How to Use Excess Colorized Resin to Create Mosaic Pendants Tutorial + Video

This is a technique that Cheryl introduced to the Nunn Design Team during one of our quarterly art days. Cheryl discovered that if she poured her left over resin onto a piece of plastic and let it cure for 12 hours, it would be soft and malleable enough to punch and cut. Once the leftover cured resin was cut into pieces, Cheryl created collage-like images within Open Hoops and Nunn Design Adjustable Rings. This technique allows a resin jewelry artist to utilize every last drop of resin.

Learn How!

Supplies Needed:

• Open Frames
• Castin’ Crafts Opaque Pigments
• Nunn Design 2-Part Resin Kit

Others:


• Packing Tape
• Wet-wipes
• Toothpick or headpin
• Zip-Lock Bags
• Business Cards or card stock
• A timer

Tools:


• Scissors
• Hole Punch

Step 1:
Read the resin instructions for safety concerns regarding the Nunn Design Resin. When I work with resin, I always:

1. Place a large plastic bag over my work surface and tape it down.
2. I make sure I have ventilation in my workroom
3. I wear gloves.
4. I wear glasses (readers because I can’t see anymore. Plus it protects my eyes!).
5. I have a pile of wet wipes handy.

Step 2:
Place one of the mixing cups (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 B being heavier or something.

Step 3:

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 4:
Pour a small amount of the mixed resin into another of your measuring cups included in the Nunn Design Resin Kit. Add in a toothpick tip of the Castin’ Craft Opaque Pigments to create the colors you desire. For this purple color, I combined Blue and Red. You can mix the full 1 fluid ounce of resin if you want, but I transfer the resin into smaller cups because it is easier to stir and less messy to move around when less full.

Tip: Be sure that the colorant does not equal more than 10% of your resin as having more than 10% could cause issues with curing!

Step 5:
Lay onto a flat surface a Zip-Lock Bag. Pour the mixed colorized resin onto the bag and let cure until firm and no longer tacky to the touch.

Step 6:
Using scissors or a hole-punch, cut and punch bits of the cured resin. Move the bits and pieces of resin around until you have a design that you like. For this piece, I liked the look of pieces of sea glass, so I cut strips of resin in varying lengths, making sure that they all fit length wise within my Open Frame Square. I stacked the strips of cured resin on their sides, giving the piece a rough jagged look.

Step 7:
Cut a piece of packing tape and place it on your work surface. Place an Open Frame Square onto the tape. Press down and rub the Open Frame Square back and forth on your work surface, burnishing the tape onto the backside of the Open Frame Square. By burnishing the Open Frame Square down onto the tape well, this will prevent resin from seeping out the sides.

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 8:
Trim away any excess of the packing tape that is around the Open Frame Square to avoid it from getting attached to anything while you are pouring or letting your piece cure. 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 9:
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 on and not disturbed. Place some business cards or some heavy card stock onto your work surface, making it easy to move the Open Frame Square without getting any resin on your fingers.

Tip:  If you have a lot of overflow of your resin, when you place it on the business card to dry, it may stick to the surface of the card. Place a small zip lock bag onto the business card or cover the business card with packing tape to prevent your pieces from getting stuck.

Step 10:
Follow steps 1-4 to mix another batch of Nunn Design 2-Part Resin. Once the resin is mixed, slowly drizzle your mixed resin onto the tape in the center of Open Frame Square. Use a toothpick to move around the resin until the base is completely covered.

Step 11:
Place your mosaic design that you created using the bits and pieces of cured colorized resin into the Open Frame Square. Press the bits and pieces down onto the packing tape fully submerging the cured resin into the wet resin. If you have excess resin…guess what? Colorize it and pour it onto a zip lock!!!

Step 12:
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 13:
When your resin is fully cured, remove the packing tape from the backside of the Open Frame Square. 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.

Step 14:
Still sticky? Try Goo Be Gone. You can see how we used it in this tutorial.

Watch the Video

Here is a video showing you how to create a similar like pendant using cut up pieces of resin.

Be Inspired!

These are all jewelry samples of Cheryl’s play. In all of her samples, she fully covered the cut up pieces of colorized cured resin with clear resin. It provides a totally different effect.

Shop Supplies:

Shop Supplies RETAIL:

You can explore this technique in our Colorizing Resin Mosaics in Open Bezels Program. Shop the bezels, resin and opaque pigments to make your own creations!

shop now! > Buy & try resin mosaics – Colorized Resin, Open Back Bezels

Shop Supplies WHOLESALE:

• • Buy & Try Resin Mosaics – Colorized Resin, Open Back Bezels
  • Nunn Design Resin Kit
  • Castin’ Crafts Opaque Pigments (Colorants)
  • Open Frames

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