Resin and metal clay....there is so much you can do!!!!

It has been a while since I have pulled out my resin and used it with my metal clay, but it is quite a fun way to add colour, pictures or treasures to your metal clay. I know Jen has been working with papers, resin and metal clay - lovely stuff. Let's look at other uses for resin with metal clay and at the end I will add one tip I discovered along the way.

When I first started using resin several years ago, BeadFX didn't carry any and I was having a hard locating it locally, until I walked into my local big box building center and found a two part resin type product by a company called Circa 1850. I decided I would try it out and guess what it worked out just fine.

Now BeadFX carries ICE Resin, and I hear it is great stuff...but I need to use up my current resin before I buy some (trying to abide by that rule anyway). ICE Resin has a great site explaining how use it www.iceresin.com. There is detailed information on how to mix, how to colour, how to cast and more!!! Check out this great resource.

Hear are a few examples of what I have done with resin:

Added pictures:


For this piece sized and printed out the pictures on to card stock. I have found that thin paper will go slightly translucent with the resin and make the pictures look odd.

Added colour:


Several ways to colour your include adding dyes, pigment powders, oil paints and more.



Added Objects:


You can add interesting things in your resin. Above, I added candied sprinkles....


The one thing that I have not seen in all the resources I have searched is what to do if you don't like your resin. Can it be taken off? Am I the only person that has asked this question? I experimented and I found it can be removed, unfortunately, with some pretty heavy duty chemicals. What has worked for me is using the Circa 1850 Heavy Body Paint and Varnish Remover. I have applied a layer of the remover on top of the resin, allowed it to sit, then with a tooth pick and a stiff brush scrubbed it off. Sometimes several applications are needed....Beware this stuff is toxic use appropriate protection. So if you must remove that resin, there is an option. If anyone have found any other solutions let me know.