How to Use Epoxy Clay, Gilding Flakes and Nunn Design Resin

Gilding Flakes applied to black Epoxy Clay is undeniably elegant. This is the 7th tutorial of our 12 Tutorials to Unwrap Your Creativity!

Here is what you will learn in this tutorial:

How to mix Epoxy Clay and insert into Nunn Design Bezels
How to embed Gilding Flakes into the Epoxy Clay
How to mix Nunn Design Resin
How to apply the Nunn Design Resin

Supplies Needed: 

Nunn Design Bezels
Epoxy Clay-Black
 Nunn Design 2-Part Resin Kit
 Gilding Flakes

Other Supplies:  

Rubbing Alcohol
Q-Tips
 Wet-wipes
Toothpicks
Gloves
 Stir Sticks
 Mixing Cups
Timer
Business Cards or glossy card stock
Plastic Bags

Tools:  

Needle Nose Pliers
Tweezers (optional)

Mixing and Applying the Epoxy Clay

1. The Nunn Design Findings are oxidized to provide the aged look to the precious metal plating. The oxidization, when it comes into contact with the Epoxy Clay could change the color of the clay. To avoid this, clean the findings thoroughly prior to applying the clay. Get the tip of a Q-Tip wet with rubbing alcohol and clean away any of the blackened oxidization on both sizes of the bezels.

2.  Epoxy Clay is epoxy clay that air-dries. It sets in 2 hours and continues to cure 14-16 hours. There is no baking required, no shrinkage and in this tutorial, I don’t even let it dry before applying the resin!

Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the handling and mixing of the Epoxy Clay. While wearing gloves, pinch off two equal sized balls of Part A and Part B and blend together fully until the clay is no longer marbled and uniform in color. You have approximately 90-120 minutes of working time before the clay starts to harden, so take your time. Once the clay is thoroughly mixed, remove your gloves to make it easier to work with the clay. For this tutorial, I mixed a blueberry sized ball of both Part A and B of clay because I wanted to fill multiple bezels. For each bezel I pinched off a small pea sized ball of clay.

3. Roll the thoroughly mixed Epoxy Clay between your palms until it forms a smooth round ball. Press the ball into your bezel with your fingers to create an even smooth surface in the clay.

4. Try to keep the Epoxy Clay slightly under or flush with the top rim of the bezel. This will make it easier to apply the Gilding Flakes and Nunn Design Resin. Filling the corners of the bezels with Epoxy Clay can be challenging. Use a toothpick to move the clay into the corners then pat down the toothpick marked clay with your fingers until smooth.

5. Once all the bezels are finished, use a wet-wipe to clean away any excess clay from the sidewalls of the bezel. The Epoxy Clay hardens like cement, so cleaning it up now and being tidy as you go makes the process easier and the results so much nicer.

Applying the Gilding Flakes

6. Use a toothpick or a pair of tweezers to pick up the Gilding Flakes. Place the flakes onto the uncured wet Epoxy Clay. Once you have the gilding flakes in the position that you want, use a Q-Tip to press and lightly burnish the flakes onto the Epoxy Clay.

Mixing and Applying the Nunn Design Resin

7. I tend to work in a small area (typically my kitchen table), so I like to work on a surface that projects can be easily moved around and not disturbed. Place some business cards or some heavy card stock onto your work surface, making it easy to move the pendants without getting any resin on your fingers.

TIP: I would recommend covering the card with glossy packing tape. This will prevent the resin from sticking to the paper.

8. Read the resin instructions for safety concerns regarding the Nunn Design Resin.

When I work with resin, I always:

Place a large plastic bag over my work surface and tape it down.
I make sure I have ventilation in my workroom.
I wear gloves.
I wear glasses (readers because I can’t see anymore. Plus it protects my eyes!).
I have a pile of wet wipes handy.
This is a great blog post that covers 20 Habits for Successfully Using Nunn Design 2-Part Epoxy Resin. Even if you are a seasoned resin mixer, this might be worth a read.

9. Place one cup (included in the Nunn Design Resin Kit) onto your table.

For curing purposes, it is very important that the resin be an exact 1 to 1 ratio of Part A and Part B. I suggest getting your eyes level with the resin so you can see the lines on the measuring cup.
Pour Part A of your resin kit up to the 1 TBS mark on your measuring cup.
Pour Part B of your resin kit into the same cup until it is filled to the 2 TBS mark. It is important to pour Part A first and then Part B. It is some chemical thing about the part A being heavier or something.

10. Set your timer for 2 minutes. Using the stir stick from your kit (a popsicle stick or coffee stir stick will work great too), slowly and carefully stir your resin scraping the sides as you stir. Stir for a minimum of 2 minutes. If your resin is still cloudy continue to mix until clear.

After mixing is complete and your resin is clear, scrape both sides of your stir stick on the edge of your resin filled cup.

11.  Using a toothpick, drizzle a small amount of the mixed resin over the Epoxy Clay Gilding Flakes. It is easiest to underpour and add more, than to overpour and have to clean up. Nunn Design 2-Part Resin is self-doming and wants to know where the edges are. Use your toothpick to drag the resin over to the edges. Once you guide the resin to the side edge of the bezzel the resin may wick and pool back into the center. By adding more resin over the Epoxy Clay it will create a higher dome effect.

Curing & Clean Up:

12. You will want to ‘babysit’ your resin for the next 1 – 2 hours. If you see bubbles rising to the surface, using your hot breath – breathe on them. It isn’t a “blow” sort of breath – more of a “huff” sort of a breath. The hot air will make the bubbles expand, rise to the surface and pop. As the resin starts to set-up and become thicker, it will be more difficult for the air to rise to the surface.

13. If you have resin that has over-poured or seeped under the bezel and onto the card, wait about 6 hours until the resin is at its “soft cure” phase. Remove the bezel from the card. The resin will still be soft. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to bend back the resin from the bezel. The resin will easily separate and peel off of the bezel.

14. Let the resin cure. It will start to be hard to the touch as early as 12 hours, but the resin will continue to cure up to 72 hours.

Assemble:

15. Assemble into something special!

(ND Gallery: Therapeutaelig)

(ND Gallery: Philocaly)

(ND Gallery: Ergometer)

Epoxy Clay
(ND Gallery: Oro)

Watch the Video!

Here is a video I did with Beadaholique, sharing this technique!

Shop Supplies:

Shop the Supplies Retail!
Beadaholique has all of these supplies available for those of you who would like to purchase all the Nunn Design Supplies retail. You can shop for the supplies here.

Shop Beadaholique: Epoxy Clay with Gilding Flakes and Nunn Design Resin to Create Mixed Media Charms

Shop the Supplies Wholesale:
For this tutorial, I used the following Bezels: Mini Pendant Crescent Moon (mpcms), Mini Pendant Star (mpss), and Itsy Link Single Rectangle (ilsr)

Shop Nunn Design Wholesale

Nunn Design has been supplying jewelry artists with findings for over 20 years. Shop wholesale jewelry findings for creative jewelry makers.

Shop Nunn Design!

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Please visit our Where to Buy Page for a listing of online stores that sell Nunn Design Findings retail.

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12 Tutorials to Unwrap Creativity, Tutorials