What to do with leftover drills

 

So I still haven't transitioned back to knitting yet, despite El Nina creating some good knitting weather. Instead I've been looking for ways to use up some of my ever-increasing stash of leftover diamond dots (leftover drills are as much a cluttering nightmare as leftover yarn).

I am not talented enough to do anything freestyle so using a book that came with a kids window art painting set I created this cyclops angel. The plastic is from a sheet protector, the outline was done with paint pen and dots were stuck on using Diamond Dotz adhesive.

 

It all worked out so I ordered some heat resistant acetate sheets because I wanted to try doing a heat embossed outline which, as it turned out, didn't work that well but everything else did.

So my resources used to create this were a heat emboss acetate sheet, a template (Christmas Holly), some diamond dots corresponding to the template colours, a Wow embossing pen, white glitter embossing powder, embossing tool, and Diamond Dotz adhesive. Optional paintbrush to remove excess embossing powder.

 

First step was to trace the outline with the embossing pen, sprinkling embossing powder as I completed a section so it didn't dry out. After removing excess powder I used the heating tool to set the powder. Next step was to apply the adhesive to each section.

The bottle of adhesive recommends using a spatula to spread it out but I like using an old chopstick to get right into the corners.

The adhesive goes clear as it dries, leaving the surface sticky. Then it was just a matter of adding the dots. I did find the surface was stickier than a regular diamond painting canvas, it was a lot harder to remove a drill if I dropped it or put it in the wrong spot. Attempts to move dots sometimes resulted in the embossed outline being dislodged. I don't know if the glue interacted with the embossing somehow or if I just didn't adequately heat some sections of the outline.

Ultimately I'm pleased with how it turned out and I will be making more. I've got a strip of the acetate sheet leftover from this one, and because the dots seem to stick well I may try making a bookmark. I like using the window art book because it provides a legend of colours to use but you could just print any template / colouring in picture of the internet to suit what leftover drills use you have.