For these projects I'm using my usual epoxy art resin, which has a 2A:1B mix ratio by weight
For doming I allow the resin to thicken before pouring
This is a high gloss cabochon mould for which I will use one of the 30mm domes to match the size of my pendant bezel
Half fill the dome cavity with resin, then lay your clover on top
Cover that with a few more drops of resin and allow it to firm up
Now fill the mould to the top, which will leave the clover 'floating' in the middle
This four leaf clover came in a pack of pressed dried flowers from Ali Express. It is yet to bring me any luck.
I typed some text in Microsoft Word and printed it onto pearlescent printer paper
Glue the cabochon to the paper using UV resin
The text is printed quite small (6pt) as the cabochon will magnify it
Press down firmly to expel any trapped air bubbles
Cure under the UV lamp for a minute or two
Cut around the cabochon using a sharp knife or scissors
Apply a thin bead of UV resin around the edge of the bezel tray
Fit the cabochon into position and cure under the UV lamp
Your lucky charm is ready :)
This fern grows everywhere in my neighbourhood, and is easily pressed and dried
Apply a thin bed of resin to a non-stick surface, such as this PVC coated foamex
Put the leaves onto the resin and press them down to expel any bubbles trapped underneath
Cover the leaves with more resin, and allow the resin to cure until tack-free but still flexible
The larger leaves are great for key chains or pendants, and the smaller ones are the perfect size for earrings
Yes kill the bubbles!
Talking of which, there will be a link in the outro to a video on my new channel...
Switch on your sense of humour and go check it out :D
Use a Sharpie marker to draw an outline around the leaves. Allow extra space at the top.
The resin should peel easily from the non-stick surface
The resin is thin and flexible enough at this stage to cut with ordinary scissors
Dome both sides of each piece with more epoxy resin. Allow the resin to thicken a little before pouring.
Carefully encourage the resin to the edges - as long as you don't pour it too deep it won't overflow
Drill a 1mm hole through the top of each piece
Add a jump ring and the piece is ready to use
To make the bookmark I purchased a silicone mould off eBay
Apply a thin layer of resin to cover the bottom of the mould and float the flowers on top
I call these 'firework flowers' because they remind me of firework bursts XD
When the resin has firmed up apply a top layer whilst still in the mould
Add a tassel to complete the bookmark
For larger arrangements, plan the layout of the flowers before you start adding them to the resin...
If you try to rearrange them once added to the resin, the petals may detach or wrinkle up
For this coaster piece, I'm putting down a thin base of resin with white Pearl Ex mica powder
This shiny cake mould is off Amazon - it gets suggested when you search 'art resin' XD
To give this piece extra dimension, I'm adding the flowers in two layers
The leaves and flowers may move a little on the surface of the resin, so carefully nudge them back
Always make sure no lady bugs land on the leaves between pours
When that has cured, remove from the mould before doing a final dome layer...
This will give the piece a nice finish and eliminate the raised edges that you always get when part-filling a mould
Get them bubbles!
Finished!
When covering the base of a wooden tray with resin you must seal all the joins first
I do this with a thin bead of UV resin dispensed from a syringe
The wood itself will also need to be sealed with acrylic paint or varnish for a natural finish
This is white pearl effect acrylic paint
Allow to dry fully before pouring any resin over it
I'm gluing the flowers down with a little mod podge to stop them from floating to the surface of the resin
To cover a surface in resin, remember that 1kg of resin will cover 1 square meter to a depth of 1mm...
Resin will self level at 2mm, so you should always work to that depth. This tray used 165g of resin to achieve that.
Notice that a couple of the purple flowers turned yellow in the resin. Alexa did warn me about using magic colour-changing flowers but I didn't listen :(
Epic bubble massacre!
[Alexa] I told you not to use magic colour-changing flowers
[Alexa] They ruined your rainbow pattern