Bead Soutache jewellery base tutorial

Hello All,

I am sure it has happened to many of us that we set out to make a quilled (or otherwise) jewellery but don't have the correct size base. I faced it many times and decided to solve it the punch-craft way. This is the kind of backing that went into this kind of a piece:

and it can be used like this:

 and this:

Following are the step-be-step images of the tutorial.....

These are the things you'll need: Glue, base paper (I've used 160 gsm black paper) punched in the shape of your choice (I've punched 1" circles using Martha Stewart circle punch), scissors, tweezers, a wire "blank" (to create a gap in the jewellery base) and elements to stick on top. It could be half pearls, beads, quilled elements etc.

Stick 4 layers on top of each other (increase or decrease the number depending on the thickness of the paper you're using) by applying glue throughout the surface.

Fold one circle in half

Cut a thin strip from the centre 

Make it as thin as possible, it only needs to be thick enough to accommodate a wire in the centre of the base.

Cut two circles in that manner, creating 4 semi-circles

Apply glue on the semi-circle and stick on the 4-paper-thick disc ready. Make it a point to align the edges properly.

Two layer thick semi-cricle stack will begin to look like this.

Do a similar step on the other side. Now, the 'groove' in the centre is ready for insertion of a wire.

The idea to insert the wire while making the base is to avoid the "weakness" brought about by sticking the wire to the back of the base. :)

Put glue on the ready base and stick the other 4 layers one by one (the total thickness of the base is 10 layers of 160 gsm paper)

Stick the "central piece" (I've used a 10 mm half pearl , bought from Craft Universe) 

Start sticking your elements in an "outside to inside" manner. 

And this is how it will end up looking :)

Happy Quilling

Pritesh

PS: If my posts inspire you to create something on similar lines, I feel highly flattered. But please, do respect the effort I take in conceptualizing and executing, please give a direct link to my work when you are inspired by mine. Thanks for understanding........:-)