MICA FLAKES & SHEETS

I love the effect of Mica Sheets and Mica Flakes and the different looks you can create by using them in various ways.  The first two pics below are the cover of my Technique Book and the mica on that one is on the atc on the front cover where I've attached it on the top right and bottom left so it looks like a shattered window.  The mica flake generally comes in a whitish colour but can easily be coloured by putting a little into a snap-lock bag, add a few drops of alcohol ink in your chosen colour, smoosh it around and it is ready to use.  I attach mine with a clear-drying glue (Art Glitter Glue).  When I attach mica sheets over an image, I always use Glossy Accents as this dries crystal clear so you can't see it.  You can also attach the mica sheets with brads or staples!  I have also used a circle die with some mica sheet to create the circular shape on "tendril" below.

 

"Technique Book #25 cover"

(20cm x 15cm)

Close up of the atc on the front cover.

"Shiitake"
(Mica sheet over the words and coloured flake at 
the bottom of the mushrooms)


"Study Observe"
(clear mica flake on parts of branches
and on the grass at the bottom)

"Tendril"
(mica sheet, circle die-cut from centre and
attached with staples)

"Vulnerable"
(shaker card with mica flake trapped under acetate front)

"Dearly departed"
(coffin shape is also a shaker with mica sheet

over wording at the bottom right)

"Escape the ordinary"
(mica sheet glued down over image)

 "Collection"
(thin piece of torn mica stapled over the mushrooms)

MICA TECHNIQUES

Mica is a product that has been around forever.  I remember buying some nearly 20 years ago and I still have some of it left.  Since then I have used several different types of Mica, from donut shapes to different colours of Mica through to Mica flakes.  The Mica I have used for this class is absolutely clear in colour, transparent and also flexible so it doesn't shatter the same way that my other Mica does.  Consequently, I used alcohol inks to add colour to it so it would look different from say, a piece of acetate (because that's exactly what it feels like!).  However, because this is Mica, it is heat resistant and you can emboss on it.  I even tried using the Distress Glaze Embossing Powder on it and it works beautifully as it just changes the colour of the Mica but also gives a nice bumpy sort of texture.  There's no sample of that here amongst these ones, I was just trying out all sorts of things to see what would work and what wouldn't.  Love that I can staple or brad these pieces on too.  I even die-cut a piece (the heart on the 2nd ATC) though that took a bit of hand-cutting too.  It made me want to do another class using the other ordinary Mica, though there is nothing ordinary about any Mica!  Love it all.  

"Plastic melts"

"No refunds"

"Aquaholic"

"Evil"

(Yes, you can even stamp on it with Black

Archival Ink and heat set with a heat gun)

"dos"

(I've been waiting for ages to use

this quote 😉)

"Take the leap"

(The leaf shape in brown is the Mica coloured

and with some clear embossing on it)

Finally, these last two are samples from last week's class, Embossed Waxed Backgrounds.

"Zombies"

"Steampunk"