Shells, Leaves and Resin

 These are some of the shells I gathered in Florida last week.  I love how the ocean sends you these free gifts and then arranges them in a fabulous collage.

 After drying in the sun however, my shells lost their "fresh out of the ocean" sheen.  When they are wet they are darker and you can see more of the colour embedded into the shell's natural design.

 Envirotex Lite to the rescue!  Here are my shells after I painted one coat of Envirotex Lite on them.  This is the best glaze on the planet!  My shells look permanently wet.

 The same thing happens with dried leaves.  In the fall when you select them they are bright and a little moist.  The reds and oranges are bright.  Dried, they loose a little of that lustre.

 UNITIL.........you guessed it!

I also coated the leaves with Envirotex Lite!  You need to do both sides....and I did the front and then let it cure and then flipped it over 24 hours later to do the back.

 They are very strong now.  They feel a little like a plastic table cloth.

My glazed leaf can stand up without any help now!  I will incorporate it into a project now.

I am still working on my special shell post...I decided to add one more layer!  See you tomorrow!