So far you have seen me create the base image, bead the image and now we are ready for the final stage - the resin. You would have thought that the resin was the easiest stage as all you are doing is pouring it on but often it is the most time consuming part but it is worth getting right as it creates the fabulous clear dome which magnifies the final piece and enhances those fiddly beaded designs.
The resin comes in two parts which, when mixed, will thicken and harden over the space of 36 to 48 hours. The two parts must be mixed precisely with half resin and half hardener otherwise the result will be sticky and soft. It has to be mixed in a warm room otherwise the resin is too thick to release any bubbles caught in it and micro bubbles mist the design. It also has to be poured on a perfectly flat surface otherwise it will spill and the next stage will be picking hardened resin off the bottom of everything!
I like to use a pipette to fill my pieces, particularly for the earrings which need such a small amount of resin. It is important to leave the resin to de-gas for a little while and then return to the pieces and remove the bubbles that have risen to the surface. To do this I use a drinking straw and gently blow across the surface and the change in the surface tension bursts the bubbles.
This needs be repeated for a few hours to be sure all the bubbles are removed. Then the pieces need to be left for a day or two to harden completely.
And there we have it, the completed process and I am ready to ship the finished pieces to my stockists. A list of whom can be found here.
