glitter tats

[reginanewsum]

I am in love with glitter tats! Must be the little girl in me!  I am doing a 5 hour water park on monday for my city,  $500 for the job and they only want glitter tats!  Ahhhhh I have no stencils?   And 5 hours of free hand glitter tats, will be a bit much!  So I send the last 5 days drawing and cutting my own home made stencils out of sticky cupboard liner! OMG! they work great.  Me, the coffee pot and my exacto knife for many mant hours!   I have 20 girl designs and 14 boy designs, som can be for both. I cut 50 of each design, now thats alote of stencils!  So today I tried them out, they worked great until I get some ordered, and thank GOD for my Anna, she had a large bottle of body glue and gave it to me. I will just have her order some more and replace hers.  I kicked but with them today!  I found four sizes of body brushes at the  dollar store yesterday that work great.  and my newest find!  Winterfresh  scented alcohol, that the kids loved the smell and me too!  So I think now I can say face painting, balloon twisting, and glitter tattoo's!  I think people love the choice at parties when you can offer a few choices to them to think about. Hmmmmm do ya think I need to start fortune telling for adults! hahahahaha or tarat card reading!  I am going to order some real stencils after I make it threw the flash flood water park day on Tuesday!

[Sherry]

I've thought about the tarot, palm reading thing as add-ons.  Someday I'd like to be a full service entertainment company, with all the add-ons... bounce houses, party machine rentals, maybe singing telegrams (not that I could sing  ), characters, etc.  There are so many things of value we could add to our services.  The thing is, do you have the time and money to add these things and would they be profitable or in demand.  These are the thoughts that go through my head.

[Glitterfly Faces]

OMG...you cut out all of those stencils?  How were your hands after that.  I ordered some from a woman on another forum and got them pretty quickly.  And I live in Canada.  So, maybe next time the ordered stencils will save your hands. 
I cannot imagine hand cutting all those stencils.  You get my super woman award for the week.

Post piccies when you get a free sec.  I would love to see your hand made stencils.
And....welcome to the world of glitter tattoos.

[reginanewsum]

I have a question for the glitter tattoo artists.  This type of art is all new to me and I am still playing around with the way to apply the tattoo's. By the way I cut out over 400 stencils in the last week!  My index finger is numb from pushing on the exacto knife!  I am doing glitter tattoos at the local water park tomorrow for 6 hours! I have 12 girl designs and 12 boy designs. They also want me to offer face painting, but I am only going to offer small over the eye designs, cause I know the kids will be back into the water.  The park is paying me $100 per hour but they are offering my services to their customers for free, some big anniversary gig they got going on. Each child will get a ticket upon arriving, for one free face painting or one free glitter tat. so I will tell them to pick wisely!  My question is, can some of you tell me your steps of glitter tattoo's? I know you clean the surface with alcohol first and let dry, then apply the stencil to the area. What I need to know and am undecided about is after you apply the glue in the openings of the stencil, do you
1. remove the stencil, than apply the glitter?
2. or do you leave the stencil in place, apply glitter than remove the stencil?

[Glitterfly Faces]

I find for a crisper edge and more accurate application of each colour, it is best to leave the stencil on...apply the glue..then the glitter....press down the glitter with large brush....wipe away excess glitter gently....remove the stencil.  Some people have had issues with the edges of design pulling up when peeling off stencil.  This happens because you have applied the glue too thick.  The best way to appy the glue is to use a lip gloss applicator brush.  It gives a more even layer of glue. 
Good luck tomorrow and post pics when you get a chance. 
No more cutting out those stencils.  Your going to kill the feeling in your hands. 

Take care,
Kim

[AMAZINGface]

Hey Gina!

Love, love, LOVE glitter and all that sparkles! 

As to your question about remove or not to remove the stencil, here's my thoughts:  If I am in dim lighting and the glistening of the glue is not apparent and I want to do a good job, I will leave the stencil on so I can see the design better.  Otherwise, part of the allure is how the design seems to magically appear as you apply the glitters.  I agree with too much adhesive can pull the edges of the design away.  Wand applicator is, indeed, the best way for even application.  I keep a tweezer with my glitter kit so I can pick off those stubborn stencil pieces that can sometimes break off.

I still find, though, that I can't manage as many glitgter tatts in an hour as I'd like.  Can you possibly keep count (like your'e not busy enough...)

Something I started just this past weekend...  I had an extra sable retractable blush brush and I used it to apply a little cornstarch around the stencil on these hot and sticky days.  No matter how clean the customer claims they are, in this weather it can change that status in an instant.  I have found that the glitter wants to stick to the tackier parts relentlessly, even to the degree that it hides the tattoo (I had a bucket of clean water for them to wash off the extra glitter.)  Anyhow, the cornstarch helps alot! 

Hand cut stencils?  Wow.

[Sherry]

I use cornstarch too when the weather is hot.  If that doesn't help, keep baby wipes on hand too clean off any glitter that sticks to the surrounding skin.

[reginanewsum]

do you dust the whole area with corn starch? or do you put the stencil on and then dust around the stencil? I wonder if cornstarch would work for face painting?  With it being so hot, no matter how careful I am and try to put on a thin layer of base for a design it is melting on the kids! I did read some where that a gal dusted the face with a body talc powder, I tried that once and it just made the face paint peel and crack (DFX white paint) so I never tried it again.

[Sherry]

I clean it with alcohol first and once that dries, I dust lightly with cornstarch and brush it off, then apply the stencil.

I don't know about face painting, but maybe something to try.  On myself first that is... just to be safe.     On second thought, I think with a face that is already sweaty that might not work out.  Even if you wiped it down with a baby wipe, I'm thinking on the really sweaty faces that the cornstarch might clump around.

[AMAZINGface]

I did a glitter tatt party on a hot afternoon outside last week.  Of course people said they were clean, and indeed they wiped with a baby wipe or something.  Even after supposed 'cleanings' some stencils just would not stick, even after wiping the area myself with alcohol.  I could only tell the customer to go wash and come back, but a stencil was already ruined. 

So, at this particular event, the hostess brought out a bucket of clean water and paper towels.  I know this isn't always practical but the heat and humidity can change a persons 'clean' status in a matter of minutes!  Baby wipes can leave a certain residue, too. 

You know how something just flies out of your mouth...?!!  Well, the first person there that the stencil didn't adhere to I said, "Oooh, you are dirty!", which became the buzz word of the party, lucky for me!  So everyone got clean with the water provided.  Then I put the stencil on and gently dusted with a fluffy brush AROUND the stencil so as not to gum up the design.  I didn't use enough cornstarch to get cakey at all.

As to using sornstarch prior to painting?  All someone can do is try!  And report here!!!

Some of my customers were soooo sticky that a baby wipe alone could not remove the excess glitter so they were perspiring while I was applying the tatt!!  All were glad for the bucket of clean water!

[reginanewsum]

tomorrow will be in the middle 90's here!  HOT!  If I find time I will do the corn starch test and give a full report ok my friends, let's test it! Love ya guys!
Gina

[twinkletattoos]

I did a glitter tatt party on a hot afternoon outside last week.  Of course people said they were clean, and indeed they wiped with a baby wipe or something.  Even after supposed 'cleanings' some stencils just would not stick, even after wiping the area myself with alcohol.  I could only tell the customer to go wash and come back, but a stencil was already ruined. 

So, at this particular event, the hostess brought out a bucket of clean water and paper towels.  I know this isn't always practical but the heat and humidity can change a persons 'clean' status in a matter of minutes!  Baby wipes can leave a certain residue, too. 

You know how something just flies out of your mouth...?!!  Well, the first person there that the stencil didn't adhere to I said, "Oooh, you are dirty!", which became the buzz word of the party, lucky for me!  So everyone got clean with the water provided.  Then I put the stencil on and gently dusted with a fluffy brush AROUND the stencil so as not to gum up the design.  I didn't use enough cornstarch to get cakey at all.

As to using sornstarch prior to painting?  All someone can do is try!  And report here!!!

Some of my customers were soooo sticky that a baby wipe alone could not remove the excess glitter so they were perspiring while I was applying the tatt!!  All were glad for the bucket of clean water!

Can I send you a few of my stencils to try in your type of heat?
I live in Hawaii and the weather is always warm here, so I had some stencils made up for Twinkle Tattoos earlier this year that stick better in my neck of the woods. I've had some trouble with a few brands of stencils sticking before too.

[AMAZINGface]

Gosh, yeah, Twinkletattoos!  BTW:  I used to live in Kailua-Kona.  Was there for 2 years.  Was there long enough to see the 2nd traffic light installed!  Ha!  My son was born there so he's kamaaina but I remain just a haoli!

I'd love to try a few of your stencils!  I do think, though, that my customers just continued to perspire even after they cleaned off.  I don't usually experience much trouble at other times.

Do you mfgr. your own stencils?  Or do you shame us all and cut hundreds by hand?!!!  (Love you, too, Gina!)  Whats different about them?

@Gina - waiting for results of the cornstarch test!

[twinkletattoos]

Gosh, yeah, Twinkletattoos!  BTW:  I used to live in Kailua-Kona.  Was there for 2 years.  Was there long enough to see the 2nd traffic light installed!  Ha!  My son was born there so he's kamaaina but I remain just a haoli!

I'd love to try a few of your stencils!  I do think, though, that my customers just continued to perspire even after they cleaned off.  I don't usually experience much trouble at other times.

Do you mfgr. your own stencils?  Or do you shame us all and cut hundreds by hand?!!!  (Love you, too, Gina!)  Whats different about them?

@Gina - waiting for results of the cornstarch test!

I love living in Hawaii. I grew up in Ohio and moved here a little over 4 years ago. It is just a laid back lifestyle here.

My brother does most of the design part and I submit my designs to a manufacturer. I don't have nearly enough time to cut my own. I own Twinkle Tattoos, work a full time job at the Hyatt, and we run a very busy party rental business too...and don't forget my 9-month old Jayla--she is currently teething.

My stencils are a little bigger and the sticky back is stronger.

Please PM your address and I'll send you a few to try. (What kind of designs do you like?)

[MsMollie]

hey twinkle...!
I'm not much of a glitter tat person myself...i just never have the time to do them...however, just wondering if you have ever tried going to the local hobby lobby and looking over in the area where all the stuff is for iron on?...they have some plastic, reusable stencils over there that could be reused...they are a bit larger but some of them are really pretty.....i bought a package of four and tried them out...they were so pretty in hot pink!..however, it might not be too cost effective, but they worked great....just an idea!!