Monday, October 12, 2009

Dimensional Paper Glazes

Hi, everyone! Welcome back to Life on the {Scrap}beach!

If you watch my videos, then you probably know that I am a HUGE fan of the dimensional accent/adhesive/glaze Ranger "Glossy Accents". I love the shine that it adds to an element and how thick & dimensional it is. What I didn't know until recently is that there are several similar alternatives to this product. Since Glossy Accents is a bit pricey at around $6.00 or $7.00 a bottle {I buy it with a coupon at Michael's usually}, I decided to check out some of the alternatives to see how they stacked up to what I had been using.


I tracked down a bottle of Judikins "Diamond Glaze" {less than $5.00 a bottle} and a bottle of Aleene's "Paper Glaze" {right around $5.00 a bottle} to test in my scrap projects as alternatives to Ranger "Glossy Accents".




{Side note: I have also heard good things about, but have not personally tried, Close To My Heart's "Liquid Glass", which is $6.95/bottle, and Krylon "Triple Thick Crystal Clear Glaze" which is actually a spray and weighs-in right around $5.00 for the smaller can.}

There were five things which I had in the back of my mind while I was using these products: price, ease of use, thickness, clarity and drying time. So, let's see how they stacked up to each other.

1. Judikins "Diamond Glaze": At $4.79/bottle, this is the cheapest of the three dimensional glazes/adhesives that I have in my scrap room. It is also the thinnest of the three, and does not stay put as well as the other two. For that reason, it is a little more difficult to use than Glossy Accents, but it is not as difficult to use as the Paper Glaze {more on that below}. It is the clearest of the three, in my opinion, although all three are pretty darn clear. It also has the shortest drying time at around four to six hours depending on the project, which is important here in humid Miami. It can be hard to find in stores, although it is readily available online.

2. Aleene's "Paper Glaze": At $5.29/bottle, this is only marginally costlier than "Diamond Glaze" and still significantly cheaper than "Glossy Accents". It is also readily available in stores like Michael's. Despite that, I liked it the least of the three. The nozzle on the bottle was not good & it created bubbles that were hard to pop. It also came out so thick it was hard to apply to detailed areas & had the longest drying time of the three at well over 24 hours {closer to 48 hours in my case, although I assume it had something to do with how thick it is}. Paper Glaze is the least clear of the three, in my opinion, althouh it is practically crystal clear ~ not a big drawback & not what ruled this one out for me.

3. Ranger "Glossy Accents": At $6.99/bottle it is far and away the most expensive of the three. Aside from the fact that the bottle is prone to clogging, it is also the easiest to use and apply. It is thick enough that it stays where you put it and doesn't run, but not so thick that it can't be used for fine details. Its drying time is at least twice as long as the Diamond Glaze, but it is thicker & only needs one coat {whereas I found some Diamond Glaze projects required two applications, although this was not the norm}. It is very clear ~ almost as clear as the Diamond Glaze & the difference in clarity is pretty much negligible between the two.

Of the three, I prefer Diamond Glaze overall. It is by far both the cheapest and the quickest to dry. It is also the clearest of the three {might have something to with being thinner ~ just a guess} and has the mildest scent. Another thing I like about Diamond Glaze is that if it leaks off where I want it, I can quickly wipe it up with a baby wipe and it comes off completely like it was never there {unlike Glossy Accents which I can never fully get off if I get it outside the lines}. You'll probably be seeing all three bottles in future videos, as I'll be using all three until they run out, at which point I will most likely make the switch to just having Diamond Glaze on hand.

Totally unrelated to this review ~ but related to these glazes & still VERY cool ~ is an idea I got from Weezie during the last Thursday scrap chat. She said she has been tinting her Glossy Accents with alcohol inks, and I tried it with Diamond Glaze. I poured about a Kennedy half dollar sized pool of Diamond Glaze on a piece of tin foil and added one drop of alcohol ink in Lettuce. The alcohol ink instantly spread out through the Diamond Glaze {it was cool to watch} and I was able to apply it to some chipboard accents I was making for a murky swamp effect:


Neat, right? Thanks for the idea, Weezie!

I hope you found this review helpful. I love Glossy Accents, but it is expensive and I think I am going to make a permanent switch to Diamond Glaze. Also, here's a sneak peek at what's coming up on Life on the {Scrap}beach!


Thanks for stopping by & have a great week everybody!

~Kathryn
Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

17 comments:

  1. Hi Kathryn, thank you for the information! Did you know that there is also a bottle from Ranger with a crackel effect? I use it the same way like you use the glossy accent. Put it over a picture and you get a crackel effect. There is also sepia accents. I dont have it but I like to try it one day.

    Have a nice day!
    Nanda

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  2. Thanks for this detailed info! I use CTMH Liquid Glass and I love it, but I have used Diamond Glaze in the past and I like that, as well. The hard part for me is keeping the bottle from clogging!

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  3. Hi, Nanda! Yes, I did know about those other "Accents" from Ranger. They also have one called "Matte Accents" that is dimensional and clear but not shiny. I am up to my eyeballs in clear accents, though, so I think it will be a while before I start buying more! :D

    Jingle, I know what you mean! The bottles clog so easily & It drives me nuts to have to unclog them all the time! Glossy Accents is the worst offender in that area, but it has a very thin nozzle so that is probably why.

    Thanks for stopping by, everyone!

    ~Kathryn
    Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

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  4. Thanks for the review Kathryn! I have been using glossy accents (love love the crackle accent!) but it does take forever to dry. I will try the diamond glaze.

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  5. thanks for the review...
    i have been wanting to try the crackle, now with the rock candy i'm even more confussed. Also the matte accents would come in handy in alot of my personal uses....does Diamond Glaze company make a matte finish???
    Just courious.
    ~Jill

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  6. Thank you so much for sharing the comparisons that you made. I also was using the Glossy Accents but, now I may have to switch.

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  7. I love Diamond Glaze been using it a long time. I personally found it easier to squeeze out of the bottle then glossy accents. So it seems to over your project quicker. It does have the tendancy to run a little though.

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  8. I am so glad you did this comparison! About a year ago I wanted to do this, but it got set aside and I never pursued it! You never cease to amaze me Kathryn! I love your layout!
    Hugz- Joyce

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  9. Hi Kathryn, thanks for the review. I totally agree with your comments re GA, though I'm a die hard fan of it. I tried to find DG and went to Joanns (online ordering is too much shipping for just 1 item). Believe it or not, when I asked if they have it, the sales person looked at me like I had a third eye! Needless to say, I left the store with nothing. Tried Michaels too, no luck.

    Anyway, I ended up buying 3D Crystal Lacquer by Sakura. It's pricey as all heck but I've heard some good things about it. I'll use it sparingly unlike GA which I tend to use with abandon (LOL). When both are gone, I'll get DG and stock up!!

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  10. Hi, Liz! I remember when I was first looking for DG you would have thought I was trying to find the Holy Grail ~ sheesh! I never did find success at a brick & mortar store for it. When I want something from an online store, I will patiently amass a shopping cart full of things to get free shipping or feel like it is worth it. Sometimes is takes a l-o-n-g time to get there, but I eventually do get there & I am sure waiting saves me tons of money in the end!

    So, I have a nice big bottle of DG now & it will last me a good long time. I am still pretty enamored with it, which surprised me. I never thought I would like anything as much as Glossy Accents!

    ~Kathryn
    Life's a beach. Scrapbook it.

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  11. I know I am a day late and dollar short.....LOL, but SOOO glad to have found this!!! I tried using paper glaze and thought I was doing something wrong because no matter what I did, my projects had bubbles.....and tiny ones that showed up after I thought I had gotten all the bubbles!

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  12. Loved your review, thank you! I just ordered my first bottle of DG online, prior to reading your review, and wondered if I'd made the right choice. I can now rest easy knowing that I did! Thanks again.

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  13. hi, thanks for trying these glazes out! I was wondering if you used it with a paint brush on a medium size paper surface? Does it still have a "glass" feeling? Which would you recommand in this case?
    Thanks again!

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  14. I have Diamond Glaze with a brush and beause the product is self-levelling, it works just fine and gives a glassy finish. It is more prone to bubbles when used with a brush.

    However, I wouldn't choose Diamond Glaze for a large area. There is another product that is designed for use with a brush and better for larger areas: Triple Thick by DecoArt. You might want to check that out!

    ~Kathryn :D

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  15. Wow thanks for your help (and fast answer)! I will try both :)

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  16. I'm so glad I came across this personal review of these items. I am brand new to crafting and jewelry making, and need a lot of advice on a broad variety of subjects. But, I had been wondering about Diamond Glaze, so thank you. I had purchased some Triple Think and wondered if you knew if it can be used to create dimension also. Thanks again.
    Naomi

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