Crafts by Chris

Musings on beads, polymer clay and jewelry

floating garden/dragonfly gems tutorial

Posted on | March 27, 2007 | 19 Comments

(Adapted from Dona Kato’s layered “dichroic” effects tutorial.)
Supplies Needed:
~sterling silver bezel cups with loops*
~FIMO decorating gel
~foils (I used Jones Tones foils)
~liquid silver leaf (for the dragonfly gems)
~tiny polymer clay flowers (for floating garden) I used ones similar to those shown in my hibiscus cane tutorial.

Tools Needed:
~small ceramic tile
~small scissors
~heat gun

* I purchase my bezel cups from ZDP-Findings_Manufacturer. You can find them on eBay and on etsy. Since they are in Israel It can take up to a couple of weeks to get them. I’ve had excellent dealings with this seller and their products are great. They offer the bezel cups in a large variety of sizes and shapes.

Instructions

figure 1Step 1. Cut a piece of foil and lay it colored side down on a clean ceramic tile. Apply a coat of FIMO decorating gel to the back of the foil. I just use my fingernails to hold on to one edge, but you can tape the foil to the tile. Bake for 15 minutes at 265 degrees. (fig. 1)

figure2Step 2. Peel the gel from the mylar backing. I find it easier to peel off when it’s still slightly warm. (fig. 2)

figure 3Step 3. Gently press the bezel cup onto the gel backed foil to make an impression (fig. 3)

figure 4Step 4. Using small scissors or an xacto knife, cut just inside the line of the impression. You may have to trim a little more to get the foil to fit in the bottom of the bezel cup. (fig. 4)

figure 5Step 5. Paint a thin coat of gel on the bottom of the bezel cup. (fig. 5)

figure 6Step 6. Using a pencil eraser or your finger, gently press the foil into the bottom of the bezel cup. Bake 10 minutes at 265 degrees. (fig. 6)

figure 7Step 7. Put a thin layer of gel over the foil. Spread the gel to the edges of the bezel cup. If you end up with bubbles, you can drag them to the edge with a toothpick or straight pin and pop them. Be careful not to make this layer too thick or you will not have enough room for your flowers. Bake 15 minutes at 265 degrees. (fig. 7) If the gel is slightly cloudy, heat with a heat gun until the gel is clear.

Steps 1-7 are the same for either the floating garden beads or the dragonfly gems.

Instructions for completing floating garden beads

figure 8Step 8. Now’s the time to make your flower, if you haven’t already. I like to press a stylus into the flower center to give it some depth. Bake the flower 15 minutes at 265 degrees. (fig. 8)

figure 9Step 9. Once your flower has cooled, put a dot of the gel in the bezel cup and place your flower on the gel. Bake 15 minutes at 265 degrees. (fig. 9) Note: If you don’t bake at this point, your flower will float to the top of the gel. If that’s what you want, do not bake and go on to the next step.

figure 10Step 10. Completely fill with gel. I like to overfill the bezel cup so that the top is a dome (this increases the magnification of the flower). Bake 15 minutes at 265 degrees. (fig. 10)

figure 11 If the gel is slightly cloudy (Refer to fig. 11), heat with a heat gun until the gel is clear. (Refer to fig. 12)

figure 12

Steps for completing the dragonfly gems.

figure 13Step 11. Using liquid silver leaf, paint a dragonfly or whatever pattern you want. The layer of gel you are painting on is slightly concave, which makes it somewhat difficult to paint on. Let paint dry and/or heat set. (Refer to fig. 13)

figure 14Alternately, you can use craft punches on the gel backed foil to create designs. (Refer to fig. 14)

Step 12. Fill the bezel cup with gel and bake (same as step 10 for floating flowers).

FINISHED BEADS:
figure 15

Copyright © 2007 Christina Dembinski

Category: FIMO decorating gel, beads, tutorials

Comments

19 Responses to “floating garden/dragonfly gems tutorial”

  1. Chris got her tut done! And Cat has some sound advice! « Tina T.’s Polymer Clay
    March 27th, 2007 @ 8:58 pm

    [...] LOL!! Here is the link to her “Floating Garden/Dragon Fly Gems Tutorial” – http://www.craftsbychrisonline.com/blog/?p=10 Be sure to check it [...]

  2. Tina T.
    March 27th, 2007 @ 9:18 pm

    Great Job Chris!! Love all the pics!

    ~Tina T.

  3. polymer clay notes » fimo gel flowers tutorial
    March 28th, 2007 @ 3:12 pm

    [...] to understand instructions and opens up the door for many different ideas. well done. check it out here. thanks [...]

  4. Joan
    March 31st, 2007 @ 2:04 pm

    Love the “Floating Garden” and thank you so very much for the tut. You did a wonderful job discribing and the pics are really easy to follow. Thanks again. Joan

  5. Mariane S.
    April 1st, 2007 @ 7:39 am

    Flowers are numerous in my special garden but I don’t have this one !! Thank you for sharing this tutorial. I may try this soon ;o) !

  6. Chris
    April 1st, 2007 @ 7:51 am

    Joan – you are most welcome!

    Mariane – flowers are one of my favorites also.

    Chris

  7. Corinne
    April 8th, 2007 @ 2:16 pm

    Chris,
    Thanks so much for your fabulous tutorial. You did a wonderful job with the easy to follow directions and great photos. This is something I want to try down the road when I can find a source for the Fimo Gel. So far I haven’t found it in the metropolis of San Diego or outlying areas :(

    Your work is so neat and thanks for giving the source of the silver cups.

    Corinne

  8. Chris
    April 8th, 2007 @ 3:07 pm

    Thanks Corinne! I’ve bought the FIMO gel at JoAnns and online at http://www.poymerclayexpress.com

    Chris

  9. Sharleen
    April 16th, 2007 @ 3:50 pm

    This is cool. thanks!

  10. sally Fitzgibbons
    August 10th, 2007 @ 9:24 am

    what size are your bezel for the dragon fly bracelet the model Number on the ebay site
    i want to order but cant tell which ones are the right ones

  11. Chris
    August 10th, 2007 @ 9:45 am

    Sally – I used 10mm round bezels for the dragon fly beads. The model number is: RD104. Hope this helps.

    Chris

  12. Enkhene
    November 7th, 2007 @ 2:48 am

    Great!
    Is it safe to heat Fimo gel with heat gun?

  13. Chris
    November 7th, 2007 @ 7:44 am

    Enkhene – You can heat the FIMO gel with a heat gun, you just have to be very careful because it has a lower curing temperature and will burn easier. You want to keep your heat gun a few inches away and keep it moving. After curing the FIMO gel is pretty transparent and just takes a few seconds with the heat gun to completely turn crystal clear.

  14. Enkhene
    November 8th, 2007 @ 6:25 am

    Thank you very much. I will try it.

  15. Dana Stone
    February 22nd, 2008 @ 8:58 pm

    Your tutorial is most helpful. I am new to gel crafting. If I were to cut a picture , put it in a bezel cup (as you did your foil), fill it with FIMO gel and then bake it, will it come out good as a pictured pendant?
    Thank you for your help.

  16. Chris
    February 22nd, 2008 @ 9:12 pm

    Hi Dana! I haven’t tried a photo in the bezel cup, but have put just a regular photo on a polymer clay base and covered with the fimo gel and it worked fine. I would suggest painting a thin coating of the gel in the bottom of the bezel cup and pressing the photo down and baking first, like I did with the foil in the tutorial. Then fill the bezel cup with the fimo gel and bake again, otherwise your photo may float up and not be level. This method should make great photo pendants/charms.

  17. Chris
    March 27th, 2008 @ 5:16 pm

    Thanks Annie! I was just admiring your tiles the other day.

  18. Arcillas líquidas | Polymermania
    October 8th, 2008 @ 12:25 pm

    [...] lo he conseguido. Pero sí que haciéndo pruebas con Kato medium se pueden conseguir cosas como esta. Claro que tiene truco, y es que para lorar mayor transparencia en el Kato hay que calentarlo con [...]

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    July 17th, 2009 @ 5:33 am

    [...] ….Jewelry Making Tutorial [...]

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