Ever heard the saying "measure twice, cut once"? It's a common handyman saying, warning that you better be sure about your measurements before you cut into your wood, metal, or other surface because you can't undo it. You'll be happy to know that I have developed a new saying for you: "cut first, ink last."
Lately I've been doing a lot of experimenting with metal, inks, and Glossy Accents. (One of my recent successful experiments was the Winter at Home earrings.) I love the look of the alcohol inks and am trying to figure out what options I have for protecting the surface. I know I could use resin, but I was hoping for something that cured a little more quickly.
Ooops!
For this experiment, I used a copper base and painted layers of blue and green inks on top. Then I added several coat of Glossy Accents to coat and seal it. And that's when I realized I'd made a mistake.
Yes, there are a few bubbles and a tiny strip of the edge didn't get coated, but those are pretty minor errors. The big mistake is that I was planning on turning this into a pendant, but I didn't punch a hole in the metal first.
That's the problem with these inks. I love them so much and get so addicted to layering them that I forget about simple things like how is someone going to wear this on a necklace if there isn't a hole in it?
My Fix-It Attempt
I tried to punch a hole using metal hole punch pliers and on one side (the top photo) it looks pretty good. But look at the back (the second photo). Chunks of the sealant and ink broke right off, almost like bits of glass. This is exactly what I was afraid would happen.
Now What?
This is where I am now: The ink won't all come off, so I'm trying to
layer the inks and gloss again and see if I can cover the corner that's
currently bare copper. The good news is that it was a freeform ink
pattern, so I don't have to worry about the design matching up.
What Kind of Crafter Are You?
This week's little problem made me think about what kind of crafter I am. Part of me is tempted to throw the piece away and start over. But that little piece of pre-cut copper was expensive (about a dollar) and I hate wasting materials. Even if I'll never be able to make a pendant out of this piece, I'm telling myself that maybe I can make something else (probably something that won't be worn or handled as much as jewelry). Or I can continue doing more experiments on it—use it up, so to speak—so my next piece will turn out perfectly.