Note: Components and tools listed within this INSTRUCTIONS box and the printer-friendly PDF, if available, may have been discontinued since
this project was published. Refer to the PURCHASE COMPONENTS and TOOLS AND OTHER SUPPLIES sections for current availability.
NOTE: for this project you are also going to need some clear acrylic matte spray sealant such as that produced by Mod Podge (this can be found at most art stores and some craft stores). In addition, you will need a pen and some plain paper - white is fine, for this project we used white paper which we tea-dyed. To tea dye paper just lay out a few sheets on a plastic trash bag, brew up some tea, take a sponge and sponge the tea onto the paper (you want the paper to be damp, not soaking). Let it dry and repeat if need be for a darker color.
- Let's begin! Take your dream charm and your sunflower charm and cut off both of their loops using flush cutters.
- Place one of your Vintaj journal pages onto a steel bench block. Using the round pointed side of your chasing hammer, texturize the journal page by repeatedly hammering it. Make sure to avoid hammering and distorting the "binding" holes along the side of the journal page. See this video on adding texture to a blank. Do this for both pages.
- Using your finger, rub some iris blue Gilders Paste onto the textured journal page surface. I used a very light coat so that a good deal of the brass still showed through. Next go over the edges of the page with patina color Gilders Paste. Just skim over the surface so that you are only highlighting the raised edges. Do this to both pages. Now, again with your fingers, lightly paint the raised surface details of the sunflower charm. Take your dream charm and firmly rub your patina coated finger on top of the writing. Get the paste into the depressed area and then take a paper towel and rub the surface of the charm with it. You are wanting to remove all the Gilders Paste except for that which has sunken into the lettering. Let all these pieces dry for at least 30 minutes.
- After the above items are dry, take a small piece of wire to use an applicator and spread some E6000 on the backside of the dream charm. Turn over and place onto the front side of a journal page. Press into place. Next, using that same piece of wire as an applicator, spread some E6000 onto the backside of the sunflower charm. Turn over and position below the dream charm. Press into place. See photo. Let these pieces dry for at least 30 minutes. Complete drying will take longer but for our purposes we are ok to move on after 30 minutes.
- Take your front journal page with everything glued on as well as your back page and lay them on a piece of paper outside. Spray 3 light coats of clear matte finish acrylic spray sealant. Let dry completely between each coat.
- Once dry, take one of your journal pages and trace it 6 - 8 times onto some white (or tea dyed) paper. Cut these pages out. Line them up with your Vintaj journal pages. They will most likely be too large so cut them down as needed until they are all the same size and fit within the brass Vintaj pages. Keep the paper pages sandwiched between your two brass pages. Look at the three holes along the side of the brass pages. You should be able to see your paper pages through these holes. Take your pen and mark each of the holes onto the top paper page (just make a dot inside each metal hole). Remove your brass pages, and holding all your paper pages firmly together, line your hole punch up with the marks you made and punch each of the three holes. I used a metal hole punch for this because it is what I had on hand and it was the perfect size (1.25mm) but it would be ideal to use a paper hole punch instead.
- Return your pages to between your two Vintaj brass journal pages. Open 3 5mm brass jump rings. Link the first jump ring through the top journal page hole, all the paper pages, and the back journal page hole. Close the jump ring. Repeat with your other two jump rings and the other two journal page holes.
- It's time to apply your Austrian crystal flat back rhinestones to the cover. Refer to the photo for placement or choose your own design. To apply the rhinestones, you will want to take a piece of scrap wire to use as an applicator and place small dabs of E6000 where ever you want a rhinestone. Then, using the Magic Pick or some other tool (fingers, toothpick, tweezers, etc.), place a flat back rhinestone into the glue and press into place. Make sure to let your rhinestones dry completely before really working with your journal.
- All done with the journal! Now let's make the rest of the necklace:
- Cut 20 lengths of 24 gauge Vintaj bronze wire, 3 inches in length each. Take one piece of wire and create a wrapped wire loop about 1 inch from the end. String onto the wire 1 Miyuki Delica 11/0 seed bead in matte green/pink AB, 1 Czech fire polished 4mm round peridot opal bead, 1 Czech glass window bead in lt. amethyst picasso, another Czech fire polished 4mm round peridot opal bead, and another Miyuki Delica 11/0 seed bead in matte green/pink AB. Create a wrapped wire loop after the last bead and cut off excess with flush cutters. Repeat this entire step with your remaining 19 pieces of wire.
- Open a 4mm jump ring and link two of the sections from the previous step together with the jump ring via their wrapped wire loops. Close the jump ring. Keep linking the beaded sections from above together like this until you have two separate lengths of 9 beaded sections each, all connected with jump rings. Also place a jump ring on each end of each length.
- Cut 8 lengths of 24 gauge Vintaj bronze wire, 3 inches long each. Take one piece of wire and create a wrapped wire loop about 1 inch from the end. String onto the wire 1 Czech 6/0 seed bead in champagne silver foil lined, 1 Austrian crystal 8mm round bead in greige, and another Czech 6/0 seed bead in champagne silver foil lined. Create a wrapped wire loop after the last bead and cut off excess with flush cutters. Repeat this entire step with your remaining 7 pieces of wire.
- Take your 1 foot of Vintaj flat cable links chain and cut it into the following sections: 2 lengths 4 links long, 2 lengths 7 links long, 6 lengths 14 links long. We are now going to connect these to the beaded sections you made in the previous step.
- Take one of your 7 link long lengths and open the end link the same way you would open a jump ring. Now link onto it the wrapped wire loop on the end of one of the beaded sections from above. Close that link back up. Now go to the other side of the section you just attached, and attach a 14 link long chain lengths to it the same way. Repeat this same action until you have the following sequence: 7 link long chain, beaded section from above, 14 link long chain, beaded section from above, 14 link long chain, beaded section from above, 14 link long chain length, beaded section from above. Now open a 4mm jump ring and link it to the end wrapped wire loop of the beaded section you just attached and link onto it as well 1 of the longer 5 bead sections from several steps ago. Close the jump ring. On the other side of the 5 bead section you just attached, attach one of your 4 link long chain lengths. Repeat this entire step so you have two identical beaded/chain lengths.
- At this point you should have 4 beaded lengths - two which are a combination of beads and chain, and two which are strictly beaded sections linked together with jump rings. Pair off the sections so that you have one of each type grouped together. These are the sides of your necklace. See photo. To connect them together, open the jump ring at the end of one of the strictly beaded lengths and attach it to the end chain link on the end of the beaded/chain section which has 7 links to start with. Close the jump ring. Add another jump ring to the jump ring you just closed. Close this jump ring as well for now. Go to the other end of the lengths and open the end jump ring on the strictly beaded section and attach it to the wrapped wire loop on the end of the beaded/chain length. Close the jump ring. Add another jump ring to the one you just closed and also attach onto this new jump ring one part of your hook and eye clasp. Close the jump ring. Now connect your two remaining lengths (the other side of the necklace) to each other in the exact same manner.
- Open a 4mm jump ring. Link onto it: the top 5mm jump ring on your journal "binding", the jump ring which is connecting one side of your necklace together and the jump ring which is connecting the other side of your necklace together (so these are the ends opposite those which contain the clasp parts). Close the jump ring.
- You did it! Enjoy your new treasure.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED: (scroll down for purchase options)
- BCP-6530 - Czech Glass 8mm Cathedral Window Bead Lt Amethyst / Picasso (x10)
Project uses 20 pieces. You will need 2 packages.
- BCP-3472 - Czech Fire Polished Glass Beads 4mm Round 'Peridot Opal' (50)
Project uses 40 pieces. You will need 1 package.
- PND-7086 - Vintaj Natural Brass Rustic Message Charm Dream 5 x 21mm (2)
Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.
- PND-7330 - Vintaj Natural Brass Filigree Sunflower Charms 19x16mm (2)
Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.
- SWC-08127 - Austrian Crystal Beads, 5000 Round, 8mm, 8 Pieces, Greige
Project uses 8 pieces. You will need 1 package.
- PND-7370 - Vintaj Natural Brass Altered Blank Stamping Journal Page 29mm (2)
Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.
- BCS-6113 - Czech Seed Beads 6/0 Champagne Silver Foil Lined 1 Ounce
Project uses 16 pieces. You will need 1 package.
- DB-380 - Miyuki Delica Seed Beads 11/0 Metallic Matte Green/Pink AB DB380 7.2 Grams
Project uses 56 pieces. You will need 1 package.
- XTL-1054 - E6000 Industrial Strength Glue Adhesive (0.18 fl oz)
Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.
- FJR-5470 - Antiqued Brass Open Jump Rings 4mm 20 Gauge (x100)
Project uses 4 pieces. You will need 1 package.
- FJR-5156 - Antiqued Brass Open Jump Rings 5mm 18 Gauge (50)
Project uses 3 pieces. You will need 1 package.
- FCL-4642 - Vintaj Natural Brass Tiny Hook And Eye Clasps 21mm (4 Sets)
Project uses 4 pieces. You will need 1 package.
- XTL-1107 - Baroque Art Gilders Paste - Highlight Metal, Wood and More! 'Patina' 1 oz
Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.
- XTL-1106 - Baroque Art Gilders Paste - Highlight Metal, Wood and More! Iris Blue 1 oz
Project uses 1 piece. You will need 1 package.
- WCR-4348 - Vintaj Brass Bronze Colored Copper Wire 24 Gauge 90 Feet (1 Spool)
Project uses 7 feet. You will need 1 package.
- CHA-7140 - Vintaj Natural Brass Chain 4mm x 3.5mm Flat Cable Links - Bulk By The Foot
Project uses 1 foot. You will need 1 package.
RECOMMENDED TOOLS:- XTL-5514 - Beadsmith Jewelry Fine Round Nose Micro Pliers
- XTL-5511 - Beadsmith Jeweller's Micro Pliers Chain Nose Flat Nose
- XTL-5600 - Xuron Sharp Flush Cutter Pliers - Wire/Soft Flex
- XTL-2152 - Beadsmith Jeweler's Chasing Hammer - 1 Inch Head - Metal Smithing
- XTL-0258 - Mini Rubber And Steel Bench Block For Metal Working And Wire Hardening
- XTL-0060 - Eurotool EuroPunch 1.25mm Round Hole Punch Pliers For Sheet Metal
- XTL-5700 - Fiskars 5 Precision Tip Scissors - Super Sharp
- XTL-4004 - Beadsmith Magical Rhinestone Pick Up Tool With Cleaning Kit - Great For Placing Flatback Rhinestones
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