Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Nail Polish Marbling

Hi, It's Kara!  Recently I have been experimenting with different mediums to create marble effects. My favorite so far is definitely the nail polish technique and I'm excited to share it with you.

It's so easy, a little messy, but the effects are so beautiful.  When you lift your paper up and look at your results you'll have one of those, "Ohhh!" moments. The results are different every time.

Before you get started you will need to gather your supplies:

Supplies:
  1. A shallow disposable container filled with a few inches of water
  2. Nail polish in desired colors
  3. A tool to swirl your colors together {ex; the end of an old paintbrush, a toothpick}
  4. Watercolor paper
  5. Gloves {optional}

Before you begin, make sure you are in a well ventilated area because the smell from the nail polish can be quite strong. If you've just gotten a manicure you might want to wear gloves. Chances are you'll get some polish on your hands.  But, everything cleans up easily afterwards with nail polish remover. I like to shake all of my colors and remove the caps before I begin.  You have some time, but do have to work quickly since the nail polish begins to dry.

Instructions:
  1. Drizzle each color onto the surface of the water with a steady hand. You want the polish to float on the surface rather than sink to the bottom of the container.
  2. Once you have added all of your colors use your tool to swirl the colors together until you are happy with how it looks.
  3. Lay your watercolor paper onto the surface of the water and lightly press making sure the entire surface of the paper makes contact with the polish and then lift off.
  4. Set the piece aside to dry.  Once it is dry you can use it as a background, die cut it, stamp on it, glitter it, or anything else you can imagine!
***Try experimenting with different amounts of polish and colors to see the different results

Here are a few examples of how I have used the marbled papers I have created. 


Wplus9 Supplies:
Stamps: Epic Dad, Strictly Sentiments 4 // Dies: Epic Dad Die // Cardstock: White, Black

Wplus9 Supplies:
Stamps: Fresh Cut Florals  // Dies: Quilt Cuts 2 // Cardstock: White

I hope you give this technique a try.  Think beyond just paper.  See those pencils and wood veneer butterflies?  Yup, I marbled them too!

52 comments:

  1. So cool Kara. We've got this product in Germany that we've used to marble plastic Easter eggs. Never knew nail polish would work too. Love that magic! TFS.

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  2. Amazing tutorial Kara :) Love how the cards are put together, will have to try this :) Thanks for the inspiration!!

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  3. So very cool! Thank you for this fun and brilliant idea! Love the gorgeous end results!

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  4. Kara what a fantastic tutorial, love this technique!

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  5. awesome! i never would have thought to use nail polish!

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  6. This is the coolest technique! Thanks for your wonderful tutorial.

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  7. How much water do I fill up the plastic container with?

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    1. You really don't need much water. An inch or two is plenty :)

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  8. this is such an interesting technique with beautiful results.

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  9. GAWGOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TFS!

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  10. So awesome! Thanks for the tutorial, Kara!

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  11. Cool Idea!! Thanks for showing how to do it!! It looks like the possibilities are endless!!
    Taunya Butler at daisiesgirl.com

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  12. Beautiful. Can you use multiple pieces of watercolor paper? Or is it just on time?

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    1. Yes! You can dip another piece in and pick up the remaining nail polish. There will be much less color left so you will get a totally different {cool} look. Have fun experimenting!

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  13. What a cool technique! Thanks for the great tutorial--can't wait to try this!

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  14. So beautiful. I will be trying this out

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  15. I swear what your mind can't come up with...
    these are gorgeous and make me want to dig out my polish and have some fun!
    Especially since there's some wood butterflies that have been hanging around waiting for me to use for at least a year! :)
    Gorgeous!!

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  16. Thanks for sharing this cool technique!

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  17. Wow! Thank you for the great tutorial. I just dig out some polish and tried it myself. I think I need more colors. Very addicting. Now I am off to make something with them as soon as they are dry.

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  18. This looks so neat Kara...what a way to use up all those nail polish bottles that have gotten a bit thick to use...or...the dollar store polishes! I'm going to try this technique, great tutorial!

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  19. Very cool! I cant wait to try this!

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  20. What a great technique! I will have to give this a try. :)

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  21. I love your samples; they are stunning! My favorite is using the clear polish with glittery items (stars, hearts, etc.), on black glossy paper. If you have a dollar store nearby, you can usually find lots of polish choices there. One of my students learned to make a heart on top of her coffee and it worked with polish too. I've never tried wood veneer and can't wait to see the effect. Thanks for the new ideas.

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  22. This is so cool! I will have to try this with the neighbor kids just for fun! :)

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  23. Very cool and creative works with your marbling.
    I personally use acrylic paints to marble as they are easier to manipulate.
    Check my website for ideas.
    www.ydrokroma.weebly.com

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  24. What would be the best/safest way to dispose of the water and polish afterwards?

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  25. Would this work on unfinished tiles do you think?

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  26. Would this work on unfinished tiles do you think?

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    1. It would probably work on just about anything. I would give it a shot!

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  27. Replies
    1. I don't see why not?? I would definitely try it!

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  28. And to think I was just going to give 18 bottles away!!!!

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  29. This is totally brilliant, have just tried it and it is so easy and so beautiful, will be telling my friends about this! Thanks!

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  30. Totally awesome!! I've got to do this for sure!!

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  31. Very inspiring. I love experimenting. Thanks for your post.

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  32. I love it!! And I will have to try it. Thank you for sharing.

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  33. Thanks for sharing this, So easy and beautifull result!

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  34. awesome technique, just tried this and had so much fun. thanks for the technique info

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