Personalized Photo Pendant

Alisa Taxe of Beverly Hills, Calif., learned that she could make anything after making her first sculpture in preschool. As she got a little older, she took on a philosophy that paved the way for her unique pendants. With no formal training and a lot of trial and error, this self-assured and gregarious crafter has become obsessed with trying every medium from mosaic work to jewelry making. These days, her spare time is filled with one of her favorite projects, turning cherished photos into lab slide pendants.

Materials:

microscope slides
foil soldering tape
liquid flux
pictures
silver jump ring
silver jewelry wire
beads
lead free solder
glasscutter
soldering iron
sterling chain
lobster clasp
cleaner for flux & patina
glass cleaner
wire cutters
flat nose pliers
round nosed pliers
needle nose pliers
clamp
computer
scanner
printer

Steps:

1. Scan two pictures (one picture for each side of the pendant) into the computer, size them to 1-1/2" x 1" and print them out on paper. Print out names or words of inspiration.

3. Cut a microscope slide in half using a glasscutter (figure B). Clean the pieces with glass cleaner.

4. Sandwich the image between the two pieces of glass.

5. Wrap the edges of the glass with foil soldering tape (figure C). Brush liquid flux over the foil tape.

6. Adhere solder over the foil-taped edges with a soldering iron (figure D)

7. Repeat the soldering process on the reverse side of the pendant. Clean with flux remover and a soft cloth.

8. Clamp the piece and apply flux to the top edge. Hold the jump ring with needle nose pliers and solder the two jump rings evenly spaced across the top (figure E). Clean with flux cleaner.

9. Make two tiny wire hearts from the silver jewelry wire by shaping the wire around round nose pliers. Solder one heart to the lower left corner of each side of the pendant (figure F).

10. Attach the chain with wire strung with two beads (figure G) to each jump ring on the pendant and close with the flat-nosed pliers. Add a lobster clasp.

E-mail: alisa@alisamichelle.com

Website: www.alisamichelle.com