CDDecoratingTechnique

SAMPLES: There are gorgeous samples ready to view.

SUPPLIES:
*CD- freebies like AOL that you get in the mail
*Pigment Ink (your choice of color)
*Clear embossing ink
*Clear embossing powder (doesn't have t o be UTEE, but it can be)
*Stamp -design of your choice
*Black permanent ink
*clear beedz
*pearlex

INSTRUCTIONS:
   It can be a little tricky to cut your cd. I found that the best way to do this, is to heat the cd with your heat gun before you cut it. This will soften the cd, and make it less brittle and likely to shatter. Watch your eyes ( wear protective eyewear, or cut the cd with a towel over it so pieces can't fly in your face.) The shapes that you get will be very random. It is pretty hard to control the shape, so just go with what you get! I use a heavy duty pair of scissors to cut ( the kind that can cut a penny!) I have also heard that you can use a pair of pliers to snap pieces off. I haven't tried this, but I'm sure it will work.
   Now that you have cut up your cd, find a shape that will sort of work with the stamp you've chosen. Your design will be abstract, so the cd piece and the stamp do not have to be the same size. Now, choose your color of pigment ink. The color will be the base of your pin. Next, take the pigment ink and"smoosh" it all over your cd fragment (do this on the side of the cd that is not already pre-printed by the company). Cover it well, but you still want to be able to see the irridescence from the cd.
   Now comes the messy part! It is good to do this inside a cardboard box to keep everything from flying around! Put your inked up cd into the box, and pour clear embossing powder over it- I don't bother to tap off the excess powder during this step, I just put it all back in the container when I am finished. It is up to you how you want to do this. Heat the clear embossing powder on the cd fragment until it melts.While it is still hot, add more clear embossing powder, and heat again repeat this step a few more times. Four layers of embossing powder is usually enough. At this point, you could also add glitter or glittery embossing powder if you want to add a little sparkle. If you do this, heat again to melt it into the ep.
   Once you have your layers of clear embossing powder built up, it is time to use your stamp. At this point, you can ink your stamp with clear embossing ink, (or pigment ink if you want to add more color) but you do not have to ink up your stamp at all if you do not want to. THIS WILL NOT HURT YOUR STAMPS! Trust me! When you have your stamp ready, heat your cd fragment one more time in order to make it soft. Now, take your stamp, and press it into the hot embossing powder. This might be a little tricky,just don't let it slide too much . It's ok to let it slide a little. Remember that your design should be abstract, so it does not have to be perfectly aligned. DO NOT TRY TO LIFT YOUR STAMP IMMEDIATELY. Let the hot embossing powder cool off before you remove the stamp. When it is cool enough, it will pop right off!
   Once you remove your stamp from the cooled ep, your are just about done. If you want to add a little dimension, or shimmer, rub the raised surfaces with pearlex or metallic rub-ons. I like to finish off the back with decorative paper- then you can add a pin back or magnet. these can also be used for collage elements.
   If you saw the samples that Terri posted for me, there was one that had clear beedz on it . This is very easy to do. Instead of covering the cd with the pigment ink to base coat it, stamp your image on the cd in black permanent ink. Make sure the ink is dry, and coat the entire piece with clear embossing ink. Now, coat the cd in clear embossing powder and heat a few times. once you have as many layers as you want, sprinkle with the clear beedz. Heat one more time to set the beedz. Well, I think that is just about all there is! These are very easy to do, and also very addictive! Any questions, please contact Brenda.