***New board - "Art Creation Board"***

Art Creation Thread?

Artists' Gubbins

haha you love that word don't you

Get's my vote. 

Anyway, starting off with:

Diamond Dust

It's a nightmare to find here in the U.K and their is a very good reason for it, this is the name in which artists put onto a product which is not generally called this. Diamond Dust is the very same as 'Glitter Glass' a German imported product. Their is only one company in Germany (their words) that supply the product, it is the very same as what you will find at Meyer Import's in the U.S and also at the fine art printing studio's here in the U.K such as Jealous & Coriander. 
The company you are looking for are: sili.eu manufacturers of several glitter & glass products out of Germany. 

Next up: 

Manila Card (Stencil Card) 

This is a nice thick card stock which has been soaked in a linseed oil to ensure the paint does not impregnate into it meaning if kept in a good manner it will last indefinitely. Best way to use the card (which at it's biggest from retail store is 100 x 60 cm) is to print out your desired stencil onto standard printer paper, (depending on what size paper you can print up to you may have to stick a few sheets together until you reach the desired size) grab some spray adhesive and stick your design onto the Manila Card, simply then take your weapon of choice (OLFA Scalpel is my preference) and cut through both layers leaving you with a nice strong stencil to be used over & over again. 
The manufacturer of the card is www.gmluk.com but i am not certain of minimums but i do know they can cut to a larger size then that of the retail store's supply.

www.handover.co.uk/p39664/Stencil_Card_1000mm_x_600mm_(Single)/product_info.html
www.jacksonsart.com/p39664/Stencil_Card_1000mm_x_600mm_(Single)/product_info.html

Sugru

This little beauty has been the sole reason why my hands are not fucked basically aha.
A great little invention they have come up with a mouldable material that cures in a space of 24hours into a flexible silicone rubber. Moulding it around a scalpel for a comfortable soft hold makes a massive difference, instead of cutting for a couple of hours before cramp, blisters and pain sets in. I have found with the use of this magic stuff you can go for as long as you want. sugru.com/about

Finally (for now):

Blade's/Cutter

Through my use of pretty much all of the brands of scalpel and cutting options out their my preference is the OLFA product line, with a smaller blade and round handle (unlike the Swann Morton) it give a great level of stability as well as the best blades for detailed cutting (my opinion), paired with the above Sugru product it is a great option. Swann Morton are not to be overlooked though, more readily available the only downside is the shape of the handle but with some work with the Sugru it can easily be worked into a comfortable shape also these have a much wider array of blades to use if needed.

Hope this helps some people out their! 
-E