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Monday, February 29, 2016

Fast curing resin

Yes, I said fast-curing! Don't believe me? Well here it is:


Amazing Casting Resin. And it IS amazing. It comes in a formula that dries clear and it also comes in a formula that becomes opaque white when it cures. You can paint it, distress it, drill holes in it and colour it in various ways. 

It's easy to use. You take a mold and warm it in the microwave for one minute. Then you mix the two-part Amazing Casting Resin. You will find it heats up quickly. Your open working time with it is very short -- less than a minute. Pour it quickly into the mold. Then wait: not overnight but about 15 minutes maximum. Yes, really. 

Unmold your piece and then embellish as you choose. 

This picture shows the mold and the white resin cast piece. I rubbed a plummy coloured alcohol ink into the piece then silver Rub and Buff. This treatment really brings out the flowers in the molded piece beautifully. 


A close-up of the resin piece:




Here are a few pieces created using the Amazing Casting Resin. They are in various states of completion. 

Watch for Amazing Casting Resin when it comes to Beadfx. You will be amazed at how easy it is to use. And the opaque white resin opens a whole new design palate to work with. 



Sunday, February 28, 2016

InspirationFX: Lotus Sun



Lotus Sun
 
by: Kelly Garland

This bright sunny piece will lift your spirits and it's super easy on the pocketbook! This necklace incorporates a couple different techniques which also offer different options if you're so inclined. Beadfx carries a wide range of colour choices for in both the Glider Paste and Swarovski Rivoli selection. All the findings are brass which is a strong metal that offers a nice aged gold look.

Directions

 Before we put these components together we're going to color the sunflower with gliders paste and glue in the Swarovski Rivoli. These should sit for a couple of hours to cure. If it's still sticky to touch let it sit for a longer period.

1. First prepare to add some colour using the Gliders Paste. Grab an old cloth or some type of polish applicator and newspaper. It's somewhat stinky, so wear a mask if you're sensitive. Follow the directions on the Gliders package for paste preparation. Apply the paste to the four leaves of the frame, rubbing firmly so the paste gets into the engraved lines. Let dry, then buff.

2. Now for the Swarovski crystal. Using a cotton swab, apply glue to the inner circle frame. Drop your crystal into the frame, making sure it is sitting level in the bezel cup. I used Super Glue for this project but E6000 would work as well. Just use sparingly so it doesn't flow over. Let sit to dry.

3. Once dry, add the jump ring to the flower and then the bail.

4. String your chain through the bail and add a jump ring to the last chain link for the toggle.

5. Add the toggle. Look fabulous.



















 

Components

Go to our components list for this project and to buy what you need!
Need some help with some of the techniques? Check our tips page.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Stone the Crows!

Stone the Crows!

s47933 Stone Beads -  Carved Oval - Crystal QuartzNo crows were harmed in the making of this update. They, were, however, mightily offended. Hence - the complete absence of crows. No crows whatsoever. Lots of stones, though. It's as clear as Crystal quartz - we have some lovely stones this week!


s48020 Stone Pendant -  Carved Pendant - White JadeIf you are looking for something very different and mysterious - we have this one of a kind carved White Jade Pendant. I say mysterious because I can't actually figure out what it is carved to be. A headless tiger climbing up an anatomically correct heart is my best guess - feel free to reinterpret as you wish.

s48028 Stone Pendant -  Horse Eye OOAK - Sonoran JasperIf your taste is for the unique, but not quite so incomprehensible, we have some other OOAK (One Of A Kind) pendants in Dendritic Agate with Druzy, Chalcedony with Druzy, Jade, and Sonoran Jasper.


s47979 Stone Beads - 8 mm Big Hole Faceted Round - Birdseye RhyoliteMaybe you'd like to combine some Birdseye Rhyolite with that Sonoran Jasper? We have a whole spectrum of stones!


 
s48017 Stone Pendant -  Irregular Rough Fan Pendant Set - Dog Tooth AmethystWe have fan sets - use these together in a big statement piece, or make 5 matching pieces - these are different from the usual fan set in that they are rough-finished on one side, and flat on the other, for an earthy and natural look.





s47927 Stone Beads - 10 mm Round - Russian Amazonite AAMoving out of the earthtones for a s47931 Stone Beads - 8 x 16 mm Rice - Chrysocolla (strand)minute, we have some Malachite, African Turquoise (Teal Jasper), Chrysocolla, and some wonderful Russian double-A grade Amazonite - with a rich, vibrant colour that you don't see much of these days!




We also have ss47920 Stone Beads - 8 x 10 mm Tumbled Nugget - Green Garnet (strand)ome Green Garnet. When you think garnet - you probably don't think "green" - but this is a member of the garnet family.



 
s47934 Stone Beads - 4 mm Rondelle - Lapis Lazuli (strand)And of course, some Lapis, because "blue."

And if that isn't enough blue, there is s48000 Stone Beads - 10 mm Round - Royal Blue Tigereye (Dyed)Blue Tigereye (Dyed).






s48009 Stone Pendant -  Wave Shape - Lapis LazuliAnd then there are the pendants. Like this elegant wave shape Lapis pendant.


s48002 Stone Pendant -  Writhing Dragon - Golden ObsidianOr this carved Golden Obsidian dragon. (Or this one!)





s48005 Stone Pendant -  Chris P Bacon - Golden Obsidian
Or this happy little fellow - Chris P. Bacon.





A wonderful collection of stones this week - so put on your collector's hat and your designer's hat, and your "I'm in my happy, creative place" hat!
Check out all the new items here or click on a link above! Go forth and create and be happy!

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Rings and things and resin!

I started thinking about what I was going to write this week....and then....absolutely nothing!!! Don't you hate it when that happens? Nothing funny or bright or even remotely interesting crossed my thinking path. Were my creative neurons on strike? What to do, what to do? Then I started reflecting on what was going on around me, and came up with a few ideas! The first one is freeform related (see last Wednesday's post), and has to do with my obsessive need to try out everything that interests me.
Karen Williams posted some delicious little Valentine rings on her Baublicious blog. I drooled and obsessed for a while, and then decided to give it a try. Her idea for the starting string of beads is solid, but of course I didn't end up making mine that way! No little charms because I don't own any....but I do reserve the right to add a few in the future. How about a little Swarovski heart or a sparkly dangle? Pretty but fragile....I wonder? The blue/green ring is my first and it's a little large, but does fit my middle finger. The black/grey one turned out just right, and I absolutely love it! I'm simply enchanted with this process, and predict many more rings in my future (and perhaps even a wee workshop). It's amazing how much design you can pack into these little treasures!
Next obsession, resin! When you forget to bring along your personal supply of bezels (to the workshop you're teaching), you're forced to improvise. I had a "what if" moment and decided to turn more trash into treasure. I've used metal bottle caps before, but I wondered what would happen if I included some rayon thread ends (saved from my fibre days) and then added Ice Resin in to a larger plastic cap. The metal bottle cap (with a few small shells and a bit of birch bark) turned out great, but the plastic cap was certainly not awe inspiring! Mainly because the colourful threads darkened considerably, and seemed to suck all the light out of the piece. Not entirely daunted, I decided to add some teeny stones, a bit of dyed silk cocoon, and a final sprinkle of fine glitter (to represent pond scum). It's not perfect, but certainly improving. I still need to disguise the white plastic, but what if I made a bead embroidery piece, cut a hole in it and then inserted the little pond? Wouldn't that be interesting? I'll probably cover up the white plastic with Apoxie Sculpt (I'm giving a workshop on that tomorrow evening), Gilders Paste, and perhaps a dash of Vintag Patinas! I know, I probably should have done all this before adding the resin, but oh well!
Improvise, improvise, and improvise some more! If you're obsessed, it probably means the universe wants you to do something about it. Also remember that creativity sometimes takes a vacation, but will always return!!

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

March into Spring with
Terrific Classes

The coming of March it means that Spring is finally just around the corner! If you've been suffering from cabin fever, then break the monotony and come on out for a class or two and get those creative juices flowing again.

We have a number of NEW classes in the first half of March. Pauline Peskoff, a new instructor with BeadFX, is teaching a bracelet and earring set that is perfect for daytime wear or glammed up for evening wear. Metal enthusiasts will love Iris Rogers Melamed's updated spinner ring. Liz Reynolds is teaching a 2-day metal clay class using Hadar's Clay to create a new slider bracelet design. Cindy Goldrick is combining leather and rivets for a bracelet. Deborah Beesley is bringing us a new wire twisting project for an exciting and beautiful necklace! Last, but definitely not least, Chistine Woollacott is teaching a new cloisonne project.

Of course, we have lots of encore classes happening too in case you missed a chance to take them before.

Here are the classes scheduled March 1 - 15:

Thursday, March 4
Open Metal Studio: Hot and Cold Connections
Facilitator: Iris Rogers Melamed
6:00 - 9:00pm





Friday, March 4
NEW "Elizabeth" Bracelet/Earrings Set
Instructor: Pauline Peskoff
6:00 - 9:00pm




Saturday, March 5
From Junk to Beads: Making Paper Beads
Instructor: Anne Marie Desaulniers
10:00am - 5:00pm

UPDATED DESIGN Hot Connections: Spinner Ring
Instructor: Iris Rogers Melamed
10:30am - 4:30pm

Sunday, March 6
Wire Wrapping: Simple Bangle
Instructor: Jen Rosen
12:00 - 3:00pm

Wire Wrapped Stone Bracelet
Instructor: Bonni Poch
12:30 - 3:30pm

Thursday, March 10
Open Metal Studio: Kiln Enamelling
Facilitator: Christine Woollacott
5:00 - 9:00pm

Wire Macrame on Flat Leather
Instructor: Pamela Kearns
6:00 - 9:00pm

Friday, March 11
NEW Metal Clay Medallion Slider Bracelet
Instructor: Liz Reynolds
11:00am - 5:00pm
(continues Friday, March 18; 11:00am - 5:00pm)

Open Metal Studio: Metalwork
Facilitator: Cindy Goldrick
5:00 - 8:00pm

Saturday, March 12
Viking Knit
Instructor: Cindy Goldrick
10:00am - 1:00pm

NEW Moto Chic Leather Riveted Bracelet
Instructor: Cindy Goldrick
2:00 - 5:00pm

Sunday, March 13
NEW Cloisonne on Sheet Metal
Instructor: Christine Woollacott
11:00am - 4:00pm

NEW Romancing the Pearl Necklace
Instructor: Deborah Beesley
11:30am - 4:30pm




Complete information about all classes and open sessions is on our website. Click on 'Classes' and follow the link to the March calendar.

Bring your projects and join us at our FREE open bead opportunities: 

Wednesday, March 2
Open Bead Night
Facilitator: BeadFX staff members Bonnie Cottingham, Pamela Kearns or Malliga Nathan
6:00 - 8:00pm  


Thursday, March 3

Thursday, March 10

Afternoon Bead Tea

Facilitator: Pamela Kearns

1:00 - 3:00pm



BeadFX is proud to offer these FREE open sessions; however please use our merchandise in our facility. Thank you. 

Monday, February 22, 2016

InspirationFX: The Cuff Stuff



The Cuff Stuff
 
by: Dwyn Tomlinson

This is a fun and simple project - it just requires a bit of patience to glue the ends on. I made it with a scrap of leather from my stash - in a colour that is, of course, now sold out. The key is to use one of the leathers with a hollow core down the centre. I used the mini-regaliz - but you could use the full size, or even two pieces of the 5 mm hollow.

First, as always with any project that requires gluing - dry fit the ends of the leather into the crystal ends to make sure they fit.

Cut a piece of heavy wire and slide it into the hollow core, and trim to match the length of the leather precisely. This bracelet looks good as a side-pass or with just the ends meeting like a cuff - so it is flexible as to how much leather (and wire) you need. Minimum would be 6 inches, but more is good too. This is especially good if you have just a random piece hanging around like I did.

It would probably be easier to keep the wire flat and glue one end on - let the glue dry - and then glue the other end, and then bend the wire to shape. But I never do things the easy way - I bent the wire first, and then had to figure out how to keep the whole bracelet propped upright so that the glue would set without leaking down onto the leather. I did this by putting it with the ends oriented downward onto the desk, and then sticking them into a generous hunk of polymer clay so that it could sit there and set up overnight.

Pretty simple really - and I've been wanted to use those crystal ends for a bit now!














 

Components

Go to our components list for this project and to buy what you need!
Need some help with some of the techniques? Check our tips page.