Need help with 2 iteams PearlEX and Micro Beads
 

What glue do I use other than terrifically tacky, if I want something other than a straight line?

PearlEx, I need to know everything about this. I have 12 colors burning a hole in my desk! We used it at a workshop this weekend, with an ink something like Versa mark and just brushed the powder (1 color) onto the image, so very basic. Can I use water with it? Can I use an aqua painter with it? What can I do with it, like some of the great cards I have seen posted on here?

Thanks
K

You can also use crystal effects or liquid glue with the micro beads.

Pearl Ex:
- my favorite technique is the easiest...stamp an image with versamark and use SU's wide flat (soft!) brush and brush 1-3 colors over the image. can also use a small paint brush to put it on certain spots (like on the row of trees from Lovely as a Tree), and blend with the wide flat brush.
- can use with heat & stick powder
- can mix with clear emb powder
- can mix with Lumiere & water (to thin paint) and paint. Looks nice on the back of a window sheet...stained glass.

I can help better with the Pearlex question that the glue. Do a search in the techniques forum - you'll probably find a lot of tips. In short, you can't use just water with pearlex - you need something to "bind" it. Try filling an aquabrush with Future Floor Finish and use that to pick up a bit of the color and paint it on. You won't need to do any further sealing. You can also use Gum Arabic to apply, but I've never personally done that.

Another PearlEx "trick" that I learned from these forums:
Take a small (trial size) bottle of hair spray. Add about a teaspoon (maybe a bit less) of Pearlex. Spray onto cardstock. You now have a shimmery piece of cardstock to use behing your images.

2 Questions
 

What is gum arabic? I've heard of it, but I don't know. Where do you buy it?

Pearl Ex w/Versamark: I don't understand how this works, wouldn't brushing cause the wet ink to smudge or smear?

Thanks,
Nicole

Here is what the back of my bottle of gum arabic says "Increases brilliance, gloss and transparency of water colors. Controls spread of wet on wet. Reduces staining." I use it to mix with pearl ex, then paint my stamped image. It binds the pearl ex to the paper so you do not need to do anything else to make it stay on there. I found mine at Michael's in the paint section.

As far as the pearl ex with Versamark, it is the same as using the chalks with versamark. As long as you use a soft brush to brush it on, it will not smear.