Resin Jewelry Techniques: Channeling Vintage Specimen Boxes!

Back in 2021, during the height of the pandemic, I made a conscious effort to carve out time for creativity. Life felt heavy, and I realized that when I started to feel off balance, it was a sign to pause and make space for making. So, I cleared a couple of days on my calendar, turned up the music, and dove headfirst into playful experimentation with resin and clay.

One of those creative explorations was inspired by vintage specimen boxes—those beautiful little displays of nature’s oddities. I wondered if I could capture that same sense of wonder using Nunn Design Bezels, Charms, and resin. What emerged… well, it didn’t turn out exactly as planned, but the process was full of learning and unexpected delight.

I’m excited to bring this project back to the spotlight. Whether it sparks ideas for your next design or makes you smile at the “black tar” phase we all go through sometimes, I hope it inspires you to keep experimenting. Let your creativity lead the way!

THE EXPLORATION:

(Original post March 09 2021)

I really love the look of specimen boxes and thought it would be fun to try to create that look using Nunn Design Bezels and Charms.

It wasn’t until I had finished the project did I step back and think, “hey, that kind of looks like a lot of sea-life stuck in black tar!” That was not the look I was going for!

The experiment did help me learn the “how-to,” it was just the color that I wasn’t happy with. I had Melissa play around in Photoshop to help me see what the pieces would of looked like if I had used a different plate of Nunn Design Findings and different Pantone colors.

THE HOW TO:

Here is a quick and brief explanation of what I did to create this look:

• Clean your bezels and charms: Clean Nunn Design Bezels and Charms with rubbing alcohol.
• Prepare the epoxy clay base: Mix a batch of black Epoxy Clay and press it down into the base of the clean bezels.
• Remove charm loops: Using a pair of flush cutters, cut off the loop from the Nunn Design Charms.
• Embed charms into clay: Press the charm down into the Epoxy Clay.
• Clean as you go: Use a wet-wipe to clean away any clay. It will harden like cement, so cleaning as you go is important.
• Mix your resin: Mix a batch of Nunn Design 2-Part Resin.
• Add pigment to color the resin: Add a wee bit of black Castin’ Craft Opaque Pigment into the resin and stir until fully blended. Use the Pantone Cheatsheet to explore other color formulas to create.
• Apply the resin: Drizzle over the top of the black Epoxy Clay the colorized black resin. With a toothpick, go along the edge of the bezel and charm where the Epoxy Clay is in contact with the resin. This is typically where air bubbles will lurk, so by agitating the resin, you will dislodge them. Continue to add the colorized resin until it has reached a level that you like.
• Let it cure: Let the resin cure. It will be hard to the touch in 12 hours, but will take 72 hours to be fully cured.

SUPPLIES:

• Nunn Design Bezels
• Charms (Sea Charms)
• Colorants
• Nunn Design Resin

I hope you have enjoyed following along on my creative journey!

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