Thursday, 11 July 2013

Spangles! A brighter future in plastics

I have always loved sparkles and spangles and glittery things, so it was no surprise that I was recently inspired to start making my own jewellery.  I decided to start working with epoxy resin, after researching about the mixing, layering and finishing process.  Ordering a starter kit with molds and dyes and mold release seemed like the best idea and I decided on one from the Resin Obsession website.  It was an excellent decision, I was really pleased with their product. Their Super Clear Epoxy Resin was easy to mix and the best part.... barely any air bubbles!  The only downfall was the shipping time, and I found I was going through resin faster than it was coming in! 

I decided to make a trip to the local crafty superstore type place, and found EasyCast Epoxy Resin. I decided to give it a try and it also seems to do the job just fine, but unfortunately I find that the air bubbles don't dissipate as easily as the Super Clear Resin.  That is something I am going to have to find a solution for.  I read about using a blow dryer to get rid of the bubbles, but that was a little messy so I may have to invest in a heat tool.

The best part about resin, is that you can embed a variety of different objects into the molds before it cures.  I stocked up on an assortment of glitter and confetti and stone and shells, so I could bring my designs to life. My love of astronomy also helped with inspiration and the names of the different styles and the materials I chose to use for these epoxy jewels.

Now I am going to stop blabbing and show you just how pretty they are!

Fresh out of the mold

"Meteorite"

"Nebula"


Next batch curing


Square "Meteorite" and "Antares"

They are reminiscent of the Confetti Lucite style earrings that were very popular in the 1940's, 50's and 60's.  Making earrings has been my focus because I have not had a proper tool for drilling holes in the resin. I was able to borrow my mom's dremel tool, so I can save my manicure by not having to sand these ones by hand.  This also means I will be able to start drilling holes in the pieces to make necklaces and bracelets. I think this next batch will turn out beautiful! 

~Miss World






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