I know, I know they look a lot like the same thing! I just could not resist.
So check at the bottom of the page for another great shrink art pin.
These are done on vintage Bakelite poker chips. I have not been able to find the new ones that were flat.
I have also used vintage pocketwatch crystals and brass tassels. You can take apart those old watches you have
in your jewelry box. If you don't have one in your jewelry box, I can sell you a set of 4 chips, two crystals
and two brass tassels for $5.00. The floral metal stampings you see on the face pin, I picked up at my local
craft store.
Ok, now for the instructions:
I drilled several of them with my Dremel to accommodate tassels or you could use the hole to hang it on
a cord for a necklace. Then I sponged on several colors of Brilliance ink and let that dry. When they were dry
I stamped them with Brilliance ink and let them dry again. Now for the one with the watch crystal(you know the one
that is like a shaker card). I wiped the crystal with a dryer sheet . Then I poured a small amount of the tiny glass
beads in the crystal and added a pinch of pink Roxx (that is the heavy glitter). Then I carefully placed the chip
on the crystal and taped the edge with metallic tape. I finished the outside edge by gluing on more Roxx. This one
I also just glued the ring of the tassel to the back of the pin. The shaker card effect is really cute. For the other two chips, I just stamped them with
Brilliance ink and added the embellishments then glued on the pin backs. Simple huh!
This one is a little tricky but still easy once you get it down. I got the idea when a friend of mine sent me
one very similar. I got tons of compliments everywhere I went so I decided to make one to match all the colors in
my wardrobe. When I asked for the instructions, I found out that she had a terrible time getting it to shrink and
still stay flat and square with out rolling up on itself. After trying it myself, I knew I had to come up with an
easier way...lol. So I did!
First, cut strips of shrink plastic with fancy scissors. Try to choose a scissor pattern that you have in both the
large and small. Use the larger patterned scissors to cut the strips, that way if you need to trim the ends after
it is shrunk you can use the smaller ones (trims easily after shrunk if you reheat the strips). You will need about
4 strips 2/3 of an inch wide and 4 1/2 inches long. Also you will need 5 or 6 2/3 of and inch wide by 2 1/2 inches
long (depending on the size you want your pin). Shrink each strip. I laid them under my metal ruler and then bar tipped
up the side of the ruler slightly to allow the heat from the heat gun to get under it. The ruler will keep them from
rolling up on themselves as they shrink. If you have a short ruler it may get too hot so be careful! When you finish
shrinking smash them flat with the ruler. Once you have your strips all shrunk, lay out one of the shorter ones.
Start laying out the longer ones, one on top of the shorter strip and then one under. Repeat this until you have strips
laid the entire length of the shorter strip. Hold your metal ruler down across the pin and heat only the end with the
cross strip with the heat gun until the plastic softens and melts together (pic.1 below). Once the cross section is melted
you can't pull the pieces apart. While its still hot and pliable, fold every other strip up. It doesn't matter if it
cools that way. Check out the second picture. Put the next cross strip under the ones you folded up and heat again. As you
heat the ones you bent up they will become soft and lay down. While they are still hot, bend the strips that were under the
cross strip up. Remember it is every other one. It will start to look woven at this point. Continue doing this until you
reach the end. If the strips are a little long heat with your heat gun until soft and use your smaller patterned scissors
to trim to a nice rectangle. Heat the entire thing again so it lays flat and smooth as a woven
shrink pin can lay...lol.
Now for the fun part! Sponge on Brilliance ink and let dry. Smear glue here and there and add somw glitter. Then I made
some charms for my pins. I stamped #1009 Butterfly from the "Animals & Bugs" category and #1105 Michele & Kat from the
"Mini Stamps for Small Books or Jewelry" category onto acetate and embossed them. I colored the back with permanent
ink pens and cut them out. Then I folded the wings up and glued it to my pin along with some metal leaf stampings I got at
my local craft store. For the second pin, I stamped #524 Moon from the "Splashin Around" category onto some acetate that
I had smeared some Martians ink on. I embossed it with gold and then cut it out, sponged it with Versamark and used ultra
thick embossing on it.
