Layer Cake

Make like Danni Clarke and create a veritable assortment of candycoloured treats using resin

Danni Clarke, MJ Designer

“Amazing casting resin is a urethane resin which produces an opaque white finish, so any colorants added will be affected by the white base colour, making lovely pastel shades as demonstrated here”

If you’ve been inspired to try resin jewellery making after our Masterclass last issue, this project demonstrates a number of methods to stretch your skills. From combining pigments with urethane resin for a pastel-toned appearance to layering different shades or embedding objects, there are plenty of ways to create designer-style pieces! Instead of using brass charms, why not experiment with sequins or beads, the opportunities are endless!

Tri-colour Brooch

1. Working in a draught-free environment, prepare your work area and put on protective goggles and gloves. Measure out equal parts of urethane Amazing Casting Resin: A (resin) and B (hardener) into separate cups. To find out how much you will need, simply measure 5ml of water and fill up your mould, repeat until the mould is full and divide by three to get the quantities needed for each colour.
2. Using a matchstick take a little pigment; add to part A (clear) and mix thoroughly with a lollipop stick, making sure there are no visible lumps. Mix part B (yellow in colour) into part A (now coloured). You must complete this part within one minute. The mixture will look cloudy, but will return to clear when thoroughly stirred.
3. Once stirred, decant into the suits mould. It will begin to cure after three minutes, and will change from clear to cloudy. Leave to fully cure for 10 minutes. Repeat two more times, layering the colours on top of each other and allowing each to cure for 10 minutes.
4. Once all colours have been set release from the mould, then smooth the bottoms using wet and dry sandpaper, working in a sink with a constant flow of water. Glue a brooch back to the reverse using strong glue.

Pendant Necklace

5. To make the clear section of the necklace, pour equal amounts of EasyCast epoxy resin into clean pots then slowly mix together with a lollipop stick for one minute, being careful not to get any air into the mix.
6. Scrape the sides ensuring it is thorough mixed. Decant into a fresh container and continue to stir for a further two minutes, scraping the edges again. Pour the resin into a heart mould being careful to only fill halfway. Gently lower a brass charm into the resin, allowing it to sink at its own rate. Reposition with a matchstick if necessary. Leave to cure for 24 hours before the second stage.
7. For the coloured part of the pendant, open your chosen resin pigment and place a matchstick in the pot ready to use later. Take two mixing cups and measure out equal parts of urethane Amazing Casting Resin: A (resin) and B (hardener) into separate pots.
8. Using the matchstick take a little of the pigment and add to part A (clear) and mix thoroughly with a lollipop stick, making sure there are no visible lumps. Mix part B (yellow in colour) into part A (now coloured). Stir thoroughly but slowly. You must complete this process within one minute. The mixture will look cloudy, but will return to clear when thoroughly mixed.
9. The pot of resin will begin to feel warm beneath your hands; it is now time to decant into the mould. Hold the cup directly above and pour on top of the fully cured clear resin. It will begin to set after three minutes, and will change from clear to cloudy. Leave to completely cure for 10 minutes.
10. After 10 minutes release from the mould. Gently peel back the sides and pull the cast out. The bottom part will always have an uneven edge, which can be quite sharp. To smooth, use wet and sandpaper in gentle circular motions, working in a sink under the constant flow of water.
11. Using a pin vice, gently drill a 3mm hole directly in the middle of the heart. Trim a head pin to 4mm long, using roundnosed pliers to hold it steady, cover with strong adhesive and insert into the hole. Leave to set for one minute. With two pairs of round-nosed pliers, gently open a jump ring and attach this to the eye pin. Before closing, slip on an assembled chain and close.

Charm Bracelet

12. To make the clear section of the charms mix EasyCast epoxy resin as for the necklace; mixing the resin and hardener first for one minute then a further two minutes in a fresh container.
13. Once mixed, pour the resin into cabochons moulds, being careful to only fill halfway. For our bracelet we created 20 drops: 10 of each size. Gently lower a brass charm into the resin as for the necklace; allowing it to sink at its own rate, repositioning with a matchstick if necessary. Leave to cure for 24 hours before the second stage of the make.
14. For the coloured part of the pendant use urethane Amazing Casting Resin and pigments as for the necklace, this time choosing a number of different shades. Measure out equal quantities of the resin and hardener and add the first colour of pigment to part A (resin) before mixing with part B (hardener).
15. You must complete this part within one minute. Hold the cup directly above and pour on top of the fully cured clear resins. Mix up the next colour pigment and repeat the process. Once you have mixed and added all of your chosen shades, allow to cure for at least 10 minutes.
16. Once set, release each cabochon from the moulds, then smooth the bottom parts with wet and dry sandpaper. Using a pin vice, gently drill a 3mm hole directly in the middle of each cabochon. Trim a head pin to 4mm long, cover with a strong adhesive and insert into the hole. Leave to set for one minute. Repeat for all charms, then add jump rings and attach to a bracelet, mixing up the colours and sizes.