Rainstone Q & A...
September 05, 2014
Good morning! Today I have a little Rainstone Q&A for you! Rainstones are prettly little clear embellishments that look just like water droplets. They were originally included in the Make It Market: Beautiful Brushstrokes kit, but are now being offered for sale separately in the Papertrey Ink store HERE. (so sorry, but I think stock was getting low and might possibly be out of stock by the time this post goes live). There have been several questions on the forums about these little gems, so I thought I'd put together a post answering the questions I've seen pop up...and show you a few new projects, of course!
Let's get started...
Q: Since they're clear, how do you adhere Rainstones?
A: I just use my favorite clear drying liquid adhesive, which is Scrappy Glue. Others have posted that they've had great success with Glossy Accents as well, which is also available in the Papertrey Ink store in large and small bottles. Also, I have found my QuickStik tool to be a necessity when working with small objects like Rainstones, sequins, etc. It makes picking them up so much easier. Usually what I do is create a little puddle of glue on a piece of scrap paper, pick up the Rainstone with my QuickStik tool, dab them in my glue puddle, and place them on my project.
Q: Are Rainstones like Dew Drops?
A: Yes and no...They are similar in concept, but I find the Rainstones to be higher quality. They are perfectly clear, free of bubbles, and perfectly round. They really do look just like perfect water droplets!
Q: How "dimensional" are they & are they suitable for cards that will go through the mail?
A: The larger stones are about an 1/8" thick and the smaller are about 1/16", however they are smooth and round, unlike regular rhinestones which can be kind of pointy. Some ladies on the forum were discussing how they use a paper crimper to crimp a piece of cardstock to lay over bumpy cards when mailing. The crimped paper helps even out the bumps...I thought that sounded like a great suggestion!
Q: Can you color Rainstones with Copics?
A: Yes! It's super easy and works well to color them with Copics. I just pick them up with my QuickStik tool and color the back (flat) side. Just keep in mind that the colors tend to lighten, so choose darker colored markers...for example, a red marker will produce more or of a dark pink Rainstone. The color will show up best against white cardstock.
Here is a card I created with some Rainstones that I colored with my Copics...
They kind of look like candy, don't they? I added them around the circular diecut opening of the Phrase Play #5 die. I just put a line of liquid glue down and added the Rainstones, working on just a portion of the circle at a time so my glue wouldn't dry out before I was able to add the Rainstones. I added a sprinkling of a few beyond the circle as well for a little added interest.
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Q: Where do I place them on my project? I just can't seem to find an arrangement that looks right!
A: There's no hard and fast answer to this question, but there are some general rules you can follow that will help. First of all, the rule of 3 is a good one to follow. Objects in three's are just more pleasing to the eye. If three isn't enough, it's ok to add more of course, but in general odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye, so keep that in mind. Also consider the Rainstones as a way to guide the eye across your card or project. They can help direct the eye to your focal point and create a flow across your project. Another thing to note is that there are two sizes of Rainstones included...the larger have more visual weight than the smaller, so keep that in mind as well when using them. Placing a larger Rainstone at the top or outer edge of your design might feel a little top heavy...things usually feel more balanced if the larger stones are closer to your focal point. Placing them in a sort of "triangle" (but not a perfect triangle, if that makes sense!) arangement usually works quite well, with a smaller stone at the tip of the triangle and larger stones at the bottom. You might find that using two "triangle" clusters will give you good placement...one above your focal point and one below.
Here is a card that is a good example of how I used the rainstones to sort of direct the eye and create flow across the card design (can I also mention that I've recently discovered that I love pairing Friendly Flowers with Embellished Elegance???)...
Notice how I started with a smaller Rainstone up above my focal point (the cluster of flowers) and added a second, larger stone below that, nestled just inside the top edge of my flower cluster. From there the eye travels to the large flower which I filled with a cluster of Rainstones (you'll notice that even here an odd number worked well as there are 7 stones within that cluster). And then your eye will trail down to the two Rainstones at the bottom of my flower cluster, again with the larger stone nearer my focal point and ending with a smaller one at the very bottom. All in all, there is an odd number elements, the two Rainstones at the top, the cluster (this counts as a single element), and the two at the bottom for a total of 5.
You can see that the positioning of them creates a visual triangle, which is generally pleasing to the eye...
After that big long explanation I also want to say that you should try not to get too caught up in "rules"! Design is subjective and it should also be fun...go with your gut and what feels right or makes you happy to look at!
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And one last card today that really doesn't answer any questions, but I thought it was another fun effect of the Rainstones. They tend to magnify whatever is under them, so I played around with that idea on this card. As I had the Phrase Play #5 set laying on my desk from the card above, I noticed a SUPER tiny little star stamp. It's the perfect size to fit under the larger Rainstones. I stamped several of them onto white cardstoc, then used the Rainstones to magnify a few of them.
Again I was mindful of my placement of the Rainstones and used them to guide the eye...you'll notice that I started out with the Rainstones in a wide placement at the top of my card, and narrowing them as I got closer to my sentiment and the bottom of the card. I finished with a few of the smaller Rainstones below my sentiment which really helps to "finish" the design.
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I think that wraps up the Rainstone Q&A...if you have any additional questions, feel free to ask...you can post questions here in the comments, or you're always welcome in the Papertrey Ink forums! Thanks for stopping by today and have a wonderful weekend!