Christine Adolph - Shimmer and Shine Workshop: Create Art That Sparkles

Sign up for our newsletter and receive special offers, access to free content, and information on the latest new releases and must-have art resources! Plus, receive a coupon code to use on your first purchase from NorthLightShop.com for signing up.

or visit us online to sign up at

http://artistsnetwork.com/ebook-promo

To Erik, Alexandra and Lauren: You are my everything. To Cheryl Stone, for introducing me to the shimmer and shine of foil many years ago and for letting me bring my then-baby and toddler to your studio so I could have an artistic outlet. Your passion for printmaking with foil made an indelible impression on me.

My shimmer-and-shine journey began one evening many years ago in a little fiber arts studio in Laguna Beach, California. It was 2003way before the bling of transfer foil sparkled off every endcap of all the major craft stores. I was a stay-at-home mom with two babies and was longing for a creative outlet. My husbands grandmother, Vida, suggested I go visit with a distant cousin, a fiber artist named Cheryl Stone, to get a lesson on her Iowa Foil Printer. Little did I know that this one night would make a significant impact on me by introducing me to transfer foil, a material that has become a signature element in my art and design.

To be honest, I was hesitant about the idea of using these shiny transfer foils. All that I had been exposed to were tacky rainbow holographic foils, and I wasnt too interested in those. My preconceptions disappeared that evening as I played with endless rolls of foil. Following this night, I spent many hours at Cheryls studio, babies in tow, creating foiled mixed-media artwork. Realizing I couldnt afford a foil printer, I set out to find ways to get the same results more economically. This led me to experiment with a laminator and irons, which put me on a mission to try every glue and medium I could find to adhere foil.

The first part of this book is devoted to sharing my years of playful discoveries with transfer foils. The second part focuses on other favorite sparkly mediums Ive grown to love, and I hope by the time youre finished reading you will love it all, too.

The list gives you the materials and tools well use in this book. The pages that follow give you a bit more information. As with any artistic process, its best to experiment with a variety of options to determine what works best for you and your creative goals.

• adhesive dots, lines, rub-ons and sheets
• clear spray finish
• craft glue
• foil glue
• fusible spray adhesive
• glue pen
• glue stick
• soft gloss gel
• sticky embossing powder
• tape runner
• transfer foil adhesive

• acrylic paints: high flow, interference, iridescent, metallic and shimmering
• art glitter
• copper embossing powder
• liquid gold leaf
• metallic ink pads
• metallic wax
• mica sprays (Color Bloom Sprays)
• transfer foils

• 3D Gloss Gel (Prima Marketing)
• absorbent ground (Golden)
• acrylic spray sealant
• clear embossing ink
• concentrated watercolors
• encaustic medium
• gouache (black)
• Mod Podge
• molding paste (Prima Marketing)
• pan watercolors
• spray paint (gold)
• water-soluble inks
• water-soluble oil pastels

• bristol paper
• canvas
• cardstock
• cotton fabric
• glass vase or other vessel
• oval canvas placemats (Fredrix)
• rice paper
• scrapbook paper
• toner (laser) photocopies
• watercolor paper
• wood panel
• Yupo paper

• bleach pen
• brayer
• burnishing tool
• craft/quilting tacking iron with mouse pad
• die-cut machine or hand punches
• foam brushes
• Gelli Printing Plate
• heat gun
• HotFix crystal tool
• laminator
• mini slow cooker
• moldable foam stamps
• paper palette
• paper towels
• pencils
• rubber stamps
• scissors
• spackle knife
• spreader or paint scraper (old gift cards)
• Stabilo All pencil
• stencil brushes
• stencil cutter/burner tool
• water brush
• watercolor brushes
• watercolor resist pen

• bleach
• crystals
• Dura-Lar film (Grafix)
• glass sheet
• painters tape
• stencils
• tape (clear)

My advice to you when working with adhesives is to be curious and be open. Be open to experiment with a wide range of adhesives and substrates; try things that are both conventional and unconventional. For example, I was curious if foil would stick to a glossy photo, and to my surprise it stuck beautifully with just a touch of heat from a craft iron.

Be open to imperfections and go with them; make them work for you and at the same time, learn from them. If you are open to the process, your own unique ways of working with transfer foils will emerge.

With the help of a heat tool (a laminator or a tacking iron), transfer foils will stick to many glossy surfaces, as well as mediums containing polymer (acrylic mediums, clear finishing spray, fusible spray adhesive, toner sheets and foil transfer adhesive). After a lot of trial and error, the glues and mediums pictured here are my personal favorites.

Adhesives that remain sticky to the touch do not require heat when used with transfer foils. The foils will transfer easily by burnishing with your finger or using a burnishing tool. (Foil glue and glue pens will need to dry before adhering transfer foil.) These products include adhesive dots, rub-ons and sheets, foil glue, glue pens and glue sticks.

Acrylic mediums (Collage Pauge Glossy, Prima 3D Gloss Gel, Prima Soft Gloss Gel), fusible spray adhesive, clear coat spray

Craft/quilting tacking iron, heat-resistant mouse pad, 12" (30cm) laminator

Clear adhesive dotsa variety of sizes, toner sheets, adhesive sheets, foam adhesive sheets