Transfer Sheets, Tutorials
Create these Earrings with Open Drop Pendants, Tree Transfer Sheets & Resin
If you have been shy to try resin, this would be a great project to cut your teeth on. Resin can be tricky, especially if you are working with paper and trying to embed a lot of items. Creating with resin and transfer sheets makes way for an easier process.
Read through these instructions and see if it sounds a wee bit more tempting to try. I hope that you are tempted, because working with resin is oh so much fun!
Supplies Needed:
2 Open Pendant Drop Single Loop-Antique Silver opds-sb
4 Jumprings Small Thick-Antique Silver jrst-sb
2 Stacking Twig Connector -Antique Silver stc-sb
2 Jumpring 9mm Textured Circle-Antique Silver jr9tc-sb
2 Ear Wire Hooks-Antique Silver ewh-sb
2 Metal Bead Faceted Round 6mm-Antique Silver mbfr6-sb
1 Resin Kit by Nunn Design reskit
1 Black & White Tree Transfer Sheet by Nunn Design tsbwt
Tools Needed:
2 Pairs of 5 inch Basic Flat Nose Pliers
Scissors
Other Supplies Needed:
Packing tape
Toothpicks
Timer
Wet-wipes
Small dish of water
Paper Towel
Create the Open Pendant Drops
Step 1:
With a pair of scissors, trim two of the drop images from the Black & White Tree Transfer Sheet. Continue trimming and adjusting until the transfer sheet image fits nicely into each Open Pendant Drops.
Step 2:
Cut two pieces of packing tape and place them onto your work surface. Place one Open Pendant Drop on one piece of tape. Using your fingertips, press the pendant down onto the packing tape and rub back and forth on your work surface to make sure it is burnished down. Repeat for second Open Pendant Drop.
Tip: Check to see that your packing tape is clear and there is no residue or mottling in the adhesive. If there is, it will show up in your finished resin piece when you remove the tape once the resin is cured. Try to use an area of the tape that does not have blotches or marks.
Step 3:
Trim away any excess packing tape from each Open Pendant Drop to avoid the curing resin piece from being potentially disturbed.
Tip: I like to place each bezel on its own individual piece of packing tape. It makes the pouring easier to manage and eliminates the chance of disturbing the bezel next to it.
Step 4:
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 5:
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 6:
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 7:
Slowly drizzle a small amount of mixed resin into the Open Pendant Drops until the tape base is completely covered. Gently run a toothpick along the base of the pendant to make sure there aren’t any air bubbles lurking. If there is any area trapped, agitating it with a toothpick will cause the bubbles to rise to the surface. If bubbles do surface, breathe on the resin gently. The hot air from your breath will cause the air to expand and pop.
Step 8:
Fill a small shallow dish with warm water approximately 3⁄4 of the way full. The Nunn Design Transfer Sheets are printed on a film with a paper backing. When the transfer sheet is submerged into water, it separates the film front from the paper backing. Drop one of your trimmed transfer sheets into the water and wait 30 seconds. I like to work with one of my transfer sheet images at a time, so I’m not in a rush as all of the backs release from the film fronts at the same time.
The film is very fragile, so be gentle when handling it. When removing the transfer sheet from the water, you will be able to feel the film and paper-backing slide apart from one another and then hold them in your fingers. Leave the paper backing attached to the film front and dry your fingers with a paper towel.
Step 9:
Once the transfer is dried off, slide off the paper backing and place the film into the resin filled base of the Open Pendant Drop. Use a toothpick to submerge the transfer sheet into the resin. This will help remove any air that might be trapped under the transfer sheet.
Step 10:
Continue to pour your resin until the bezel is filled. If you want a flat resin surface, fill the resin just to the edge of the bezel. If you would like a high dome, continue to drizzle resin until you have your desired height.
Step 11:
If you have any resin where you don’t want it, use a wet-wipe to clean up the surface. Set aside to cure (up to 72 hours).
Step 12:
To finish your Open Pendant Drops, remove the packing tape from the backside once fully cured. 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. Still sticky, try Goo Be Gone! Follow the manufactures 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. It was fast and easy. Once clean, just use soap and water to clean the resin pendant.
Assemble the Earrings
Step 13:
Using the two pairs of 5 inch Basic Flat Nose Pliers, open one of the Jumpring Small Thick. Thread onto the jumpring the Open Pendant Drop and the Stacking Twig Connector. Close the jumpring.
Step 14:
Use the two pairs of pliers to open another of the Jumpring Small Thick and thread it onto the other loop of the Stacked Twig Connector in Step 13. Close the jumpring.
Step 15:
With the two pair of pliers, open the Jumpring 9mm Textured Circle and thread it through the Jumpring Small Thick. Also thread on the Ear Wire Hook. Close the Jumpring 9mm Textured Circle.
Step 16:
If the hole on the Stacking Twig Connector is too small to thread the jumpring through it, use a pair of pliers to create a larger hole.
Step 17:
Thread onto the Ear Wire Hooks the Metal Bead Faceted Round 6mm.
Step 18:
Repeat steps 13-16 To make the pair! Bravo!
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