Steampunk Bolo

 I am starting to make a little gift for my husband.  It is amazing to see what can be done with a simple mold shape.

 A few weeks ago I showed you this tray and started a week of "how to's" featuring it.

 This is what the tray looked like full of all my ideas.

 In one of the mold openings I dropped in some watch parts.  Envirotex Lite worked so beautifully for this clear glassy piece.

Luckily for me this shape is an industry standard.  I found this bolo tie component and my molded shape fit perfectly!

The Grandfather Clock Mold - Part Two

 My grandfather clock piece has now been renamed "Time Flies."

 Yesterday I brought you to the point where my molded clock was re-coloured.

 I wanted to add the some sort of wing so I used Apoxie Sculpt as my attachment glue.

 These pieces are now permanently attached.

 I also wanted to add the words "Time flies."  I printed this and then glued it to the clock interior.  Brass birds were also glued into place.

 I did protect the paper with three coats of Ultra Seal.

 A filled the opening with Envirotex Lite and let it cure for 24 hours.  It still needs to cure for another 24 hours but I wanted to take this picture!

I also filled this shallow area with Envirotex Lite so it would look like a glass door.

I can't wait to design my necklace next!

The Grandfather Clock Mold - Part One

 I made a new mold this week with EasyMold from Environmental Technology Inc.

 I found this miniature grandfather clock at an antique market a few weeks ago.  I wanted to incorporate it into something wearable....but it is too heavy and a little too thick.

 So I made a mold and I then I made up a batch of Envirotex Lite.  I wanted my clock to be brown too, so added the Opaque Brown Pigment to my mixed batch of resin.

 My molded piece is much thinner.  Now I can use it as something wearable!

 I sanded all the edges. 

 Then I pulled out my collection of Gilders Paste.  This is a very simple but beautiful way to colour my molded piece.

As you can see there is an opening that I need to use.  

Tomorrow I'll show you part two!

Resin On Canvas - Two Techniques

 I have two sweet canvases hanging in our kitchen.  I have been learning some flower painting techniques this summer and some of my experiments have turned out really well.  Since I wanted these two sunny paintings to hang in the kitchen, coating them in resin will make them waterproof and resistant to any food or water back splash.

There are several ways to coat a canvas.  I mixed up a batch of Envirotex Lite for the first technique.  You can learn a lot more about this by watching the YouTube video ETI has on their website.

 I poured the resin on the canvas and let it drip over the sides.  Do you see the drips?  These can cure like this, so it is important to keep brushing these drips away with a pop cycle stick for the first hour.

 The second technique is a little trickier.  I tape the edges of my canvas forming what looks like a bezel.

 This holds the resin on the surface.  Resin does not drip down the sides.

 Instead, get a thick layer of resin that looks like glass when everything is cured and you remove the taped edges.

This is my favorite technique.  I did sand the edges to get this nice smooth beveled edge.

The Bakeware Surprise - Update

 Here is how I plan to wear one of the pieces I made in last week's post:  The Silicone Bakeware Surprise.  I was not expecting so many comments!  I was at the Craft and Hobby show in Chicago and was not able to see the name of the company that made the pan.

 This is the pan I worked in.

 I think it will be easier for you to see why my bauble is so interesting with this picture.  The pan has all the curves and indents.  I pre-planned my coloured resin pours to line up with each level in the pan openings.

Here is who made the pan!

The Tiny Resin Project!

 This is my smallest project for Resin Crafts blog. 

 I had this button in my button jar.  The center fell out and it occurred to me that rather than gluing it back in, I could use what was now a bezel!

 It is about 3/4 inch wide.  A sweet embellished button.

 So I gathered a few small things.  A floral back ground and a tiny seated man.  I wanted this button to look like he was sitting in a garden.

I poured in some Envirotex Lite and a few glass beads.  Ta Da!!  Anyone else working in teeny tiny bezels?

Open Back Pendant Frame

 I really like to create embellishments that make you think that imagery is suspended in glass.  Here is a new pendant featuring some love birds and flowers.

 It started out as something from my junk drawer.  Somewhere in my travels I came across this bezel frame and thought I might like to put a cameo into the open setting.

 Instead I covered the back of the pendant with tape.  This is the open back bezel technique which I have featured on the blog already.

 With the tape in place I poured a tiny amount or Envirotex Lite resin into the bezel.  When it cured (in this case I did wait a full 48 hours so that the resin was super hard) I was able to remove the tape at the back and work on the new clear bezel surface.

 Here is what I embedded in a final pour of resin.

Another great new pendant!

Inspirational Resin Pieces

After creating yesterday's resin embellishments I am excited about the possibility of doing more colour layering.  This is a picture I took of some amazing resin jewelery in Paris in April.  Just looking at these samples inspires me to try even more experimentation.

The Silicone Bakeware Surprise

These are the most original resin embellishments I have made.  I had no idea that they would turn out so well.

Last week I had two posts showing you how I was pouring resin into these bake ware silicone pans.  I had never used this pan with resin, so really, these were meant to be an experiment.

Here is a close up of one of my pieces.  I have even drilled a hole in them so I can add them to a necklace.

Once again I find myself saying "I can do anything with Envirotex Lite!"

Working in Silicone Bakewear - Part Two

Yesterday I gave you my resin recipe for working in a bakeware  pan.

I feel like I am creating a cool cake.

So, I am adding one more layer!

I mixed up a small batch of Envirotex Lite and added Opaque White Pigment.

Pour about 1/8 of an inch worth in each pan opening.  This is now layer four.

First layer:  Clear resin

Second layer:  Paper image

Third layer:  Red resin

Fourth layer:  White resin.

Just remember:  the fourth layer will be the bottom when I pop these molds!

Can't wait to take these out of the mold to see what I've "cooked" up!

See you Monday with my results!

They will either be fabulous or an embarrassing blog post to write up!

Working In Silicone Bakeware - Part One

 I have received a few emails about working in molds that were created for baking food.  I have found some really interesting non-stick food quality silicone molds in my travels.  I pour resin into them all the time!

So I have started a project this week to show you one of my my molds in action. 

Here is my pan recipe.
Mix up a small batch of Envirotex Lite and pour it into these mold openings.  Do not pour more than about 1/8th of an inch into each opening.
Let first pour cure over night.   A clear first pour will make you images pop.
Remember that you are working backwards.  The bottom of the mold is the top when you remove the cured final piece.
Place an image face down into that resin.  Protect the image back with three layers of Ultra-Seal or Mod Podge.  Let all the glue dry.
Mix up another batch of Envirotex Lite.  Add opaque red pigment colorant.  Pour this into the openings
Let this cure.
Come back to the blog tomorrow for finished batch.