Creating your own gem clusters?

Is there a way to create your own gem clusters for bling masks? Use clear e-600? There must be a way! Then, how to adhere them... prosaide, bendi glue? Any help, suggestions are welcome! Thanks!

I make my own. I use transparencies that you can buy at Walmart and rubber cement. Be sure and put a big blob of the cement... you want the gems "sitting" on a cushion of the cement so that you can peel them off easily. They stay pretty sticky but if they do lose their stickiness, just put a dab of body glue before applying.

I then cut them out and put them into a binder, into baseball card inserts, organized by color.

It's become a great hobby for long winter nights watching television by the fire! I have quite a collection now and will build up more for spring festivals.

Here's a pic of a bling mask with my homemade gem clusters. I made it really big so you could see it easily

Brilliant!!! How do you store them?

In a binder

Thanks Squiggle! That's exactly what I wanted to know. Melissa Dill told me you knew of a way and I was hoping you'd see this post! I'm guessing the rubber cement dries clear? You're gluing the rubber cement section to the face?

Lorie

well, not really gluing, peeling off the transparency and temporarily adhering would be a better term.

Yep! I try to only handle the rubber cement part, that dries clear, so that the gems stay together in one cluster and don't separate. Tel MeLisa I said hi! I sure miss her.

I sure will. She's a sweetheart.

Hmmm, rubber cement...
Do you think this works with liquid latex too?
Just bought a bottle of it, making my own prosthetics and special effects.

I think I'd rather use the latex than the rubber cement on the skin... but then again, some people are allergic to even that.

Rubber cement contains acetone, heptane and paradichlorobenzene, an ingredient found in toilet cleaner. I don't know how inactive those ingredients are once the cement is cured, but I would be concerned about there being trace reactivation with any persperation or contact with body oils. I know that wet rubber cement can be rather caustic when left on the skin for prolonged periods of time. I'm sorry, but that's just too many unknowns. Using any craft item (particulary those items used to bond craft items) on the skin is risky at best... If you're insured, I"m sure your carrier would be albe to offer some insight.

I checked, and it's the same glue that is used in some of the gem clusters that you buy in the stores. I wish I could find out what the other type glue is. The glue is dry once I put it on the client and is just "tacky". Most of the time I do have to put a dab of body glue to get it to stick.

Liquid latex would probably work as well. Basically any glue that you could get to form a "cushion" to then put the gems on top of, that will dry clear, would work. It also has to be able to be peeled easily from the plastic when you get ready to apply the gem cluster, without the gems coming apart easily.

No one has had problems so far. I do have a sign saying anyone allergic to latex shouldn't be painted or "gemmed" LOL

squiggle, pros-aide? That is the 'glitter tattoo glue'

i will try it with pros aide right now to see how it works

I've tried it, and it doesn't form a "cushion" that keeps the gems together for a long period, and definitely doesn't peel off the plastic like it should. I do wish I could find something better to use than rubber cement. I've also tried a product called "the best glue ever" and it works great but very expensive, and again, it's just a craft glue.

It takes about 24 hours for the glue to dry enough for you to peel the gem cluster off the plastic - keep that in mind. Also, you have to use quite a bit of glue to form that cushion, so you have to use something that is not going to be really expensive.

I'm sure if a lot of us here tried different glues, we could come up with something that works better than rubber cement!

The gem clusters sold at craft stores are already on an adhesive base that is not specifically for skin (a CRAFT product, not an FDA compliant skin glue) - but many face painters use that anyway with no thought as to what's in it. Marcela Murad has been doing this for how long? I have no idea if it's equivalent to rubber cement, but probably close. Is it safe? Questionable for sure - but that also goes for the pre-made adhesive backed gems.

Squiggle, would you mind posting a pic of your binder - I love seeing how others organize their collections!

I would be more inclined to use Elmer's Glue to get the gems arranged and stuck together, then once completely dry, attach with a proper skin adhesive. That white glue is solid and water proof once it is dry so shouldn't leech out anything.

Shannon you took the words right out of my mouth. I was just about to say Elmer's glue should be great for that. Much safer option as opposed to the others.

Great minds....

what about hot glue ? it would dry very fast and should peel from plastic easy???

I bought some Elmer's Craft Bond Tacky Glue at Hobby Lobby tonight so I'll give that a shot and see how it works. Hot glue would be great, except you don't want the glue to dry very fast... you need time to be able to put the clusters together. I haven't worked with hot glue in several years so I'm not sure how quickly it dries?

I hadn't even thought of trying regular Elmer's glue... I think I have some of that around. We just moved and most of our things are still in boxes so I'm not sure when I'll get to it... same thing with taking a picture of my binder. I can't seem to find my camera charger. I'll try to look for it tomorrow

hot glue would harden too fast and be stiff to peel off...I don't know if elmer's glue would crack when peeled...rubber cement (being rubber) sound most flexible...I hope someone tries it with liquid latex and lets us know how that worked. My guess for patterns would be that you draw a pencil 'design' (shape of swirls, flowers, pattern) on paper, put the clear plastic over this pattern (tape down if necessary), have your gems and tweezers ready - put down your 'blob' (of whatever) and lay the stones over the pattern....

Here is an MSDS for Rubber Cement... note that is says "AVOID CONTACT WITH SKIN"

http://www.naughty word-blick.com/msds/DBH_23903.pdf

Okay.. so the stupid naughty word forum decided that D.I.C.K.- blick was a naughty word... to get that link to work I will repost as a hyperlink....

[url=http://www.naughty word-blick.com/msds/DBH_23903.pdf]TRY THIS[/url]

Oh fer chrissake.... you'll have to edit the link to read correctly...

OKay, so I tried the Elmer's Craft Bond Tacky Glue and it's a no-go. It was supposed to dry "clear and remain flexible". Well, it's been 3 days and it's still white and the gems separate when you try to peel the glue from the plastic. So that's definitely out. I'll continue looking for a better glue and keep ya'll updated on the progress.