Back to the Basics: Applying an Image to a Glass Cabochon

It's back to the basics this week on the blog. Today I'll show you step by step how to apply our Art Images to the back of a glass cabochon and then turn that simple cab into a pendant. I know many of you have been using Craft Fantastic products for a long time, so this post will just be a refresher for you. We have, however, lots of new folks who have joined the Craft Fantastic family as of late, so I thought it would be great to have a basic tutorial for this process as a reference on the blog.

Our entire line of products centers around our crystal clear glass cabs. They exquisitely showcase family photos, art, decorative papers, ephemera, collage elements, and of course, our Craft Fantastic Art Images. Once a photo or an image has been applied to the glass, they become the heart of the jewelry pieces created with them turning them into wearable pieces of art or portable memories.   

Let's get started...

What You'll Need

Assorted Craft Fantastic Glass Cabochons - We carry them in an array of shapes and sizes, from big and bold to sweet and petite. 

Corresponding Craft Fantastic Pendant Trays

Assorted Craft Fantastic Art Images - Interested in using a scanned photo instead? Visit this link where I answer all of your questions about printing your photos at home.

Craft Fantastic Neck Wear

Fantastic Glaze & Glue

Fantastic Jeweler's Dots

Cotton Swabs

Scissors 

Today I'm making six pendants, which should take me about 30 minutes total. At the end of this process I will have six completed projects that will make wonderful stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, or impromptu presents for that person I may have inadvertently forgot to add to my Christmas list. Don't laugh, it happens to me every year. 

I'll start with my Large Glass Oval. 

Working on the flat side of the glass, I apply several dollops of the Fantastic Glaze & Glue. This is one of our largest pieces of glass so I make sure to add a couple of dollops to the middle and then all around the edges. Too much glue can be wiped away, but too little glue is really hard to fix once the glass is applied to the image.  

I lay the glass oval glue side down on top of my image and press it firmly to force any air bubbles out to the sides. Glue should ooze slightly outside of the edges. I try not to move the glass too much after I lay it on my image. I hold it in place until I feel it sort of "grab" the paper. This only takes a minute. 

Once I'm confident that the glass is firmly in place, I use a cotton swab to wipe away the excess glue from around the edges. 

I've glued all of my glass pieces in place. I wasn't paying attention and the small round glass cab on top of the "v" drifted off to the side, so I had to re-make that one. Oops. Don't tell ;)

Next, I trim away all of the excess paper from my glass pieces by cutting right up next to the edge with my scissors. These are just inexpensive scissors that that I'm not emotionally attached to as they are going to get a bit gunky after awhile and will eventually end up in the trash. So keep those expensive fabric scissors tucked away and hide your fancy paper scissors, because you will not need them for this process. 

I place Fantastic Glue Dots into the trays using one dot for medium and smaller trays and two dots for larger trays. I place the dot into the tray, remove the red backing to expose the adhesive and press the glass piece firmly into it to form a strong bond between the tray and the glass. If I apply the glue dot to the back of the glass and then press it into the tray, I won't create that bond and eventually my glass piece will fall out. No mi gusto.

Here are my six trays finished and ready for chain to finish them off. The pendant bail means that I can just slip a chain through the loop and they're ready to wear. No need to add a separate jump ring or pinch bail. How easy is that?

Here are my completed pendants ready to give or to wear.