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Triple Thick Gloss Glaze

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 by Alyice

When I began creating my art jars, I wanted a sealer that would go on easily and leave a lasting impression. I wanted the colors on my jars to “pop” and make a statement. And I wanted a sealer that would protect my work.

Unfortunately, the spray and brush-on sealers recommended by my art friends weren’t working for me. For starters, they were too thin. I’d have to apply several coats to get a “high shine” and that meant a lot of drying time between each coat and a lot of wasted time. Then there was the problem with chipping. Even with three, five, or ten coats of sealer, a simple tap of another object against my beautiful jars would result in ugly chips.

Then one day, as I was browsing the aisles of Hobby Lobby®, I ran across a product that claimed you’d need only one coat to seal and gloss. It was called Triple Thick: Brilliant Brush-On Gloss Glaze by DecoArt®. At first, I was hesitant. But then I decided to buy a jar.

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With one coat I immediately saw a difference; one thin coat was like applying three coats of the other products. And the best part was that unlike the other brush on sealers, there were not a lot of bubbles to contend with and unlike the sprays, there weren’t a lot of fumes. Two coats later, I had the look I wanted: dimension and depth of color! There was even an added bonus: no cracking and less chipping!

A few things I’ve learned along the way:

The product clearly states that you won’t notice any brush strokes but I can see brush strokes; probably because I tend to use thin coats. So if you don’t want brush strokes use a sponge; not a paint brush.
The product says you can wait ten minutes between coats, but I find waiting twenty to thirty minutes between coats allows the product to dry better—thus preventing smudges and permanent fingerprints.
If you apply too thick of a coat, you will get clouding, globs, and/or bubbles.
If you don’t allow the final coat to dry between 24 and 48 hours before wrapping your product, you can ruin your product.

Click to order Triple Thick Gloss Glaze today!

Disclosure: I purchased this item to review. This is “my opinion” of the product. I was not paid to give a positive review.

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Thanks For Being My Son

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 by Alyice

My firstborn son turns 18 in just four days. I still cannot believe that I am old enough to have an 18 year old son. Where on earth does the time go?

As a child, he was an easy child: smart, caring, and always the helper. He even skipped the terrible twos! Of course, he made up for that when he turned 16—not because he was a bad kid, but because he was trying to find himself.

His teenage years have been tough. As he pushes more and more for his independence, I have had to step aside and allow him to make a life for himself—without me. And that hasn’t been easy.

I’ll never forget the first time he said, “Mom, you don’t need to volunteer in my school anymore”. He was just entering fifth grade. I thought that was tough. That was nothing compared to now. That was nothing compared to “Mom, you know I love you but I get teased enough when I tell my friends I’m hanging out with my parents, I can’t be seen playing ball with you, too.”

But that’s also the thing I love about my son—his honesty. He never tells a lie. Even when he tried to secretly have a girlfriend before his sixteenth birthday, he broke down and told “mom”.

And he’s smart. There are days when I think, “He could be a math wiz, if he weren’t so afraid of being known as a nerd.” Luckily, that little stigmatism hasn’t stopped him from getting straight A’s or being number 2 in his graduating class. And ironically, he could’ve been number one but he slacked off a bit when he realized that number one position required him to be valedictorian—which required him to give a graduation speech. My shy, shy boy.

And he’s amazingly level-headed. He thinks before he acts and he looks at the whole picture. Take sports, for instance. He’s not the star athlete and therefore doesn’t get as much playing time as he’d like. But he understands that for a team to succeed, a team needs unsung heroes—players who help star athletes get the job done, players who go out there and give it their all—even if it doesn’t come with name recognition or more playing time.

Happy 18th Birthday!

Give thanks…

Posted in It's Gratitude, Dude! | 2 Comments »

Thanks For Being My Daughter

Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008 by Alyice

Today is my daughter’s birthday and she’s growing up way too fast! She’s everything I was not at her age and everything I have grown to admire. She’s street-smart, book smart, funny, true to herself, honest, loyal, trustworthy, and unbelievably love-a-ble! She knows what makes her happy and isn’t afraid to go against the fold to follow her dreams, her instincts, and her beliefs. And she trusts us. She trusts us, her parents, enough to respect our wishes enough not to defy them—even when her peers try to convince her otherwise.

Give thanks…

Posted in It's Gratitude, Dude! | 2 Comments »

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AlyiceEdrich.com
I'm a freelance writer, mixed media artist, SMVA, and the owner of The Dabbling Mum.

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