Heated Pearls Backgrounds By Trish Bayley

These backgrounds are surprisingly both very easy and quick to make. Infact they are so simple you will find yourself making them in no time at all! They look so stunning when they are finished that they look like works of art in their own right! It almost seems a shame to stamp on them! The backgrounds have a wonderful 3 dimensional and textured surface, with is achieved through the use of a heat source, from the scans you cant really tell just how textured they are.

Read on for details on how you can create these wonderful backgrounds!

What You Will Need:

Black Gloss Card Stock

Matt black card stock works too, but you find that gloss is better as it makes the pearl ex and glue sit on top of the surface which creates a stronger background colour.

I find with the matt that the glue and the pearl ex dry too fast before you get a chance to heat it properly to create the 3d effect.

Pva Glue: this is ordinary cheap white school glue. I used a brand by 'Anitas' ..I don't use expensive glue as the cheap stuff works just as well. It dries clear also.

Pearl Ex in 2 colours: I used copper and lilac together and gold and lilac together as they created a wonderful contrast.

I find that it doesn't matter what 2 colours of pearl ex you choose so long as you pick 1 metallic and 1 other colour.

Stipple brush: I used a cheap shaving brush.

Embossing Heat Gun

How To Create

1. Take your black gloss card stock, and in the centre of it squirt a good size dollop of glue the size of a coin.

2. Using your stippling brush stipple the glue so that it moves roughly around the surface of the card.
When you have done these 2 steps you are left with a piece of card that looks to put it bluntly a mess!
But all is not loss because it is now ready for its transformation.......

3. Take your pearl ex, and tap the side of the jar to spill out a little of the pearl ex into the centre of the glue covered card, do this for both colours.

If your worried about wastage you can use one of those special scoops for pearl ex if you prefer. I don't use one, I prefer to play with as little or as much as the pearl ex that spills out! Its more spontaneous that way and creates different background effects.

4. Using your brush, stipple to move the powder around in the glue, the glue is going to act as a sealant which binds the pearl ex onto the card.

You want to really blend the 2 colours of the pearl ex together to get an interesting background effect.

And now for the most important and final stage for creating this background:

5. Place your freshly pearl ex-ed background under a heat gun, this is to dry the glue and also as it is drying, watch how the glue bubbles up to create a textured surface.

You can experiment with the amount of time you leave it under the heat gun, as it heats the glue kind of bubbles up and creates 'blusters' of colour. The more you heat it the more defined they are.

Once cooled the background has a wonderful raised texture which is a result of heating the glue!
Now your background is ready for stamping on!

Important: Remember to wash your stipple brush out straight away before the glue dries and hardens and ruins your brush! Warm soapy water works best.

Background Samples


Using Copper and Lilac Pearl Ex:

Using Gold and Lilac Pearl Ex:

You can also use this background technique to create backgrounds on Cds! See the Cd Below for an example:
This Cd was created using Copper and Lilac Pearl Ex, the scan doesn't really show off the reflective nature of the pearl ex on this background.

As well as creating backgrounds the way I have just covered, you can also use this technique to create wonderful little tiles which would look good as card embellishments all on their own!

Here is how to create them:

Heated Pearls Tile Backgrounds

This technique is better suited for smaller pieces of card, I used small squares of approx 2 inches square which can be used as tile embellishments on cards.

1. Take 2 pieces of black gloss card roughly the same size.

2. Place a dollop of glue on one of the pieces of card only and stipple it all over using the stipple brush

3. As before tap on some pearl ex in 2 different colours and then stipple that into the glue

4. Place the sheet of card which doesn't have any glue or pearl ex on it over the top of the card that does.

5. Rub the card evenly over the back and then peel it off slowly..you have created 2 backgrounds in one!

6. Heat to set to finish

Experiment with how you peel apart the tiles, if you do it slowly you can create ripples and textures. Or smoosh them around in a clockwise motion to create swirls!

Add less or more glue..this also creates different effects for backgrounds too!

Heated Pearls Tile Background Samples

Here are some samples of the heated pearl tiles I have just covered:
Using Gold and Lilac Pearl Ex:

Using Copper and Lilac Pearl Ex:

More Heated Pearls Tile Background Samples

These 2 samples where created by twirling the card stock around in a clockwise motion before peeling apart:

As you can see I have been experimenting using less and more glue or pearl ex and also with how I pulled the 2 tiles apart to achieve different effects:

Stamping On Heated Pearls Backgrounds

For stamping on these backgrounds I recommend the Brilliance inkpads as they are juicy enough to stamp on this type of surface, plus they air dry naturally.

I have used my brilliance inkpads to stamp on these backgrounds and they give a wonderful effect...

Pearl Ex Alternatives

If you don't have Pearl Ex you can substitute with other mica alternatives such as Moon Glow, Fairie Dust, Perfect Pearls or Powered Pearls!

Some cheap eye shadows have mica in them and they too would be suitable!

More Ideas for Creating Heated Pearl Backgrounds:

You could sponge the glue on rather than stipple it it on...or use other tools, for example; one thing I like to use is household pan scourers..you know the cheap plastic types? These would also create and interesting texture.

You could also add more glue to create a combing or wood graining effect in the glue and pearl ex, for this you could use an ordinary comb or a wood graining tool bought from DIY shops.

I have tried this technique on lighter colour card and to be honest it looks better on the darker card as it sets off the pearl ex...it still works..but obviously not as vivid...

The little tiles would look good binded in gold cord and mounted on cards!

I hope you enjoyed this background class and have as much fun creating these backgrounds as I did!