Jewelry-Making Techniques

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How to Use Swellegant!™ to Make Anything Metallicious!

by Christi Friesen, Award-Winning Artist, Author and Educator,
Exclusively for Fire Mountain Gems and Beads®
FC2F

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Swellegant works best on pieces with lots of deep details and textures

STEP 1
Brushing on Swellegant

Applying Additional Coats		 Brush Swellegant Metal Coating(s) onto any surface. Let dry (5 - 15 minutes). Apply additional coats until piece is coated with no streaks or thin areas--usually 2 or 3 coats. (Note: for non-porous surfaces like polymer or glass, for best results you can use Swellegant Prep as a first coating.)
STEP 2
Apply Swellegant Patina Once all coatings are dry, apply one more thin coating and then while coating is still moist apply Swellegant Patina(s) by dabbing, sponging or spraying. More patina will produce more reaction. You can use several patinas at the same time.

At this stage, you may drip, dab or spritz any Swellegant Dye-Oxide directly onto moist metal/patina for wonderful color effects!!! Try it!
STEP 3
Allowing the Patina to Cure Patina will 'bloom' over time. The process begins within a few minutes, and can take up to 24 hours before it's fully complete. For all but the Darkening Patina (which blooms immediately and is completed within 10 minutes), you will see the patina gradually change in color and expand.

You can only minimize the process, not stop it, so it's best to just let it do its thing!

You can minimize the process somewhat, after it reaches the desired patina effect, with a gentle water rinse and pat dry and then dry it with a heating gun or oven for several minutes.

But, this is a natural oxidation process occurring within the metal and patina coatings, and is always slightly different, as it would be in nature. So, I recommend that you enjoy the unexpected, and just see what happens.
STEP 4
The Finished Patinated Piece The finished patinated piece may look ''grungy''--if you like that, great! If it's too much, don't worry! It will often look yucky before it looks awesome.
STEP 5
The Finished Patinated Piece So let's make it look awesome! (Wear rubber gloves for this part!) Dip your fingertip in some metal coating and rub it on a piece of paper so it will get thicker/drier (the paper will absorb some moisture). Now rub the thicker metal coating over the surface of your piece, adding more fresh metal over the high parts of the design. Repeat until it looks great.
STEP 6
Adding Swellegant Dye-Oxides This is the other time that you can add Swellegant Dye-Oxides to your piece. Just use a paintbrush to add some dye directly to the surfaces. Use water to blend the dye or soften the edges of the color. Apply as much or as little as you want. Add another layer when it's dry for more intense coloring. Dyes can be mixed. Use a paintbrush, sponge or spritzer to apply.

Dyes stay water-soluble until sealed. You can add Swellegant Sealant (50/50 ratio) to the dye, mix and apply. Dyes will be permanent when dry. (Or you can seal them when the piece is finished.)

Continue to add rubbed metal coatings and dyes until you're satisfied with the result!
STEP 7
Applying Sealant Once your piece is finished and thoroughly dry (24 hours is recommended), use Swellegant Sealant to protect all the finishes. Swellegant Sealant is matte--no shine--and you can add more metal coatings and dyes on top. Use a spritzer, brush or cotton swab to apply. Several thin layers are best! (If it is too thick, it will dry slightly milky.)
STEP 8
Finished Piece Enjoy! Make something else and use Swellegant products again! Tell all your artsy friends!

Have a question regarding this project? Email Customer Service.

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