Finishing Acts: All that Glitters...First an up-date and then a primer

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

All that Glitters...First an up-date and then a primer

Yes, I know it has been months since I posted. But, I have some really good reasons.

First, I taught a class in Ohio.

And then I taught a class in Texas.

Next I went on a boat for a few weeks.

No! Not that boat. This one:

And, yes, I should get extra points for agreeing to even come home.

But I did make it back, and now I have some time to talk with you good people.

So let's talk about

GLITTER !

Bling has made a statement in wall finishing for a few years now, starting with heat-set foils.

Then leading paper manufacturers such as Maya Romanoff (who passed away this year) revolutionized the use of glitters and beads on wall coverings. Even the most traditional homeowner seems open to sporting a little glitz. And we have more types of glitter, in style, color, and size to offer clients.

Ask someone who knows

about the transformative power

of a good glitter job!

So...What is Glitter?

Glitter is small particles that reflect light at different angles causing the surface to sparkle or shimmer. Not to be confused with sequins:

or confetti:

Glitter has been made for centuries from materials such as malachite, mica, and glass. When German Glass Glitter became scarce during World War II, American Henry Ruschmann ground plastics into glitter. Most glitter today is made of flat plastic sheets of aluminum, titanium dioxide, iron oxide, and bismuth oxychloride (thanks wikipedia).

This is clear ceiling glitter made from non tarnish aluminum. This is coarse with a squared shape you will feel on a surface but is very sparkly and cheap. It only comes in this color and may be purchased from a hardware store.

Next, is real glass glitter from Ceroglass. It comes in a limited amount of colors (I mostly use the silver). Cero will treat this so the color doesn't tarnish when mixed with product. I prefer a size no bigger then .30-.60mm. Even at that size, you will feel the glitter on the surface. And it can wedge under the skin like a splinter. Sizes can go up to something you would put in a fish bowl. Glass glitter has a lovely vintage look to it. Think about your Grandma's Christmas Ornaments-the ones she gets really pissed at you for breaking.

Several art and craft supply stores also carry glitters. I've found two kinds. The first is Tinsel Glitter.

Tinsel glitter has a nice fuzzy appearance and also a vintage feel-it was popular in 1950's decorations.

Tinsel Glitter to me always looks like Lurex Yarn, see the sample below:

Our Lady of Perpetual Homemaking, Martha Stewart even has a name brand Tinsel (and regular) glitter. This is a Champagne Glitter from Michael's.

It is a nice fine size which makes it easy to mix with products for troweling or rolling. It is inexpensive and comes in several colors. When left mixed with product some of the more bold colors might bleed into clear product, for example a wax. This glitter doesn't have the reflective qualities of a laser cut glitter.

The samples below are silver glass glitter and the laser cut glitter we carry here. This color is Hologram Silver. It is a very fine (finer then ground pepper) and very reflective.

This is a Hi-light Glitter on my hand. The Ultrafine texture makes it great for troweled applications because it doesn't tear the material and dries fairly flat on the surface. This will not cut you.

These are some of the colors we carry at Surfaces and the type I will be using in Part Two, Glitter DIY projects. The colors won't bleed into product or tarnish with prices from $4.95-$5.95.