Ode to Crystal Effects! (Bad poetry & Ways to use it.)

Here's to my beloved Crystal Effects,
Worth each little braincell that it wrecks!
I love the glisten & sheer gluing power,
And how it sticks beads to the center of flowers.
Slop it on waves, a vase, or butterflies,
Then just see if you can wait 'til it dries!

I totally adore this stuff. I use it on all kinds of things. Just click on crystal effects at the bottom of this post (under the touch button graphic comments--where it says "Labels:") to see other projects using crystal effects. Here are some ways to use it:

1. Faux Lacquer Technque:
(If you'd like to see the whole card please see splitcoast.)

2. Faux stained glass (see this butterfly or this gorgeous version at the ink blog.)

3. On flowers/leaves (whole flowers, petals, as dew drops.) On a vase, a bubblegum machine...

4. Make icicles! Snow... waves.

5. Faux mosaic tiles (on sketchbook here.)

6. Make faux brads (punch out designer paper and daub a circle of C.E. on it.)

7. Thinly (or thickly) layer to adhere glitter. Put embossing powder on it.

8. Glue anything. (Buttons, silk flowers, or Repair things; try sanding the surface for best adhesion.) Microbeads.

9. Make bubbles: just heat gun it (on coffee images for example.) May brown though & please watch your fingers. DO this in a well-ventilated area and don't inhale. ;0)

10. Make charms; put it over paper & wire (instructions here.)

11. Julia's wonderful uses for it here.

12. Faux snow globes or make ornament images glossy (great examples.)

13. Glaze painted chipboard

14. Caught in crystal technique (instructions here.)

15. Enlarge & Darken text

16. Make textured papers dots here, on d.p. here, and custom designer paper.

17. Tint it & paint with it. (Even paint your pearls from S.U.)

18. Apply over pearl-ex to protect it and get extra pop.

19. Do cracked glass technique (needs lots of drying time.)

20. More great ideas at this splitcoaststampers post...

STORING IT: I keep a rubber band with a big fat safety pin tucked into it. That way you can declog, but don't poke yourself by leaving it on there.

Thanks so much for checkin' this out,
Mel