Technique by Rebecca Krahula.
Materials:
Houston Art's Finest metallic powders
Pebeo's Vitrea 160 dilutent
Pebeo's Vitrea 160 gloss medium
Cut 'n' Dry stamp pad foam or make-up sponge
rubber stamps
parchment paper
1/8 tsp. measuring spoon
2 skewers
small disposable cup
baking sheet
aluminum foil
jewelry findings, cords, etc.
Steps:
1. Clean glass beads with rubbing alcohol and set aside to dry.
2. Cover your work area with parchment paper.
3. Using an 1/8-tsp. measuring spoon, measure out two parts dilutent, four parts medium brilliant, and two parts metallic powders. Mix in a disposable cup and set aside.
4. Cut two bamboo skewers down to 4 inches long from the end with a point.
5. Spread the mixture on to a 1-inch-square piece of stamp pad foam or sponge with a palette knife and wipe away any excess (figure A).
6. Use the pad to ink the rubber stamps, and place the stamps right-side-up on your work surface.
7. For round beads: Place the pointed end of a bamboo skewer into each side of a bead (figure B). Push bamboo skewers together, forming a handle for rolling your beads. Use the bamboo handles to apply even pressure as you roll your bead on the inked stamp.
8. Roll the bead towards you so that you can stop rolling when you meet the beginning of your pattern on the bead (figure C).
9. Remove skewers and set the bead aside on its end to dry. Repeat until all beads have been completed.
10. For square beads: Re-ink the rubber stamp. Hold the bead in your hand and place the bead on edge and roll onto the side of the bead (figure D).
11. Move to an unused portion of the stamp and repeat the above step (figure E).
12. Continue in this manner until all four sides of the bead are covered. Set aside to dry, and repeat until all beads have been completed.
13. Allow beads to dry for two to four hours before curing.
14. To fix gold leaf to the beads: Cover a cookie sheet with foil. Place beads on a cookie sheet in the middle rack of a cold oven. Turn oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and watch the temperature on an oven thermometer. When 325 degrees has been reached, set timer for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, turn the oven off and open the door, leaving the beads in the oven to cool.
To create the bracelet:
1. Using 16- to 18-gauge wire, create an eye pin with a wrapped end. Insert a bead and create the second half of the wrapped eye pin (figure F). Repeat with five to seven beads, depending on the length of bracelet.
2. Use 4mm jump rings to create the chain. Use needle-nose pliers to open a purple jump ring.
3. Insert two gold rings onto the open purple jump ring and close. Add another purple jump ring in the same manner.
4. Next, insert two purple jump rings into two more gold rings (figure G).
5. Continue in the same manner until you have created a 1-inch chain. Make a total of four to six 1-inch chains to go between the beads, and two half-inch chains for the ends of the bracelet.
6. Connect the beads and chains in the following order: half-inch chain, bead, 1-inch chain, bead, 1-inch chain, bead, 1-inch chain, bead, half-inch chain (figure H).
7. Attach clasps.
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