Fiddlette
05-05-2006, 08:57 PM
Faux Soldered Charms Part Two by Christine Honsinger aka Fiddlette
Tools and Supplies:
Red Super Tape, 1/4” width
Microscope slides or Memory Glass
Digital layout created to dimensions of glass
Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel by Suze
Utee Flex (optional)
Heat tool
Tools for wire such as nylon straightners, pliers, cutters
Wire and beads, to embellish as desired
Hope Wallace Fairy and word art available at Scrap Artist
Backgrounds by Michelle Coleman from her Black Tie kit available at Scrap Artist
To assemble your project, place your layouts, (one for the front of charm, one for the back) sandwiched between two slides that you have cleaned with alcohol to remove any prints. Do not press glass too hard, as it will break. Use mini bulldog clips to hold your project as you work. Starting from the bottom of the charm, wrap one exposed side of super tape around the edge of the sandwiched project, centering as you go. Press tape edges flat on the face and back of project with fingers, pinching as you go. Burnish tape lightly and smooth. Remove top tape cover exposing the sticky, tacky tape, and dip edges into metal colored UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) either mixed with UTEE Flex, (to give it more bend-ability and durability) or not. Before the next step, you may want to take a soft, small paint brush, and softly remove any powder residue left on each side of the face of your project. Use mini bull clips to set project on flat, heat resistant surface in order to heat the edges of the piece and melt the embossing powder. While still hot, dip piece back into UTEE, and re-melt, repeating these steps until you get the effect you want. I actually like the look of just about 3 coats, or even just one, which gives the edges a bumpy and textured look. Of course, if you have one of Ranger’s Suze UTEE Melting Pots, you may opt to just dip each side of the charm into the already melted UTEE and skip the last several steps, although, even though I have one, I chose not to, because I felt I had more control over the finished product by the heating and re-heating process.
In order to create a charm, you may want to wire wrap your piece, as I did, although, there are other applications and solutions for a piece such as this. Some people hide small wire encompassing the piece under the tape. But this is where you can get really creative, in your search for functional solutions. I also think that adding beads, gluing on embellies and/or jewelry findings to the outside of the glass, using rub-ons etc. will only serve to enhance the appearance of you mini masterpiece. As an alternative, you may not want to create a charm at all, but instead, create a one sided art piece, and turn it into a lapel pin, gluing a pin back behind industrial jewelry adhesive such as E6000. I have also thought these little gems would look marvelous hanging in front of a window in a garden room as part of a decorative mobile.
If you decide to try this technique and create your own little mini art piece, please, please, do not forget to post your result in the Scrap Artist Printables gallery. I will also be posting additional examples of my own in the gallery, so please come by and take a look. Also, when you have completed your project, please post in the thread devoted to computer crafts made with printables in the forums. You can also post questions there, as well, and I will do my best to answer them!!…I would love to see what you come up with!! :)
Tools and Supplies:
Red Super Tape, 1/4” width
Microscope slides or Memory Glass
Digital layout created to dimensions of glass
Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel by Suze
Utee Flex (optional)
Heat tool
Tools for wire such as nylon straightners, pliers, cutters
Wire and beads, to embellish as desired
Hope Wallace Fairy and word art available at Scrap Artist
Backgrounds by Michelle Coleman from her Black Tie kit available at Scrap Artist
To assemble your project, place your layouts, (one for the front of charm, one for the back) sandwiched between two slides that you have cleaned with alcohol to remove any prints. Do not press glass too hard, as it will break. Use mini bulldog clips to hold your project as you work. Starting from the bottom of the charm, wrap one exposed side of super tape around the edge of the sandwiched project, centering as you go. Press tape edges flat on the face and back of project with fingers, pinching as you go. Burnish tape lightly and smooth. Remove top tape cover exposing the sticky, tacky tape, and dip edges into metal colored UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) either mixed with UTEE Flex, (to give it more bend-ability and durability) or not. Before the next step, you may want to take a soft, small paint brush, and softly remove any powder residue left on each side of the face of your project. Use mini bull clips to set project on flat, heat resistant surface in order to heat the edges of the piece and melt the embossing powder. While still hot, dip piece back into UTEE, and re-melt, repeating these steps until you get the effect you want. I actually like the look of just about 3 coats, or even just one, which gives the edges a bumpy and textured look. Of course, if you have one of Ranger’s Suze UTEE Melting Pots, you may opt to just dip each side of the charm into the already melted UTEE and skip the last several steps, although, even though I have one, I chose not to, because I felt I had more control over the finished product by the heating and re-heating process.
In order to create a charm, you may want to wire wrap your piece, as I did, although, there are other applications and solutions for a piece such as this. Some people hide small wire encompassing the piece under the tape. But this is where you can get really creative, in your search for functional solutions. I also think that adding beads, gluing on embellies and/or jewelry findings to the outside of the glass, using rub-ons etc. will only serve to enhance the appearance of you mini masterpiece. As an alternative, you may not want to create a charm at all, but instead, create a one sided art piece, and turn it into a lapel pin, gluing a pin back behind industrial jewelry adhesive such as E6000. I have also thought these little gems would look marvelous hanging in front of a window in a garden room as part of a decorative mobile.
If you decide to try this technique and create your own little mini art piece, please, please, do not forget to post your result in the Scrap Artist Printables gallery. I will also be posting additional examples of my own in the gallery, so please come by and take a look. Also, when you have completed your project, please post in the thread devoted to computer crafts made with printables in the forums. You can also post questions there, as well, and I will do my best to answer them!!…I would love to see what you come up with!! :)