Directions for Making Cabochons:
(1) Melt desired color of UTEE in the Melting Pot. Option: colorize Pearl, White or Clear UTEE with To Dye For Colorants, using Kool Toolz Spatula to stir in color, or mix in UTEE Brightz™ for an opaque, pearlized look.
(2) Follow directions for making a custom mold with Mold n’ Pour. It is important to measure out each color of putty before mixing them together. Also have the item to be molded ready, because there is only about 1/2 a minute to mix the two colors together before the Mold N' Pour will begin to harden. Try and make the mold flat by pushing the item to be molded into the mixed putty so it will not "wobble" when UTEE is being poured. Use the Non-Stick Craft Sheet as a work surface to create your mold.
(3) Pour melted UTEE into custom mold over the Non-Stick Craft Sheet. If any excess UTEE pours over the mold, it can be trimmed with scissors when the mold cools.
(4) Once UTEE has cooled, remove from mold.
Directions for Beading Cabochons:
(1) Glue Cabochon to piece of Ultrasuede; let dry, then trim around the cabochon, leaving no more than 1/8" border of Ultrasuede.
(2) Wax matching C-lon and thread needle. Insert needle from top side of edge of Ultrasuede; pull through, leaving an approximate 3 inch tail. String on 11o bead and insert needle from the bottom of Ultrasuede through the same hole. Move bead so it sits on top of the edge of the cabochon, and insert needle through the bead from left to right (if you are left handed, it will be opposite). The bead will now be sitting on top of the Ultrasuede edge.
(3) Finish the rest of the first row of beads as follows. Insert needle with a bead already on the needle next to the first bead from the bottom of the Ultrasuede to the top. Pull thread so bead sits next to first bead, then again insert needle from the left to right side of the new bead. They will all begin to sit next to one another, hole to hole, like soldiers!
(4) This base row will actually become rows 1 and 2 of the peyote bead row. Once to the end of the base row, place a bead on the needle, then skip the next bead (which will have been the first bead you put on the Ultrasuede) and insert the needle through the next bead. Continue skipping every other bead, placing bead through the alternate bead in the row.
(5) When you get to the end, you will find out if you can continue to just peyote bead around the cabochon or if you need to "step up". If you have to step up, there will be two beads in the next row. You need to go through both of them, which will now set you up ready to bead your third (3rd) row!
(6) By the time you finish the 3rd or 4th row, you will want to start "cupping" or closing up around the cabochon. To do this, you will need to "decrease"; you are literally making the next row of beads less than the previous row, which will make your following rows of beads smaller, and therefore, tighten the form you are beading around.
Count the number of "up" beads.
Divide that number evenly or as close to even as you can (for example, if there are 24 "up" beads, divide by 6…) Thus, following the example, peyote stitch 5 beads; instead of adding a 6th bead, you will thread through the next "down" and "up" bead. This will create a space of one less bead.
When you get to the next row of the decrease, you will bead normally, placing one bead in each section of "down" beads.
By the third row of the decrease, you will see that there are 4 less beads in the row, and it will have tightened up around your cabochon.
(7) Add on one or two extra rows of regular peyote after the 3 row increase or as you feel is needed without covering over the top of the cabochon too much.
(8) Move the thread to the side of the beaded base and add beaded embellishments, such as fringe, picots, ruffles, etc.
(9) When completed, add pin back or bail with glue and enjoy for yourself or as a gift.
