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Making sequins/spangles

(Hello people coming here from tumblr! Just as an update- I am waiting on an order of similar width sequin film to test for durability and ease of use. I keep having on and off issues with being able to scratch the Shimmer Sheetz however the colour is so perfect.. So I’m also going to attempt to tone the sequin film. )

I also have an updated list of all sequins I tested:
http://www.arrayedindreams.com/costume-portfolio/fantasy/frozen-elsa/frozen-elsa-sequins/
The methods will be the same though I need a new paper trimmer as the blade has escaped and I am short sighted enough to not be able to find the inch wide bright orange piece of plastic it is attached to! I hope that the heavier density of the sequin film will allow me to sand the corners smooth as well.

Elsa is semi on hold while I work out my Maleficent DragonsDemons Daydreams but I’ll update methods here regularly, including any new glues.

http://www.arrayedindreams.com/2014/03/28/my-josyrose_tweet-sequin-film-arrived/

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So very similar but a little more durable.

 

No, not hard core stamped metal but I finally got cutting of my Shimmer Sheetz:

Shimmer Sheetz are produced by Elizabeth Crafts.

I have just ordered Turquoise as well because I think the two together will give a good gradient to the bodice. Here they are in action:

I was really worried the blue iris was too flat in colour but I also suspected that once cut the effect would be greater. And it was. ย These tests didn’t even use all of the three strips I made from one sheet. Each strip is 1cm wide then cut to about 1.5-2cm with a few irregulars. I have five packets of three sheets so I should have more than enough ๐Ÿ™‚

I’m gluing to net as I can increase sticky from underneath if need be.

The process to make them is as follows:

I scuffed the Sheetz on the reverse, this is to ensure the glue adheres. Not only is the iridescent layer laminated and so prone to pulling away but the surface is shiny. This means even the best glue it not going to grip unless it welds through- and that will lead to warping.

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Then I cut the sheet in to 1cm wide strips with a handy line cutter. I am going to invest in a better one, but this was enough to get a feel for how it will cut.

Then each strip was cut into shorter pieces. Preferred length is 2cm so this gives 180 larger sequins per sheet. So 540 per pack.

At this stage I will sand the edges into rounded shapes. Not only because the artwork shows this but also to eliminate any potential extra snagging.

In the below with flash is on the left, without on the right.

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I glued the pieces to two different kinds of net (the net of the sequin fabric and the old net for the cape). I tried irregular overlapping and I tried an open pattern. I prefer the open pattern, the shine really kicks through and the outlines of the background show up.

To glue I picked up each piece with angled tweezers and swept the underside over the end of an open tube of Shoe Goo (Same for E6000 or Goop) then laid and pressed the back in to the net. I used a sheet of styrene inderneath (would prefer waxed paper or sheet silicon to prevent sticking but also to allow the piece to lay flat during curing. I’d also like a roller to press the glue evenly.

So I tried from other angles and with and without flash to capture the effect.

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Below are samples of the Sheetz with clear AB pale blue sequins and the base sequinned fabric.

Lined up vertical and horizontal to see which way works best.

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All the fabrics before any alterations.

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And finally just the intersection of cape, shirt and bodice and why I wanted power net and rounded edged sequins! There is a lot of friction there!

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Why it is important to view images in multiple environments:

compare

I checked this image in PS and in Win8 Photogallery. My monitor has the wrong profile assigned so all my images in the view look warm toned (on the right). As the screen cap looks the same in PS and in my browsers, my older program and in thumbnails… It is clear the Photo Gallery colour is wrong.

http://www.sevenforums.com/music-pictures-video/8081-windows-photo-viewer-background-yellow-color-fix.html

And now I can be happy knowing all my programs show true to color (as I can) as I have an amazing monitor and graphics card ๐Ÿ˜‰

Other sites gave some fairly off information, this is bang on. And clearly an issue not addressed in further Win7 updates and not even in Win8- luckily a super easy fix. I have calibrated and also altered my monitor- calibrations via the OS and the buttons on my monitor. I actually aim for slightly cool tones so you can imagine how annoying this issue has actually been.

Win8 shows the thumbnails the correct colour but there was like an fffff1 mask over the top.

My netbook has V.Lux and even during the day colours are warmer. And our TV definitely tone stowards the cooler- and specifically to make true white look slightly cool purple. I’m mostly using my phone as I can get immediate feedback about how real life looks and then I can compare and adjust my monitor.

Anyway I’m not even going to go too far in to why I think red and blue are particularly troublesome for graphics (I’ve know for at least 15 years this was an issue with digital cameras (I worked for a car magazine and the swears I heard when trying to get a blue car to look right on screen and on film and at the printers…..) It’s a bit of a degree level thing to really study but here, have a spoonflower quick explanation as it is nicely and easily understood:

http://help.spoonflower.com/customer/portal/articles/993494-more-color-for-the-advanced-user

Basically RBG (Red, green Blue) vc CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) clashing I think is most at fault. Blue and Cyan and Red and Magenta being substituted or not properly able to be expressed between colour spaces. It may explain the blue-> Cyan and red-> magenta shifts when using flash and “auto” on most entry level cameras.

Anyway, I need a nap (read 24 hours sleep- it’s thing, yay monoclonal antibody therapy!) but my next batch of fabric is already in Honolulu and I won’t be surprised if it lands here tomorrow. Anticipating arrival soon anyway. Tomorrow I may have new buckets to store all my fabrics and projects in (fingers crossed) as I really do like having access to everything. Also multipurpose storage is for the win.

But I am sorely tempted to get the decal.

 

And hey, working for a magazine meant I got dropped in the deep end of colour theory as it applies to digital media really fast. I was Editorial Assistant at a time when there were both digital and physical copies of.. copy ๐Ÿ˜‰ So it’s a bug to me when people use ultimate colour terms. Now I may just have to see the movie again at yet another cinema because the two screening have shown her dress to be heavily in the green tones. And the same as the short tv shots show on my monitor.

That said I had the same argument over the Slave Leia skirt. It is a warm violet in reality, which is why it looks even warmer on print and old yellowed photos but looks very violet in flash (from exhibits and in the barge scene) but everyone remembers it as a dark wine. My skirt behaves exactly the same under those various media and lighting situations. But in person people think it’s wrong.

They do get an ear ful of colour theory I have to admit ๐Ÿ˜‰ I think people forget I am trained as an artist as well as scientist. And quite widely in both.

 

Oh geez, now for bed. There are mashmallows and I am giggling every time I nom one.

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