Step by Step Instructions for Collaged Ice Resin Pendants

Step One:  We are beginning with Nunn Design silver plated pendant blanks.  First we must cut our all of our imagery. I am using an old dictionary page and a bird and a stamp image from Piddix, an online seller of fantastic collage sheets.  I am tracing around my pendant on my dictionary page and now will trim the paper a bit smaller to fit inside my pendant tray.  I love using Judikins detail scissors for this job!  Now lets cut out our bird and stamp.

Step Two: Next it is very important to glue down each collage element well.  We want to make sure there are no air bubbles hiding behind our paper that will sneak in and ruin our resin pour later.  We are going to use Mod Podge as a glue, but also as our sealant in the next step.  I am gluing the inside of the pendant tray and laying down our dictionary sheet.  Now I am gluing the bird and stamp and placing them in the tray.  I love using these white taklon brushes for glueing because the bristles are fine and soft.

Step Three:  After our glue has dried for about a half hour we can start to seal our collage.  This is a very important step.  You must seal all paper that is going to come into contact with resin, as the resin will seep into any unsealed paper and make the image look wet.  So, we are going to use our Mod Podge again, this time working over the top of our collage.  I am going to do one layer brushing Mod Podge side to side over the image.  We will wait a half hour until that is dry and do another laying brushing from top to bottom.

We will let our second layer dry another half hour and do a final layer in the side to side motion.  It is very important to seal the edges of your pendant well.  So we will brush a layer of Mod Podge all along the edge. Now this sealed collage should dry overnight to make sure there is no moisture before we pour the resin.

Step Four: Mixing Resin.  Ice Resin is fantastic because it is crystal clear and pretty easy to work with.  Resin comes in two parts, the resin and a hardener.  It is very important that we mix an exact 50/50 ratio.  We are using a graduated measuring cup with flat sides and a flat bottom so that we can scrape and make sure all the resin is mixed together.  First we will pour Part A, the resin, into the measuring cup.  We are going to mix a total of a half ounce today, so we will need 1/4 ounce of Resin.  Next we will add Part B, the hardener, again we are using 1/4 ounce. Now it is mixing time!  We need to mix the resin for two minutes.  It is normal for the resin to have bubbles, that is how we know the chemical reaction is occurring. When the two minutes is up we can pour our mixed resin into a small squeeze bottle.  This makes pouring it much easier.  We now have a half hour to work with our
resin before it starts to set up. 

Step Five: Pouring Resin. Now we will pour the resin into our pendant trays.  I start in the center and let the resin pool out into the corners.  After it has filled the pendant in, you can go back and add some more resin to create a small dome.  Once you have poured your pendant you need to help pop the bubbles. We are going to use a Uchida heat tool to do this.  I will wave the heat tool about 1 foot above the pendants. It's important not to cover the vents of the heat tool, as it will overheat.  Heat the resin and watch the bubbles pop. Sometimes it takes a few times of heating and letting the resin rest to achieve clarity.  And if you have a very stubborn bubble you can pop it will a pin.Next we will place the pendant underneath a desk lamp with a standard bulb.  The heat from the bulb helps prevent new bubbles from forming and keeps our resin clear.  The resin will need to sit for three days, at a constant temperature above 68 degrees. After three days your resin is cured and ready to wear.

Suki Allen
Bird's Eye View Studio
suki@birdseyeviewstudio.com
www.birdseyeviewstudio.com
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