How To: Basic Techniques
What you will need:
Steps:
  1. First of all, clean the surface of all dirt, oil, etc. with a good wiping with an alcohol-dampened lint-free cloth. NO fingerprints, etc.
  2. Remove the cap from the GemTac glue and run a sewing pin down into the nozzle. Unscrew the lid from the glue and remove the paper cap liner, then replace the cap.
  3. Take the applicator stick and roll between fingers to produce a somewhat sharp point from the wax.
  4. Dump your rhinestones into a small saucer. At least 50% will land right side up. These are the stones you will be working with. You will worry about the stones that are wrong side up later.

Now that you are an expert, it is time to tackle a real artsy project. You can produce pictures with rhinestones. You can produce designs using different colors, only your imagination can limit you in what you do and what you want to cover. Producing a rhinestone buckle is done the same as has been described in other "How To" sections. Go for it! I hope this has been helpful! This method can be carried to much more detailed projects with a few simple modifications. For those of you who cross stitch, you can set up patterns on graph paper using pencils. Choose colors that correspond to rhinestone colors. (Get yourself a rhinestone color chart, $19.00, has all the colors and sizes available), then produce a pattern that you like. Start your project by drawing a center line and a center line perpendicular to the first line so as to divide the project area into 4 quadrants. (Make sure the lines are perpendicular). Now, by counting, you can place rhinestones of whatever color where the squares of the graph paper indicate. When you are finished, you will have a work of art. This can be done on compact covers, cell phones, purses, and jewels-box.

For more advanced players, take your rhinestone color card to a shop that sells cross stitch thread. On your color card, note the thread number nearest a color of rhinestone...continue until you have all the rhinestone colors with a corresponding thread color. You can tell it how many colors you are going to use, how big you want the project to be, and it will spit out a graphic with all the thread colors indicated for the picture. You can now rescan the graphic with the thread identifiers until each square is the size of the rhinestone you plan to use. With a little manipulation, you will have the master from which to \work. Translate the thread colors to your rhinestone colors and produce pictures in rhinestones, just as you would with cross stitch...yes that will be noticed by everyone. And, the smaller the stone, and the more colors you use, the more life-like the finished picture will be. Now, I will not deny that this will take some time, but the finished project is well worth it. This method is particularly great when dealing with hard purses.

Allstarrhinestones have given you many ideas for your own projects, or to start a cottage industry. Go for it!