Patera Jewelry Making Tutorial

We are pleased to be offering a new product line called Patera Findings. These jewelry findings are hand cast in the United States of 100% lead-free pewter and plated in a variety of finishes. Visit our website at http://www.countrystitchesonline.com/ and view these items under the Patera Jewelry Findings category.

Today's blog will be an instructional tutorial on jewelry making using these Patera findings. Please join us and see how fun & easy it is to create your own one-of-a-kind jewelry.

Items Needed:

1. Scrap booking paper, photos, digital collage art, or any photo that you can print on a laser jet printer...the possibilities are endless, be creative!

2. Mod Podge

3. DG3 Art Gel

4. paper punch (optional, but cuts paper to fit pendants precisely)

5. paint brush

6. Patera jewelry pendant of choice

Let's Begin...

Turn paper punch up-side-down and slide paper of choice into the punch, centering design. Using firm pressure on each side of the punch, punch paper out.

Cover work surface with a piece of wax paper. Apply Mod Podge to backside of paper with paint brush.

Flip paper over and place paper down into pendant.

Using the point of your paint brush or a clean pencil eraser, press paper into jewelry finding. Start from the center of the piece and work towards the outer edges, removing any air pockets and forming a nice tight bond between paper and jewelry finding.

Apply a coat of Mod Podge to seal the paper. Allow Mod Podge to dry thoroughly. Apply a 2nd coat and allow to dry thoroughly, once again.

Now it is time to fill the Patera Jewelry Finding with DG3 gel. Do not shake the DG3, as that will cause more air bubbles. Start the flow of the DG3 gel off to the side on the wax paper and then start filling the Patera pendant. Begin filling around outside edges, working towards the center of the piece.

Fill pendant full, until the gel has a rounded appearance along the outer edges.

Once piece is filled, check for air bubbles. To remove an air bubble, gently place paint brush down into the DG3 gel under the bubble. Gently pull brush out of the gel, removing the air bubble with the brush. Check piece periodically to see if any more air bubbles form. Remove additional bubbles as instructed.

Place a clear plastic lid or drinking cup over piece to prevent any dust or other particles from falling into piece. Allow to dry. The drying process can take 24 - 48 hours, depending on humidity. Piece is now ready for final embellishments.

That's all there is to it...fun & easy for all ages!

have a good week,

brenda