Not So Charmed, I'm Sure

What a Debacle with a capital D. I'm starting to think Holidays. Yup, It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. In my mind, anyway. I thought I would get started on making Christmas Gifts for my friends and family. This year finances are tight and I have been hording supplies to make wine charms as gifts this year. Oh, uh, I let the cat out of the bag, but what the hell. These are not looking good enough to give to Anyone, let alone someone I like. teehee. Things started out well. I had the bottle caps on hand ready to go. I punched circles out of almost all of my Favorite Handmade papers to put in the caps. There is no more Favorite Paper left. sigh. I've never made charms before and thought, how hard can it be? I mean a third grader can do it right? WRONG. Maybe one in Honors classes.
Here is a closeup of some of my papers. I made some in my class with Fred B. Mullet and some with deli papers at home. Acrylics, twinkling H2o's, gold papers, glimmer mists, you name it, its on there. I used a little bit of the DG3 as glue with a brush to adhere the papers into the caps. Let that dry.

Had fun stamping the backs with Alcohol inks. So far so good, right? No premonitions of the disaster to come......

Had fun making little collages in them. I know this stamp is overused but I love it. Stamped on a transparency then punched out. German glass glitter courtesy of Robin. Thanks again, gal!!! This one is shown after adding the DG3 gel. Still feeling good. Cocky, in fact. They are so cute, easy, Cheap!! What great gifts. Until......

I just loved this one. I cut words from my old Wuthering Heights book. Added the transparency punch. Poured in the DG3 gel. An hour later, What the Hell?? The letters on the back of the word Escape are starting to show through!!! Crap!!! I let it keep drying hoping it would go away. I took both of theses charms to work to ask the girls their opinions. Dr. S could not tell that there was a face in the charm and could barely make out the word. There was also a fingerprint impressed into the surface. I think she did it. But won't admit it. teehee. Seriously, it looks like Shit. And the Secrets one??? Has scratches on the surface. 2 days later I stuck my fingernail in it to test it. Yup, it make a big indent. Now What In The Name Of All That Is Holy did I do Wrong??? I can't give these as gifts. People think I'm an Artist, these Charms Do Not REPRESENT!! HOLLA!! Can I get an AMEN on that!!

Here are 4 that are barely ok. They are still not hard, like 5 days later. This is not the simple slap it together thing I thought it was going to be. I guess I will have to paint the back of a tiny word cutting to obliterate the word on the back. But the paint will be over the letters, so the letters will still show thru, right? I'm so confused. I could print it out, by that's so much Work and not as Authentic dammit. I want to use an old book. Wah Wah.

Here are the 3 worst ones!! This is so embarrassing. The ink completely dissolved off the transparencies, and they were really cool shells, one was a dragonfly.

I wasted really good words too. Is the secret doing like 10 really thin layers? What a pain in the A Double Scribble. Seriously, I thought you poured it in, popped the bubbles with a pin, let them dry to harden and then laughed all the way thru the Christmas holidays without the Gift Monkey on your back.

I am completely obsessed with making this work. If ANYONE has any advice or has made these before or used DG3 before Please Advise. My goal besides making wine charms for my family, was to make charms to send to all my beloved blog friends. I owe you guys for visiting, commenting, supporting, inspiring, advising and well, the list goes on and on. So Robin, PaulaBeth, Kim, Terri, Jean, Marsha, Gaby, Dee, Lorri, Leslie, Mary, Hollie, Sherry, Chris, Joy, Lori, Lesley, Marianne, Kathy, Katelen, Cathy, Roberta, Diva, Diane, and anyone else who I am so sorry I forgot to name, cuz the DG3 has rotted my brain, Help me out here and show me how It's Really Done!!! And by the way if I haven't traded with you before, I won't have your address. So please email me privately, not in the comments, with your address, so I can send you a Humble Gift of Gratitude this Holiday Season. If these damn things don't work out, I'll come up with something else, I promise!! Is Anyone Else thinking Holidays yet??Hey, don't shoot the Messenger!! teehee. xoSusan