Stamped and Enameled Family Washer Necklace

Last week I shared some tips about stamping on washers, which is a really nice way to personalize a piece.  Personally, though, I’m always playing around with what else I can add, or what I can combine to come up with a mixed-media style that I love.  So I played with a technique called cold-enameling on a carved wood bead to fill in the center of my stamped washer!

Now, since I just posted about stamping washer necklaces last week, I’ll send you over to that post for tips and techniques on stamping (just click here, the tutorial will open in a new window).  So today what I’m going to focus on is adding enamel to your accent pieces.  I got my cold-enameling supplies from Blitsy Crafts, which is a discount craft supplier with daily deals.  (And a tip – if you’re new to Blitsy, you can save $10 on your first order!)  I’ll leave affiliate links below to all the supplies you will need.

For the washer (see my stamped washer post for full instructions):

• Stamping Hammer
• Steel Bench Block (any size is fine!)
• 3mm Letter Stamp Set – this is Juniper in upper case
• 1.5  inch round washer (aluminum works well for this project, but any metal you like is fine)
• Polish Pad
• Blank Acrylic Paint Dabber
• 1- 15 mm jump ring
• Silver ball chain necklace (I used 18 inch, but you can choose your favorite length)
• Optional: tape for securing your washers as you work

For cold enameling:

• Any 1″ round metal or wood pendant element
• Iced Enamels Adhesive Medium & paintbrush
• Iced Enamels Relique Powder (I used turquoise)
• A small amount of Ice Resin
• Heat Tool
• Paper towel for your work surface

(A quick note – Blitsy has the best prices on the Iced Enamels product line – you can save 20% just by shopping there, with no coupon necessary.  But if you find that the items are out of stock there and you’re jonesing for them right away today, you can also find them on Amazon by clicking here.)

Cold enameling is pretty cool.  There’s a whole Iced Enamels line that I’m currently quite addicted to.  They’re designed for adding enamel to metal, but I used a carved wooden pendant.  As long as it’s a medium that can withstand quite a bit of heat – give it a try!  First, brush your piece with a thin coat of adhesive medium.  It’s smart to work on a disposable surface for this step – I used paper towel.

Next. sprinkle the surface with Relique Powder.  Make sure all areas are covered.  Then, shake off any excess powder (which you can put back on the container for later).

Then, use a heat tool to heat the powder.  When it begins to melt and bubble slightly, it’s forming a permanent bond.  This step can get really hot, so take precautions not to burn yourself.  Set it aside to cool, and mix up a small quantity of Ice Resin accordning to the directions on the package – you only need enough resin to brush over the top of your pendant, so just a few mL is plenty!

Brush it over the enamel to form a strong topcoat.  (This step isn’t absolutely necessary, but if you don’t seal the relique powder in, it can chip off with wear.)

Finally, assemble your finished piece!  Add a large jump ring through the inner pendant, and then add the washer around the outside, and string it on your choice of chain. It turns a personalized piece into a really interesting mixed media necklace!

Thanks for joining me today, and I’ll see you guys again soon!