This fortnight's class is called Mica Embossing Magic and we'll be using Mica Flake. Mica is a natural rock product that generally is known to come in sheets that you can separate into thinner layers and add over images etc or it can be used in jewellery making to enclose items (flat items only) and then use those in wired jewellery. Mica flake is simply the mica that has been broken down into smaller pieces. The best way to adhere Mica, both flake and sheets is with a clear glue like Glossy Accents or Dimensional Magic as these both dry crystal clear and don't hide the sheerness or shimmer that Mica has.
In this class we'll also be mixing some Mica Flake with embossing powders as the embossing powder will act like a glue to hold some Mica Flake in place. Of course you can't use too much Mica Flake or it just comes off and you generally have to heat from underneath to melt the embossing powder without the Mica Flake blowing all over the place. A low blow heat gun works best for this technique. As Mica is very flat and scanners don't show shimmer or shine very well at all, you'll struggle to see the Mica Flake in the below samples... trust me, it's there and you can try it for yourself! If you don't want to mix it with embossing powder, simply do some scribbly lines (or coat a chipboard piece) with Glossy Accents and sprinkle on the Mica Flake, press down gently and shake off the excess and allow to dry.... gorgeous shimmer!
"Why fit in"...
(mica flake mixed with some multi-coloured
embossing powders to create the
coloured areas down the bottom. I then
drew in some seaweed shapes with
a black sharpie pen)
"Jewel"...
(this one is a few clumps of embossing powders
- Frantage ones by Stapendous - heaped on with
some mica flake sprinkled over the top and heated
from underneath. Very hard to see on the computer but
it looks gorgeous in the flesh!)
"Embrace imperfection"...
(This one has a frame that has a couple
of colours of different embossing powders colouring the frame, then
after it was heated and cooled down, some Glossy Accents was
dabbed on and mica flake was sprinkled on and allowed to dry.)
"Shimmering"...
(This has Mica Flake pressed onto Glossy Accents
around the edge of this atc as well as in the bubble circles. The silver
patches are a mixture of white/silver/mica flake embossing powder
that has been scattered and heated from underneath.)
