Over the summer I purchased a fabulous piece of vintage Murano glass that was made in Italy. The design featured glittery, gold swirls in a sea of deep blue. It made me curious if I could somehow mimic this look with glitter and glass paint using one of our paperweights. After a little experimentation, I'm in love with the results!

Here's what you'll need for this project:

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Because I needed a high concentration of glitter, I made my own glitter concoction by mixing the glitter with just enough clear glue to allow me to apply it with a paint brush.

The glitter was painted onto the clean, bottom surface of the paperweight. I allowed it to dry overnight.
  
To create the appearance of the glitter being encapsulated in colored glass, I used Gallery Glass, a paint that dries translucent to create a stained glass effect. Gallery Glass was applied with the nozzle of the bottle to cover the glitter and the surrounding field. (Tip: If you end up getting a little paint where it shouldn't be, including the glass that comes in contact with the surface the paperweight rests on, the best clean-up method is to allow the paint to dry and carefully remove it with a sharp Exacto knife or a razor blade.
When I returned to my shop the next day, I discovered the paint had crackled in a few areas.  (I'm sure the cause was applying paint over glue.)  My solution was to touch these spots up with a little more Gallery Glass.  One touch-up was all it needed.
You can try so many variations of this project, including the use of multiple glitter and paint colors in one design. Try practicing on an inexpensive glass plate before you commit your technique to a paperweight.

Is there a particular type of project you'd like me to cover here in the future? I'd love to hear your ideas!  Be sure to leave a comment below.

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