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!!

I'm late, I'm late, and my creative dilemma!

Once again, I seem to have given myself a bit of a challenge! What better time to do this, than when you're supposed to be madly shopping, creating, wrapping and sending gifts off to the west and the north? Rats! I do this every single year, while vowing to never do it again. Despite this fact, I don't remember ever being late for the big event. If you pay enough dollars to the postal gurus, and remember to send your parcels a few days early, your package will get there on time (I always keep my fingers crossed,and still worry). Although most of my shopping is done, I haven't wrapped a single present, despite the fact that it's already the 16th. I know what I'll be doing, later today!! But wait, I ran out of tape......aaargh!

Back to my dilemma! I don't really want to wrap, I want to play! I seem to be in a high creative phase, and I've been madly working with both Ice Resin, and Apoxie Sculpt. Not in the same project, of course, and both are quite different, but fun just the same! For those of you, not familiar with Apoxie Sculpt, it's a two-part epoxie clay, similar to Crystal Clay. BeadFX carries both products, and the only reason I've chosen to work with this one, is that I already had a couple of tubs of it, in my stash. I also like the fact that it comes in a plastic container, with a tight fitting lid. That's important, when you're not planning on using it all up on a single project, as it won't dry out. I purchased a fairly large quantity (like the ones, shown below), before I realized that BeadFX carried the product. Another interesting fact about Apoxie is that, while it has a fairly long shelf life, you can actually freeze it, to extend it even further (but I don't know if the same can be done, to Crystal Clay). You will also be able to thaw it out, use it, and then re-freeze, without compromising the integrity of the product. Sculptors use it to sculpt and carve, and I've seen some very creative pieces, made out of this medium (especially in the world of dolls). You can even use it to repair, almost anything. As usual, YouTube is full of videos to delight you!

My personal challenge, is to come up with a project, that's completely different from many of the two-part epoxy pieces, that I've seen in the past. Oh, don't get me wrong, I love the look of the crystal based pieces, but I have a burning need, to make something completely different! Not being a sparkle girl, and still in love with my techniques, I'll be designing something, more mixed media inspired. My first piece is actually finished, although it seems to be more of a hybrid, than true mixed media. It does include crystals, but I also mixed in some pearls and metal, to give it more of an edge. The components are already laid out for my second piece, and it's turning out to be quite different. More metal, a teeny bit of sparkle, and a non-traditional coating or two. Will it work? Only time will tell! I'm working this up for a class sample, so won't be able to show the photos, until it's up on the site. I believe that this new workshop, has been scheduled for February.

I originally purchased the Apoxie Sculpt, for last year's Toronto Bead Society, Bag of Beads challenge. I made a doll, out of a silver plated spoon, fork, plate, fibre, polymer clay, and the challenge beads. I ended up attaching the face to the doll, and the doll to the base (a small silver plate), with the Apoxie Sculpt. I've learned that it will virtually attach anything, to anything!!! The photos, don't really show the Apoxie Sculpt, but believe me, it's on there, and it's rock hard!!! I buried a few beads on it, and sculpted it to look a little like grass (I never said that I was a sculptor, did I?).

The Ice Resin piece that I mentioned earlier, is a gift, so I won't be discussing it, except to say that it involves my monoprinted paper, metal, leather, and I'm happy to say that it's finished! While it's curing (resin dries overnight, but takes 3 days to cure), I'm going to let myself play with the Apoxie a little more. Now, what are you up to this week? Still scrambling to buy, or make that perfect present? Or perhaps you're just relaxing with a snack, beverage, and sappy TV movie of your choice? Whatever you're doing, enjoy the season!

More playing with resin

I've been (very slowly) working on some projects that will allow us to teach a resin class this fall. As I think I've mentioned a few times already - with the kids home for the summer, I'm really not getting too much done.  :-)

The other day I was experimenting with painting the resin on paper. It could be the humidity, but it just isn't hardening up like I thought it would. I want to make some teeny/tiny little book necklaces out of actual paper, and bound with  a hinged metal clay cover. I can see these in both silver, and copper or bronze. Could be a lot of fun!  I think I'll have to wait a few more days and see how the paper hardens up.

Pics to come once I have time to actually make it! (don't hold your breath for this one) ;-)

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.

More playing around

I don't have any pics today, but they will come tomorrow. I've been playing around a bit more with resin, and polymer clay! I've always been extremely challenged when it comes to polymer clay. Everything I've ever made looks like it was made by a child ;-) What was always most frustrating about this, is that I have seen some fabulous work combining polymer clay with metal clays. My problems usually occurred during baking. It would bubble up, and/or burn, among other problems.

I recently came across a tutorial from an artist whose patinas I've long admired. Shannon Levart of Miss Fickle Media. She takes bare copper, and solutions of chemicals to create absolutely fabulous colours on copper. She of course also had a tutorial on how to manipulate polymer clay. It was so worth the money, as I realized I was being too hasty in my handling of the clay. Her tips were worth the price of admission 10 times over.

(edited note:)
I just poked through Shannon's etsy site again, and I discovered she also has a tutorial on how to emboss on the polymer clay bases (which was the tut I was talking about it). Check it out!

 I have to say, resin on top of polymer clay looks incredible! The colours just pop, and it's just oh so shiny... :-)  If you're a poly clay newbie, you may want to check this out.  Shannon used rub on transfers for her demonstration pieces. That was one thing I didn't have, Instead I used some rubber stamps, and embossing powder.

Once I finish playing around with the polymer, I've got a few ideas swimming around in my head to combine the resin, polymer, and metal clay.

I've also got a wee update on my metal clay/resin hearts. I decided to give up on the transparancy idea. I couldn't get them cut out properly, and it just didn't have the look I was going for. I stuck with using the regular paper...coated in ice resin of course. I was going to post them on my etsy site, but of course I ran out of sterling lobster clasps....sigh.  And of course, when I come in to buy the clasps, I'll find at least another $50 (hah...) worth of stuff I need/want. Who wants to take a bet I manage to leave the store having only spent $50? ;-)