Supply List:
Brads (various shapes)
Photo Turns
Embossing Powder (white and other colors)
Sharpie Extra Fine Point Markers (various colors)
Sharpie Fine Point Markers (various Colors)
Adirondack Alcohol Inks by Ranger
Paint Pens (extra fine point)
Paint Pens (broad tip)
Locking Tweezers
Heat Gun

Color Coordinating Brads

You can color coordinate your brads and photo anchors to match your scrapbook layouts, or other paper crafting projects very simply and quite quickly as well. This is especially helpful if you use embossing powders, alcohol inks, or Sharpie markers on your projects. It can also save you money if you already have various colors of embossing powders and sharpie markers in your crafting supply stash, or if you have recently acquired the new alcohol inks.

To begin you place a brad in the jaws of the tweezers. Open your white embossing powder, and any other color of embossing powder of your choice. Plug in your heat gun, hold the tweezers in your non dominant hand, turn your heat gun on and hold in your other hand.

Hold the heat gun about 1 to 1-1/2 inches above the top of the brad for approximately 20 seconds. Then immediately dip the top of the brad in the white embossing powder. Hold the heat gun on the brad once again until the embossing powder is completely melted (smooth and shiny). Turn off the heat gun. Release the brad from the tweezers onto a scrap piece of paper and let it cool for a few seconds before touching it as it will be extremely hot. Repeat this process for as many brads as you need for your project.

If you want or need white brads then you are finished. Otherwise you can embellish the brad further in several ways after making sure the brad and the embossing powder has cooled.

1) you can use a Sharpie marker to make dots or strips.

2) you can use a make-up sponge and the alcohol ink to change the color of the brad by placing a drop of the ink on the sponge and then dabbing the top of the brad until you achieve the desired color.

3) you can use an extra fine point paint pen to draw stripes or dots.

4) you can use a broad point paint pen to completely cover the top of the brad.

5) you can completely cover the brad in a different color of embossing powder.

Changing the color of photo anchors:

By following the steps above for the brads you can also change the color of photo anchors. But this will be a two step process as you will have to dip the photo anchor half way into the embossing powder, place the heat gun on it to melt the powder. Then let it cool, and do the process for the other half of the photo anchor.

Notes:

1) I tried this process with a few paper clips, but it did not work. I am guessing that due to the material they are made of I was unable to get them hot enough for the embossing powder to adhere to the paper clip.

2) You can use any shape brad: stars, hearts, round, mini round, snowflakes, apples, and others in this process.

3) Be care and do not get the embossing powder on the tweezers as it will melt on them when heating the brad. But if you do, as soon as the tweezers cool peel the embossed embossing powder off of the tweezers.

4) Be very careful as the brads and photo anchors as well as the tweezers will become extremely hot.

5) Eyelets can also be color coordinated to your project in this manner.

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