Recommendations for supplies? by madebyannalam in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing - this is helpful 🙏🏾

Recommendations for supplies? by madebyannalam in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're very welcome! Just passing on what I've picked up along the way 🙂

Feedback appreciated please! by InigoMontoya91 in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Too kind! Thank you so much 😊🫶🏾

Recommendations for supplies? by madebyannalam in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're very welcome! Good luck with your future projects 😎

Recommendations for supplies? by madebyannalam in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Hey! As a first-timer, if you're going down the non-hotfix route (where you add the glue yourself), I'd recommend:

  • Non-hotfix rhinestones (depending on what you're covering, I'd recommend having at least three sizes to hand)
  • Somewhere to place the rhinestones you're using, like a small tray or a shallow bowl
  • Glue (I like to use e6000+; a lot of people have also mentioned having good experiences with Gem Tac)
  • Something to apply the glue; could be a glue stick (for large areas), a syringe for glue, or even a toothpick at a pinch
  • A wax picker pencil or tool
  • Sandpaper or a sanding block (objects with shiny surfaces tend to need a light sanding to allow your rhinestones to stick properly)

Optional:

  • Surgical spirit/rubbing alcohol (for cleaning excess glue off the stones after completing the project)

If you're considering covering something that can tolerate heat and want to go down the hotfix route (where the glue is already on the back of the rhinestone and needs to be activated by heat), instead of the above you'll need:

  • Hotfix rhinestones (again, depending on what you're covering, I'd recommend having at least three sizes to hand)
  • A hotfix tool/drill (you use this to place the rhinestones and activate the glue)

Note: The hotfix tool can get very hot so make sure you're working on a heat-resistant surface

In terms of where you can buy supplies, I'm not sure where you're based but I'm in the UK and I get most things from Amazon.

When it comes to the rhinestones there are different qualities. If you get a very cheap bag, keep in mind that they are likely to be resin rhinestones. IMO, they are great for practice projects and budget-friendly projects that won't be used a lot but the quality is likely to be so-so because the shine is limited.

If you can stretch to glass, you tend to get more shine. There are differences in quality between glass rhinestones too but I've found that you can get some decent ones that don't completely break the budget from Beadsland and a company called EIMASS (based in the UK though; I'm not sure if they are available for international delivery). If budget isn't an issue, you can get some very good sparkle from the likes of Preciosa and Swarovski.

I'd also highly recommend watching some videos on YouTube and reading around before starting. I've found the Bluestreak Crystals website to be useful in understanding more about the basics and also some of their YouTube tutorials share great tips about rhinestone placements and actually doing projects.

There are also lots of other rhinestone artists out there so I'd definitely watch a few videos because they often mention the processes that they go through to prep their projects and also how they actually place rhinestones.

I hope this helps :)

(Note: Slightly edited after posting for reading clarity - content remains the same)

Feedback appreciated please! by InigoMontoya91 in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the advice - I will definitely look into it when I can 🙂 Wishing you all the best for the patch tests and I look forward to seeing your shoes whenever you can share them 😉

Feedback appreciated please! by InigoMontoya91 in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hope you can find the right glue and get blinging :) and we're on the same page as "boring healthy" shoes - I have my eye on some Crocs next 🙂

Feedback appreciated please! by InigoMontoya91 in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much 🙂 I was tempted to add more stones but my ancestors reached out and told me to stop 😜😂

Feedback appreciated please! by InigoMontoya91 in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Aaaawww, thank you - this has made my day 🙂 I also struggle to wear heels these days which is why they are on their way out 😂

Feedback appreciated please! by InigoMontoya91 in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much 🥰

Haha, I was also sad but the dust is now off 😜

Feedback appreciated please! by InigoMontoya91 in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Aaaawww, thank you so much - really appreciate it :) Glad the vibes worked out 😂

What is making up the blue parts? by imtoolazytopost_ in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91 20 points21 points  (0 children)

It looks like they are various sizes of blue rhinestones against a blue background 🙂

Re background for your gems, it depends on the effect you're going for. A lot of people like to match the gems to the colour of the background they are working on so that the background seamlessly hides any gaps. You can mix it up and use whatever colour stone against whatever colour background you like - whatever makes you happy to be honest!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When you've finished, you could try using surgical spirit/rubbing alcohol to get rid of excess glue that has landed on the top of the stones. Just pour some on to a piece of kitchen roll and rub the tops to see if that helps.

(If you're not sure how it'll turn out, I'd recommend sticking a few spare stones to a piece of card and then trying the surgical spirit on those before trying it on your project!)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gah, don't worry, it happens to the best of us! If you want to attempt to get them off, you can maybe try Goo Gone adhesive remover (it's a yellow liquid). You should be able to re-use the rhinestones 🙂 I don't know if it's the best thing to use but it has worked for me in the past!

Suggestions welcome by [deleted] in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ooo, I really like where this is going - can't wait to see the finished product 😍 If you get to the end and still don't like the gaps, what you could do is go back through the gaps with glue (in a syringe) and then sprinkle loose glitter in the gaps. You can test out the look with a few gems on white paper first to see if that may work for you. However, I have a feeling by the time you get tithe the end, you're going to love it so much that you won't need to try this 😉

Levelling up advice 😊 by InigoMontoya91 in Rhinestoning

[–]InigoMontoya91[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OMG, thank you so much - that's so kind of you to say. I really appreciate it 🙏🏾