Creating Your Own Faux Gemstones with Resin - Part 2

Working with resin can be a lot of fun once you get into it.  To make things go smoothly, it helps to be organized and everything laid out ready to go before you start mixing as you only have around 45 minutes to complete everything before it starts to thicken.  I like to set a timer for the first 30 minutes so I have a warning to speed up my process a bit if I haven't used it all up yet and have another 10-15 minutes before it starts to thicken.  I find at times I can underestimate how far my resin can go and rather than waste it, I like to have lots of items prepped and ready to fill just in case.

You can see in the above photo how I keep my small items such as snaps, earrings and buttons level while filling with the resin and during the curing process.  These are just pieces of pegboard.  I cover them in tin foil to protect them from spills and as a safety precaution when using the torch for blasting air bubbles.

So here are a few more tips I would like to share with you when working with the Art Resin and various inclusions.  There are so many more ideas than what I show here and experimenting can be so much fun.

Work Area

It is good to cover your work area with paper or something that can be discarded when you are finished.  Resin and inclusions tend to spill all over and is the easiest way to keep your work space or home from damage or messes as a result.

If working with the German Glass Glitter, keep in mind that it is glass and can result in slivers so you want to be sure to clean up after around you, especially the floor area.

Faux Opals

I love the effect of the faux opals but they are a little more challenging to work with.  The material is very light and so therefore while curing the resin, they tend to float to the top.  When you are working with an inclusion that has these properties it works best if you do them in two stages.  There are two methods for this:  (sorry I didn't get a chance to take photos but will add later when I get the chance)

Method A

Mix the inclusion in with the resin to create a thick slurry.  Scoop the mixture into your bezel but only half filling it or allowing enough space on top to add a clear coat of resin to finish later.
** Please see Update at bottom of this page.

Method B

Add a small amount of resin to fill just the bottom of your piece.  Scoop some opal inclusion into your bezel, tapping off any excess.  The resin on the bottom will help keep most of it on the bottom.  You can then add a bit more resin on top to allow the opal mixture to settle.  Leave enough space on top to add a clear coat of resin to finish later.

After following either Method A or B and allowing to cure for at least 3 or 4 hours, top up your piece with clear resin.  You can also wait until the pieces are totally cured to finish off with the second coat.

Faux Cobalt Blue Opal - Earrings and Interchangeable Snap

Glitter as an Inclusion

Regular glitter can be used as an inclusion but keep in mind that most are very buoyant and just like the faux opals, they will float to the top so will need to be done in two stages as well by using either method A or B above.

I do find the glitters rather messy and like to fill my pieces over a clean sheet of paper.  Any excess can then be dumped back into the container without wasting.  Some of my glitter on the paper tends to get mixed so I collect a random mixture in another container to use later on.

Left over glitter mixture

German Glass Glitter

German Glass Glitter is real glass and doesn't react the same way as regular types of glitter.  Because it is less buoyant, it can be covered in resin all in one step as it will naturally settle to the bottom of your piece.  I like to follow method B (above) when filling my pieces with this inclusion.  When covering with more resin you can then fill it so it is nicely domed.

Crackle Effect

Crackled effects are popular among the polymer clay community and there are various techniques in creating it.  Whatever technique you like to use, it too can also be covered in resin to create a unique glass-like finish.  If using alcohol inks, you might not realize that they can fade over time if exposed to light (particular UV rays).  It is good to know that unlike most resins, Art Resin contains a UV resistant stabilizer which can prevent, or at least slow down the fading process.  I have more experimenting to do yet with this but is good to know if you like to use the inks to create your crackle effect.

To make the snaps shown below, I filled them first with a very thin layer of crackled clay.  They were then baked and cooled before covering with the Art Resin.

Faux Stained Glass

While stained glass isn't a gemstone, I felt this idea was suitable to share here.  The butterfly shown below was more a result from some experimenting I was doing with my left over resin.  Because this metal piece has no backing, I added packing tape to the back making sure it was stuck on really good so resin would not seep underneath.

To fill the piece, I mixed in some yellow glitter and a drop of yellow alcohol ink (be careful not to add too much or it will prevent the resin from curing.  I then filled some of the areas I wanted in yellow.  I then added some dark orange glitter to the mixture I still had left and then filled in the remaining spaces.

After the piece has cured the packing tape can be removed.  You can clean up the back after with "Goo Gone" to get rid of any sticky residue.  I have a link for it but found it for a much lower price in my local grocery store.

Faux Enamel

A faux enamel effect can be created by adding inclusions that are more opaque.  I have tried various inclusions such as mica pigment powders.  Just be careful not to add too much or it will prevent the resin from curing.  I usually add the tiniest amount and then see how it mixes up and then add a tiny bit more if necessary.  For these pieces I covered the back with packing tape as shown above.  I mixed up several colors in disposable cups and then played around filling in the various spaces.

For the large circles pendant, I hand drilled a hole in after the piece was cured.  I didn't want it to crack so I started with a small drill bit and then worked up to a larger size.  The drill vise shown here I found at Shades of Clay.  It fits various drill be sizes and is so handy.

Combining Inclusions

I sometimes like mixing different inclusions for a whole new effect.  These snaps were creating using the Silver German Glass Glitter and then sprinkling on some regular glitter on top to add a touch of color.

Or here are some other color combinations created using the German Glass Glitter.

German Glass Glitter - Left to Right:  Sky, Sky & Chartreuse, Chartreuse

And of course, don't forget about the various molds you can use with resin to create faux gemstones.  I haven't experimented to much with this yet but intend to in future.  I found these molds and was testing them out to see how they worked and love how clean they came out after curing.  These were made using the last bit of resin after filling the butterfly.  I am not quite sure how I will use or finish off these pieces yet but will share it with you when I do.

And if you are looking for some of the metal pieces I have been using on my blog, I have them available in my online store in the supplies section.  I recently added some new ones and have a limited supply only.

**Update on Working with the Faux Opals:
I have only used method B for the faux opals until now and I did not realize that the finished appearance between the two methods can be quite different.  Here is an example to show you.  The snap on the left was created using Method A and the one on the right Method B.

And the same here with these two pendants.  The one on the left I used Method B and the one on the right Method A.

You can see that with method A (mixing the faux opal in with the resin and then filling, creates a more "cloudy" appearance but is also "softer" than method B.  This isn't necessarily bad but important to know for the finished look you are aiming for.

New Shawl and Collaboration

Over the past few months I have been collaborating with a good friend of mine, Carmen, who is also in the same Artisan Co-op Market that I am in.  She is a talented crocheter and goes by "Stitches in Tyme - Contemporary Crochet".  I have been posting some of her pieces with my buttons and shawl pins on my facebook page but I wanted to share more about it here.

This is a shawl she recently made for me.  I had the yarn sitting around hoping I could find the time to eventually make something but never seemed to manage it.  So I was more than happy to give it over to Carmen when she offered and now I am so excited I have my finished piece and can hardly wait to wear it!

Isn't it lovely?  It is also super soft and drapes so beautifully.  The yarn is from Colour Adventures and in a Cupcake blend which took 2 "cakes" to create.

The shawl sticks are from my Snap Decisions Collection which have a snap base and you can interchange the decorative snaps.

Carmen has other beautiful shawls that she has created available in the Shuswap Artisan Market.  I have matched up some optional shawl pins to coordinate in case someone is looking for that perfect match.

Or if you would like Carmen to make something special for you, she does custom orders.  You can see more of her creations on her facebook page here.

Carmen also crochets hats, scarves, finger-less gloves and unique baskets, just to name a few.  We have also teamed up by adding a snap base, instead of typical buttons to some of her hats.

This is so much fun as you can choose your preferred accent design and interchange them for a whole new look!  We have a selection available in my online store and if you would like Carmen to make you a different color or design with an added snap base, just contact me or Carmen with your request.

Life's Hurdles & More Shows

It never fails. Just when you are gaining momentum and feel you are right on track, life throws some hurdles to jump over.  I decided to jump and do my best to keep going.  It started a couple of weeks ago when I decided I needed to clean my eyeglasses as things were suddenly blurry.  I soon discovered that wasn't the problem and my left eye was actually blurry and I was seeing floaters.  Later that evening I was seeing some sparks which was not a good sign.  After seeing my optometrist, I was rushed in for emergency eye surgery the next day.  I had a small hole and horseshoe tear in my retina and was at high risk of the retina becoming detached.  They told me it was good they caught it in time as surgery for a detached retina is not something I would want to go through as it is pretty serious.

After the laser surgery, I was informed that my eye was still in extreme danger and for the next few weeks there was to be no bending over, stooping or lifting anything more than 10 lbs.  I had some shows coming up in a few days and was a bit worried how I was going to manage.  I was considering cancelling but decided to go ahead but with extreme caution and the help of a couple of friends. 

So the Craft-a-Fair and Trunk show at Silhouette Fashion Boutique were in the same week and both  went very well -- even with all the worrying.  I feel my eye is healing but still another week to go so will proceed still with caution.  This Saturday I will be doing another Trunk show in Salmon Arm but this time at Intwined Fibre Arts.  The main focus is still my Snap Decisions Collection but this time focusing mainly on items for scarves, shawls and sweaters.

My last (Christmas) show for this year is the Okanagan Artisan Sale at the Vernon Lodge.  This show has a great reputation with high quality artists that are accepted in only by a jury so is a real thrill to be a vendor this year.

After my last show I have other things I want to focus on.  I haven't written or published any tutorials in a while and have several in the background ready to finish.  So it is a surprise but a few word hints would be:  resin, buttons and bling!

Huge Sale on Snap Supplies!

I can hardly believe that winter is starting to set in and that Christmas is just around the corner.  My first Christmas show for the year is already this Sunday.  I will be at the Kamloops Craft-a-Fair in the same location as the past 8 years.

If you are working on your Christmas shows or thinking of making your own gifts this year, I am having a huge Flash Sale of 35% off all my Snap Supplies! -- but hurry as this does not happen often and it is only for a few days!  Sale ends Friday, November 2, midnight.

* Use Coupon Code:    SNAPS35OFF

at the checkout in my online store.

* Prices are in Canadian currency

* Shipping is a flat fee --
-- no matter how much you purchase!!

* Free shipping with a minimum purchase

(after any discount codes have been applied)

If you haven't purchased my Snap Decisions Tutorial but have been thinking about it, that is on sale right now too!  The price has already been reduced so no coupon code is necessary.  As a bonus, if you purchase the Parts 1 & 2 tutorial package, you will receive your own personal and permanent discount code for 25% off anything in our snap supply section.

Notice:  If you have purchased this tutorial and never received a permanent discount code and would like to receive one, contact me with your request.

The Shuswap Artisan Market is Now Open!

I am so excited to be a part of the Shuswap Artisan Market again this year.  It is actually a Cooperative with 26 artisans sharing the space and working together to create an awesome shopping experience.  It is in Sorrento but in a new location -- still on the Trans Canada Hwy but on the opposite side of the Petro-Can station and right next to Steamers Coffee.  The other exciting news is that this market will be open year round!

That is Debbie and Rose in the above photo.  They are two of the artists in the market that made it all happen.  They both have worked very hard behind the scenes in organizing and decorating the place.  They have done an awesome job and each one of us are so proud and appreciative!

The market opened on the 1st but our Grand Opening is tomorrow (Saturday May 5th).  I will be doing a demo out front and will be there at 1pm for an hour or so.  If you are in the area, stop by and say hi and check it all out!

For more info on the market, you can visit the facebook page.  There is even a video for a sneak peek of the inside.

Recovering and Getting Back on Track

So I realized I hadn't posted since March and now the Fibres West Show has already come and gone.  It was a very busy time and I must say I am glad the show is over so I can catch up with other things.  Unfortunately, life does get in the way and I recently came down with pneumonia and so now trying to get over that.  I guess I was pushing myself a little too hard and I think I have learned my lesson about taking care of me better, which I now plan to do more of from now on.

In the meantime, I thought I would share a few photos from the Fibres West show and will try and post more often again to keep you a little more up to date on things.

We had a wide range of our hand crafted accessories available at the show such as buttons, seam rippers, crochet hooks, stitch markers, etc.

These (shown below) are our new line of ergonomic crochet hooks we created in my "Moonscapes" pattern.  I say "we" because my friend Linda played a large part in helping me with these.  While I love making them, the entire process can be very labor intensive.  With Linda mixing up all the clay colors for the bases gave me more time to cover and hand shape each hook and then add the  patterns.  After baking, the two of us spent days sanding and then polishing them.  I am glad to say I now have them listed in our Etsy shop and also our online store (Canadian).  They are available in every size from 2.0 to 10.0.  The colors all vary as they coordinate with the color of the hook so you can mix and match the size and color you want.

Moonscape design ergonomic crochet hooks

One of the highlights of the show was seeing our buttons in use.  I have started making custom buttons for Lynn Anderson of West Coast Color.  Her and her husband have a sheep farm here at the Shuswap not too far away from me.  We spent some time together a while back color matching my clay recipes to most of her yarn that she hand dyes herself.  This is her holding up one of her darling sweaters with my Rainbow jellyroll buttons.

And a little better close-up view of the sweater and our buttons in 2 other color combinations.

Some of you may have seen this picture I posted on Facebook and Instagram of this sweet little girl.  She is actually Lynn's granddaughter and she was wearing a sweater Lynn made for her and was the perfect little model.

The other section of our booth at the show consisted of various items from our Snap Decisions Collection (Interchangeable Fashion ... in a Snap!)  We mainly focused on accessories that worked well with scarves and shawls plus a few other items to coordinate them with where the snaps could all interchange.

The two most popular items, however, were our interchangeable shawl sticks and our "Build your own" scarf jewelry.  We basically provided a selection of scarf bails, snaps, pendants, etc. and the customers enjoyed mixing and matching to create a scarf necklace in their own style.  Most of them were knitting, crocheting or weaving their own scarf from the fibres they purchased at the show.

We already had this concept in our online store (you can see it here) but since the show, I decided to expand on it a little more.  I am busily working on adding some of our more popular items and should have a nice selection up in a few more days.

Preparing for Fibres West

I can hardly believe it is March already.  The other thing I can hardly believe is that we still have snow on the ground and still getting the occasional snow storm.  This has been a long hard winter starting a month earlier than usual and now ending at least a month longer.  I will be so happy when spring is finally here!

So I mentioned earlier that to pass the winter months I have been working with the clay quite a bit and my friend Linda has spent a lot of time visiting and giving me a hand.  We decided to take the plunge and be in the large Fibres West show coming up in just a little over 2 weeks!

So we have been busy making lots of buttons, since our button inventory was so depleted and needed replenishing anyhow.  We will also have plenty of other items such as our ergonomic crochet hooks, stitch markers, shawl pins and also a wide selection of items from our Snap Decisions Collection.

We will also have available our new chunky knits mounted on a snap.  These can be worn different ways such as on a shawl stick or as a necklace, etc.

So if you are in the Vancouver / Surrey area or attending the Fibres West show, come by and see us.