the CLASSroom

Favorite Finds from CHA Winter 2013 - Video

Hi, everybody!

In lieu of a Hello Monday video, we're sharing some of the things we found at the CHA Winter 2013 show!  

CHA is the Craft & Hobby Association Trade Show that occurs every winter, typically down in Anaheim, CA. The show is open to the trade only (retailers, manufacturers, and other industry related businesses) and showcases products and lines that manufacturers are debuting for the new year.

Ellen and I arrived a day ahead of the show, and took classes to learn more about some of the exciting new products being released, such as the new Ranger Distress Paints!  This water based paint is very unique and features some very interesting properties, unlike any other paint we've ever worked with before! Watch the video to see and hear more about these paints and some of the other items we were *monkey clapping* over! 

You can enjoy the video here, or on YouTube!

Thanks for joining us, and we hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse of some of the coming new products!  Keep your eye on the "Coming soon from CHA Winter 2013" category to see what will be arriving soon!

Custom Stamped Metal Jewelry by Sharon Harnist

Custom stamped metal jewelry is all the rage right now, so I thought I would try my hand at it and found out just how easy it is to make yourself!

I started out with some darling ready-made 7 Gypsies charmss:

Since they come two to a package, that was perfect for my two daughters and two pendants I wanted to make! Next, I used some Vintaj Natural Brass jewelry circle blanks (34mm) on which to do my custom metal stamping.

The metal punch set "stamps" are in the blue and red boxes you see in the photo above (the red box is the number set). The letters and numbers are on the ends of steel "pegs" that you use to hammer/stamp into the metal jewelry blank. I found it very easy to stamp into the thin brass blank with just two gentle but firm taps of the hammer.  You'll probably want to get an extra blank or two to practice on first, so you can get the feel of how much force it takes to get a good impression in the metal. You'll also need to steady your hand (just keep your pinky finger on your work surface while holding the peg and hammering), to prevent an unwanted shadow effect from the peg jumping around. You'll need to use a hard surface to work on, such as a steel bench block (or perhaps a brick?) that is used for jewelry making.

Please note: The alpha punch set size I used was 1/8" inch (3mm) tall, but the only size left in the store at this time is the slightly larger 1/4" 6mm size.

After stamping, your jewelry blank will naturally be a little warped from all of the impressions:

Just turn the blank over onto the back side and use a rubber mallet to flatten it back out:

Since these pendants are for my pre and young teen daughters, I thought they might like a shinier brass look, as opposed to the naturally worn/vintage brass patina of the blanks I used (which I prefer!). So I used Vintaj's Metal Reliefing Block to buff the brass to remove some of the patina and make a shinier finish. In the photo below, the right side has been buffed:

Here's the finished Alix/heart pendant:

Notice I positioned my daughter's names on the very bottom of the circles, so they could still be seen when the charms are covering them. I put Alix's pendant on a black lether necklace.

Here's Alyssa's finished star pendant, on an antique silver ball chain:

To get the spacing of your sentiment straight, you could use a straight edge/ruler to draw a pencil line but I had no trouble just eyeing it. However, I did print my message on paper, found the center of each phrase, and then started stamping from the center to the right and then to the left of center.

This was so much fun . . . I see a lot more custom stamped jewelry in my future! Many thanks for joining me here in the CLASSroom this year, I'll be back in 2013 with more projects for you!

Happy New Year ~ Sharon

{Supplies}

Punch Set, 6.0mm Letters	7 Gypsies Hardware, Gypsy	Vintaj Altered Blank Circle, 34mm	Bottle Cap Inc Black Leather Necklace, 2mm
Bottle Cap Inc Ball Chain, 2.4mm Antique Silver	Chasing Hammer 1-1/4"	Vintaj Metal Reliefing Block

InLinkz.com

 

Making Jewelry From Graphic 45 Metal Staples by Becky Olsen

The other day I was working on a project using the Metal Tag Staples by Graphic 45 and had layed them down on my studion table a certain way that caught my eye. What would they look like if they were used as pieces in a necklace, and how could I make that happen? So I got out a few more of the Metal Staple pieces and started playing and arranging until I came up with a configuration that I found visually appealling and that could also be easily done.

I started by rolling the edges of the Metal Flower Staples to make a rose that I could use as the center of the piece. It took three of the large flowers to make this beautiful flower.

Next I got out some of the Metal Hinge Staples and attached Jump Rings that were from the Tim Holtz Idea-o-logy collection then got sections of the Vintage Groove Antique Brass Chain laid out as well.

This is what it looked like after I got the pieces organized.

The metal is pretty heavy and also has some edges that could be uncomfortable, and I also needed a way for the piece to be held together that was reasonably flexible and where the flower could be attached. This led me to create a bib style platform using some Dimensions Spruce colored felt.

To get the shape of the bib I laid out the tags and flower on the felt, removed the flower and traced around the felt with a permanent marker. I then trimmed the shape out of the felt and adhered the metal pieces to the felt using E6000. I think that Fabri-Tac would also work, as that is my go to fabric adhesive, but I have run out and need to re-order. The flower was adhered directly to the felt as well, and I was very generous when I applied the adhesive. It did bleed through the felt, and when it was in the last stages of drying I applied another thin layer and added a very small piece of scrap felt to cover that spot to provide more comfort when I wear it.

This is what the finished piece looks like on the table. As you can see, I shortened up all the chain pieces to make it a length that let it hang better.

Okay, no laughing! I am sans make-up and a the bags and circles under my eyes tell the tale that I might not have been getting adequate sleep of late. The real story  is how unique and fun this piece is, and I think it could work with many different looks because of the neutral antique brass color.

The real test was what the daughters would think. They have a no holds barred approach when it comes to giving me their opinions. They really liked how it looked finished (concerns had been expressed in abundance when the pieces were on the desk) and were very complimentary on how it hung and liked the scale of it as well. 

I personally think that it is fabulous, and am pretty proud of myself for seeing something different in products that I really love! So I am going to put a little challenge out there to all of you crafty fashionistas, create something that is unexpected from your stash. If you feel like leaving a link, I would love to see where you take this challenge and will come by and take a look-see :o)

Happy Crafting!

B-

12 Days of Christmas: Day 2 - Jewelry to Melt your Heart, by Becky Olsen

Jewelry is one of the ways that we express our indivuiduality and uniqueness. How much more unique and individual can it get than when it is created by you specifically for yourself or a special person? It can be as easy or intricate as you want and perfectly reflect the personality of the person intended to wear it.

For the pieces I made tonight I pulled a large pile of goodies into reach. I liked working with a lot of options at hand and actually was able to complete a lot of pieces in a short time because it was all handy.

I began by melting clear UTEE in my Melting Pot.

While that was getting to the proper temperature I prepared my Memory Frames by trimming all of the backing paper to the size of the frames that I used. These are the 1" x 1" in Black Patina that have paper from the 8'" x 8" Graphic 45 Steampunk paper pad. Make sure to have the Melt Art Kooltoolz handy, they are very useful and non-sick. When you have your frames prepared on top of your Non-stick Craft Mat, carefully pour the melted UTEE into the frame. Try to fill in the corners and not have any air bubbles, but don't stress too much if it is a little uneven.

Here you can see that one of my pours was uneven and had air bubbles. I set it on my Non-Stick Craft Sheet and used my Heat It tool to get the UTEE hot enough to settle evenly and let the air bubbles escape. Please be very aware that you CANNOT touch this piece while in this process with your hands. It is very hot and can cause serious burns or injury. That is what the Kooltollz are for :o)

In this image you can see how much more even it is. I am very pleased with the result, and love the dimension that was achieved. The pieces are from Tim Holtz Washers, and the Sprockets and Gears, and the Copper 2" x 2" Memory Frames.

This is the 1" x 3" Polished Chrome Memory Frame, Mini- Fasteners, Washers, and some Game Spinners.

For a bracelet I attached a couple of appropriate lengths of Tim Holtz Lace Chain with the clasp on one of the sides so that it can use the jump ring that is already attached to hook onto.

I used more of the Lace Chain in different lengths to attach the different sized Memory Frames together and I also included a couple of Making Memories Vintage Groove Charms and another Sprocket to bring the steampunk feel from the art into the chain.

This is what the finished pieces look like next to each other. Very fun and funky, and they are 100% unique to me, never to be duplicated exactly the same way ever again! These pieces would be just as interesting if they were alone on their own chains and worn seperately or together. That is the fun of jewelry is accessorizing with it to match your outfit or your mood :o)

Let me know what you think, and I hope that you found this to be educational and inspiring!

B-

It's time to start humming again :-D ...

On the Second Day of Christmas my goodie box could be...

• Melting Pot
• UTEE 

 
To participate in this random drawing please leave your answer to the following question as a comment to this post. Please limit yourself to one comment only for each goodie package. The last day to submit a comment to this post will be January 6th at Midnight. We will post the winners (which will be drawn using a Random Number Generator) for all twelve days on January 7th.

We need your thoughts. As I try and figure out what interests you as we move ahead into the new year I would love to have your opinion on the posts we do on jewelry making, resin, soldering, etc. Are you interested in this subject matter and the products that we carry that are associated with this category?

Don't forget the following 12 Days of Christmas blog candy drawings --- be certain to post a comment to the question on each individual post to be included in that drawing!

• One Stampin' Treasure

Optical Lens Halloween Ornaments

Can you tell I have been having waaay too much fun here at work lately? Life is settling into a more regular (and happy) routine which allows me to do what it is that I LOVE - create and share :-D

The optical lenses from 7 Gypsies are so wicked cool and I have many ideas floating through my brain since first seeing them in July. The first to surface is the use of these as "Halloween ornaments." Come Christmas time I have another whole new set of ideas, yep my brain is exploding and I can hardly wait to share those - ha! ha!

We were seriously laughing today because it took longer for me to take pictures of the finished designs than it did to create them! Yes, the glare on the lens makes these hard to photograph, but I just had to go outside where these orangey-red berries were. The wind was blowing, the sun was placing dappled shadows on my lenses, but I was determined... and I think I won out :-D

Begin by applying the design adhesive to the lens surface by using the spatula end of the Rub-on tool.

Mix together black ultrafine glitter and black flock. Apply and burnish with finger. Remove excess glitter and flock with a soft cloth.

So pretty!

Add additional dimension to your piece by first applying a rub-on. Then flip over your lens and apply the design adhesive crow, flock and glitter.

TIP: Cut the rubbing down to size before applying. If it is too large and you just try to pull it apart you will pull the rubbing from your surface. Guess how I know this... just look at the top edge and you will see :-(

You must admit that these are rather cool looking! Hang as a window ornament, put branches and berries in a vase and hang these or put it on a chain and wear it as a necklace. Yes, you could even use it on one of your paper craft projects - LOL!

Yes, I am having a barrel of fun! Thank you for stopping in and I hope that I have been able to bring a smile to your day!

accessories: 7 Gypsies Optical Lens, 7 Gypsies Chain and Time Rubbings, Memory Box Fright Night Design Adhesives, Doodlebug Flock (Black), Black Ultrafine Glitter RItz, Basic Grey Rub-on Roller

Ice Resin Meets Vintaj Brass by Debbie Olson

Welcome! Today I have another Ice Resin piece to share with you, this time used in conjunction with some pretty Vintaj Brass and a Swarovski Crystal center. 

For the Ice Resin piece I used the same procedures that I showed in this article. I chose the earrings jewelry mold to mold the piece and added blue and green oil paints, black shavings of baked polymer clay, glitter, and mica flakes as the inclusions.

I thought that the VInatj Brass would be a lovely color to pair with the finished piece, and when I rooted through my collection, the Fliligree Clover Petal was the largest piece of brass that I had--that made it the right piece, right?

I had a couple of challenges. The first was figuring out how to put a hook on the filigree when I wanted to turn my filigree so that the points were in an X orientation rather than a + orientation. I finally took a piece of brass wire and ran it through the filigree.

Next I used my concave round nose pliers to create a circle on both ends of the wire. There may be a better way, but this one worked for me. 

This is what it looked like after I put a jump ring through both loops and closed the jump ring.

The next part took the longest--molding the brass piece around the ice resin cabochon. I used needle nosed pliers and a small hammer and just kept bending and hammering until I was able to get the brass where I wanted it.  I could have wrapped it so that all four corners showed evenly, but I decided that I liked it better when the center of the filigree was in the center of the cabochon.

It still needed something. . . Finally I found an iridescent Swarovski crystal in my jewelry odds and ends stash--perfect!  Thanks for stopping by the Classroom blog today.

Altered Necklace by Julia Stainton

Most crafters have been crafting as long as they remember. I can't remember a time when I didn't love creating with paper, glue, a little paint and of  course, glitter. That's always a popular one. Even with the boys if they are young enough. In fact, I've never met a child yet that doesn't like making a creative mess of some kind.

I've always tried to foster creativity in my children no matter what the media they decide to use. Sure it would be easier some times to say no and keep the mess down but what is the fun in that? I'll admit to wearing all kinds of crazy creations around the house in the name of love. Last week I actually received the most "beautiful" glitter crown.

Priceless.

While young children love creating, I've found it much harder to keep that creativity going into the teen years. Mom's projects are just not cool anymore and teens struggle so much with perfectionism. They forget the joy.

And here, after a very long intro, is where this project starts. I've found that teenage girls love jewelry and it's a great project to create with older kids. I'm excited to find some common ground to spend time with my daughter. This fun altered pendant is designed as an easy project that can be recreated to the wearer's personality. Putting bits and pieces together is a great way to use up product too.

The altered art part of this necklace was so much fun to create. I love how it has two sides so the wearer can change it up with her outfit. This necklace uses the Antique Copper 1" x 3" Memory Frame by Ranger and the 1"x3" Memory Glass. If you like square shaped frames from Ranger, Ellen carries them too. Just do a store search using the word Memory Frame or Memory Glass. The Memory Frame can be opened and shut by a little tab at the top of the frame. This makes it super easy for anyone to use and no soldering is involved.

Once the glass is added to the frame, it is a tight fit so keep that in mind when designing your project. I had a nice heavy piece of cardstock between the back and the front designs but then could not put the frame together. I carefully peeled them apart and just adhered the thin patterned paper back to back. You really don't need that cardstock stability as the outside glass keeps it all together.

Side "A" of this project is a strip of Vintage Black Line Mini Papers by Jenni Bowlin that has been sponged with Brushed Corduroy, Worn Lipstick and Shabby Shutters Distress Ink. Tim Holtz Symphony Tissue Tape makes a fun accent and the Prima Mulberry Rose Leaf and the Tiny Type letter add some thin layers to the project.

I love stamping on glass and find that extra thin layer gives the project a dimensional look. Jet Black Archival Ink works great on glass and other difficult surfaces. Just make sure you heat set when done. The dragonfly stamp is from the beautiful Botanical Bliss ATC set from CHF and designed by Becky Olsen.

Side "B" uses some very pretty cherry themed paper by Jenni Bowlin from the  Baby of Mine Mini Papers. Over top is layered a small scrap of Tim Holtz Film Strip Ribbon and then more Tiny Type letters. Againt he stamping is stamped onto the glass and then heatset. The beautiful writing stamp comes from the  Key Elements  set by Cornish Heritage Farms.

You can also adhere items on the outside of the glass using a heavy duty adhesive. Glossy Accents works well here for adhering the elegant Melissa Frances Scroll Applique.

After your necklace frame is complete, you can thread it onto a Making Memories chain. You can stop the project there but I thought it would be interesting to add a little extra bling. It seems that all the super stylish jewelry these days has a myriad of fun elements. I used elements from the Vintage Groove Celluloid Flower Combo and attached them to the chain using jump rings and the Vintage Groove Tool Kit. These easy to use jewelry charms are so pretty and easy to mix and match for a personal look.

Whether you create this project for yourself or try our a jewelry piece with your teen, I hope you have fun with it! Thanks for stopping by the CLASSroom and have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Sticky Back Canvas Bracelet

Ranger U was an incredible experience! One of the techniques that I learned from Claudine Hellmuth has been in my head bursting to get out. As soon as she shared this technique I had to run up to her and share how much I was looking forward to creating a bracelet with this idea! Finally three months later here I am with my bracelet :-D

I hope you enjoy this incredible technique as much as I have!

 

To begin I cut a strip of canvas that was 8 1/2" x 2 1/2". I really wasn't certain where I would be going with this project. Yes, I do create by the seat of my pants - LOL!

I removed the backing and placed my Glimmer Screen against the sticky surface as shown below.

 
Press the screen firmly in place, using the backing from the Be Creative tape or the backing you just removed to avoid getting finger prints all over the adhesive. It is important to keep your fingers away from the adhesive to avoid damaging it and making it more difficult for the embossing powder to stick.

Pour the embossing powder over the entire surface.

Remove excess by tipping it off and gently blowing off any excess.

Now using the teflon coated tweezer bees carefully remove the screen.

As you can see I hold my sticky back firmly down along the edges as I carefully peel the screen off.

A small amount of embossing powder may get into your white area, but if you have selected a darker color for this area it will disappear when you heat set the powders.

Now pour the Walnut Stain embossing powder over the exposed adhesive.

This is how it will appear when you gently remove the excess powder and gently blow the excess powder from the surface into a garbage can.

Heat set your powders and then punch a 1/8" hole into each end with a crop-a-dile and set an eyelet into each end.

I needed an oval jump ring and so I used the antique brass chain that we carry and used several rings together with a lobster clasp to complete my closure. You will want this piece to fit fairly snug. My gorgeous model has a smaller wrist than I do and so it appears a little large on her wrist. Having it fit correctly will keep it from twisting and banging on your wrist.

I then needed to finish my piece by sewing my gorgeous embellishment in place. Alas I did not have the correct color thread. Copics to the rescue as usual - LOL! Simply coloring with a BG78 made my white thread the perfect color.

I added a few sticky-back pearls. I'm not certain how well these will hold in place, but I just couldn't resist trying :-D 

Other embellishments that I think would be fabulous in the center of this beauty are resin pieces, brass pieces, and flowers (can't you just see a beautiful wrist corsage?!?)

 

Julia was my gracious model because I have a very difficult time snapping photos of items if I happen to be wearing them - LOL! Her nail polish coordinated perfectly with this piece. I picked a very trendy color combination in hopes that it would coordinate with today's outfits. The good news is that it will be so very easy to change the background canvas piece because it is so inexpensive. You can then repurpose these items when the color trends change.

I look forward to hearing about your adventures with Sticky Back Canvas and embossing powder - it is a perfect combination! Now it's time to try it with glitter - LOL!

 
  
Sticky Back Canvas, Adirondack Stream Embossing Powder, Walnut Stain Distress Embossing Powder, Tattered Angels Fanciful Stencils Starter Kit, Jill Schwartz Vintage Groove Mosaic Shell Charm, Antique Brass Chain Extension and Brass Clasps, Chino Pearls, Crop-a-dile

  

Ice Resin, Mold n' Pour and Beeswax Altered Artwork

Creating pieces to give as gifts or hang on your walls can be so much fun! This past weekend I had the pleasure of playing with some of the new products that we have brought into the store. These are all tools/media that will allow us to expand our teaching possibilities and our creativity. Adding new techniques and ideas keeps my mind fresh and alive and so I hope that you enjoy some of the new additions we have made and that you get up the courage to just give them a try!

Resin is all the rage! The objects and effects that can be created are SO very cool. Today I will be sharing some beginner tips, as well as show you how it is that I created the butterfly for the piece shown below. Hang with me because this will be a "class" of epic proportions - LOL! There is so much fun stuff to share with you.

At Ranger U I fell in love with so many new tools! Today I am going to share how to create with the Mold n' Pour. The molds that you create can be used with resin, UTEE, beeswax, candles, soap and who knows what else - LOL!

Mold N' Pour

Prepare your work surface and all the necessary tools before you begin. This product comes in two parts and once you mix it you only have a few minutes to create your mold before it starts setting up.

As you can see I am working on my XL Misting Mat. You can also work on a non-stick craft sheet or any other non-stick surface. I prefer to remove portions of the mixture from the container and roll them into balls before proceeding. This allows me to eyeball their size - you want these balls to be the same size. I have my object ready - in this case I decided to use a Vintaj butterfly. I clipped the jump ring to create antennae before combining my Mold n' Pour putty.

Working quickly I combined my two different colored putties and knead them together. As you can see in the photo above there are still streaks of white showing - this putty is NOT ready to be used. Continue kneading and mixing the putty until it is a uniform color. Remember that it sets up quickly so don't overwork it. I find that working with smaller amounts is easier, so my suggestion would be for you to experiment first with a small item as your object.

As you can see in this photo it is now a uniform color. Roll it into a smooth ball.

Press your object straight down into the putty and let it sit. I like to press my object about 3/16 - 1/4" into the putty. Now walk away ladies - LOL! It is just too tempting to squish around in this wonderful "stuff." Return in approximately 10-15 minutes and press your fingernail into that pretty round edge. If you do not leave a print then you are ready to remove your object. It is better to be patient and wait too long than pull your image out early and damage your mold.

The detail is incredible!

This next mold was MUCH tricker. It wouldn't have been if I hadn't been stingy with my Mold 'n Pour :-( The good news is that my error forced me to experiment more. I wanted to see if I could salvage/fix my mold and I came pretty close to it being precise. This Hero Arts rubberstamp image is approximately 3 3/4" square. I should have probably used 3/4, or even the entire container of Mold 'n Pour, rather than the 1/2 container I used. Lesson learned - don't be stingy :-D

I kept the cling style stamp mounted on the plastic as I worked so that I would not damage the "cling" aspect of this stamp.

As I prepared to create this mold I determined that I would need a large flat surface to press my putty evenly into place over the surface of the stamp - the 5x7 acrylic mounting block was perfect for this.

On the right side of the image above you can see a damp, white washcloth. This is a trick I learned from Lisa this past weekend. I have gone through mountains of paper towels when creating. I don't like the fact that I am being wasteful, but because I like to work with clean hands as much as possible so that I don't "dirty" my projects I needed a solution. Using two washclothes - one wet/one dry - my need for other cleaning tools has been greatly diminished. I LOVE this solution - thank you Lisa!

I worked quickly, but sadly was horrified when I realized that I was short on material. It was in that instant that I had to decide if I should quickly look for a suitable replacement or just go for it. I decided to proceed in spite of this deterant and quickly using my fingers to spread the molding material over the stamp. I immediately pressed my acrylic firmly against the putty to flatten as best possible. As I worked I could see the "putty" setting up right before my eyes. I haven't figured out yet whether the cool broad expanse of the rubber made my material set more quickly than normal, but it set up FAST! So perhaps it would have been best to spread the material on my non-stick surface before putting it on the stamp. I just don't know yet, but will try this next time.

I could see that I had gaps around the edges as well as holes in the middle, but rather than give up I decided to press forwards and see what would happen. I mixed a little more putty and applied it over the holes in my mold. (I did not remove my stamp to "check" - I knew I had holes.) Again I used my large acrylic block to press down on my mold.

I allowed this to sit for 10 minutes. I then removed the acrylic block and flipped the entire piece over, mixed a little more putty and pressed additional Mold 'n Pour against the sides to create my base.

After allowing it to once again sit I removed the rubber stamp image and was left with a VERY cool mold! I immediately took my dry wash cloth and rubbed the surface of my rubber stamp to remove the excess putty that was slightly stuck to the surface. I don't know what would have happened if I had allowed it to dry completely, but being I like to clean as I go, this worked well for me. As you can see there are "hints" of the mold still in the crevices, but I do not believe that it will impact my stamp in any way.

Creating molds is ADDICTIVE! You can use buttons, metal embellishments, rubber stamps, and so much more. I have read that you can even use hard candies such as Lifesavers - how cool is that?!? Suze and Tim talked about carrying Mold n' Pour with them when they go antique shopping. They ask permission to mold some of their finds along the way! Oh how fun that would be!!!

So now that we have our molds - let's play with them :-D

ETA: These molds can be used over and over again. Suze shared that she has boxes labeled with different styles of molds. I can see doing something similar once I have a few made.

Working with Ice Resin

I thought I would begin by trying to explain to you what Ice Resin is. Ice Resin is a two part resin that when mixed forms a crystal clear, jeweler's quality grade product. This resin is different from the water-based, dimensional sealants such as Rangers Glossy Accents, SU Crystal Effects or Judikins Diamond Glaze that we typically use in paper crafts. These dimensional sealants are excellent products for many purposes, but they do not offer the durability and waterproof finish that resins do. Ice Resin is also very different from the meltable embossing powders such as UTEE, that are popular for molding and sealing. UTEE liquifies when heated and hardens when cooled. It is typically rigid and susceptible to cracking. As well the clear versions of UTEE are prone to yellow as you work with them.

Resin is a much harder and more durable product that retains its clarity. With resin you can create a "dome" on your projects that acts as a magnifying lens of sorts.

It can be used together with metal, polymer clay, metal clay, paper, glass and numerous other products. Today we are going to start simply - we are going to create the butterfly I used on my art piece.

Before beginning it is incredibly important to read all your directions first! I would also like to encourage you to visit the Ice Resin website. There are numerous articles written that will answer many of the specific questions you might have.

One of the recommendations I tried as I worked with the Ice Resin the second time was to warm Part A of the Ice Resin mixture in hot tap water before beginning. It worked like a charm - it was not nearly as granular looking as the resin I created in my first batch. It was so much easier to mix with Part A warmed.

Another recommendation that I followed closely was to work in small batches. You will be AMAZED at how many different pieces you will be able to create with 1 oz of mixture! Have numerous projects ready to go before mixing your resin!

Ice Resin comes with little plastic mixing containers that have precise measurements listed on the sides. The first time I mixed my Ice Resin I used two separate containers. The second time I realized that I didn't need to us two containers - I could just use the measurements on the sides to make certain I was mixing correct quantities.

Before mixing in one container you will want to clearly think through your measurements and perhaps even mark the outside of your container with a sharpie marker, showing the precise stopping point for each part. You will need to work very carefully when pouring directly into your container though - there are no second chances with this method - LOL!

The smallest batch Ice Resin recommends making is 1/2 oz. I think that this is a great way to start your experimentive/creative process! You will truly want to try so many different things. It is best to work in layers for many applications, allowing the resin to cure before proceeding - therefore mixing small amounts is what I believe is the best way to go. I had several pieces I am currently working on and decided that a total of 1 oz. would be best for my use this time even though today's project only used a few drops. Hopefully I will have more to share with you soon :-)

Wait until Part A is warm and pour 1/2 oz into the container. Followed with 1/2 oz of Part B. As you can see it fills this little container right to the top. If you do not feel comfortable working in such a tight space be certain to have another clean plastic container that you can throw away at the ready before you begin. I work carefully and so just work from this little container.

It is recommended that you work in a well-ventilated room and wear gloves that you can also throw away once your project is complete. If you don't work carefully you can make a lot of things sticky - LOL! They do say that if resin comes in contact with your skin that it can cause minor irritation. I did get a little on one of my fingers, but immediately wiped it on my wet washcloth with no side effects.

Once you have the two parts mixed together you are going to stir, and stir, and STIR! You can see a visible difference in the photo above compared with the shot two photos above. I stir for approximately 5-7 minutes. You want to have a nice clear liquid before you stop stirring. Allow the mix to rest for another five minutes and many of the bubbles will rise to the surface and pop.

1 oz. is a LOT of resin and so I had numerous projects at the ready. Again, today I am going to share only one of those projects. Once you have used all your resin you will be throwing your container away - it is recommended that you not use "dirty" tools.

Using my popsicle stick I transferred a few drops of resin to a plastic spoon. Prior to beginning I had filled my mold with water and then poured that water into my spoon to see exactly how much resin I would need. I then dried my spoon and mold before proceeding. As you can see it takes VERY little resin. To the clear resin mix I added a small amount of Tarnished Gold embossing powder. Once again remember that less is more - it is easier to add a little more powder than it is to add more resin.

Stir the powder into the resin with your popsicle stick. Be certain to use a clean popsicle stick with the mixing of each new element. You will find that adding the embossing powder thickens your resin slightly. As soon as I had finished mixing I poured my resin mix into my mold.

Typically you will have approximately 30 minutes to work with your fully mixed Ice Resin. It is recommended that you work in a room that is approximately 72-74 degrees Fahrenheit.

Other additives you can use that I have used to color or add interest to my Resin are Perfect Pearls, glitter, mica, and flower soft. Ones I haven't yet tried that are recommended are - oil pigments, chalk pastels, spices, dried floral ingredients, gold leaf, and I'm guessing that there are so many more.

I try not to overfill my molds. My preference is to leave a small space at the top of the mold. To aid in bringing bubbles to the surface you can use your Heat It tool and hold it above your project (approximately 9-12 inches above) and you will almost instantly see a little popping effect happen in your piece. Do not heat for extended periods of time or hold your heat tool to closely - you do not want to damage your work of art :-D Check back over the first hour or so to see if any additional bubbles have come to the surface and pop them with a pin.

Allow the resin to cure in the mold for at least 6 hours. I poured my molds at approximately 5:00 in the evening and then upon returning to work this morning I was able to easily remove the objects. At this point the resin is still not fully cured and somewhat maleable. If you wanted to use resin on a curved surface this would be the perfect time to mold it to the item you will later mount it on. Due to the fact that the resin is not fully cured you will want to be careful not to touch any of the highly glossed surfaces as you might fingerprint them.

As you can see the detail in the image is amazing!

It has been months since Winter CHA when I first saw the Vintaj Altered Blank Canvas pieces. It is with great excitement that I share my first vision for this product. To precisely locate where I wanted to punch my holes I used my Tim Holtz center ruler. Simply mark the points where you want a hole.

The Crop-a-dile is perfect for punching holes in this metal! So very easy.

To create my background I used the wonderful mold created above. I could have poured my melted Beeswax on my non-stick craft sheet and pressed my stamp (be certain to coat your stamp with Distress Embossing Ink beforehand to make the removal of the wax easier) directly into the Beeswax and allowed it to cool, but using a mold I have more control. I used my Kool Toolz spatula to help locate the placement of the wax in my mold.

Allow the wax to cool and remove it from the mold.

Ink a background stamp with Archival Ink and stamp directly on the brass altered blank canvas. Be certain to use an ink that stays on metal such as Palette or Archival. You will need to heat set the Archival Ink, which works magnificently with this application because I wanted my metal hot to attach my wax embellishment.

Allow the metal to cool ever so slightly (you don't just want a puddle of wax on your canvas - LOL!) and press the wax embellishment firmly against the metal. It will melt slightly and as it cools it will adhere to the metal.

I absolutely LOVE the look of the wax on the metal, but being I had a specific color scheme in mind I then brushed my image with Perfect Pearls.

The wax was still slightly warm (but not liquid) as I worked and so I quickly pressed my resin butterfly into the wax and allowed the entire project to then cool and set. You can see in the photo above the reason for my color selection of Perfect Pearls. Bringing together different colors of metals is so very fun. It is just a matter of balancing the colors. 

Mixing the different elements that we carry in the store can make for a very interesting project. You will find a vast array of products to select from. The Vintage Groove line from Making Memories by Jill Schwartz is complete and ready to assemble. There is a significant difference between the Vintaj line and the Vintage Groove line. Vintaj is a natural brass product that is heavy and very well made. It is easy to embellish and makes high quality pieces. Vintage Groove has a lot of the preassembly done and is much lighter weight. It is a funky and easy to use product line, but at times I have needed to reassemble the pieces using a better quality glue. This has not deterred me though as I find it suitable for embellishing cards and adding funky twists to the projects I am creating. Each has its own unique advantage and I have found that combining the elements gives an extremely interesting final product.

I quickly covered a 6x6 canvas with Le Romantique paper and used twill as my outer frame, mounting my brass image on the face. What an elegant, feminine piece of artwork this is - perfect for a ladies dressing area.

It was so incredibly fun adventuring into new territory with this post. I hope that you enjoyed learning about these new tools and techniques and that you will be able to pick and chose from them to add new twists to your creative process! Be certain to take advantage of the special savings we are offering on many of these products this week if you are interested in trying these techniques!

 

stamps: Hero Arts Cling Floral Brocade, CHF Spanish Script Backgrounder

paper: Loves Labyrinth Le' Romantique

ink: Jet Black Archival Ink

accessories:  Vintaj Altered Blank Canvas - 3x4, Vintaj Butterfly Charm, Vintage Groove Ephemera Bead Drop Pendant, Vintage Groove Antique Brass Jump Rings, Mold n' Pour, White Beeswax, Melting Pot, ICE Resin, Tarnished Gold Embossing Powder, Perfect Pearls - Forever Red, Heirloom Gold, Perfect Bronze