Reindeer Ring Bling

 

Look at this cute little ring I made. Yes .. yes .. I know, kind of impractical, but cute don't you think!!

 

 

 

While I was at Michaels I found these adorable little deer and trees. I just knew I wanted to try and make something with them .... what to do? *light bulb* ... a ring, why not!

 

 

So I gathered my supplies .... various glitters, a cute filigree ring blank, my little woodland cuties and trees.

 

 

I started by mixing my Envirotex Jewelry Clay using equal parts of each. After mixing it thoroughly, I formed the shape on my ring blank to support my deer and tree. Once I had the shape I liked, I covered the clay with glitter. I trimmed the base off the little tree and actually trimmed down the lower branches a bit so it wouldn't stick up too high. You have a couple hours till the clay dries so you have time to play with placement. Once I had my deer and tree set, I left the ring to dry overnight.

 

 

To finish my ring, I had to have more bling. So I used some E-6000 glue and carefully placed some rhinestones all around the base of my ring. And because more is better ... I even added some glitter to my little tree ... now kissed with snow and sparkle.

 

Isn't it cute?

 

 



A Little "Boo Boo!"

I wanted to share a "boo boo" that happened while I was making my little Halloween magnets.

 

 

After I pour my resin in my piece, I let it rest for about 45 minutes to an hour. Then I return and check for air bubbles. As you can see in the picture above, especially around the top left edge .... I got a bit too zealous with my heat gun, and what actually happened, I created MORE bubbles!!

 

 

SO .... don't heat up your piece too much. Hold your heat gun approximately 6 inches away and move it back and forth over your piece.

 

 

But see ... I turned a lemon into lemonade so to speak. I hate to throw mistakes away, they are good teaching tools. I had these flat rhinestones, so I glued them in place around the edge, and now I have another magnet. Not perfect, but not bad for a uh oh moment.

 

Love Always .... Carla



 

A Resin Bracelet With Bling

I absolutely love my bracelet ...resin glitter pieces, silver charms, some pearls, crystals and lots of love.

This was fun and it turned out really pretty. The color combinations are endless .... and with all the wonderful glitter colors .... have fun!

Here is what you need for this project:





EnviroTex Lite resin
resin spray

2 measuring cups

a stir stick

A mold ... I used a fondant mold, it's rubber so it's easy to remove the pieces.

glitter .... mine is Martha Stewart brand.

assorted jump rings

chain

clasp

assorted pearls and rhinestones

charms

timer

 



 

So let's get started. Resin loves warmth, cold is not it's friend. When I first started using this resin I ran hot water into a bowl and placed the two resin bottles in the water and waited. Emptied the bowl added more water, return the bottles .... and on and on. It worked but it was time consuming. But one day I ran across this little Rival crock pot *light bulb* .... this would be perfect for heating my resin. And wow, did it ever make my life easier. It gave me the freedom to do other things while my resin was getting all warm and toastie!

 

 

 

First measure equal parts of resin and hardener in your cups. Add your resin to your hardener, start your timer and stir for two minutes. Be faithful .... stir stir stir, making sure to scrap the sides of your cup to blend thoroughly. You'll notice a few bubbles as you stir, it's normal. But oh my, lots of bubbles if your resin isn't warm. Next ..... let it rest for 5 minutes. 

 

 

Mold #1

Mold #2

 

Let the pouring begin. Let me say .... less is more when you fill your mold. You can always add more, but you can't remove it and it can get messy. I ALWAYS have paper towels handy. And, I always wear vinyl gloves. Use your popsicle stir as your scoop, it works great and helps with portion control. As you can see in the picture above, I barely had any bubbles ... one in the top middle, but very few. Warm resin is your friend :)

 

Then I proceeded to fill my next mold. Let me mention here, after I get my molds filled, I wait a few minutes and then check for bubbles. I use a heat gun to pop them. Just hold it about 6-8 inches above your piece, moving the gun slowly over your pieces, so they don't get too hot ... it's magic and the bubbles pop. Since we are using glitter, a few bubbles won't show, but if you were making a clear piece ... bubbles are your enemy.

Add your glitter, and be generous.

 

 

 

Once you have added your glitter, let you piece sit for 5 minutes or so, then check on them to make sure you see a nice layer of glitter. As the piece sits, you might see where the glitter sank a bit or moved from the edge of the piece. If so, just sprinkle a bit more over it. Now cover your pieces,  Iuse a large plastic lid, and let them harden for at least 24 hours. 

 

 

The next day is the big reveal. Tah dah! Don't they look great .... a little rough around the edges, which is no big deal. Just take a sharp exacto knife and trim your edges, then give them a light sand with a fine grit sand paper.

 

 

To finish these resin pieces all we need to do is spray them with resin spray. I took an old cookie sheet, lined it with wax paper, then laid my pieces on the paper. Go to a well ventilated area and spray your pieces. Several thin coats work much better than a heavy coat ... trust me.

 

 

Drill your pieces, add your chain, beads, rhinestones and charms and wah la ... a beautiful bracelet. As you can see, I made a few more colors of resin beads. The large rose pictured above, i'll show you the beautiful necklace I made with it in another post.

Have fun and let your creative juices flow.

Love Always ..... Carla