You asked for it, here it is AGAIN

With so many new followers and bloglovin' friends, I decided to show once again how I make my handmade shimmering mists.  This time, I also have a better camera.  Yes, I LOVE my new camera.

In case you don't remember, this is what my FIRST tutorial looked like.  I used the same photos when I updated the tutorial a few months later.  You can see why I decided to replace the tutorial since I have to replenish a bunch of these misters, anyway.

Supplies around the perimeter:
Luminart and another unmarked brand mica powders (the type that DOES NOT have a binder) your choice of colors

Supplies from back left clockwise:
Stick or spoon for placing powder in bottle
*Elmer's Glue-All or any good PVA glue
**Small refillable sprayers that have been washed and cleaned
Alternately, refill sprayers with same or similar powders as before
***Distilled water
 
*A note about Elmer's glue.  Any good PVA glue will work, since many who live in areas other than the US don't have access to this glue.  If using Elmer's be sure you use the Glue-All because their "school-glue" brand is watered down.

**A note about the refillable sprayer bottles.  I had some spray mists that I used, then cleaned them after they were empty.  Later, I found some after-bath sprays at the Dollar Tree (in US, where their slogan is "Everything's a Dollar")  that were in a package of two for $1.00.  I emptied the bath spray and used the bottles.  Much cheaper than going online to find these really pricy spray bottles.

***A note about distilled water.  Distilled water will last forever in these bottles, while tap water will cause the mists to get moldy over time.  If you plan to use the entire container immediately, you don't need distilled water.  However, if you plan to let this product sit for any length of time, as little as a week, in fact, distilled water is the way to go.

Now that we have all the essentials out of the way, decide what colors will go in each container.  If you are replenishing and know the exact color, use it.  If not, mixing colors adds to the fun of this experiment.

Whether replenishing or starting from scratch, make sure you place a small bead in the bottom of your container.  This will help keep the mixture agitated.

It's time to add distilled water to each of the spray bottles.  Don't fill over 3/4 of the way.  You'll need air in the bottles so the liquid can be shaken each time they are used.  As an aside, don't wear long loose sleeves as I did.  I knocked the water over in the container on the left and had to add more.  Thankfully, there was only water in this one.

Now it's time to add the glue.  No matter what size bottle I used, I always squeezed and counted to five.

Of course, you need to watch that the glue is going in the bottle, instead of concentrating on focusing your camera (grin). 

Using whatever is convenient for you (I wish I had some of those ice cream taster spoons for this step), add your mica powders.  Don't be shy.  Heap the color on.  You can't possibly get too much color, in my opinion.  This one is hard to judge, though because it's an interference color of pink and blue and I've never used this powder before.

Place the cap and mister on the container and shake, shake, shake.  Shake your booty oops, I mean container.  Keep shaking because it takes awhile for the mica powder and glue to assimilate into the distilled water.

Can you see the blue swirls as the color settles?  The nice thing about this is, once you've done all that shaking, the next time you use the container, which must be shaken each time you apply the product, all you need is a cursory shake or two.  I also noticed adding a bead to the bottle helped and everything mixed quicker and easier than with the one bottle I don't have a bead in.

I haven't made a bronze mist before, either.  This is exciting.  I can't wait to try my new colors.  And for those of you who have visited my blog for a long time, aren't you amazed you can actually read the words on the mica powders?  I can't say it enough how much I LOVE my nearly new camera.

My green on the right is new.  It is made from two greens and whatever little bit was left in the mister when I started.

The one on the left is a yellow green, and I use it ALL the time.  It's my go-to color.  I think it's my favorite, because it actually glows on my pages.  And that's saying something, because all the mists are hard to scan or photograph, as those of you who work with commercial mists, or mica powders in general, know.

I have replenished this color at least six times, and my friend Kathy made a big container of this color when I spent an art weekend with her late last year.  And you can see, I have enough of this color to make at least 50 more bottles.

But now it's time to finish filling these bottles and put all my mica powders away.  

I'll be testing these misters in the near future because today is another prep day.

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial.  I'll be updating my Tutorials page with this post and photos you can actually see!  Thanks for dropping by.  You know how much I appreciate your visit.