Amazing Clear Cast Resin and some Steampunk Goodness!

I really have to start out by saying that my pictures this go around didn’t nearly give my project justice and I had a terrible time getting the camera to work at all. I thought I was taking pictures but when I went to download them they weren’t there. :0( And so to begin, I started out with Amazing Clear Cast Resin and a mold that a friend had picked up for me.

I’m sure that you can see that the mold is cracked. I’ll explain what happened. Now I have used the Amazing Quick Cast resin many times in rubber molds and plastic molds without any problems but after pouring my second layer of clear resin it quickly became apparent that this resin wasn’t going to let go. I thought I would deal with the release part when I came to it and continued on. I put a layer of clock parts in the resin and then poured another layer to fill the squares enough to cover them. I then used some of the Terri Sproul extra fine glitter and sprinkled it around the outside of the frame and laid a steampunk picture in the wet resin. The picture really is awesome and is a man and woman from the victorian era with gears etc. all over. It made a terrific background and then I poured a final layer of resin over the back of that. Once it set I was totally stumped as to how to get the resin to release. so I made one phone call to someone and they didn’t know what to do either. I then had the thought to ask the same friend who gave me the mold if she might know because she had used resin a lot in the past. She told me that the mold might crack or break but to put the piece in the freezer for a few minutes and then give it a try to pop the piece out. Well that’s what I tried and guess what? Yep it popped out!!! The frame did crack but guess what? Since my piece came out perfect I’ll use it to make a mold with the Amazing Mold Putty!!! What a perfect ending. Here are several pictures of the project. I wanted to try to show you how everything is layered in the resin. I’ve got to say this is an amazing piece and I plan to hang it on the wall.

First layer in the mold, see all of the clock pieces?





Isn’t this gorgeaous? I am so happy at the way it turned out. And now we all know what a few minutes in the freezer can do for a stubborn project!

Barbara

From Seashore to Chic Jewelry Made with Amazing Crafting Products

Happy Thursday! June has certainly flown by and July 4th is just around the corner. Susan back again to share another adventure with Amazing Mold Putty. Today I have a unique jewelry project using Amazing Crafting Products by Alumilite Corp. AND I also have a special Amazing Crafting Products coupon for you too!

A few months back my sister and her girls were in town for a visit and they love to go seashell hunting at the beach while watching the sunrise. My sister found this amazing piece of coral and I was able to pry it from her hands just long enough to cast it in Amazing Mold Putty. This piece is so unique and lovely and I am using it to make a couple of jewelry pieces for gifts. For this project I am featuring Amazing Casting Resin colored with various Alumilite Metallic Powders and Dyes. 

Now for the FUN to BEGIN! I got out my Amazing Mold Putty!

Please see accompanying image number to go along with written instruction/description.

Photo #1: Begin by taking equal parts of Amazing Mold Putty parts "A" and "B". Photo #2: Gently mix together both parts, working quickly so that the colors are evenly mixed together with no striping. Photo #3: Place the mixed Amazing Mold Putty around the item starting gently pressing it around the item and around the sides. You have about a 5 minute open time to work with shaping before it begins to cure/harden. For larger pieces, you can build up the mold casting by working in sections. If you would like to see a more in depth how-to of mixing Amazing Mold Putty please click here. Photo #4: After molding one side and allowing time to cure, I applied mold release {or vaseline can be used} so I can cast a two-part mold. This is done by mixing up another batch of Amazing Mold Putty and applying to top of existing piece in base mold Photo #5: Completed cured two-part mold. Before removing item cast, it's a good idea to label edges of mold to align top and bottom when pouring resin. Photo #6: Completed two-part coral mold and item when removed - in it's natural state as it was found on the shore. I was really impressed by the minute detail that the Amazing Mold Putty picked up from this delicate coral.

NOW FOR THE CASTING with the Quick Set Amazing Casting Resin:

Following the directions on package I measure out to equal parts of Part A and Part B to mix Amazing Casting Resin which sets up in approximately 10 minutes.

For this project I've used the Gun Metal and Silver Metallic Alumilite Metallic Powders and also Alumilite Black Dye.

Please see accompanying image number to go along with written instruction/description.

Photo #7: I mixed thoroughly into Part "A" of Amazing Casting Resin, just one drop of Alumilite Black Dye to add coloring. The Alumilite dyes are so concentrated a little goes a long way. After mixing thoroughly, I stir in Part "B" and then pour into molds. Photo #8:  Prior to mixing resin, I prepared molds by dusting with both Alumilite Silver Metallic and Gunmetal Powders. This adds a real metallic patina to resin and also helps as a mold release. Photo #9: Molds with resin poured. I let these cure for about 15 minutes before removing from mold. This will vary depending on thickness of mold and size of item being cast. One mold shown is a pearl pink resin color. When you mix resin have extra molds handy to use up any leftover resin - so your mixed resin doesn't go to waste. Photo #10: Completed coral mold pieces and ready to turn into jewelry.

 Close-up of completed coral casting with Amazing Casting Resin.
This piece I'm using is only half of the two-part mold.

The depth and coloring of the Alumilite Metallic Powders look like real metal and the black dye real makes the metallic sheen pop. I spent some time using my dremel-like rotary tool to sand the edges on the backside. This took some time since this is such a detailed piece and I wanted to blend in the edges with the coral detail. **NOTE** when sanding resin pieces - please remember to always use protective eyewear and a dust mask. To build my bracelet, I drilled small holes to accept nylon beading wire to string pearls. I've also prepared a second piece as a matching necklace.

Presenting my "Seashore Chic Coral Jewelry".

Completed bracelet finished off with real cultured pearls.

This bracelet is perfect for summertime and is going to make a wonderful gift. 

I hope you enjoyed today's project. I encourage you to take some time to explore and search through the many AMAZING projects from my fellow Amazing Mold Putty Design Team members. There are so many great tips and ideas!

**COUPON for Amazing Crafting Products Website** 

Use coupon code AMP20 to receive 20% off your order.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP!

Coupon expires - Sept 30, 2012

If you have any questions, please leave a comment, select receive e-mail follow ups on comments and I will respond. If you would like to see more of my creations, please visit my blog sbartist : painting in the dark by clicking here.

Happy Crafting : )

Faux Jade Box

By Amanda Marks

I was at our local library and found a book called "The Art of Resin Jewelry" by Sherri Haab it has amazing ideas for creating faux jewelry.  I have always had a fondness for real jade and decided I need to try this technique.

Don't forget the coupon code:
Use the code AMP20 at check out, and get 20% off of your order!! Offer expires - Sept 30, 2012.

1.  Materials

• Amazing Clear Cast Resin
• Alumilite Yellow Dye
• Alumilite Blue Dye
• Amumilite White Dye
• 3 Measuring Cups
• Stir Sticks and Toothpicks
• Mold
• Palette
• Gloves (a must when working with Clear Cast Resin)
• Burnt Umber Acrylic Paint/Brush

2.  Start by mixing equal part of A & B together in a measuring cup (to equal 1/2oz.)

3.  Pour half the mixture into another cup.  Taking one of the cups pour half into another cup.  You will have one cup with 1/4oz and 2 cups with 1/8oz of resin.

4.  The cup with the 1/4oz (the most resin) add green transparent dye.  Mix throughly.  

5.  In one of the 1/8oz cups mix only white dye.  Mix throughly.  On a palette mix a green dye and white dye together to create a milky green.  Add a drop or two to the remaining uncolored resin.

6.  Pour milky resin and white resin into the transparent resin.  Fold over a couple of times - you do not want to over mix, you want the swirls.

7.  Pour into mold.  Take a toothpick and slowly swirl together, note you do have to almost touch the bottom to create the desired look.  Go slow or you will get bubbles.

8.  Allow to resin to cure for 24-48 hours.

9.  Un-mold 

10.  Add Burnt Umber paint to create the desired Faux look.

Once you have the faux resin embellishment you can add it to anything.  I choose to paint a faux Jade on a  wooden box and add my embellishments to it.  The gold trim was painted with a mixture of Alumilite Metallic Powder and 3D Crystal Lacquer.

The box from the back.

Top of the box.

Close up of the resin embellishment.

Back of box.

Back of box.

Close up of the resin embellishment on the back of the box.

Inside of the box.

I am really pleased with how this piece turned out.  I do plan on trying this again an maybe make some faux Jade earrings.  I did find using a bigger mold was easier for the first time trying this technique.  Side note: this piece has already been claimed by my mom who has a real Jade collection.

Amazing Versatility!

Hey everybody, it's Edie,
You know I love my Amazing Mold Putty and the Amazing Casting goodies and this month’s post is going to show you just how much I use these products. Rather than show you just one project, I decided to show you just how versatile and useful all of the Amazing products are. The first project I have is something almost EVERYONE can use. I purchased those cute little red and yellow ketchup and mustard bottles for summer time cookouts and get togethers. Unfortunately, the ones I bought did not have caps and would be left open all the time. Since Amazing Mold Putty Is food safe, I mixed up a small batch and pressed it over each of the bottle tops creating custom lids for each one. The Amazing Mold Putty fills every space, so even the tiny hole in the top is plugged keeping my ketchup and mustard sealed and fresh all summer long. Before the putty had set, I used my fingernail to mark the respective lids with “M” and “K” so even if they are both off at the same time, they still end up on the correct bottle for storage. This technique would work for any jar, bottle or container that needs a cover, so I will definitely be using it again.



 The next project I want to share is a set of custom toys I made for my son. Christopher loves those building bricks with the little dots on top (you know the ones I’m talking about) and he has a HUGE collection. His favorite things to collect are what he calls ‘special pieces.” You know… the pieces you only get on rare occasion and you can never have enough of? Yeah, those. I let my son pick out a few of his favorite special pieces and I molded them to see how they would turn out. After the molds were set I mixed up some Amazing Clear Cast and let it set overnight. The next day, we unmolded the cast toys and they turned out fantastic! Now he has a selection of SUPER SPECIAL PIECES and we can customize them anyway he wants. I love that the clear cast almost looks illuminated!

 

The final project I want to share in this post is still a work in progress, and MAN, was it a learning experience!!! While on a walk last week, I found a daisy with a broken stem and I decided I would try to preserve it using Amazing Clear cast. I spread some Vaseline on an old lid, mixed up my Clear Cast and used a medicine dropper to coat the top side of my daisy. The petals opened out too far under the weight of the Clear Cast and started to stick to the lid. I tried using a toothpick to lift and move the petals, but that did not work out very well, so I decided to try and flip the flower over to allow the petals to fold back towards the middle.

 ***WARNING – DO NOT TOUCH AMAZING CLEAR CAST WITH YOUR BARE HANDS!!!!***

I normally wear gloves while working with resin, but for some reason, I just picked up my flower and flipped it over. I used the toothpick to straighten and smooth the petals as much as I could, then I let the Clear Cast set overnight. Little did I know that Amazing Clear Cast does NOT wash off with soap and water! It is very oily and it just smears and sticks instead. After a bit of a panic, I remembered a tip about using ACETONE Nail Polish Remover to remove clear cast. I had to pour some Acetone Polish Remover into a bowl, soak my hands for a minute, then scrub them with a cotton ball, but I finally got all of the Clear Cast off my hands. From now on I will ALWAYS use gloves when working with resin of any kind! In my panic I didn’t notice, but my flower turned from bright white and yellow, to dull green and brown. After the Clear Cast was set, I painted my flower back to its original colors and I plan to use it on a canvas I am working on. I hope you enjoyed these projects and I would love to know how YOU use Amazing Mold Putty and both of the Amazing Resins.

You can see more of my work on my blog.

 Use the code AMP20 at check out, and get 20% off of your order!! Offer expires - Sept 30, 2012.

FUN NEW WAY TO USE AMAZING MOLD PUTTY!

Hi Everybody! I am so excited for my Amazing Mold Putty post this month. I love using materials that are traditionally meant for one thing in a completely different way. I have an odd way of looking at things and I always love to experiment. I am thrilled to be on this team because EVERYONE experiments and it doesn't make me feel quite as odd!

Here is what I did this month. I was sitting one day looking around my art room while I was doing a journal page. I have tons of stencils, but that requires me getting paint out and setting everything up and blah blah blah. I also love doing Random Acts of Kindness especially because with today's economy people can't always afford all the stencils, stamps and fun things that are out there. SO, after being inspired by these two realities.......I made my own stamps....from stencils with Amazing Mold Putty. SAY WHAT? OH YES I DID!!!! lol - I made a video to show you but it doesn't do them justice. I am like a mad scientist now. I love this technique because you can pick which part of the stencil you like best and use it to make your stamp. And best of all, now you have two ways to use the stencil. Here is a GREAT coupon!!!! Use the code AMP20at check out, and get 20% off of your order!! Offer expires - Sept 30, 2012.

Yummy Candy Pendants!

 I have always been fascinated by candy sprinkles suspended in plastic and to be made into jewelry? Yum!
Making these are really easy. All you need are:
Amazing Mold Putty , Amazing Clear Cast Resin, Red, White and Blue Alumlite dyes,
Dixie cups, tooth picks, wax paper, a old tray, bottle caps, candy sprinkles, 22 gauge wire, jewelry pliers, scissors, clear nail polish, and e-6000 glue.

Place wax paper onto a old tray for your work and setting space.
Begin by kneading equal amounts of the yellow and white Amazing Mold Putty until no white putty shows.
Form a thick coil and press as many bottle caps into it as you can. Let set about 15 minutes.

 Mix your Amazing Clear Cast Resin as instructed, making sure your measurements are exact. Pour into the dixie cup and mix thoroughly. Then carefully pour into your molds, only a little bit at first, add your candy sprinkles, then add resin to cover but not overflow.

Fill the rest of your molds with the resin. Use the droppers on the Alumlite dyes sparingly. You only need a drop here and there of color. Next take your toothpick and swirl the colors. Don't over swirl or the colors will darken too much.

 L

Set your tray in a spot where it will not be disturbed for at least 2 days / 48 hours. Preferably away from drafty windows as the warmer it is, the faster it sets.  Pop your pieces out and use scissors to trim off any excess. Seal any non glossy sides with the nail polish.

 If you are lacking on jewelry bails, Make your own with wire. I made these with 5 1/2" of wire each.

For the one of the Alumlite colored pendants, I made a double bail.

Then I added a bit of glue to both sides and firmly held the bail in place for a few minutes.

 I placed it upright in a upside down cup to finish setting.

Thank you for coming by to see my "Yummy" creations! I hope you are inspired to make some of your own! If you are interested in the Alumlite, here is a coupon for 20% off your order. Just use code AMP20.
Coupon expires September 30th, 2012.

See you next month! :)
- Michelle Frae Cummings

I've gone Van Gogh or is it More Monet?

If the masters could only see me now, what would they say??

My guess is that I'd be laughed out of Montmartre, but surely they would value my casual style and I know they'd love the technique!

So even if you've never painted before, this project will surely bring out the artist in you to!

Here are a few of the pieces I created using the Amazing Casting Resin (5 minute resin)http://www.alumilite.com/ProdDetail.cfm?Category=Casting Resins&Name=Amazing Casting Resin

Alumilite Dyes, packaging, a paint brush and pouring pots.

The beauty of this technique that I'm going to show you is all about its dimensional effect!
When you remove the paint from the mold you will be left with an indented image on the resin.

So all you need is an empty plastic packaging tray, Alumilite Dyes and the 5 min. Casting Resin

2 mixing pots, stir stik, paint brush, kleenix

Step 1

- pour your desired colors (dyes) into a paint tray

- start painting your image onto the tray

****here is a tip****

you can put an image under your tray and paint the image on top

(does it get any easier than that?)

Step 2

- Pour equal parts of Casting Resin into separate pots, then mix together and stir until clear (1 minute)

- pour resin onto your painted image

Step 3

- when your resin has hardened, remove molded piece (don't leave this sit over night) you want to remove it within 10-15 mins. so that the paint doesn't settle into the resin.

- with a clean cloth remove the excess paint

You will be left with a cool indented image.

If you want to you can add Alumilte Silver Metallic powder on your image.
 (as I did on the Eifel Tower)

To truely see this technique in action check out my video on how to do it!
I hope I've inspired a few of you to give this cool technique a try and for some added incentive don't forget you can get a 20% discount from www.alumilite.com by using this code AMP20



Soaring Details....

Hello Everyone.

Today I want to share an ATC card that I made for the Creative Souls retreat.
*unfortunately I wasn't able to attend since we ended up moving that weekend.

I had a small bird charm that I thought was so cute, I wanted to add it to my ATC's but I only had one. So I mixed equal parts A and B of Amazing Mold Putty. Mix thoroughly. Press the charm into putty - allow to set for 5-10 minutes then I un-molded the charm.

Time to get out my Amazing Casting Resin!

Following the directions on the package I measure out to equal parts of Part A and Part B to mix Amazing Casting Resin which sets up in approximately 10 minutes. Both parts of the resin pour out clear. Then I added a drop and I mean one drop of Alumilite Black Dye to Part A and mixed it well then combine both parts "A" and "B" and stirred thoroughly and quickly - Amazing Casting Resin sets up quickly. I poured some resin into each bird shape mold. Amazing Casting Resin has reached the flash point and turns from clear to opaque white but with the dye I couldn't see it turn white..LOL so I just waited about 10 minutes. Once it hardened I can remove these from molds. I used my X-acto knife and cut the charm hole opening off the wing. Oh they turned out so cute.....but they still needed something.

How about a little silver paint to highlight.....Perfect.

And this is my finished ATC with my bird attached. I really did like them. It was just to bad I didn't get to share them at the retreat.

**COUPON for Amazing Crafting Products Website**

Use coupon code AMP20 to receive 20% off your order.

CLICK HERE TO SHOP!

Coupon expires - Sept 30, 2012

Hugs~~
Molly