#Cre8time in a Bottle... AMAZING Inspiration from Myléne Hillam of Mill Lane Studio

Hello Amazing Crafters! Today is my last article as Featured Artist on the Amazing Casting Products blog. Over this past month I've been sharing some resin jewelry ideas with you – but today I'm stepping away from jewelry and I have created something that is a little bit more exotic.

The inspiration for this project comes from a gift my husband gave me many years ago - a beautiful Egyptian Perfume bottle. Its elegant shape and delicate 24K gold lattice embellishment make this a gift I treasure immensely.

A while back, this beautiful bottle was the inspiration for my line of Vessels and Vials – a collection of mini "Genie Bottle" pendants and earrings. Each one is a little masterpiece in its own right and whilst many of them went to new homes, I also created some to frame and hang on the wall in my studio!

Today's inspiration post takes me back full circle to the original Egyptian perfume bottle my husband gave me. Instead of creating pendant sized pieces, I'm recreating full-size perfume bottles in resin. My stash of jewelry findings provide everything else that I need to assemble them.

I was a bit nervous undertaking this project because I had no idea if I'd be able to remove my precious bottle from the Amazing Mold Putty once it had cured. But I took a deep breath and proceeded anyway!

To see how I created these fabulous faux bottles

please jump over to my blog HERE.

I hope this project inspires you to take a look at some of your collectibles and see what you have in your china cabinet that might be worthy of reproducing in resin.

Thanks for spending time with me this month as I shared my passion for resin with you – it's been a blast!  ~ Myléne

For more inspiration, please stop by my blog (http://milllanestudio.blogspot.com),
visit my website (www.milllanestudio.com) for class information,
or join me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/milllanestudio/).

   

For more jewelry ideas and inspiration, please check out my jewelry-making books: "Fabulous Jewelry from Findings" and "Stylish Leather Jewelry". 

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Please subscribe to our blog on the right side bar:

Twitter at AmazingCasting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty

#Cre8time in the Country... Faux Delft Tile Decor by Tracy Alden

Hello! Tracy with another Amazing Casting Products tutorial! I have recently been seeing in home decor and antique stores blue and white country tiles and pottery. I have always been fond of the look and wondered if I could attempt my own version with everyday craft supplies and without the need of a kiln! 

Supplies: 

• Amazing Clear Cast Resin
• Polymer Clay Scraps (Uncured) 
• Stir Sticks 
• Acrylic Paint in Bright Blue and Ocher 
• Paint Brush 
• Stamps 
• Flat head jewelry pliers 
• Soft Wire 
• ceramic tile 
• Liquid Fusion Glue 
• Disposable gloves 

I started by going through some of my scrap polymer clay, left over from other projects. I tried to pick clay that was pale blue, grey, white, translucent and cream. I was careful to not pick any of the pearl or metallic clay because I wanted to create the look of old country tiles and not something modern.

Using a pasta machine (devoted to craft use only) set on the thickest setting I conditioned the clay and blending all of the scrap clay by multiple runs though the pasta machine. I placed my now smooth and uniform colored clay on a ceramic tile, trimming the uneven edges. I used a frame style stamp as a cutting guide, making sure I could fit 3 across and 2 going down on the clay.

Once the clay was trimmed I sprayed the frame style stamp with water to act as a stamp release from the clay and pressed firmly into the clay. After I pressed the stamp in 6 times I used small plant and insect stamps to press inside the frame impression to create the illusion of 6 individual tiles. I trimmed the clay even closer to the stamped images, smoothing edges and defining details. I placed the ceramic tile with the polymer clay into a toaster over to cure per manufacturer’s instructions.

One the clay was finished baking I removed it from the ceramic tile and cleaned the edges. I applied bright blue acrylic paint to detailed portions of the clay, rubbing off excess with a paper towel. 

I applied a color wash, of Ochre acrylic paint diluted with water, to give the tiles a aged and worn look. I let the paint fully dry.

I mixed up a small portion of Amazing Clear Cast Resin, making sure to slowly stir to reduce air bubbles and let it sit for 10 minutes. By letting the resin sit for 10 minutes, the resin will be thicker and stick more to the polymer clay piece. I carefully applied the resin to the front of the pieces with a toothpick, making sure to get all the grooves and indents of the stamped images. I put on a pair of gloves so I could smear the resin across the piece and get even coverage of resin. I let this layer of resin cure completely.

*At this point if you did not want to drill though the polymer clay piece, you can put a wire hanger on the back of the polymer clay tiles with some Liquid Fusion Glue, as I did for this tutorial.

With this polymer clay and resin coating technique any number of mixed media, embellishments and tile art can be created!

What AMAZING arts and crafts can you create?

Please share them on the user GALLERY on the Amazing Crafting Products Website!

Visit my blog Art Resurrected for more craft tutorials!

Until next time, safe travels! ~ Tracy

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It's that time to have you chance to join our team of Amazing Creatives!

CLICK HERE for details to apply.

DEADLINE to apply is April 29, 2016.

  

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Don't forget to subscribe to our blog on the right side bar:

Twitter at AmazingCasting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty

Take a #Cre8time Carousel Ride... Sparkly Resin Ponies by Lyn Gill

Hello again! Lyn Gill here and I was inspired this week by some paper ponies I saw... I just knew I could make them in resin!

In this project I used the Amazing Remelt and I think I really put it through it's paces. I molded it in a foam board box (paper lined foam board) and I made the horse pattern from a recycled box glued to fun foam... of course I used plenty of mold release. 

When I poured the Amazing Remelt in and let it set up, I was surprised at how easy it actually was to remove. I used some Amazing Clear Cast Resin with various Alumilite Dyes and Alumidust with a touch of glittered embossing powder to make these adorable ponies!

These would make such a cute piece of wall art or hanging from the bottom of some wind chimes. Or maybe on a princesses door! They're so fun and so easy to create!

What type of paper craft

could you reproduce in resin?

Think of the possibilities!

Well thank you so much for joining us today

here at Amazing Casting Products!

...Till Next Time! ~ Lyn

As always you can find my work here on my Blog LynzCraftz, where I also have a pattern for this project; or on YouTube channel LynCraftz, or on my Facebook page LynzCraftz.

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It's that time to have you chance to join our team of Amazing Creatives!

CLICK HERE for details to apply.

DEADLINE to apply is April 29, 2016.

  

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Don't forget to subscribe to our blog on the right side bar:

Twitter at AmazingCasting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty

Spring Blossoms bring #Cre8time Wishing Spools... by Brenda Burfeind

Good day friends! Brenda from Creativity is a State of Mind with a Mold Rubber Monday project. In keeping with my theme this month of flowers, I created some dandelion wishes. Now I don't always have a purpose for what I create – this was just a fun thing to do. 

I took an ordinary spool of thread with the thread attached and using the Amazing Mold Rubber, I created my mold. You can view how to use this amazing product HERE. 

I created a spool with the Amazing Casting Resin and a tiny bit of the Alumilite Blue Dye to see how it would turn out. Can you see the detail in the blue resin spool? All the threads are picked up too! I love how the Amazing Mold Rubber picks up the tiniest details.

Here I am molding the spool with the Alumilite Fluorescent "Flo" Green Dye dye with the Amazing Casting Resin. Before the resin cures all the way I added a button to the resin and that will then adhere firmly. 

**I had to cut the mold to get the spool out, but a wrapping a little bit of tape or using a rubber band holds the mold together perfectly when pouring resin.

While my spools were curing, I used Susan Brown's VLVS! dandelion stamp. As you can see, this stamp is used ALOT!

I stamped the image on green tissue paper using StazOn Jet black ink.

I also cut dandelions with my Cricut!

Once my spools were cured, I Mod Podge'd the tissue paper on part of the spool leaving a bit of a tail to show movement!

I added more buttons with hot glue and some sparkly pipe cleaners.

And here are my finished spools. I absolutely adore these decorations. My daughter in law loves dandelions and these sit proudly on her kitchen window sill! Now she can make dandelion wishes every day!

What would you mold to create

fun, unique flower pots?

Thank you for joining me today for another Mold Rubber Monday.

Until next time, WISHING you happy crafting. ~ Brenda

Visit my blog, Creativity is a State of Mind to see some more of my creations.

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It's that time to have you chance to join our team of Amazing Creatives!

CLICK HERE for details to apply.

DEADLINE to apply is April 29, 2016.

  

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Don't forget to subscribe to our blog on the right side bar:

Twitter at AmazingCasting | Facebook at AmazingMoldPutty | YouTube at AmazingMoldPutty

Myléne Hillam... an AMAZING Featured Artist Spotlight

Greetings AMAZING Crafters! Today we have a fun questionnaire that we posed to our Featured Artist Myléne Hillam of Mill Lane Studio! Have fun getting to know her a little better and enjoy the eye candy, too! :) Sb

A little bit about Myléne...

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As a designer, I have the kind of job that many crafter's dream of: I get to create and play with new craft products. With a job that allows me to craft all day, it’s no wonder that I love what I do.

Like most crafters, I’ve dabbled in many crafts over the years but in recent times, it’s jewelry-making and working with resin that make my heart sing. Of all the crafts I’ve tried, none has captivated me quite like resin has. There is something about mixing the two liquid components together to produce a solid resin that just spellbinds me.

Ever since I can remember, the night sky has held a fascination for me: I love watching the moon as it rises and travels across the sky; I love looking for shooting stars in the heavens; and I remember gazing skywards when Halley's Comet passed by the earth. I'm totally spellbound by astronomical events so I created these Galaxy bangles to celebrate the wonders of the universe.

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Some fun questions for the inquiring minds...

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What did you want to be when you grew up?

"At school, I enjoyed all the hands-on arts subjects and creative writing. But I didn't set out to be an artist or a writer. In fact, I've worked in an office environment all my working life, but all the while, my love of creating stayed with me and I crafted whenever I had the time. And now I find myself living the creative life as both an artist/designer AND an author. My Art and English teachers would be proud! I guess it shows that no matter where your career path takes you along the way, you can always find your way back to the things you are passionate about and the things you are good at."

Coke or Pepsi???

"Neither. I like to get my caffeine fix from chocolate and tea!"

What inspires you?

"Dreams! My subconscious often conjures up weird and wonderful things and sometimes, the best creative ideas. I mean, how many good ideas come just as you are drifting off to sleep?!! But sometimes it's the materials that I'm working with that provide the inspiration – things will just fall in a particular way on the work bench and an idea is born."

What is the TOP thing to do on your "Bucket LIST"?


Image of a sunrise captured from the International Space Station, 
by NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman - Oct. 29, 2014.

"My bucket list has just one thing on it… but it's a biggy and it's one I never expect to do. I want to see our beautiful planet with its glowing blue halo from outer space. It always takes my breath away when I see an image of the earth taken from space. It makes me marvel at the size of the universe and how diminutive we are in the scheme of things - it really puts things in perspective!"

If you could print any phrase

on a T-shirt, what would it say?

It's pronounced Millaine! 

"Of course that would mean nothing to the average person in the street, but it would be great if people knew how to pronounce my name."

If you could mold ANYTHING with

Amazing Mold Putty, what would it be?

"Kate Middleton's engagement ring. Can you imagine

the fun we could have recreating it in resin?!!"

What style of music gets your creative juices going?

"I like to create in the peace and quiet where I can be alone with my thoughts. That's when my mind wanders and I'm at one with what I'm creating. But when deadlines are tight and the pressure is really on, I listen to my library of tracks featuring the sounds of the rainforest. Hearing the birds sing and the frogs croak whilst a gurgling stream bubbles – now that's music to my ears!"

Please stop by my blog Mill Lane Studio or join me

at Mill Lane Studio on Facebook for more inspiration.

   

For more jewelry ideas and inspiration, please check out my jewelry-making books: "Fabulous Jewelry from Findings" and "Stylish Leather Jewelry". 

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Thanks so much for dropping by! Check back next Friday for some inspiration from our Featured Artist Myléne Hillam... you don't want to miss it! CLICK HERE to head on over to Myléne's Blog Mill Lane Studio to see more of her fabulous work!

Have a fabulous day! :) Sb

How do you #Cre8time with #AmazingCastingProducts... join our AMAZING Creative Team

Call to all Creatives!

Now accepting applications for
Amazing Casting Products Creative Team

for term starting June 2016

Are you a Mold Putty addict, a resin junkie or maker extraordinaire?? Amazing Casting Products and the Alumilite Corporation is looking for individuals from all areas and styles of creativity: mixed-media artists, jewelry artists, food artists (Amazing Mold Putty, Amazing Clear Cast Resin and Amazing Remelt are food safe), home decor, R/C & miniatures, paper arts, soapmaking, cosplay and costume design, doll makers and more! We are looking for fresh, inspiring talent from all walks of life.

Do you love moldmaking and casting??!

If so, YOU could be one of the new

Amazing Casting Products Creative Team Members!

If you aren't currently a "blogger" that's OK, but we need to see where you share your fabulous creations on social media with the world.

Who is Amazing Casting Products?

Amazing Casting Products is a family of cutting edge, moldmaking and resin products that enable you to create anything you can possibly imagine – consisting of Amazing Mold Putty, Amazing Mold Rubber, Amazing Remelt, Amazing Casting Resin and Amazing Clear Cast Resin from the Alumilite Corporation.

What the Amazing Crafting Products Creative Team Does...

Simply put, our team INSPIRES, shares and explores projects and ideas using Amazing Casting Products – everything moldmaking and casting. The possibilities and use of Amazing Casting Products are endless, and limited only by your imagination... the sky's the limit!

We as a team show how easy it is to use Amazing Casting Products and all the amazing ways they can be used through step by step tutorials posted on the Amazing Casting Products Blog, and shared through social media sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

What we ask of Creative Team Members...

• Create one AMAZING project with fabulous step-out photos -or- AMAZING How-to video providing instructions with materials/supply list to be published on the Amazing Casting Products Blog. Good project photography is mandatory with clear, properly exposed photos.
• Create one inspiration post monthly, fabulously photographed to be published on the Amazing Casting Products Blog.
• Post to your personal blog site {if applicable} linking back to Amazing Casting Products, and sharing to Facebook, Twitter and other social media circles AND groups/galleries.... spreading the love of Amazing Casting Products anywhere and EVERYwhere!
• Publication submissions are not required, but we certainly encourage and reward it.

What We do for our artists...

• Creative Team Members receive these Amazing products to work with, at no cost to themselves. Product includes the five flagship moldmaking/casting products, additives and colorants – everything you need to create with abandon.
• Your work will be featured on the Amazing Casting Products Blog, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest pages, and website. Additional opportunities for your work to be showcased at CHA trade show, on Alumilite website and other product advertising and packaging; as well as teaching, partnering swaps; etc.
• Creative Team Members are welcomed and become part of a close-knit group of designers, based on camaraderie and collaboration... we can't help it we are mold putty junkies!

HOW TO APPLY!

Please follow these instructions closely.

A FEW TIPS:

• Be sure to include all information requested. If for any reason you cannot, please explain why this is the case.
• Be sure that your photography or video examples are good quality, and an example of your best work – they should be clear, in focus with good lighting. Your work is the STAR - we want to see your work shine! 
• If your examples don't use Amazing Casting Products, that's OK – more importantly is your experience with moldmaking and casting.

This may sound like a lot... but it's really not. If you read our daily posts you can see what we have in mind. If you have questions... please email Susan and ask. You won't know if you don't try.

SEND EMAIL TO

amazingcrafting at yahoo dot com

with the following...

Title your email submission with "Amazing Casting Products Designer Call" in the SUBJECT LINE. Please include your:

• Name
• Address
• Daytime/evening phone numbers
• Email address
• A brief paragraph letting us know why you would like to be a member of the Amazing Casting Products Creative Team.
• Link to your blog {if applicable}, galleries or videos online where you share your work. If you have been featured in publications using Amazing Casting Products, we'd love to hear about this also.
• 3 - 5 projects that showcase your work and what you will bring to Amazing Casting Products Creative Team.
• Use of Amazing Casting Products is not required, but if you do not use our product, please include examples of projects you envision for use with our products! {FYI - Amazing Casting Products are available in Hobby Lobby and Michaels stores, moldputty.com and other online retailers}.
• One project MUST include step-by-step photo directions. How-to can be submitted via *.pdf file or via video.
• Please no photos larger than 500kb each.
• List any current/previous design teams you are on {Previous Design Team experience not required}.
• List any creative sites or groups that you are a member of, and would be able to share your projects as a Creative Team Member with.
• Include any other information you feel we need to know about you.
• Like/Follow our Amazing Mold Putty Blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter!

GOOD LUCK and we can't wait to see your "AMAZING" submissions!

DEADLINE to apply is April 29, 2016.

Wear some #Cre8time Steampunk... by Featured Artist Myléne Hillam of Mill Lane Studio

Hi Amazing Crafters! For today’s special project, I’ve designed a bright and fun necklace with an avant-garde feel. This bold, colorful piece puts an entirely different spin on steampunk. I chose Amazing Casting Resin for this project because it will cure quickly so you’ll be able to cast the necklace and put it together in an afternoon – you’ve got to love a project that looks great but comes together quickly! The moulds I’m using are actually silicone beer bottle markers that I found at my local kitchenware shop. If you can’t find them locally, shop for them on Amazon.

Here’s what you’ll need to cast the cogs:

• Amazing Casting Resin
• Alumilite Dyes: Violet, Red, White
• Amazing Gold Metallic Powder
• Silicone beer bottle markers
• Packing tape
• Adhesive tape
• Measuring cups
• Stir sticks
• Soft bristled brush
• Drill with 1 mm drill bit
• Ruler and permanent marker

To assemble the necklace, you’ll need these jewelery-making items:

• 8 - 6x5mm drum beads
• 2 cone beads
• 16” strand haematite bugle beads
• 4 - 3mm silver spacer beads
• 2 silver wire guardians
• 2 silver #2 crimp tubes
• 2 silver split rings
• Silver hitch and ball clasp
• Silver 0.21” beading wire
• Tools: split ring pliers, crimping pliers, flush cutters

Brush the outside surface of some of the bottle
markers with Alumilite Gold Metallic powder. 

Use a piece of adhesive tape to remove the excess powder

on the bottom surface of the powdered bottle markers.

Turn all the rings outside-in.

Cut a piece of packing tape and position the bottle markers on it. Press them down on to the tape. You won’t be able to burnish them because the silicone doesn’t stick very well to the tape but try to make sure they have good contact with it to minimize leakage.

Measure out ½ oz (15mls) each of Parts "A" and "B" of Amazing Casting Resin. Add 2 or 3 drops of Alumilite Violet dye to Part "A". 

Mix the color well and then add Part "B" and mix Amazing Casting Resin according to the package instructions. CLICK HERE to view mixing/preparation.

Pour the Amazing Casting Resin into the bottle markers, 

filling as many as you can with the resin.

Set the cogs aside to cure.

Remove the cogs from the tape. If there has been any leakage, you should be able to easily remove the flashing from the silicone by pulling it away.

To demold, pull the silicone ring away

from the resin. It will release quite easily.

Use the Stanley knife to trim away any other resin on the top edges.

Make a batch of red cogs using Amazing Casting Resin with Alumilite Red dye and a white batch with no colorant. As a guide, it takes approximately 1/5 fl oz (6 mls) to fill each silicone ring.

Select the cogs you’d like to use in your necklace. You’ll need nine to complete the design featured here. Measure and mark the centre of each cog.

Use the drill to drill each hole. If you’re using a Dremel, 

use a slow speed so that you don’t melt the resin.

Now you’re ready to start stringing the necklace!

Cut a 24” (60cm) length of beading wire. String on a crimp tube and the wire guardian. Thread the wire back through the crimp tube and then pull up the loop. Make sure the wires lay flat inside the crimp tube rather than crossing over each other.

Place the crimp tube inside the second hole of the crimping tool and squeeze it gently but firmly. It should create two channels, one for each of the beading wires. Tug the wire to make sure it’s secure. 

Position the crimp tube in the hole nearest the tip of the crimping pliers and squeeze again to bring the two channels neatly to the centre.

String two spacer beads on the beading wire. Draw them up to the crimp tube, making sure they pass over both wires. Trim the short wire as close to the second bead as you can. String 6.5” (16.5cm) of haematite beads on to the beading wire and then a cone bead.

String a cog and a drum bead.

Continue stringing cogs and drum beads until you have strung nine cogs and eight drum beads. String the other end of the necklace to match. Finish with a crimp and wire guardian.

Open a split ring and connect the end of the necklace to one half of the clasp. Use the second split ring to attach the other side of the necklace to the other half of the clasp.

Ready to wear!!

For some extra bling, glue pointy-back crystals to the holes in some cogs. Or go for a more steampunk look, by brushing Alumilite’s Silver Metallic, Gold Metallic and Pearlescent powders on black dyed cogs. The pearlescent powder will look like pewter – adding to the industrial look.

Or string the cogs on bracelet memory wire and make a really bold avante-garde piece instead. But most importantly, have fun with this idea!

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Please stop by my blog Mill Lane Studio or join me

at Mill Lane Studio on Facebook for more inspiration.

   

For more jewelry ideas and inspiration, please check out my jewelry-making books: "Fabulous Jewelry from Findings" and "Stylish Leather Jewelry". 

• • • • • • • • • • • • 

Thanks so much for dropping by! Check back next Friday for more from our Featured Artist Myléne Hillam... you don't want to miss it! CLICK HERE to head on over to Myléne's Blog Mill Lane Studio to see more of her fabulous work!

Have a fabulous day! :) Sb