Some weeks just don't go the way you plan. I know I promised you a follow up post to the Friendly Plastic demos I did at the Scrapbook and Papercraft Expo but I got completely waylaid trying to eradicate the gremlins that got into my website instead. Three days and 18 hours later it's almost restored to how it was and it's all functional again with just a few minor things still to be fixed. Needless to say, I learnt a whole lot more about basic web design - but it's boring stuff.... I'd much rather be creative in the studio than fix websites!
And now that that's behind me, it's back to the "how to" I promised you.
So far, you've cut your strips of Friendly Plastic, re-fused them together in a great combination of colours, marbled them and cut them out into shapes. Now what?
Well, it's quite simple really. To prepare your marbled Friendly Plastic cutouts ready for assembly into pieces of jewellery you'll need to coat them with resin. For a really thick, glass-like coat you can use Envirotex Lite but I usually use Easy Cast because it's versatile and can also be used for casting. Other papercrafting products like Dimensional Magic, Diamond Glaze and similar products will give you a nice gloss finish but won't stand up to the rigours that jewellery needs to withstand. They are better suited for coating pieces you intend using in papercrafting projects.
Firstly, trim any pieces that have ragged edges using scissors.
I lay strips of double sided tape across a non-stick pan and line up all the pieces I want to coat with resin. The tape keeps them still so you don't have to chase them all over the tray when you apply the resin.
I always measure and mix the resin as per the manufacturer's instructions. Measuring the two parts properly will ensure that your resin will cure.... so does mixing it properly. I mixed 7.5mls of part A and 7.5mls of part B which was enough for two trays of cutouts.
Then comes the tedious bit - applying the resin. You'll need a tool to spread the resin evenly across the surface of each piece. I use a disposable plastic pipette but you could use an old paintbrush or even a paddle pop stick. Just make sure you spread the resin right out to the edges and if you can, coat the sides also. It will make for much more durable pieces of jewellery.
If there are any bubbles on the surface, you can gently blow through a straw to pop them.
And that's it. Not so hard at all!
Set the pieces aside to cure for 24 hours and then they'll be ready for you to turn into your own unique pieces of jewellery. Cover the trays with a plastic container so you can see through it and you'll be less likely to bump them accidentally. The cover will keep the dust off the resin until the pieces are cured.
And then comes the fun part - the design possibilities! But I'll save that for another day!
'Til next time.....
If you can't get enough of My Tutorials and you want even more inspiration, click here to find my books and printable pdfs
And now that that's behind me, it's back to the "how to" I promised you.
So far, you've cut your strips of Friendly Plastic, re-fused them together in a great combination of colours, marbled them and cut them out into shapes. Now what?
Well, it's quite simple really. To prepare your marbled Friendly Plastic cutouts ready for assembly into pieces of jewellery you'll need to coat them with resin. For a really thick, glass-like coat you can use Envirotex Lite but I usually use Easy Cast because it's versatile and can also be used for casting. Other papercrafting products like Dimensional Magic, Diamond Glaze and similar products will give you a nice gloss finish but won't stand up to the rigours that jewellery needs to withstand. They are better suited for coating pieces you intend using in papercrafting projects.
Firstly, trim any pieces that have ragged edges using scissors.
I lay strips of double sided tape across a non-stick pan and line up all the pieces I want to coat with resin. The tape keeps them still so you don't have to chase them all over the tray when you apply the resin.
I always measure and mix the resin as per the manufacturer's instructions. Measuring the two parts properly will ensure that your resin will cure.... so does mixing it properly. I mixed 7.5mls of part A and 7.5mls of part B which was enough for two trays of cutouts.
Then comes the tedious bit - applying the resin. You'll need a tool to spread the resin evenly across the surface of each piece. I use a disposable plastic pipette but you could use an old paintbrush or even a paddle pop stick. Just make sure you spread the resin right out to the edges and if you can, coat the sides also. It will make for much more durable pieces of jewellery.
If there are any bubbles on the surface, you can gently blow through a straw to pop them.And that's it. Not so hard at all!
Set the pieces aside to cure for 24 hours and then they'll be ready for you to turn into your own unique pieces of jewellery. Cover the trays with a plastic container so you can see through it and you'll be less likely to bump them accidentally. The cover will keep the dust off the resin until the pieces are cured.
And then comes the fun part - the design possibilities! But I'll save that for another day!
'Til next time.....
If you can't get enough of My Tutorials and you want even more inspiration, click here to find my books and printable pdfs
Hello,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for visiting me and for your kind comments!
Your pieces are fabulous!
Love the colours and textures.
~ Gabriela ~
Thanks Gabriela. I stopped by your website as well.... and it's gorgeous! Your hard work deserves the rewards you're reaping.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Your Friendly Plastic art is amazing. I'm glad that this medium is coming back because I was just a kid when it was around before but now I am so excited about getting as good at it as I can. You are truly an inspiration Mylene and if I can get even 10% as good as you are at this art, then I will feel very accomplished!
ReplyDeleteThat is so kind of you to say. I hope you'll keep stopping by my blog as I share more Friendly Plastic ideas in the future. Enjoy your journey into Friendly Plastic. Regards, Myléne
ReplyDeleteDo you always use resin or envirotex light BEFORE you put your final pieces together? Does that keep the piece from distorting?
ReplyDeleteI find it easier to apply the resin when the pieces are flat, before they're assembled into jewellery. But there's no reason why you can't do it once the jewellery is assembled.... it can just be trickier. There are times when I don't use resin at all. Some of my beads are a bit tricky to coat with resin so I use a spray sealer for these to help prevent the foil from rubbing away with wear. I do find that the pieces I coat with resin are the most durable. But even once coated with resin, I still wouldn't leave my Friendly Plastic pieces in the sun on a hot day.
ReplyDelete