MICA POWDERS AND ITS USES:
·WRITTEN BY GLITTER INSANITY
MICA POWDERS AND IT'S MANY USES: Mica powders are wonderful because they tend to add a little shine and sparkle to all craft projects - the light-reflecting particles that are in the micas create beautiful shiny naturally sparkly colors. If you haven't come across them in crafting they you may have used them in other ways not realizing it since they are derived from pure natural minerals and ore, or created in labs. Cosmetic grade versions of this stuff can even be found in makeup and toiletries.
In our crafting circles today, this powder is used for enhancing so many crafts including but not limited to soap making, shimmer sprays, pottery, paper crafting, rubber stamped crafts, epoxy work, and many of other home décor projects. This powder can also be added to paint, glue, alcohol, epoxy, and other types of varnishes to enhance a finish.
Mica powder is incredibly versatile and extremely to use. It's the must have craft supply needed to add a wow factor to all your home décor and crafting projects.
Here are just a few creative ways of the many ways to use mica powder in crafts. These are just some of the many ways we use mica's for our projects.
Rubber Stamping: This powder will add a wow factor to all of your rubber stamping projects. Rubber stamps and mica powders make beautiful homemade cards. You first firmly push the rubber stamp into your ink pad. Stamp the front of your card, then cover the design with this powder before the ink dries and this adds color and shimmer to your project. You then very gently shake the excess powder off of your design and let dry. Pour the leftover powder back into the jar. This shiny powder detail will take your homemade cards to the next level.
Epoxy: Once you have mixed your hardener with your resin completely you then add your mica powders. When adding the pigment to the mixture, it should comprise anywhere from 2-6% by weight (generally speaking although there are always some exceptions) of the mixture. Depending on how translucent or opaque you may want your product, just keep adjusting the amount of color that you add into your mixture until you achieve the desired result you are looking for in your project.
Painting: Mica powders can be used for just simply painting beautiful designs on scrapbooking cards, molds, epoxy blanks, soaps, and many other craft projects. You can turn your mica's into paint by mixing a small wet paint brush into a little bit of the micas powder. I suggest putting some mica in a separate dish for this. You then keep mixing both the water and the powder together until it turns a thin paste like consistency. You then can dip the brush into the paste and begin painting your project of choice. You can also mix a little powder into oil and acrylic paints you may already have created.
Shimmer Sprays: Add a lovely layer of sheen all of your paper projects, from flowers, to even fabrics and also greeting cards by spraying these items with a homemade shimmer spray. You can begin making this wonderful spray by filling a spray bottle halfway with some water. You then proceed to add a generous amount of colorant to the water if desired. Shake the bottle well. Mix in about 1-tablespoon of powder and then some glue. Shake the bottle. Your shimmer spray is ready to be used on all your crafty projects.
Soap Making:
Micas can be added to your soap mediums to provide both color and shine. Cold Process Soaps: Certain micas can and will morph or fade in cold process soap.
Proceed by mixing in 1 teaspoon of mica with 1 tablespoon of a lightweight oil like sunflower, sweet almond or even avocado oils. Add recommended amount of micas when you have reached trace until you get a color you like.
Always use the recommended amount of micas to prevent or lower the amount of bleeding that micas can create if overused in soaps. My website lays out the amount recommended.
Melt and Pour Soaps: You can add the mica straight to the melted soap and stir well. If you see bubbles forming, spritz with rubbing alcohol and continue to mix.
Mix the recommended amount of mica with 1 tablespoon of 99% isopropyl alcohol. Add this dispersed color to the melted soap until you get a color you like. This method helps the color mix in a lot more quickly.
Always use the recommended amount of micas to prevent or lower the amount of bleeding that micas can create if overused in soaps. My website lays out the amount recommended.
