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"Old is New Again" Artbeads.com Challenge Pendant Tutorial

Magic-Glos is a resin that dries shiny and clear and cures under UV light. It's easy to use and usually produces great results. In this design for the Artbeads.com "Old is New Again" Design Challenge, I used it to seal an image of a vintage fishing license tag.

If you'd like to make one for yourself, here's how.

Supplies:

Instructions:

1. Download the high-resolution collage sheet of vintage fishing license stamps, and print it out on glossy photo paper.

2. Select the version of the image that you want to use. I selected the one that best matched my Swarovski crystals.

3. Trim the image to about 13/16 inch wide and 1.5 inches long, just slightly smaller than the inside of the  bezel. I used (and strongly recommend) a Fiskars sliding paper trimmer.

4. Slip the image into the bezel cup to test its fit, and make any needed adjustments. Remove the image (use the tip of an Xacto knife to life it up, if necessary).

5. Since we're using a glossy, ink-jet printed image, we now need to seal the image very carefully (otherwise, chemicals from the paper will leach into the resin and cause clouding or bubbles). Cover the front of the image with a piece of packing tape, and use scissors to make a 45-degree cut from each corner of the tape to each corner of the image.

6. Now trim the tape to about a half inch of the image, and carefully fold back each of the two narrow ends of the tape, and stick them to the back of the image. Don't worry about getting finger prints on the sticky side of the tape. What we're doing here is covering the image in tape, as if the tape were an envelope.

7. Trim each of the four remaining triangles of tape at the corners at 45 degree angles.

8. Fold back the remaining two sides of tape, and stick them to the back of the image.

9. Use your fingers to press down the tape and push out any air pockets. (Do not pierce the tape, because you need it as a barrier between the image and the resin.)

10. Use a craft stick to apply a thin coat of E6000 to the back of the image. (Do not use a water-based glue, such as Mod Podge or Tacky Glue, because it can seep into the UV resin and keep it from curing.)

11. Set the image down and allow the glue to begin to set for a few minutes. In the meantime, it's a good idea to clean the inside of the bezel with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.

12. Place the image inside the bezel, and push it down evenly with your fingers. Use a paper towel to wipe away any excess glue along the edges. Allow the bezel to sit undisturbed for at least ten or fifteen minutes, to allow the glue to begin to cure.

13. Slowly pour just enough Magic-Glos into the bezel to fully cover the image. (Never shake the bottle, which creates bubbles.) You can use a small craft stick or a toothpick to gently spread the resin so that it adheres to each inside edge and corner of the bezel. Do not overfill (so that the resin spills out), but keep in mind that it shrinks down a little when it cures. (If you do overfill, wipe the excess resin with a paper towel; if your fingers become sticky, wipe them with rubbing alcohol.) Also keep in mind that you can add additional layers later to make the resin thicker.

14. If you see any bubbles, use the tip of a toothpick to press into them gently; they should come to the surface and pop. If they don't, leave them there for now.

15. Allow the bezel to sit undisturbed for a few minutes, and then check for bubbles again (especially in the corners and along the sides). If you see any, grab your heating tool. Turn it tool on, and pass it quickly over the surface of the resin, three or four inches away, two or three times. You should see the remaining bubbles come to the surface and pop. (If some don't, nudge them with a toothpick to bring them closer to the surface, and then try again.)

16. Allow the bezel to sit for another few minutes, and then check again for bubbles. If you see them, use the heating tool again to remove them. Keep doing this until you find no more bubbles forming.

17. Set the bezel on a flat, even surface beneath a UV emitting light bulb or outside in direct sunlight. For the fastest curing with a bulb (five to fifteen minutes), use a UV bulb that's designed for use in reptile terrariums (you can find these at pet supply stores) or the shelf-style light unit sold by Artbeads.com. (For my pendant, I used direct California sunshine, and the Magic-Glos cured solid in five minutes.)

18. After ten minutes, check the progress of curing by touching the surface of the glaze softly with a toothpick or craft stick. If it has not fully hardened, allow it to cure some more. If it has hardened, press your thumb down gently on the surface. If you feel the resin give at all, the underlying resin may still be liquid, and you need more cure time (or a stronger source of UV).

19. When the resin feels completely solid, your pendant is complete.