12 Tutorials to Unwrap Creativity, Tutorials
How to Embed Faceted Bead Chain into Epoxy Clay
I love the look that the Faceted Bead Chain provides when embedded into Epoxy Clay. It reminds me of old Victorian steel cut buttons! For this tutorial, I will be walking you through how to use a Nunn Design Open Back Bezel Ring as well as a Nunn Design Deep Bezel Adjustable Ring.
Here is what you will learn in this tutorial:
- How to mix and embed Epoxy Clay into Nunn Design Bezels
- How to use Open Back Bezel Rings
- How to embed Faceted Bead Chain
Supplies:
Nunn Design Supplies:
- Nunn Design Open Back Bezels Rings
- Nunn Design Deep Bezel Adjustable Ring
- Epoxy Clay-Epoxy Clay Black
- Faceted Bead Chain-Gold
Other Supplies:
- Q-tip
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Wet wipes
- Toothpicks
- Business Cards
- Packing Tape
- Goo Be Gone
Tools:
- Flush Cutters
- Scissors
Prep Bezels:
1. The Nunn Design Bezels are oxidized to provide an 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 rings thoroughly prior to embedding the clay into the bezel. Dip the tip of a Q-Tip into rubbing alcohol and clean away any of the blackened oxidization from the bezel’s surface.
2. Cut a piece of packing tape and place it on the backside of the Open Back Bezel Ring. Use your fingertips to press the tape, adhering it securely into place. Trim away any excess packing tape from around your ring to avoid the curing piece from being potentially disturbed.
Epoxy Clay, Mix & Press into Bezel:
3. 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 size ball of both Part A and B of clay because I wanted to create two rings using the Nunn Design Open Back Bezel Circle and the Nunn Design Deep Bezel Adjustable Ring.
4. Starting with the Open Back Bezel Ring Circle, pinched off a small pea ball of clay.
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. You will want to have enough clay so that it is flush and flat to the edge of the bezel.
5. Using a wet-wipe, clean up any excess Epoxy Clay that might have been left on 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.
Embed Faceted Bead Chain into Epoxy Clay:
6.Embed the first bead of the Faceted Bead Chain Fine into the Epoxy Clay on the outside edge of the bezel. Wrap the Faceted Bead Chain Fine around the inside edge of the bezel, pressing down slightly the chain into the Epoxy Clay. Use a pair of Flush Cutter Pliers to trim away the excess chain once you have returned back to your starting point.
Tip: Do your best to not press firmly on the Faceted Bead Chain when embedding it into the Epoxy Clay. Press it in light enough to adhere it, but not so much that it “sinks” into the clay.
7. Continue embedding the chain. When you get to the inside or to the point where the chain can no longer bend, you will need to cut the chain more frequently. Once all of the chain is embedded into the clay, use your fingertips to firmly and evenly press all of the faceted balls down and into the clay.
Clean Up & Cure
8. Gently wipe down your piece with a wet-wipe. Let cure for up to 12 hours.
9. Remove the packing tape from the backside of the rings bezel. If you have any excess residue from the packing tape on the backside, use the tape to remove it like you would when you are removing lint or animal fur from your clothes. Keep touching the packing tape onto the sticky surface until it is no longer sticky. If the residue isn’t coming up, try Goo Be Gone! Follow the manufacture’s instructions for best results. I applied a couple drops on the backside and let it sit for over a minute. I then used a stir stick to scrape the tapes residue. To remove all that sticky mess, pour some rubbing alcohol onto a wet-wipe and wipe it away.
10. To create the Nunn Design Deep Bezel Adjustable Ring, follow steps 3-9. In step 4, instead of having the Epoxy Clay be flat and flush to the bezel, create a nice round high dome.
Watch the Video!
Here is a video that I filmed with Beadaholique showing the full process!
Here is another video, showing the process of embedding ball chain into itsy bezels. Enjoy!
Be Inspired:
Here are a several pieces in our gallery, created with this technique! You can visit items in our gallery by clicking on the name of the piece, below each images. Our gallery items list out the exact items used to create a jewelry piece, or you can email Cheryl at cheryl@nunndesign.com if you need help! Enjoy!
(ND Gallery: Couthy)
(ND Gallery: Lucania)
(ND Gallery: Cotisuelto)
(ND Gallery: Veniaminof)
(ND Gallery: Snyder)
(ND Gallery: Sheliak)
(ND Gallery: Giennah)
(ND Gallery: Sol)
Shop Supplies:
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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:
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