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Crystal Lacquer and Glossy Accents What is it, and how do you use it? by Lumpy Stuff Diva, Ursula Riley
These are questions that are often asked by crafters of all skill levels. This article will attempt to show you creative ways to use these products that will appeal to crafters everywhere. What is it? Both Crystal Lacquer and Glossy Accents (referred to hereafter as CL/GA) are dimensional adhesives that have a super strong bond, dry clear, and offer added dimension to your craft work when used appropriately. They are acid free, and safe to use in your scrapbooks.The biggest difference between the two is thickness. Glossy Accents is thick and can be layered, Crystal Lacquer puts a thin, clear glaze on your surface.
Ways to use CL/GA (explained in more detail below): An adhesive - especially good for bonding metals and other heavy craft embellishments Dimensional accents To create image transfers
	One of my favorite uses for CL/GA is as an adhesive. I I use them to attach countless objects to my scrapbook & altered art projects. I have used them to adhere buttons, metal accents, charms, mesh, slide mounts, beads, glass slides, transparencies, and wood pieces - practically anything you can think of you can permanently attach with these products. Due to their permanence, I would not recommend using them to adhere photos since you will not be able to remove them without causing damage. The display above was glued together entirely with Crystal Lacquer.
There are countless ways to use CL/GA as a dimensional accent in your artwork. You can cover your punch art or letters for a glassy effect, make your own letter tiles (using wire, and a small letter sticker or punch), add accents to your painted titles, or fill the center of a slide mount with CL/GA, and then add small objects (such as beads) to the wet glue. Your imagination is the only limit to how you can use these products to accentuate your artwork. CL/GA also does a terrific job of mimicking water when used on a transparency. The shark accent is a realistic example of using CL/GA in this way.

	One of the newest ways to use CL/GA is as an image transfer technique. I discovered this usage worked with CL/GA last night while playing. As far as I know, this has not been done with these products before, so you are hearing it from Lumpystuff first! :o) Here's how:
gather materials: printed image (laser or ink jet - either will work) - copied onto plain copy paper and carefully trimmed, CL/GA, tight weave fabric or glass slide or other smooth surface [I found the Michael Miller fabric papers were just the perfect texture for this technique], an old paint brush, spritz bottle of water, protective papers for your work surface, scrap piece of sand paper, if needed. TIP: If using an ink jet image and your ink is not water proof, use a less detailed image. The results will be more of a watercolor effect, but still very lovely!
Step 1: cover your work surface to protect it. Step 2: start with your fabric or material you are transferring to nearby, and ready for use. Working quickly so glue will not dry, lay your image face up on your work surface, and evenly cover the image in CL/GA. Don't spread it too thick, but make sure you get all the way to the edge of your image.. (I used the tip of the bottle to spread mine so as not to get my brush all gunked up.) Be careful not to get glue onto the back of the image, as it will resist the water process later. Step 3: Quickly place the glue covered image face down onto your fabric you are transferring to. Using your fingers or scrap of material, burnish the image to ensure it is firmly adhered to the fabric. Step 4: Allow to dry completely. Work on something else while you wait (or go cook dinner - you know they're starving! LOL). I find drying overnight gives the best results.
Step 5: TIP: If you got any glue onto the back of your image, before adding any water, carefully sand the glue off using the sand paper. This will allow the water to penetrate the surface of your paper. Spritz image with water, and allow the water to soak in for a few seconds. Begin rubbing the back of the image in circular motion, using light pressure. You are removing the pulp from the paper image. Use the old paintbrush to brush away the pulp chunks as you work. Add more water as needed to keep the image from getting too dry. Step 6: Allow the image to dry for a bit. If a whitish shadow appears that means there is more pulp that needs to be removed. Add more water, and repeat the rubbing process until no more white appears. Step 7: Allow image to dry completely before using in your artwork. TIP: If using a black and white copy, you can use water color pencils on your "still wet image" to add highlights & color.
I hope you learned something inspirational from this article, and are ready to try your hand at dimensional art & image transfers using Crystal Lacquer or Glossy Accents. Don't be afraid to experiment! Happy scrappin'! Ursula PS: People often ask how to keep from getting bubbles in their projects. Some tips that might help you avoid this problem are: store your bottle upside down, never lift your tip while applying the liquid, and never shake your bottle. If you do get bubbles, you can try carefully pricking them with a pin, or just embrace them as part of the uniqueness of your art! Art is supposed to have imperfections! That's my motto, anyway!