Glass Cabochon Tutorial

Castle Shadowbox

             Dear friends sharing a Castle shaped shadow box  which I made for my DT project with Crafters Corner using a kit manufactured by LaLaLand Crafts. I had a lot of fun altering the MDF/chipboard pieces with distress inks, pearly  mists and clear sparkle embossing but my favorite element in the castle is the glass cabochons!

Glass Cabochon

I laid my hands on the gorgeous  glass domes called cabochons only recently and have fallen in love with them! They are economic, super cute and super easy to transform into embellishments and jewelry!

Glass Cabochon

         I wasn't really sure how to use them and when I Googled, I landed up on several you-tube videos.I am more of a pictorial person than a video lover so thought I would share the simple steps to make the glass cabochons if you are like me, and love to run through a pictorial in seconds than spend so much more time watching a You-tube video!

Glass Cabochon Tutorial 

Glass Cabochons are available in several cute shapes and sizes like ovals and rounds

Glass Cabochon Tutorial 

Choose a pretty pattern paper /glitter paper/ fabric or even a special  photo to use with your cabochon. If you have a punch the size of your cabochon...makes your life even easier-- but it doesnt really matter!

Glass Cabochon Tutorial 

Place your cabochon on the design you want and trace loosely around with your pencil and cut-- you don't have to be super accurate as the convex edges of your cabochon will hide all little jagged edges and minor mistakes!!

Glass Cabochon Tutorial 

If you have a punch that fits your Cabochon size like I did- punch from the under-surface as shown above so that you can  see exactly where you are punching.

Glass Cabochon Tutorial 

Apply a clear drying glue like Modpodge [can also use our good old fevicol mr ]on the flat under-surface of your glass cabochon with a paintbrush/ foam etc.

Glass Cabochon Tutorial 

Place your paper cut on it and blot with a tissue/ cloth and leave to dry.

Glass Cabochon

Dont you love the lovely transformation of that bit of paper! The sparkling gem studded  dome atop is a broken earring I recycled and  the diamond chain was snipped off and old dress! 

Glass Cabochon

               My Castle Shadow box holds a royal Christmas scene with a glittery foam reindeer and a chipboard Christmas tree decked in rhinestones and a diamond chain [snipped off the old dress!] Added a metal filigree Glass Cabochon pendant on the Castle Banner to step up the grandeur!

Glass Cabochon Pendant

Most of the glass cabochons have matching metal case pendants to make jewelry like earrings and pendant but paper crafting being my first love I used my handmade pendant on my shadowbox! The gemstone stop my pendant is recycled from an old earring!

Glass Cabochon

Lots of ideas to use the Glass Cabochons --you can adhere a bit of felt to the back and use it on dresses or adhere it to a magnet and use it as a cute fridge magnet!

Castle Shadowbox

More about my Castle...here you can see the shimmer of the castle and the little bricks I made using clay which  I rolled out,cut up and inked with distress ink!

Castle Shadowbox

Used the tattered lace rose die to make 3 dimensional flowers with crystal beaded pollen centers and the also used the same die to make a stand for the Christmas tree .

Castle Shadowbox

My little girl felt the reindeer and Christmas tree did not match the castle ...but somehow Christmas is on my mind and I couldnt bring myself to remove them!!

Castle Shadowbox

Added a royal scepter charm atop a "crackled" castle turret!

Castle Shadowbox

And here is the Glittery Royal Castle all ready for a Pink Christmas! I hope you enjoyed the simple tutorial photos and liked my Christmas Castle! Do tell me how it is

For details on how I altered the Shadowbox kit do drop by  my Crafters Corner DT post on 12 ideas to Alter Chipboard/MDF 

Supplies :from Crafter's Corner,La La Land Castle Shadowbox ;Dies : Tattered Lace Lacy Rose, Sue Wilson Filigree Bow, ,Sue Wilson Faux quilled Leaves , Memory Box Rounded fence, Spellbinders Lace hearts:Embellishments : Crystal beaded Pollen , Charms , Cabochons and Pendants