the hybrid chick

I just loved all the gorgeous tile pendant necklaces that I had been seeing on etsy and couldn’t wait to try my hand at making one of my own!  The process is super-simple and the results are awesome!   These make fantastic teacher gifts or do what I did and make about 10 or so for yourself to coordinate with all your summer outfits!

The supplies for this project are quite inexpensive and you’ll find yourself wanting to make tons of these sweet pendants for yourself and others.  They are so addictive!!

The first thing is to search through your digtal supplies and find some lovely art.  I chose a gorgeous paper and  flower from Matahati’s Spring Medley kit.  I opened these in Photoshop and created a canvas for myself the same size as my glass tile (1×1 inch).  After adjusting the sizes of my paper and flower to fit my 1×1 square, I printed and was ready to get crafty!

Let’s  gather our supplies for the pendant.  You’ll need: 

• 1×1 inch glass tile and bail (I purchased mine on etsy – do a supplies search for glass tiles)
• Judikins Diamond Glaze
• exacto knife & self-healing mat
• E-6000 Adhesive or other adhesive
• your printed image

Step 1:  Apply a thin coat of Diamond Glaze to the back side of your glass tile.  The back side is somewhat textured and the front is smooth – - you’ll notice a difference.  Once you’ve applied the Diamond Glaze, place your printed image on the tile FACE DOWN.  Press the paper down well and be certain that there are not any bubbles in your glaze.  I like to flip my tile right side up and smoosh it onto my work surface to be sure that the Diamond Glaze has gotten all the way to the edge of the tile and that there are no air pockets.  Allow to dry (face down – you don’ t want that little sucker drying onto your counter, now do you?).

Step 2:  Once your glue has dried, you’ll want to trim any overhang from the sides of your tile.  Now you could trim that up before you glued your image to the tile, but I like doing it this way   I use an exacto knife and my trusty self-healing mat.  That poor thing has seen better days.

Step 3:  If there was to be a tricky part in this process, this step is it.  It’s not hard, though, so don’t fret.  Next, you want to cover the back side of your tile with Diamond Glaze to seal the image.  I do this by applying a nice bead of glaze all around the tile and then filling that in, working from outside in.  If you get any little bubbles, which is apt to happen, you can use a toothpick to remove them, or just drag them to the edge of the tile with the applicator tip.  A few small bubbles don’t bother me much, but you’ll want to be sure that you get rid of any large ones.

Step 4:  After your Diamond Glaze has been applied, allow the tile to dry overnight.  I usually put mine in the toaster oven so that no dust or little “helping” hands get on my tile.  Some people simply cover the tile with a cup to protect it. 

Step 5:  Once you’re sure that your tile has completely dried, apply the bail to the back side of the tile with a wee bit of E6000.

Step 6:  Admire your handiwork & get ready for the compliments!!