FAQ series: Quilled Decoupage Jhumkas!!!

FAQ- You keep mentioning about Gesso, as the coat you apply on the dome. Is gesso the secret to get smooth domes. 

A- It all starts from the main base- which is the dome.. if the dome is not perfect enough, then how much ever u try, the outcome will not be perfect. Gesso is nothing but white acrylic paint but only thicker and stronger. I use gesso coz they increase the strength of the base and the other reason being, I don't have white quilling strips and don't want to invest into buying more strips coz I have 2huge boxes of coloured quilling strips laying around...

FAQ SERIES: Question by Aishwarya Natarajan on FB page-Do u use gesso only for decoupaging or even for painting the jhumka? Do u insert the head pin before applying gesso? Coz otherwise it becomes hard to poke a hole, no?
Can I use modpodge gloss instead of decoupage gloss glue? If I use colored strips, which I don't wanna paint on, just mod podge gloss will give the same effect of glossiness And finish?
Question by Swetha on FB: How many coats of decoupage glue we have to apply??
Question by Sukriti on FB: how long do you let ur jhumkas dry after applying gloss glue..

A- If I don't have the exact colour of quilling strips required for a plain jhumka then I use gesso and then use acrylic paint to get the colour I want. Gesso basically masks the colour of the strips underneath.
When to insert the headpin is a tricky one as it changes with each variant that I do according to the process I follow. It's up to you when u want to insert the headpin into the jhumka. In the tutorial(blue flower) I had done it after I was finished with pasting the cutouts on the dome. It could have been done before pasting the cutouts as well so that u can hold the headpin while pasting the cutouts. For the green one in the pic I would recommend inserting the later as it will allow u to paste the cutout properly without the pin hindering. Poking a hole into the jhumka can be done using the needle tool. It's not difficult at all.
I am biased towards the decoupage gloss glue coz of the consistency of the glue and the finish it gives me. I feel that mod podge has a thicker consistency than the decoupage gloss glue by Itsy bitsy!!! This again is a personal preference. For sure the mod podge gloss also will give u a similar finish though. Tip: mix(very) little water into the mod podge to change its consistency if mod podge is all you have.
I personally apply 3- 4 coats of decoupage gloss glue with an interval of 20 mins between each coat for drying.

After the final coat of decoupage gloss glue I leave the jhumka atleast overnight or a day, before I touch it or take it to the next process of adding in the embellishments like beads or findings. 

FAQ: Can gesso be substituted???/Can we use acrylic paints instead of gesso??? How many coats of gesso/ acrylic paint do you apply??Where to buy gesso from?? 
A- As mentioned previously I use gesso to impart strength to the jhumka and to make my coloured jhumka dome/ base white coz I don't own white quilling strips. Yes, gesso can be substituted with acrylic paint that u own. If like me u r using coloured strips to make your dome then you can use white acrylic paint, if you are using white quilling strips itself then you can use any coloured acrylic paints too. Atleast 2-3 coats of gesso/ acrylic paint has be applied with a short break for drying in between these coats. Gesso can be bought in a physical store that deals with art and craft supplies like @itsybitsycraftstore or @multistationary stores. If not it can be bought online @itsybitsycraftstore, @amazon.in_india, @skillsupplies.com@himalayafineart.com or any art and craft store online 

FAQ: What do you use to waterproof? How long does it take to make one pair of jhumka!! Is it required to have a white base while using tissue to decoupage!!! Where do you get your patterns from?? Which printer do u have to print on tissues??
A- for normal quilled jewelry I use decoupage gloss glue itself!! For beaded ones I use the decoupage Matt glue followed by 2 coats of Asian paints wood varnish!!
With all the processes that I follow, I takes minimum 2-3 days to finish one pair including all the wait for stuff to dry properly!! If u r using a tissue I would suggest you have a white background as the colours of the tissue get a uplift when placed on a white background!! If you are using pattern paper this won't be a issue, u van color the background any colour you want and then stick the pattern!!
I get the patterns from Pinterest!!
I own a HP 3in 1 inkjet printer and that's what I use for printing on tissues!!

Will keep updating this!!!

In case this helps you, do give me a shout out!!!