The amazing Liz Welch launched a product on Jewellery Maker TV a couple of weeks ago. Liz is an alternative craft media artist and as become the jewel enamel (UTEE) expert on the show.
The product was fusible film which when shredded is also known as Crystalina and Angelina fibres. When you heat the film it gives off a rainbow of oil slick colours which looks great embedded in clear enamel and backed in black.
Ever one for a challenge especially in an area of a craft I really enjoy, I decided to get the film and have a go.
Ha Ha - it was not as easy as it looked - Liz is a master of her craft.
The technique uses a melting pot with clear enamel (UTEE) and pouring a plain (rather than textured) mould.
Knowing I would never remember everything I took notes!
The first time I tried it I used a larger piece of film and popped it into the melting pot to heat in a little clear. It was supposed to shrink and curl changing colour and texture - it shrunk totally into a lump which I couldn't open out!
Take 2 - I didn't leave it in as long and managed to open it out.
Then I topped up the clear and poured into a plain cabochon mould and tried to add the film. Everything poured over the side - and it is HOT!!! Still undaunted I left it to set. Once cool I turned it out only to find the film had turned bright pink and stuck to the bottom of the mould and not got covered with enamel.
I did know that at this stage it might not look wonderful so carried on and melted black for the backing. Slight problem here - because the black is so hard to remove totally from the melting pot I had decided to use a project pan which fits over the pot but I couldn't really get it hot enough to give a smooth and quick pour. Black blobby gunge was all over the place. Still as a scientist I photographed the results
I think it looks like a wound!
The next attempt I used little pieces chopped up and sprinkled them into the clear after pouring.
once covered with black this certainly showed potential
so I poured a puffy heart with a forest green insert and poured a much hotter black onto the back.
It seemed to be successful but as I trimmed the black it all came away from the clear.
I decided to separate the two pours so hat I could get both clear and black really hot.
But I would use the heat gun on the back of the clear before pouring black
this is the square from above heat polished and smartened up.
I really like this heart
this looks super in real life - a friend has said it looks like an opal
Top right is a ring with a hand made shank embedded in the molten enamel
All in all for a first attempt I am very pleased. Half way through the process I was unsure but once the black was poured and the edges trimmed the true colours shine through.
