Do you believe black cats are bad luck if they cross your path?
Need a last-minute resin jewellery project for Halloween?
1. Spoon a small amount into the bezel with a wooden stir stick. You need just enough to spread it out to the edges evenly.
3. Place the edge of the eye under the surface of the resin and slide it into position to minimise the chance of adding bubbles.
4. Sometimes, you still get a big bubble underneath.
If that happens, place the wooden stir stick behind the bubble and push it to the edge of the bezel.
How about a glowing cat's eye pendant! No need to save it just for Halloween though - it's purrr-fect for Friday the 13th too!
You also need a cat's eye image. Lucky for you, you can DOWNLOAD this one for FREE!
This resin project can be made with either epoxy resin or UV resin. But the secret to making the eye look 3D is to use a doming resin.
Here are two that are excellent for this project:
- Epoxy resin (suitable for jewellery and doming).
- Magic-Glos UV Resin. Magic-Glos has no odour (unlike other UV resins) and it's non-toxic. Plus, it allows you to get a really high dome.
If you choose the UV resin, you need to cure it in the sun or use a UV lamp like this one.
You also need a cat's eye image. Lucky for you, you can DOWNLOAD this one for FREE!
Notes About Printing the Eyes
- They are sized to fit a 1" bezel when printed on A4. You may need to make adjustments if you print on Letter size paper.
- Print onto transparency film (overhead projector sheet) with a laser printer and you don't need to seal them.
- If you print them onto paper, seal them thoroughly with Mod Podge (front, back and cut edges) and allow the sealant to dry completely before proceeding.
There are a few eyes to choose from (different colours and different pupil shapes) but I picked the second eye for this Halloween project.
Once you've downloaded the eyes, print them and cut out the eye of your choice.
How to Make a Resin Pendant
If you're using epoxy resin, mix a small batch of resin according to the package instructions.
If you're using UV resin, cure the resin each time you add a new layer, i.e. Step 5 and Step 6.
2. Pop any bubbles in the resin by blowing on them through a straw.
Expert Tip: Spritz the resin with rubbing alcohol and the surface bubbles will pop right before your eyes!
4. Sometimes, you still get a big bubble underneath.
If that happens, place the wooden stir stick behind the bubble and push it to the edge of the bezel.
If you place the stir stick in the middle of the bubble, you'll break it up into lots of smaller bubbles that are much harder to remove.
5. Pop the bubbles and then spoon more resin over the top of the eye, spreading it out to the edges.
5. Pop the bubbles and then spoon more resin over the top of the eye, spreading it out to the edges.
6. Top up the resin until it's a rounded dome shape and then set the bezel aside to
cure.
7. Then all you need do is string the finished eye pendant onto a Silkies cord or chain and you're all set for the bewitching hour!
How to Make a Cat's Eye Pendant that Glows in the Dark
If you print the eyes onto a transparency sheet, you can intensify the glow of the cat's eye by using green glow-in-the-dark powder in the bottom layer of resin.
Choose Strontium Aluminate powder like this one and it will give you a SUPER STONG GLOW. It's not too coarse but it's coarse enough to hold a long glow... in fact, its glow outlasts the old-fashioned zinc sulphide formulas by hours.
N.B. Strontium Aluminate is grainy and doesn't dissolve in resin like mica powders do.
N.B. Strontium Aluminate is grainy and doesn't dissolve in resin like mica powders do.
