Have you ever been exited to make a tasty looking recipe? Has the excitement quickly faded as you read all the steps it will take to make that tasty looking food? It starts looking less tasty, doesn’t it? I have that same experience when it comes to making jewelry.
I like jewelry techniques to be easy, yet have a look of sophistication. This Buy & Try – Hammered Bitsy Rings with Colorized Resin and PearlEx Powders – streamlines the resin process into a single pour. This makes it easier and quicker for jewelry makers to create a sophisticated piece of jewelry.
Here is a tutorial walking you through how to create this technique. This is 2 of 6 tutorials featured in our Nunn Design Buy & Try featuring Earring Post Bars in Large and Small as well as our Hammered Bitsy Rings. This Buy & Try is available to registered Nunn Design wholesale customers for a limited amount of time. To jewelry makers that are not purchasing wholesale, this Buy & Try is available retail on our website.
Here is the link for the Nunn Design Buy & Try tutorial featuring the Earring Post Bars in Large and Small followed by the Bitsy Rings tutorial:
Featuring The 2018 Fall Collection:
The Nunn Design Bar Earrings and Bitsy Rings are all part of the 2018 Fall Collection. To see the full line of products released, download our catalogue.
Download 2018 Fall Catalogue (PDF)
Supplies:
To manufacture these little cuties, a brass bezel is soldered, with lead-free solder, onto a brass ring shank. We then plated the rings with 24k gold and .999 fine silver. A final touch of oxidization is applied to provide an aged look to the precious metal.
Nunn Design Supplies Needed:
- Nunn Design Hammered Bitsy Rings
- Nunn Design 2-Part Resin Kit
- Castin’ Crafts Opaque Pigments
- Jacquard Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments
Other Supplies:
- Wet-wipes
- Toothpicks
- Timer
- Stir Sticks
- Mixing Cups
- Business Cards or glossy card stock
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Plastic Bags
- Q-Tips
Tools:
- Needle Nose Pliers
Learn How:
Step 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 resin, could change the color of the resin. To avoid this, clean the findings thoroughly prior to application of the resin. Get the tip of a Q-Tip wet with rubbing alcohol and clean away any of the blackened oxidization.
Step 2:
Before you mix your resin, create a level surface for the Hammered Bitsy Rings. I used the gap between two wooden blocks for the ring shanks to rest while the resin was curing. Cover the blocks with a clear packing tape. The tape will allow the rings to easily be removed from the wood if there is any overflow of resin. Since these Hammered Bitsy Rings are so bitsy, you can expect to have some overflow now and then.
Step 3:
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.
You can also watch this great video on How to Mix Nunn Design Resin!
Step 4:
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 ½ fluid ounce mark on your measuring cup.
Pour Part B of your resin kit into the same cup until it is filled to the 1 fluid ounce 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.
Step 5:
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.
Step 6:
To colorize the resin, pour the clear mixed resin into a separate mixing cup up to the 1 tsp. mark line.
Step 7:
Squeeze a little of the Castin’ Crafts Opaque Pigments onto a plastic bag. To prevent your Castin’ Crafts Opaque Pigments from being contaminated with mixed resin, you will want to use a fresh toothpick with each “toothpick tip” worth. I cut my toothpicks in half so I can easily use both ends.
Step 8:
We’ve made the creative process easier with color formulas for mixing Nunn Design Resin with Castin’ Craft Opaque Pigments.
- You may benefit from a color formula cheat sheet here: 20 Formulas for Colorizing Nunn Design Resin.
- To learn even more, you could watch this video on How to Colorize Nunn Design Resin with Pigments.
- TIP: The Castin’ Craft Opaque Pigments are very potent. When adding Castin’ Crafts Opaque Pigments to Nunn Design Resin, the pigment color amount cannot be greater than 10% of the resin. If it is, it will affect the resin’s ability to cure properly.
For this tutorial, I used the following color formula
Pantone 13-1404 TPX
Formula:
- 1 tsp Nunn Design Resin
- 1 tiny toothpick tip Red
- 8 toothpicks tips White
- 5 toothpicks tips Brown
Step 9:
Let’s define what a “tiny toothpick tip” and a “toothpick tip” amount of colorant should look like. This is not an exact science. If you don’t get the exact amount, your color will still come out fairly close.
A “tiny toothpick tip” should look like the red one in this image.
A “toothpick tip” should look like the white.
Step 10:
Add the required amount of Casin’ Crafts Opaque Pigment to the mixed resin. Once all the colorants are added, stir thoroughly until mixed. If the color is slightly off, you can continue to add colorants until you have the desired effect.
Step 11:
Drizzle a tiny tiny amount of colorized resin into the bezels of the Bitsy Hammered Rings with a toothpick. Since they are so tiny it is really easy to overflow. You want to just fill the base of the bitsy bezel with the colorized resin.
Step 12:
To create the splash of color, scoop up a wee bit of Jacquard Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments onto a toothpick. Place the toothpick over the wet, colorized resin, and gently tap the top of the toothpick. Drops of mica powder will land into the resin. Keep tapping until you have a desired look and effect.
Step 13:
Using your clear resin that is still left in your other mixing cup, drizzle a small amount over the colorized resin with Jacquard Pearl Ex Powdered Pigments dusted on.
Step 14:
Let the resin cure for 12 hours. You will need to “babysit” your curing resin.
TIP: Do you see how there are bubbles forming in the resin in this photo? Use your hot breath to “huff” on them. Your hot breath will make the bubbles expand and pop.
Step 15:
If you had any over pour of resin that is stuck to the sides of the rings, use a pair of needle nose pliers to gentle remove the resin. When the resin is 12 hours into the curing process it is still not fully cured, so this soft cure state makes it really easy to remove the excess resin from the rings.
Step 16:
Let pieces cure for the full curing cycle of up to 72 hours.
Step 17:
Stack the Hammered Bitsy Rings in a grouping and enjoy wearing them!
Same Technique in the Bitsy Earrings.
Here is the same technique, but in the Bitsy Earrings. You can shop the Bitsy Earring Findings to create this look here!
Shop Wholesale Nunn Design Findings
Shop Nunn Design Wholesale
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