W00t! A tute! Distressed Victorian Lace recycled jewellery pendant

It’s about time I shared a tutorial with you. I have a couple of other ones I hope to post relatively soon too…

You will need:
Clear Polyester Gelcoat
Plastic spoon (optional)
Plastic cup
Mixing stick
Mould release spray
Hot pink Pearl Ex powder
Lisa Pavelka “Romance” Texture stamp
Band Saw or Junior Hacksaw
Black pigment inkpad
Drill
Acrylic spray
9mm jump ring
Recycled jewellery chain
Recycled flower dangly earring

Suppliers:
Pearl Ex powder and Lisa Pavelka stamp from the Polymer Clay Pit: www.polymerclaypit.co.uk

1) Prep the texture stamp with mould release spray and leave to dry. Spoon about 4 level teaspoons of polyester gelcoat into a plastic cup and add catalyst as directed.

2) Stir well until it is a beige colour instead of pink and sprinkle in some pink pearl ex powder. Use the stick to mix this in thoroughly to give a pearlised effect.

3) Pour the gelcoat onto the rubber stamp and then level out with the spoon. Leave to set for about an hour- gelcoat sets much faster than normal resin!

4) Pull the rubber carefully away from the resin piece.

5) Cut a rectangle out of the resin sheet. I used a band saw, but you can also use a junior hacksaw if you don’t have one.

6) Apply the ink to the texture on the resin thoroughly and leave to dry for a few minutes before sealing with an acrylic spray.

7) Drill a hole through the top of the piece. Take some old chain from some retro costume jewellery and attach each end to the pendant through a 9mm jump ring. The chain should be long enough that it doesn’t need a clasp. Next, take the earwire off an old costume earring and hand the charm in front of the resin piece. Close the jump ring.

Enjoy!

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Make 50: Week 38, or how to create a mess

I’ve been making textured bangles and highlighting with colour, for example these resin bangles with metallic enamel paint…

 

However I wanted to create some with black recesses and bought acrylic paint, thinking this would work better. It didn’t. It was messy trying to wipe off the excess paint whilst still wet so I left it to dry and now I can’t get the stuff off! I left it soaking overnight in turpentine substitute and then attacked it with a toothbrush and it STILL won’t come off! I saw a video on YouTube where someone cleaned acrylic paint off resin figurines with Dettol, so maybe I need to go down the shop and buy some. I have TCP but not sure if that will work the same.

So back on with the enamel on a new red bangle and bad news again…. I was brushing the excess of with the very same toothbrush and spattered myself including my skirt which I had only been wearing for half an hour. It’s now in the bath covered in Vanish! Fingers crossed it will survive!

Advice and opinions please!

As part of my Thursday Night Project (a weekly thing over at Crafteroo) I had a play about trying to create a new technique to imitate dew and verdigris using copper cut outs. I’m not convinced that it has worked particularly successfully. I think I like the leaf, which has got a textured amber finish, but not sure if the bird is right. It wasn’t intended to have an all over teal/green coating anyway, but it’s almost as if something is missing- any help/opinions greatly appreciated!