Magnetism, as you recall from physics class,
is a powerful force that causes certain items to be attracted to refrigerators.
      ~ Dave Berry

I found these fun six-petal bottle caps by Bottle Caps, Inc. at my local scrapbook store last weekend, and they reminded me of how much fun it is to play with bottle caps. Next to them was something called cabachons I'd never heard of before, but am totally hooked on now.

[kab-us-shon] – noun. 1. a precious stone of convex hemispherical or oval form, polished but not cut into facets.

Cool, huh?! Only, my cabachons were acrylic, not precious gems. I love the dimension they add and how they protect and magnify the image underneath. I've used flat-bottom glass marbles for the same purpose, but these cabachons don't have the imperfections the marbles do, and they're less cloudy. Using them is easier than melting Ultra Thick Embossing Powder (UTEE). But, attaching the cabachon can be a little tricky, and I had a bit of trial and error before I got it just right. I thought I'd share some of my trials and errors so you don't make the same mistakes.

To make your bottle cap magnets to attach to a card (or refrigerator), grab your ingredients . . .

• BasicGrey Magnetic Snaps. (Please, keep these away from children and pets because any magnet can be dangerous if they swallow them.) They're just 1/32" thick, so they can slip between layers of paper unnoticed.
• A one-inch circle punch.
• A bottle cap. You can find them with jewelry making or scrapbooking supplies, but also in your refrigerator. Any bottle cap will do. If you use an older bottle cap, just scrape out the cork.
• You need a liquid dimensional adhesive that dries clear, like Stampin' Up!'s Crystal Effects, Ranger Glossy Accents, Sakura Crystal Lacquer, JudiKins Diamond Glaze, or JudiKins DG3 Art Gel. I used JudiKins DG3 Art Gel, which worked like a charm.

Step 1 – Hidden within the four layers of this circle, circle/scallop, sentiment circle, and cow circle (just under the cow) is one of the BasicGrey magnetic snaps. Place the other snap under the image you want to put into the bottle cap. (Be sure to test them to make sure you have the positive/negative charges facing in the right direction, so your magnets attract reach other, not repel each other.)

Step 2 – Put just a tiny, tiny dot of your liquid lacquer in the bottle cap.

Step 2 – Place your top layer over your tiny dot of liquid adhesive.

Step 3 – Add a larger, pea-size amount of your liquid adhesive over the image. Thankfully, Copic Markers won't run when you put a liquid adhesive over them.

To avoid air bubbles -

• Do NOT shake the bottle.
• Do not hold the bottle at an angle. Hold it straight up and let the lacquer fill the tip of the bottle applicator.
• Squeeze as much as you need without stopping. If you have to squeeze and release more adhesive a second time, you'll introduce air bubbles.

The trick is to use the right amount of the liquid dimensional adhesive.

Too little gives you shadows:

Too much, and you're more likely to get air bubbles and a cabachon that looks like its floating in a swamp.

You want just the right amount to get a clear image. To help you see the right amount more easily, I highlighted the adhesive on the right.

Some liquid dimensional adhesives will look cloudy while they're wet but dry clear.

Step 4 – Press the cabachon into the bottle cap so the adhesive spreads to cover the bottom of the cabachon. Resist the temptation to play with it for a few hours until the adhesive dries (yep, a few hours).

If you have a 1/16" hole punch, you can punch a small hole in the top of your bottle cap, add a jump ring or split ring, and turn your bottle cap into a pendant for a necklace, bracelet or key chain. Or, you can add it to a card.

So, pop a top, grab a bottle cap, make like a sheep and raise the bahh on your paper crafts.  (You knew I was gonna sneak in at least one bad pun, right?)