Not quite resin but still related

Ok...today's blog is kinda sorta about resin, but not so much.  It's about making Glass tile pendants.  Last night my meetup group, the +Austin Jolly Jems, met for some instruction in how to make glass tile pendants.  They had seen some of my pendants and wanted to learn how to make them.  This was a relatively easy process so I put it on our calendar and away we went.

Of course you know Google is our friend, so armed with a tutorial I found online (see the link attached), we had lots of fun.      Make Glass Tile Pendants and here's a youTube video for those who prefer visuals...

Mixed and poured resin

Making the pieces are relatively quick and inexpensive and loads of fun.  We used a variety of materials...bottle caps; mosaic tiles, glass tiles (all found in the local craft stores); lots of scrapbook paper; diamond glaze.

Some of the pieces started last night

Tip:  to ensure proper drying tile, make them in stages....1) choose design and adhere the glass tile cabochon 2) maybe the next day or so...cut and shape the piece; add the backing and then add the bale.

If you are in the Austin Area and are trying to find a group to bead with, please find us at www.meetup.com/Austin-Jolly-Jems.

Resination 2

Yeah, part 2 of Resinwerks with +Danielle Baker at Nomadic Notions was just as fun and informative as last week.

Today's class focused on making pendants and other components using glass cabochons and Diamond Glaze. Materials list was fairly simple...besides the cabochons and Diamond Glaze you needed: decorative paper or photo or whatever material you wanted to encase in the cabochon; wax paper, Mod Podge, scissors.

The most preferred brand and often referred to

What is Diamond Glaze?

 

 It is a dimensional adhesive that dries to a clear glass-like finish. It securely holds Vellum, glass beads, glitter and many other mediums! Unlike other clear adhesives, Diamond Glaze is mixable with dye-based inks, watercolor, and pearlescent pigments. What artist studio would be complete without Diamond Glaze? This dimensional adhesive dries to a clear glass-like finish. You can use it directly over your artwork to create a raised finish, or use it as a glue to attach beads and glitter. Diamond Glaze is water-soluble when wet, but once dry, it is permanent, and difficult to remove. The manufacturer recommends covering any work surface while using this product. This versatile adhesive also mixes well with dye-based inks, watercolor, pearlescent pigments, and pastel chalks. A thin layer will dry quickly, but a thicker layer may take hours to dry, depending upon the humidity. It comes in a 2 fl. Oz. bottle, with a fine tipped applicator.

 

Tips for using Diamond Glaze as taken from Beading Daily...

 

1. Turn the glaze bottle upside down for a minute or two so the bubbles can go up and away from the applicator tip before you squirt it out. Squeeze a bit of the glaze onto a scrap piece of paper so the bubbles that are in the tip can come out on the paper, not your piece. If you still end up with bubbles in your piece, you can use a pin to drag each one to the edge of the work, allowing them to pop. If you still can’t make them pop, wave a match over the top of the piece to make the bubbles rise; then you can drag them more easily to the edge

2. When working with paper and adhesive glaze, seal the paper with acrylic sealer (you know—the stuff we used to decoupage magazine cut-outs onto charred wood in the 1960s?) first, both front and back; let thoroughly dry. This will ensure that the water from the glaze won’t be absorbed into the paper, possibly smearing the printed colors. I can’t tell you how important this is!

3. If you’re adding a paper image to a bezel that you’ll then be covering with glaze, make sure to glue the paper to the bezel and let dry before you cover it with glaze. This way the paper won’t float up to the top of the glaze.

4. The fact that the glaze is water-based has its upside and downside. The downside is that it isn’t waterproof, which is a bit of a problem for jewelry; you need to design accordingly. The upside is that if you’re doing a collage and totally mess up, you can soak the finding you’re working with in water, dig out the contents, and start over with the same finding.

5. Work in a well-ventilated area, no matter what kind of glue product you’re using. Save the buzz for a delicious Mad Men-style martini lunch with a side of cottage-cheese-and-walnuts-infused green Jello mold instead.
This process was much less time consuming than making the pendants with the ice resin and bezels...no curing time only time for the glaze to dry.

I've searched Michael's, Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's Fabric store and finding JudiKens Diamond Glaze is next to impossible...so the question was what are the other alternatives to using the JudiKens brand...here are some other options...I haven't used them so I can't vouch for quality or how they compare to JudiKens...Glossy Accents (by Ranger), 3D Crystal Lacquer (by Sakura), Royal Coat Dimensional Magic (by Plaid), Aleene's Paper Glaze (Duncan) and Liquid Embossing (All Night Media)

Here are the samples of my efforts...just need to add the bail. For one of them I'm going to make my own bail.

One of the things that makes this process more fun is doing them with a group of people who also enjoy it.  You get to see other ideas of how to use the products and layout your pieces...


Next up is Advanced Resinwerks where we'll learn how to make our own molds, adding color and other advance techniques.

Resination

The way to increase your skill in anything is to practice, practice, practice and oh yeah...take a class.

Thanks to +Danielle at Nomadic Notions, and her Resinwerks class, I am now a B student. Last Thursday I participated in the 1st of two sessions teaching this medium and I loved it. Take the lessons learn and somewhat understood from readings and other tutorials and actually put them into practice, I'm more prepared now.

Things learned and reinforced:

1. Prepping your material. For the class we used paper as our background scene so it was important to prep your material to avoid the Resin changing the look of your material. Prepping the paper was the process of using Mod Podge not only as an adhesive but also as a sealer...to seal the paper. Lesson learned: apply mod Podge in thin layers and allow to properly dry between each layer. If you choose to use a heat source to assist with drying be careful not to bake or burn your piece. During the class I prepped 3 pieces...



 

Prepped Background from a Magazine cutout
 

Prepped Background from sparkly scrapbooking paper

 

2. Design. Although one could simply use the background paper...most of us wanted to embellish our pieces. Thoughts and tips: think about the effect you want to achieve. Single dimensional or not...that helps with the "when" to add the embellishments. Also consider the materials that you will use as an embellishment as this too may have to be prepped. Other than that..the sky's the limit.



Adding the element of design
 











3. Resin mix. Consistency and precision are important in this step. Ensure you are accurate with your mix ratio and allow the time as indicated on your resin product instruction. Remove air bubbles.

4. Lastly, the pour.... Ensure your adhesive is completely dry before you mix or pour. Ensure your pour surface is level. Make sure that your resin gets into all the nooks and crannies. Don't, I repeat don't over pour. Add a test drop of resin to a spot in front of your work. This is what you'll use to test for doneness instead of touching the piece...you'll avoid fingerprints in your work.

Remember to blow gently to remove any air bubbles...don't inhale

5. Recommended tools: toothpicks and/or craft sticks to help you during the pour process. Wax paper to avoid spills on your countertop or other work surface. Something to level your work. The bales on the bezels I used tilted the piece so it had to be leveled for a consistent pour.

Exploring the World of Resin

While combing through Michael's today trying to figure out what to purchase with my 50% off coupon, I wandered over to the books and lo and behold I came across this book..."Exploring Resin Jewelry...Simple Techniques for 25 Projects" by Heidi Boyd

Having watched several youTube videos and downloaded many resin tutorials, I find this book a necessary tool for the toolbox. I read through the materials and tips sections and came away with a world of knowledge and a sense of being ready...really ready to delve into this medium. Clear and concise instructions and awesome pictorials leads Me to believe that I can do this!!!

Mastering Beadwork

About 3 months after I stared learning how to make beaded jewelry, I got bit by the bead weaving bug and didn't know where to turn. I went into one of my usual bead joints, Nomadic Notions, and asked for help. They pointed me in the direction of "Mastering Beadwork: A Comprehensive Guide to Off-loom Technique" by Carol Huber Cypher.  The tutorials are easy to follow and she eliminates points of question..."did she mean this? Did she mean that?"  Very easy to follow.













While I'm still perfecting my skills and won't claim being a "master"', thanks to Carol, I learned many stitches...

Netting, so many different things you can do with this stitch.  I did this bracelet or rather a modified version of this bracelet twice...sold one and couldn't bare to part with the other...yet!   I've gone on to learn the various stitches from peyote to the African Helix Stitch to Right Angle Weave (RAW) and the Daisy Chain.

So, if you are just beginning your beadweaving journey, "Mastering Beadwork" by Carol Huber Cypher is a great place to start!

Happy Beading!

Resin Ventures

I started beading in 2011 with basic stringing projects.  Since then, I've progressed to beadweaving and some wire work.  Lately, I've been wanting to expand my skills in my craft, by learning new media to work in that I may incorporate into my beadweaving. 

This initial curiosity has lead me to the world of resin.  What is RESIN, you might ask?  Wikipedia defines it as:  Resin in the most specific use of the term is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly coniferous trees. Resins are valued for their chemical properties and associated uses, such as the production of varnishes, adhesives and food glazing agents. They are also prized as an important source of raw materials for organic synthesis, and as constituents of incense and perfume.

Not quite familiar with what resin pieces look like... Here's a couple of samples...

What I'm liking about this media so far is that it can be as simple or as complex as your imagination can fly...stay with me as I learn and grow in this media.