Deborah here with today’s project involving how to best use gold leafing on cards . Every year I pick up a small Paper Source calendar to hang behind my computer. I like having a small calendar that I can quickly reference without having to pull out my iPhone or open an app. This year I bought their DIY calendar. It’s printed on a white background, ready for you to decorate. And to decorate my February calendar I used a mask, wooden hearts, gold leafing and the Best Glue Ever.
I started with a Studio Calico cut file of hearts that I cut with my Silhouette. I’m going to use it as a mask. This is a great way to use up scraps of paper or old paper you’re not in love with anymore.
Next up was applying the glue. I use cheap foam brushes for this step along with a scrap of paper. I put some of the Best Glue Ever onto the paper then dab the brush into it. You don’t need tons of glue on your brush, and too much will seep underneath your stencil.
To apply the glue, hold down the stencil with your fingers and lightly dab the glue. You want a pouncing motion. Move the stencil and repeat. You can see the areas where the glue is in this photo –
Now for the leafing! Gold leaf is very light and likes to fly around. Put a little over your project and grab a brush. You are going to brush the leafing around the paper. At first I use a light touch to cover the glue. Once it looks like I’ve gotten most of the glue covered I shake most of the excess back into the container to be reused.
Now you can press harder with your brush. You’re brushing the excess off the top of each heart. Don’t be afraid to brush. You can see on the top right heart where I didn’t get all the excess leafing off – I had to go back and brush a bit more.
Now for the wooden embellishments. I love these tiny hearts but they are a real pain to pick up. Well, they would be if I didn’t have Embellie Gellie! It easily grabs onto the hearts so I can apply a tiny drop of the Best Glue Ever.
And here’s the finished project again, tilted a bit so you can see how reflective the leafing is.
