That doesn’t change the fact they are different things. Have you found that sometimes you just can't find that perfect mica powder color for a project you are working on? Either can be used beautifully when making a new color (such as a green glitter sparkle Christmas tree). But it’s all the same stuff. And a word about environmental concerns. Also try mixing colors to create a color shade that will complement your flavor oil! Experiment with different Mica colors and different amounts to see which you like best. Step 6: Stir the base very well, making sure all Mica is incorporated into the mixture. Sometimes mica powder can be very coarsely ground, and it will look a lot like glitter. Stir slowly until fully incorporated. If you’re doing papercrafts or adding sparkly accents to your creations, it won’t matter at all which one you use. The mica powder will add a lot of extra sparkle to the decoupage project even if you are using a pure or clear natural mica powder that has not had any color pigment added. Mica is a natural mineral, found naturally in sheet form, that’s mined from the ground. Mica powder is entirely different. 12 drops = 2% It’s 90 pages of great information, as usual!!! Take the mica powder with pigments you mixed earlier. Glass measuring cup Plus, it’s free. Carolyn Good - 2GoodClaymates Artist in Polymer Clay on Facebook, Free Crochet Pattern – Crochet Pocket Shawl, Polymer Clay Tutor Bead and Jewelry Making Tutorials, Polymer Clay Tutor Weekly Q&A Replay Videos, Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink Bundles are back in stock, Karo La…where the crystals come from wherever you want them to, All Things Thrifty Home Accessories and Decor. You can see all the colors of Pearl Ex and download a poster of them here. For more information, go to the Customer Service page. An easy way to add a shimmer of color to your lip balms using lip safe micas! Mica flakes will be irregular and will feel powdery on your fingers. It is a mined mineral from the earth that comes in different colors. Once the mica mineral is mined, it’s coated with FD&C colorants, pigments or a combination of both to achieve different colors. Make Soap, Candles, Lotions, Lip Balm, Body Products and More. It comes in the same sizes as mica powder, but it tends to have brighter sparkle and comes in a range of specialty coatings that give special effects such as these gorgeous nail powders. Measure out 1 ounce of the Avocado & Jojoba Lip Balm Base. Pour some of the decoupage glue into a plastic cup of bowl and stir in mica powder in increments of ¼ of a teaspoon amounts and stir to combine until the desired color is achieved. Add your mixing medium to your brush. Lip safe Micas in Russet, Passion Orange and Bordeaux. Mica powders are therefore sparkly, sort of like very fine glitter. Disposable pipettes Glitter flakes can sometimes accidentally find their way into your canes, ruining a perfectly good slice! Here are some tips and tricks to get you well on your way. Are you getting the most out of your little jars of powders? Larger glitter shapes are more similar to sequins or spangles. In addition to soap and cosmetics, mica minerals are used in a wide variety of applications including electronic equipment. But be “sparkle aware.” Glitter and mica powder are not the same thing! Start with 1% and if necessary, work your way up to 3%. Get extra tutorials and tips that aren’t on the website. 3. Step 2: Slowly melt the base in a microwave for 30 seconds at a time until fully melted. Choose a mixing medium. This tutorial will show you how easy it is to add micas to lip balm base. Pour the mica powder and pigments into a mixing bowl. If you want to add some sparkle or shimmer to your craft project, you’ll naturally reach for glitter or mica powder. It’s free! Otherwise, you’ll get spotty coverage. I added 6 scoops of Mica to 1 ounce of lip balm base – this is about 1/8 tsp. Optional: if you have Mini Melting Pot, add the measured lip balm base to this pot instead of the microwave. Step 1: Place your glass container on the digital scale and tare out the container (zero out the scale). You can still purchase glass glitter, of course, but nowadays, most glitter is made differently. I have and when I was looking for a shade of teal to match the. If you’re mixing the sparkly powder into polymer clay, pay attention to which you’re using. You can then test this small amount on your lips to see if you need to add more flavor oil or sweetener. It might even be advertised or sold as glitter. Does all this talk of powders get your curiosity going? Mica minerals come in a variety of naturally occurring colors. Step 7: Taking a clean disposable pipette, slowly fill each lip balm tube to the top. Mini-Melting Pot (optional) Mica powder can be made from large flakes (which very much resemble glitter) or from a very fine powder that gives a pearlescent sheen. Learn to use your craft materials to their full potential! copyright 2011-2018 Rustic Escentuals. They come in many colors. You can read more about that in my article here and see photos that show the difference. I want you to enjoy working with polymer clay and I’ll do what I can to make that happen! And while we’re at it, mica powder and pigments are not the same things either. This is for search purposes so they can sell more. But mica powder is irregular and made from entirely different materials. No wonder there’s confusion!). It’s all about pigments, mica, metal powders, dyes, and how to use them with polymer clay. These sheets are colored with pigments, and then mica powder is made by grinding mica into various sized flakes. These powders are not glitter. This mixing cup contains 1/2 ounce of resin. Lip Balm Tubes Lip Balm Sweetener If you’re using powders with polymer clay, mica powders will usually be able to go through silkscreens while glitter will not. These sheets are colored with pigments, and then mica powder is made by grinding mica into various sized flakes. 6 drops = 1% Spoons or butter knives Pearl Ex is a popular brand of pure mica powder. There’s nothing else like it out there. No fluff. Natural Mica Powder is the perfect subtle finishing detail that matches well with any project. Stay tuned for a tutorial showing you how to formulate a simple lip balm recipe in which you can use even more beautiful mica colorants! You can then use this mixture to paint directly onto the glass surface. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Glitter is nearly always made from tiny pieces of plastic. Do not overheat! But the vast majority of glitter is punched plastic.). We are thrilled to announce that Shades of Clay is now carrying ArtResin. For some reason the mica stops clumping and makes it so the mix can be added dry to the soap base. There’s often mislabeling and misunderstanding about these ubiquitous crafting materials. I’ve got this tutorial. If you want a piece of jewelry that has a metallic facade, mica powder is the way to go. When mica is ground into a powder, you get mica powder. see all the colors of Pearl Ex and download a poster of them here. Glitter is made from tiny cut squares of shiny plastic (typically PETE, aka polyester). The end of the metal skewer works really well for mixing up the powders without spilling and making a mess. Mixing Up Mica Powder Colors -- Zircon Teal Blue Have you found that sometimes you just can't find that perfect mica powder color for a project you are working on? (This is approximately 2 Tablespoons of base). If you have some sparkly powder, how can you know if it’s mica powder or glitter? More tips, more information, more interesting stuff that will help your polymer journey. Mica powders will stick to raw clay without using any sort of glue.