Colorful Filigree In A Flash

Hi, lovely people!  Today I have a small finding idea to share.  Check out the filigreed fun:

During a play date with some random jewelry findings, I found two filigrees which, aligned a certain way, fit each other precisely.  Added jump rings and ear wires to create these mixed-metal pretties:

Quite nice!  Simple and classy.  I wanted to keep going, mix things up.  But as I stared at the silver filigrees, I wished they weren't so dang shiny.  I am not a huge fan of metal with no patina.

I was about to put the too-bright critters back on the shelf and move on to something else.  But then...

Craft paint.  Only one coat, not heavily applied.  On some, I even dabbed away a bit to reveal glimpses of the silver.

After they dried, I took one more step.   A coat of clear spray acrylic sealer to protect the paint.

Now see how rich they look!  A bit like enameled metal.

I tried various finishes, to see how the look would change.  The red and purple pairs above used semi-transparent glitter paint.  On these bright chartreuse ones, opaque color:

Here's a pretty version with semi-transparent paint, no glitter (you can really see the silver shining through):

I also played with metallic colors and loved the patina'ed effect!  This subtle bronze pair is probably my favorite:

Definitely keeping those!  The rest will go in my small-but-growing stash of handmade holiday gifts.  

If you try this, here's my number one tip.  Painted findings are best suited for earrings, which don't get rubbed against clothing or skin.  For necklaces, add two extra coats of the acrylic sealer.  Avoid using these in rings or bracelets, which get a lot of handling.

Hope you enjoyed this one...see ya!