybe not quite as close to the edge as mine....)

Step 4 - COLOR!!!  Use the Sakura Glaze & Souffle pens to color your design as desired.  Keep a piece of scratch paper handy.  Sometimes it is necessary to get the pens started on the paper.  Once the ink is flowing use gentle pressure to glide the ink onto your design.  The pens are very fluid and the ink adheres beautifully to the Shrink-film.  Once dry, this ink is permanent on the film.  You'll know the Souffle is dry when it takes on a somewhat chalky appearance.  The Glaze ink will still be shiny when dry.  Depending on your climate, the ink should be dry in 15-20 minutes.

Step 5 - Shrink it!!  Follow the instructions from your Shrink Film package and choose the method that works best for you.  I used the heat gun method here so that I could show the size and color differences between the original and shrunken piece.  If I have multiple pieces to shrink, I actually prefer the oven method.

Step 6 - Use jump rings to connect the Shrink Film pieces to Earring wires.

Variation - I used some of the new Metallic Silver Shrink-film to create a second pair of earrings.  Use the Permapaque pen to create your design on the earrings.  If you don't want to draw your own design, you can trace a printed design.  Though the metallic film looks opaque, you can actually see through it if you use a light pad (or a window).  With the design on one earring, I used an Artograph Light Pad to trace my design onto the second earring.  

Once the designs are in place, use the Sakura Glaze & Souffle pens to add color.  When the color is dry, use the Black Glaze pen to retrace the design lines for a crisper appearance.  Then  shrink the pieces and finish off with jump rings and earring findings.

Here are the two finished pairs in normal light

And here they are under Black Light!!

Thanks for checking out my Blog!  Please visit the vendor's sites for more great projects and inspiration!

Click here to find out where to buy:

Grafix Shrink Film

Sakura Glaze & Souffle Pens

Artograph Light Pads

Pavelka Project - Challenge #1 - Suspended Crystal Snowflake

So for 2015 I wanted to get back to creating and blogging.  I joined the 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge with every intention of playing along.  I should have known one project a week was too much for me this time of year.  (my busy time at work)  I also joined the Pavelka Project.  This is just one project a month (much more doable for me right now), plus some challenges.  For now, I will concentrate on the Pavelka Project, and hopefully be able to get back to the weekly challenges when the rest of my life slows down a little....does that sound familiar to anyone?

Challenge #1 is a suspended crystal project and my snowflake jar topper is LOOSELY based on Katie's Snowflake Pendant Project.

Our office received a gift box at Christmas with various treats inside these aluminum jars - 12 of them, in a nice box.  Being a crafter that ALWAYS needs more storage, I called dibs on the jars when the treats were gone.  SCORE!  My plan is to decorate these with polymer clay projects.  So here goes #1!

I did not have a snowflake cutter to follow Katie's project, but I did have this Martha Stewart Snowflake mold.  I filled it with Pearl polymer clay - pinching small pieces and filling all of the spaces.

Until it was completely full of clay.

Then I used a clay blade to shave off the excess clay the extended above the mold.

I had flattened some blue clay and cut it to fit the top of the lid.  (actually I cut it a little too small, but I'll fix that.....)  I turned the mold upside down on the blue clay and pressed down all over to be sure the white clay had adhered to the blue clay and then carefully lifted the mold off.

Ta-da!!

To cover the space between the rim of the lid and the blue clay I made a cane that was supposed to look like a leaf.  It looks a little bit more like Calla Lilies.  (I need to work on my canes!!!)  Then I added some texture and crystals.  It makes a great little tin to hold my crystal treasures!

Come join the challenge!!

Thanks for visiting!

KC

Happy 2015!

After a rather LONG break from crafting and blogging....(OVER 1 YEAR)....I'm ready to get back into creating mode and play with clay.  I am accepting the 2015 Polymer Clay Challenge!

I have VERY LIMITED experience with polymer clay, although I have always enjoyed working with it when I've had the chance.  A project a week sounds a bit daunting, but I'll give it a try.....Stay tuned for projects to come!!

Want to play along?

Visit this blog to find out more!!

KC

Vintage Christmas Ornament Decorations

Today is all about vintage ornament shapes!  Both of these projects were made using papers and Clear Scraps Acrylic from December Creating Made Easy Kit.  These acrylic ornament shapes are so fun to decorate.  They reminded me a lot of some of the OLD glass ornaments my mom had so that was my inspiration for the these.  

Visit the Creating Made Easy Blog for more information on both of these projects!

Happy Holidays All!

KC

Clear Scraps Christmas Card

Today on the Clear Scraps Kit Club Blog, I'm sharing tips and tricks for this card.  Check it out!

Happy Holidays All!

KC

Frosted Acrylic Snowman Tri-Fold

The December Creating Made Easy Kit from Clear Scraps has been released.  My first post for the month with this kit is a tutorial on these snowmen.  Hop over to the Kit Club Blog and check it out!

Happy Holidays All!!

Stay Warm!

KC

November Kit Club - Glittering Fall Leaf Frame

I just wanted to share a sneak peak of what's on the Clear Scraps Creating Made Easy Kit Club Blog today!

Head on over and check out the tutorial on this glittering leaf frame!