Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Making Crystal Lacquer Ornaments with a Silicone Mold

Locket 4 (791x800)

There are lots of silicone molds in the craft stores lately.  Sakura Crystal Lacquer Pens are perfect for filling in tiny spaces in these intricate molds!

Sakura Crystal Lacquer Pens
These molds are flexible, so make sure your mold is sitting on a flat surface when you pour.  I set mine on an empty plastic package so I could move it after I filled it.  The Sakura pens come in lots of colors, and there’s even an empty pen so you can mix your own colors with Terri Sproul Mixers!  The tiny tip is perfect for filling in all the details in these little molds!

Here are my ornaments setting up:

Mold 2 (800x704)
I added some patina to a vintage brass locket with Vintaj Quartz and Onyx Patinas using a small paint brush.  I added some of the Vintaj Onyx Patina to the fleur de lis. To give it a bit of an aged look, I rubbed it off of the high areas of the ornament, leaving it in the low areas.

Patina (800x427)

I used clear Crystal Lacquer to adhere the fleur de lis to the locket.  Then I sealed the entire outside of the piece with clear Crystal Lacquer, applying it with the small paintbrush. Then all I had to do was put it on a chain!

Locket 2 (800x710)
Now is a great time to try this project or one like it, because you can get 20% off your entire purchase at Sakura Hobby Craft for the month of August.  Just enter aug08 at checkout!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Happy Heart

Happy Heart
 
I have really been enjoying working with the Sakura Hobby Crafts products these last few months. The more I play around with the supplies, the more fun I'm having and the more things I discover I can do with them. Today I mixed my media to form this beautiful bracelet.
 

So to get started, you'll need to pick your favorite rub on image and/or rub on lettering. Apply this to the back of your glass piece. http://www.sakuracraft.com/shop/Fancy-Glass-Pendants.htm
Next I applied a top coat of the 3D Crystal lacquer to the back of my glass to seal in the rub on.
The process next will depend on your crocheting skills, but with a little practice you to can make this bracelet. I made a ball base, using the smallest crochet hook I had and crochet cotton. This pattern would help get you started http://www.craftdesigns4you.com/freecrochetball.htm, you'll have to play with this to get it to fit properly and youtube offers a ton of how-to videos on making balls. The bracelet itself was made using the following pattern from http://honestlywtf.com/diy/diy-macrame-bracelet/. The bracelet is a slide type bracelet, so it is adjustable to everyone! I did the bracelet in two pieces and joined them. I did use a little bit of the 3D Crystal Lacquer to secure the glass to the inside of the cotton ball center.
 
Well there you have it, a new way to use your glass tiles, a charming little piece to wear.
You can find the pieces I used and so much more at
Don't forget that you will receive 20% off your entire order for the month of July when you use this code at check out. Summer07


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Glass Tiles and Magazines

Hello! Today I would like to show you how
I made jewellery necklaces from glass tiles and wedding magazines.
 
Colorful Wedding Magazines made excellent images
especially when the glass makes the images bigger.
 
 I had three small flowers I layered leaving some tile exposed for a background.
I glued them on the back of the tile with 3D Crystal Lacquer.
 
 I used Terri Sproul Mixers to color the remaining exposed tile.
 I sprinkled the powder into the crystal lacquer.
After it was dry I trimmed the edges to match the square glass tile.
I glued on a finding to the back of the tile with
Crystal Lacquer and added a green hand dyed seam binding. And that's it!
 
Next I wanted a more neutral organic necklace. I chose a bird cage and wanted the birds in the background. I traced the round glass tile on my image and cut it out as well as the birds.
 
 I cut out both images round initially but when I layered them
 I fussy cut the cage to view the birds in the background.
 
 
 
 
I glued the images to the glass tile with Crystal Lacquer as well as the finding.
 
I strung the glass tile  with some hand dyed seam binding. 
 

 
 


 You can find all the jewelry findings, including glass tiles at Sakura Hobby Craft
 

AND
 
During the month of July, you will receive an additional 20% off your entire order simply by using code Summer07 at checkout!

I hope you enjoyed today's tutorial! you can find many more Here on my blog.
 
 

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Glass tiles and tissue paper

Good day all,  Brenda here and let me first apologize for not being here on time. I've had a busy July and just got caught up with a lot of stuff.  We went on a 12 day vacation and just got back last week.  Of course I then realized I had forgotten to post my projects for Sakura.  So, with that said let's get onto my project and I hope you forgive my lateness.

Sakura has these awesome glass tiles and bails and I couldn't wait to get crafting with them.  I wasn't sure what to do exactly and I knew I wanted something that popped.  My favorite color is purple so of course I would be going in that direction.  As always, I love to experiment so this is what I came up with.  I took some ordinary tissue paper and the Interference Lilac Pearl mixer with the 3D Crystal lacquer and painted a section of the tissue paper with it and while it was still wet, plopped the glass tile right on top of it.  I didn't paint perfectly to give it some dimension.  The tissue paper wrinkled a little bit also, but that's the "cool" affect.
Once that dried I flipped the tile over and added the bail also with the 3D Crystal Lacquer and painted over the entire back of the tile again to really seal it.  It's now even waterproof. 
Just added it to a couple of strands of ribbon and now I have the perfect pendant. 
What's also cool about this pendant is, depending on the light you see a lot of different color in it. 
So I hope you go and try using some tissue paper and mixers and see what you can come up with when you purchase some of these wonderful tiles and bails.  There is even a coupon right now.

Don't forget to use SUMMER 20% Off CODE:  Summer07 when purchasing any products at Sakura

I will be back later this week with another "cool" project.  You can always hop over here to see what else I've been up to.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Wishes



Turning a plastic tile into a prism of glass looking goodness!!  Almost like Dicrohic glass.

3D Crystal Lacquer is the key to creating fast, easy, marbelized accents.  Use the colored 3D Crystal Lacquer, or create your own using Terri Sproul Mixers.

Turn the tile over and on the back side squeeze lines of colored lacquer you want to use.  If you want to create your own color, mix it up and put into an empty applicator bottle.

Once you have the lines of color, use a toothpick, or I used an end of a paintbrush to pull the color straight down from top to bottom, adding a swirl motion as I went.  Play around and see what patterns you come up with! 

(Semi-Transparent so background colors of card, add and further enrich tile colors.)

If you don't like what the result is, just wipe off lacquer and start over.

Lastly, I added some of the Terri Sproul Mixers fine glitter lightly on the back to enhance the shimmery effect.

Use clear 3D Crystal Lacquer to adhere to the card.

SUMMER 20% Off CODE:
Summer07

Use the code on any order to receive 20% off!

Creating these tiles are addicting!!!  Make up a batch to have on hand for any projects you will be creating!!!

Cre8tively Yours - Lea

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Heart Lifts spool

Hi everyone - Dale here!

This week, I would like to show you my little heartfelt reminders to myself....

This "Heart Lifts" has some of my touchstone words, & a couple quotes printed & glued inside to remind me on those days when life seems hard.

I started by choosing which glass tile shape I wanted. I found the right words in a unloved large print book, glued them to a circle cut to the right size from cardstock.  I added the red hearts with a gel pen. I used 3D Crystal Lacquer to adhere the cardstock to the bottom of the glass circle tile.  Set it aside to dry.
In my stash of wood pieces, I found the thread spool that would give me the room for the canvas once rolled up. I added lace trim to the bottom & top, covering the bottom with a piece of cardboard. Set aside to dry.

I had a scrap of heavy weight canvas leftover and cut it to a roughly 1 inch wide and had to sew the two pieces together to get the length of 11 inches.  I added the same lace trim on the edge of the canvas, once I had zigzagged the edges.
I glued my touch stone words - EMPOWER, STRENGTH, LOVE YOURSELF and a couple quotes to the inside of the canvas, leaving about 1.5 inches at the start so that could be glued to the wooden spool. I glued (I know I should have sewn it down, but was creating as I went along & didn't think of the ribbon until the canvas strip was already glued onto the spool) the vintage seam binding ribbon on the end. I added 3 sizes of paper flowers with a brad on the top end, covering the glued area of the ribbon.
I had FUN creating something different using the lovely glass tiles from Sakura Hobby Craft, hope you will attempt to make something similar for yourself, using touchstone "Heart Lifts" that mean something to YOU.

You can find all the jewelry findings, including glass tiles at Sakura Hobby 

AND
During the month of July, you will receive an additional 20% off your entire order simply by using code Summer07 at checkout!

Sunday, July 14, 2013

More Glass Tile Pendants!

Holly Pendant5
I made more really easy pendants!

To make a pendant like these, you need one of Sakura's glass tiles and matching bezel cupCrystal Lacquer and an image that fits the tile.

The glass tiles are available in rectangular, square and circular shapes.
Glass tiles (800x439)
There are bezel cups to match.  There are also bails you can glue right onto the glass tiles. 
Bezels (800x600)
I made two pendants.  They both use scrapbook paper.  One is heavy cardstock paper from Graphic 45.  The other is thin paper from Sandylion.  They both worked well!
Holly Pendant by Karen Lackey
Mickey Mouse Pendant (600x800)
You could use almost any paper, and I think fabric would work fine, too.  I think this would be great with a map featuring your hometown or some of your favorite text. 
I sealed the images with Mod Podge.
Choose images (800x324)
You could trace the shape of the glass tile onto your paper and cut the paper to fit, but it’s really easy to just adhere the glass tile to the paper with Crystal Lacquer and then trim it when it starts to set up.  Crystal Lacquer comes in a bottle with a small dispenser tip that is perfect for squeezing out small amounts.  I lightly coated the back of my glass tiles with Crystal Lacquer.  I didn’t spread the Crystal Lacquer all the way to the edges of the tiles, because it sort of gets squished out when you put it down on the paper.  After coating the tiles, I placed them where I wanted them on the paper.  The tile wants to slide around on the Crystal Lacquer, so you’ll want to hold it in place for a moment while it settles.
Adhering the image to the glass (800x399)
Once the Crystal Lacquer started to set up, I trimmed the paper with scissors.
Trim the image (800x331)
Then I coated the back of the paper lightly with Crystal Lacquer and set the tiles down into the bezel cups.  I used a wet paper towel to wipe away a little Crystal Lacquer that got squished out.
Insert image in bezel cup (800x508)
And that was it!  All I had to do then was put the pendants on chains.  Sakura offers ball chain in several finishes.  I added a brass chain for the brass finish bezel cup.
Holly Pendant2
I live in a really dry place, and I could make these in the morning to wear the same evening, but in other places, you’ll want to let the Crystal Lacquer dry for at least a day or so.

Just think!  You can make this pendant with absolutely any image you want!  I hope you will try it.  Now is the perfect time, because for the month of July, you can get 20% off your total purchase from Sakura by entering coupon code Summer07 at checkout!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Angel Necklace

Angel Necklace
 
 
This month Sakura Hobby Crafts sent us some amazing jewellery findings to work with. But to be honest with you, I've never fancied myself as a jewellery maker, ever. I've tried making some pieces over the years, but never really got the hang of it. So when Sakura sent me these pieces I knew I would have to figure out a way to make these pieces sparkle!
Warning the following project is rated EASY!
 
 
Step One
Choose a rub-on of your choice and rub in onto the back of your glass.
Step Two
I used a metal large tag ring and removed the paper center. I cut a transparency circle to fit. I did use a very thick transparency. Insert transparency circle back into the frame.

Step Three
At this point you could put your rub-on's on the entire surface of your circle, but I really wanted the angel to show thru so I did this step last and it worked out well. I glued my glass piece directly in the center of my transparency and let this dry.
DO NOT LIFT THIS PIECE ONCE YOU'VE GLUED IT DOWN. THE RUB-ON WILL LIFT OFF.

 Step Four
I used a hole punch (Cropadile) and made a hole at the top of my ring. I inserted an eyelet for extra support.
 Step Five
I glued beads around the edge of the glass, using 3D Crystal Lacquer. Then I surrounded the entire base with 3D Crystal Lacquer as well. BEFORE the lacquer had time to dry, I sprinkled some glitter around the edges.

I really like this piece, it looks so pretty around my neck and it is something I will wear often. I hope you will try to make something similar. I can't wait to see your creations using this technique. And to help you get started you can order your jewellery findings from http://www.sakuracraft.com/index.htm
AND
During the month of July, you will receive an additional 20% off your entire order simply by using code Summer07 at checkout!