DIY Network

Faux Art Glass Cardboard Bracelet From "Jewelry Making" episode DJMK-208

A bracelet with the look of art glass. The best part? Only you know it's faux!

Artist Malana Watt Corn embellishes cardboard with a faux technique that produces the look of art glass.

Materials:

Tacky craft glue
Stamping Square
Ultra Thick Embossing enamel (black and clear
"Sticky" embossing powder
Pigment ink pad
Rubber stamps with small, solid designs
Copy text-weight paper
Acrylic backed foil: graded color shades of brights.
Ultra-Suede or glove soft leather, 5" x 7"
Colored craft wire, 18 gauge, 18" length
Purchased jump rings
Toggle clasp or other suitable jewelry closure
Hot Pot or melting pot, preferably one for each color of embossing enamel
Heat gun/tool
Tweezers, preferably bent nose with sharp beak-like points
Non-stick Teflon sheet
Small sharp sewing/ craft scissors
Coiling rod, ¼" diameter
Chain nose pliers
Round nose pliers
Wire nips (cutters)
Awl with fine needle sharp tip

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1. Choose the stamps, images, and foil colors you will use.

   
   

2. Stamp one image onto copy paper with pigment ink. Pour "sticky" embossing powder over the ink and return unstuck powder to the jar.

   
   

3. Heat this with a heat gun just until the powder is clear and tacky.

   
   

4. Place foil, colored side facing you, over the sticky image and rub the foil with your finger to thoroughly press over the entire image.

   
   

5. Gently peel away the foil and save it. You should have the stamped image as a ‘window’ or absence of color in the foil piece. You can use the foiled image on the paper for another project.

   
   

6. Repeat above steps with the other stamps and colors of foil until you have 5 acceptable foil images.

   
   

7. With scissors, cut the stamping square or shape (cardboard) into five 1" x ¾" pieces. With the scissors, nip each corner of cardboard off to soften the corner angle.

   
   

8. Prepare the embossing enamel powder by melting in a hot pot to approx. ½" deep; use a separate pot for each color. (Takes approx. 20 minutes to melt.).

   
   

9. Working on top of a non-stick Teflon sheet, use the tweezers to pierce and hold the piece of cardboard securely. Dip the un-pierced side face down into the melted Black embossing enamel, just so the melted embossing enamel covers the raw edges. Remove the coated piece and place face up on the non-stick sheet.

   
   

10. Working rather quickly, take the foil and place it onto the melted embossing enamel on the cardboard piece; the shiny, bright picture side of foil is face up to you! Important tip: It is vital that the embossing enamel is still molten or the foil won’t transfer its color. If the embossing enamel cools before application of the foil, or if the foil transfers only scant color, reheat the embossing enamel with the heat gun until it is melted again. Gently set and then tap the foil so that areas of it are sure to touch the melted embossing enamel. Let cool 2-3 min. with foil intact.

    
    

11. Pull off the foil to reveal foil color on the surface of the black piece. Irregularities in surface texture are OK. The black embossing enamel should show through the stamped image area where the foil was removed onto the copy paper.

    
    

12. Reheat the surface with a heat gun just until irregularities and edges are smoothed, and the foil takes on a set-in and perhaps, crackly look. You want the edges to look softly rounded.

    
    

13. Now with the Clear embossing enamel use the tweezers to hold your piece, as before, and dip the black/foiled piece face down into the Clear to coat the surface and remove. Do this very quickly, or else the foil may slip or float. Set face up on the non-stick sheet. This will be the "Glass" layer. It should look finished, smooth, and multi-layered.

    
    

14. Set aside to dry for 2-3 hours.

    
    

15. Adhere a piece to the backside of each cab with craft glue. Set aside to dry for at least 30 minutes.

    
    

16. Connect all five cabs with jump rings. There will be one jump ring between two cabs, connecting the ‘U’s of each side.

    
    

17. Connect the toggle or clasp pieces to the ends of the bracelet with jump rings.

GUESTS :

Malana Watt Corn
Proprietor
Creative Daze Studio
3730 North Camino Lemaria
Tucson, AZ 85716-0800
Phone: 520-323-2131
E-mail: malana4art@aol.com