#Cre8time Fun Rolled up with Color... DIY Resined-Jeweled Frame by Maria Soto

Hi there, today I want to share a fun summer project. The other day I was watching a video from Mark Montano for DecoArt entitled "Bejeweled Boho Mirror". This project gave me an idea to create something similar with a white photo mat art board I got in a mystery box I purchased on-line. I decided instead of using acrylic jewels I would use Amazing Clear Cast Resin and some of the dyes.

Here is what I used for this project:

• Amazing Clear Cast Resin
• Mixing cups and Popsicle sticks
• Alumilite's Dyes in green, red and purple
• photo mat art board
• white paper flowers
• recycled cardboard box lid
• mixed media paper
• Westcott's paper trimmer
• Mod Podge dimensional magic glitter silver
• Beacon's 3-IN-1 craft glue
• Acrylic paint in orange and yellow
• Paint brush
• One large bead
• ribbon

  

First things first, let's cut up all the strips needed

to make the circles that will be filled with colored resin.

    

I used the lid from a cardboard box, as I do like to recycle as much as I can. I used Beacon's 3-in-1 glue – it works pretty fast, but I thought using paper clips to hold the circles in place was a good idea, it worked great. Here you can also see the beginnings of the project – I noticed the cardboard was too hard to roll to get a nice solid look, even using really thin strips. I decided not to use these so they went into the recycling bin.

  

So I decided to use a page from my mixed media sketch pad and I cut it all into strips using my paper trimmer... it was a lot faster then using scissors. I used a marker to create my circles, I rolled them and then released them, allowing me to glue them into different sizes without having to used different size pens to create different sizes.

Seriously, this part took the longest – sometimes the glue would set right away, sometimes I had to use a paper clip. Either way, I spent an entire day just cutting and gluing circles. 

  

Once I was done, it was time to move on to the photo mat which would be the base of this frame. It took me a while to find the right placing for these circles and the paper flowers – finally I decided to just start gluing things up, because I was ready to move on to something else.

I first colored the inside edge of the picture frame opening. I didn't care for the color or the look of the ink so I decided to use acrylic paints. I took a nice bright orange and painted the entire photo mat.

First thing I did was glue the paper flowers, then I began

to glue the circles until the entire photo mat was covered. 

I made some tiny circles and some solid circles to serve as fillers. I didn't want to completely cover the photo mat, I wanted for some of the orange background to be visible, and figured it would add more color once the resin was added inside the circles. I used the Mod Podge dimensional magic to glue the circles and the flowers to the photo mat. I spread out the dimensional magic with my fingers. This would leave a nice sparkle on the areas not covered with the circles.

  

Once I was done gluing down everything, and the glue was dried it was time to paint. I painted everything the same color as the photo mat. Once dried, I took a little bit of yellow acrylic paint and brushed it on top of the circles and the paper flowers too.

Here you can see, everything is glued in place and painted, all ready for the next AMAZING step... adding the colored resin inside all the circles. The Amazing Clear Cast Resin mixed with the color dyes will cure and look like glass giving the illusion of glass jewels. 

  

I used used Amazing Clear Cast Resin and three Alumilite Dyes for this project, working one color at a time filling the circles {CLICK HERE to view mixing/preparation}.

I added a few drops of the Fluorescent "FLO" Red dye to part "A" of the clear cast resin. Be sure to mix it really good, then in a separate cup, pour part "B" and make sure is the same amount as part "A" with color {otherwise your resin may not cure properly}.

Combine both parts and mix thoroughly. Let resin set

to let bubbles escape and it's ready for pouring.

I used the stir stick to add the resin – a little bit at a time to make sure I didn't have any spills on the frame. You just have to take your time doing this step.

Next color, mixed the same as the previous color, and pour!

This color makes me think of lemon ice cream. 

  

A few close-ups of the resin added into the cardboard circles.

I had a little bit of the red resin left, so I added a drop of white to make a milky pink... why not?! For sure it will look pretty mixed in with the other colors. This red actually looked more like orange, so I decided to mixed more resin and add a lot more of the "FLO" Red dye. 

Here you go! This looks more like a red... now to fill

out all the circles, even the very tiny ones.

  

I had a few circles left to fill and finish this piece. I would just mix a little bit more resin, and leave it clear to accent the orange paint below. Here are all the circles filled with Amazing Clear Cast Resin. Now it's time to let the resin set and cure. I will leave it alone for 24 hours, before I add a hanger and a photo to finish this piece. 

Here is the finished piece, I really loved how this turned out! Do you like the background I added for the photo? It's a piece of mixed media paper that was covered with the left over resin colored with the "Flo" red dye... see no resin goes to waste here. I can change photos whenever I want on this frame. 

How would you use resin on a frame? 

What do you think? Should I have used acrylic jewels or do you like my resined jewels effect? Share your ideas with us, we'd love to see how creative you are with Amazing Clear Cast Resin.

Thanks for visiting! I invite you to stop over to my blog, "What is Creativity"

 at http://chuy-creativity.blogspot.com to see more of my creations. ~ Maria Soto

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#Cre8time Spiders and Spells... #Halloween Decor by Brenda Burfeind

Good day friends! Brenda here from Creativity is a State of Mind and today I am excited to share an old but new post today for Mold Rubber Monday. Last year I created a glow-in-the-dark bracelet and this year I am using that same mold but in a whole new way. Well... sorta. I still made bracelets, but the bracelets are being used as something other than a bracelet. So let's get started:

 

If you missed last year's post on how I created the mold and then the bracelet you can view that post HERE! I really loved how my bracelet turned out and I still wear it on occasion.

So I started out with my Amazing Mold Rubber mold, the Alumilite Flo Orange Dye and the Amazing Clear Cast Resin. Please CLICK HERE to watch a video on mixing preparations.

Using the Amazing Clear Cast Resin takes a bit longer to cure depending on the temperature – for this project, each bangle took about 4 hours each to set up.

I then took my Dremel and polished them to get off
any overflow and to make them nice and round.

I then mixed up a tiny bit more of the Amazing Clear Cast Resin and the Alumilte "Flo" Orange Dye and painted over the polishing as it did leave polish marks.

Then I set them on my non-stick teflon sheet and let them dry there.

After only about an hour they were completely dry and I was able to take my dremel and drill a tiny hole on either side of the bangle.

While I was creating my bangles I seemed to over mix my resin. Rather have too much than not enough, Right?? So I poured my excess mixture into a tile letter mold that I created here.

After I popped out my letters I then laid them onto a Jet Black

StazOn® Ink Pad and gently rubbed to reveal the letters.

This is what you get.

Using the StazOn® ink will make it permanent.

I am not sure what I will use these for yet... but I will!

But now let's get back to the tutorial.

Using fishing line, decorative beads and crimp beads I created this.

The bangles are very lightweight so I added some bells to the bottom to create a windchime. I also glued some spider rings I had in my stash on top of the bangles.

  

I love how they move in the breeze.

I hope I've inspired you to reuse a mold you've created for

something other than what it was initially created for.

What would you create from an existing mold?

Thanks for joining us on Mold Rubber Monday and hope to see you soon! ~ Brenda

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

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#Cre8time for #RESIN Painting... Mixed Media Abstract Art with Melissa Johnson

Hello everyone! Today I would like to share with you how I created these gorgeous, easy abstract mixed media pieces for my art gallery wall.

To begin, I collected a few pieces of vintage papers from my stash. These papers are pretty fragile, so you can't just go to work on them right away without some type of prep. I chose to cover my papers in clear, silicone caulk. I just put some caulk on the paper and then spread it around with an old credit card until it was completely covered.

When the caulk dries, it makes the paper very pliable. Almost plastic-y. You can do a lot with papers like this, sew them together, paint them, etc. It makes them very durable.

The next thing I did was mix up a batch of the Amazing Clear Cast Resin. For the first layer of the painting I added some of the Alumilite Dye in Red. I mixed that into some of the resin and began to slowly pour it all over the paper, moving the paper around to get the resin flowing.

I continued to add more layers of resin and dye on top. When they move together you can get some pretty neat effects! I also "helped" mine along a bit with my resin mixing stick and a palette knife.

And more layers of Amazing Clear Cast Resin and Alumilite Dyes... (I used Red, Fluorescent "FLO"Orange, White, and Violet). I also dropped in a bit of Gold Alumidust.

Once I had the colors blended in a way I liked, I set the pages out to dry overnight. When they were done I bought a two opening frame from World Market and framed them with a mat. I really wanted to find a frame I could upcycle, but couldn't find anything good.

 

Here is the final finished product:

Make something that makes you happy :) ~ Melissa Johnson

Please visit my BLOG to see more of my mixed media creations.

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