Embellish to go from Blah to Beautiful

This is a closeup from one of my Work Table Wednesday pictures for a Facebook group I have joined. Owl. Pendant setting. Not bad as is, yes? But what could be done to make it more appealing and (one keeps hoping) sell?

Embellish!!

First I painted the owl. I wanted it to look natural so I used shading, painted multiple coats where I wanted the color to be darker and sanded back the painted area on the chest to let the original off white come through. (fyi: I used Ranger inks for the painting) 

Then I took a leafy brass stamping and after cutting it apart, glued it under the owl. Good start but still a bit blah. Added a topaz colored flatback crystal to the brass leaves. Better. took a brass filigree and cut it in half making two mirror image filigrees to add to the sides. Then found some rhinestones set in black cup chain and added those. Yes! Done!

None of this was hard to do. Some E6000 glue and a pair of cutters are all the tools you need if you don't want to paint the owl. I did mix up a batch of black Apoxie Sculpt to make sure the cameo was well set in the frame. The owl cameo was a great fit, but there was very little surface on the frame to insure that, if glued, it would be really secure in the frame. I pressed a 'snake' of the Apoxie around the back of the frame next to the cameo and then flattened it over both pieces to create a rock hard seal (after curing overnight).

Other ways to embellish a cameo like this would be to glue beads or tiny pearls around the inside of the frame around the cameo and maybe some flatback crystals on the flowers in the frame. I just happened to have the right filigree available.

Supplies:  Setting, owl cameo, brass leaves, rhinestone chain, topaz colored crystal and glue from B'Sue Boutiques. Chain and Ranger Inks from Michael's crafts store. Apoxie Sculpt from Amazon