all that glitters.

Published on by Quandie

The holiday season is the perfect time of year to add the glimmer of metallic’s to your home, but I bet there are a few of us who love to see the glint of gold year round.

Along with the IOD Decor Stamps that Prima Marketing sent my way last week, they also sent a few of their Art Alchemy Metallique waxes.

Aren’t they pretty?  The Vintage Gold looks like gold leaf in wax form.  It’s not too shiny or bright, but the perfect aged gold.

As soon as I opened these up I wanted to try them out on something.

Then I remembered this pair of frames that I found at a garage sale last summer.

They are fairly beat up, which is part of what I love about them, and they also have a hint of green to them.  I thought it might be pretty to add just a bit of metallic shimmer to the high points on the frames.

I used the Vintage Gold on one frame …

And for a more subtle look, I used the Bronze Age on the second frame.

I used q-tips to apply the wax.  I dipped the q-tip in the wax, swirled it around a bit to coat it well and then lightly rubbed the q-tip over the frame just hitting the high points.  Then I buffed very lightly with an old rag.

It couldn’t have been any easier.

These frames are so gorgeous that they can stand on their own as art without needing anything in them.

They are perfect just propped on a shelf with some old book pages adhered to the wall behind them.

All that glitters may not be gold, it might be Bronze Age instead, but either way it sure is pretty!

These waxes would work really well for touching up the finish on vintage hardware or for highlighting details on furniture as well.  I plan to do some more experimenting with them along those lines, so I’ll be sure to keep you posted.

By the way, if you want to try one of these just google the name.  They are readily available online.  I found them for less than $10 each on Amazon including shipping.

25 thoughts on “all that glitters.”

    1. Thanks Corinne. I used q-tips to apply the wax. I dipped the q-tip in the wax, swirled it around a bit to coat it well and then lightly rubbed the q-tip over the frame just hitting the high points. Then I buffed very lightly with an old rag.

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  6. Hi
    Have a question. I decoupage images onto painted paper mache boxes and on some of them I use a crackle finish. Rather than use an antiquing gel to tint the crackle I’ve been using I use a metallic craft paint, (usually it matches the color I painted on the inside of the box, but sometimes it gets a little heavy and I can’t buff all the excess off. I’m thinking this might be a better product since it’s a wax rather than a paint. Does it cure so it’s not tacky? What’s your opinion? Thanks, Marilee

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    1. I don’t know what the official cure time is for this product, but once dry it is supposed to be permanent (which I assume means non-tacky). But now that you’ve brought this up Marilee, when I have a minute I’m going to give these frames a feel and see if there is any tacky-ness. I want to use this product on some drawer pulls this weekend, and I wouldn’t want them to remain tacky either. I’m confident that won’t be a problem, but I want to answer from personal experience, so I will definitely report back to you on this one.

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      1. I just gave the frames a feel. I wouldn’t call them tacky, although the feel of the wax is a bit different than the feel of paint. It feels similar to a waxed piece of furniture. Also, the wax did not rub off onto my fingers. This is a heavier wax type product tho, so I’m wondering if you might prefer the new Fusion wax for your project. It sounds like you’re looking for a wax that you can put over the whole box and have it just settle in the cracks of your crackled finish, wiping away the excess everywhere else. If you haven’t seen those waxes you can check them out {here}.

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  9. Right up my alley love bits of glitz especially on these frames. Very nice find. This could be an alternative to rubb n buff. So seems like you also use some metallic wax sticks? So many products how do you manage to remember which is best for what.

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    1. Yes, definitely an alternative to rub ‘n buff. And also similar to the Goat Sticks that I have used in the past. And so funny you should mention that Victoria because I’ve been thinking about writing a blog post about the different metallic treatments out there and what they can be used for. So watch for that to come up soon 🙂

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  10. Hi, if you ever want to actually fix a frame, it is not hard to do. Just make a mold with modeling clay of another spot on the frame that is whole, and fill it with plaster of paris. When it is dry glue the pieces in place and paint. Once you touch it up you really can’t tell on these ornate frames that it has been repaired. I have also used wood filler to build up the frame, then “carved” in the higher relief design. I would love to try the wax as an antiquing process once I have painted it. Historically I used oil paint mixed to get the matching hue or old smokey frames, and then gold acrylic dabbed on the high points.

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  11. Love these frames! They turned out great! It is hard to find an antique gold that works well without being to “gold.” I have used some gold and then used dark wax to tone them down a bit. The frames look great!

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    1. Yes, I know exactly what you mean Monica. I do like the toned down gold of the Vintage Gold. They also have a White Gold and a Rose Gold that I’m looking forward to trying.

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