Resin Update with actual pieces!

 So many weeks ago now I drove back the second day to Winchcombe in the brilliant sunshine!

 I was early so I stopped and took a few more photos on the way: it's so beautiful?

 We were taught how to make a resin bangle using a custom mould made by Rachel.

 This below is my bangle when I'm ''doming '' the back part after sanding it smooth?

 And I was ''doming'' my red resin discs made in the base of cupcake silicon moulds too.

 These are some fabulous inspirational discs by the tutor:very sparkly?

And these are those two red discs completed:

 With some holes drilled in to enable me to link them into a 3 disc necklace.

 The back again: so very glossy!

I also made this doughnut pendant with cut elastic bands within, to be hung from a colourful leather or suede cord and finished with fittings or moveable knotting closures to make a nice necklace

 I had a mishap with the doming resin on the back, some ran off and stuck to the front so I had to sand it all off and smooth again, but it left a dull finish, very matt. So then I had a lot of polishing to do.

 This is my red pendant, again I had a problem with doming resin leaking and spoiling the previously perfect disc, so I have sanded the worst of it away and then spent hours polishing?

And this is my BLUE version'' under the sea'' I call it and this too suffered a doming resin mishap....

 I made a very dark blue resin bangle, I really wanted a clear buttons bangle or some-such but that was too advanced and needed more time as it would be layers so we did a colour and added things....
As you can see I added'' a few sprinkles'' of pearly WHITE sequin waste but they turned very green and sank to one side, apart from being too numerous also?AAAAAAAAAAH!

 The other side had a little overflow and some silver snippets that got lost.
I did like adding the silvery paint mix though which added a cloudy swirly effect at the edges, very subtle.

 Can you see? I'm also so very happy as it's the first such bangle that has fitted me in many many years!
I have very slim tiny wrists: this 6 cm diameter is simply perfick.

 LOVE love love it as long as you can;t see that sparkly sequin side....

 Holding up to the sky to show the deep blue transparency?

 Yay! Happy with the red resin circle on my thick silver snake chain. And so very happy with the tan too!
It's been such a blissful summer thus far with many many sunny and very HOT days? And those balmy nights when you can walk after 10 pm with warm air whispering on bare shoulders?

 This Lapis is till my favourite but a little conservative and conventional?

 So this would be the ''under the sea'' one:

 Needs a turquoise top or dress as it's not navy or even royal blue.

Lookin' OKAY , yes very happy with these project items.
Can't wait to do lots more : mainly clear but it's too hot at the moment I believe AND I have an assignment to write and submit!

Resin casting in the beautiful COTSWOLDS

 Last weekend I enjoyed the most amazing treat: I spent an entire weekend at a resin casting and mould making workshop in Winchcombe which is in the Cotswolds. I was unfamiliar with the area and my trusty sat -nav took me off the A 40 at Andoversford to take a number of winding single track lanes across country...

 These shots were taken on the way home of day one as on the outward journey there was much cloud and mist and fog and I could not see the amazing views although I was amazed at the lovely woods and the steep hills , carefully driving the car up very very steep inclines and down again with my heart in my mouth as I'm a bit scared of single track lanes.OH what an adventure!

 I went past Brockhampton, Belas Knap and Sudely Castle, some of which you can see here?

 It was a lovely drive home in the hot sunshine and although I was tired, the countryside views were invigorating and I long to come back and walk in such countryside.

 I was much inspired by this pendant and made something a bit like it, but it wasn't dry enough to take home so I am awaiting it's arrival in the post?

 If you like it too you can see the courses here:
http://resin8.co.uk/classes-at-resin8-37-c.asp
Or there are classes in London too... see under the classes tab on the home-page.
http://resin8.co.uk/

 We made resin discs also and domed them, this was using both moulds and casting and using pendant blanks and filling them with resin, then later ''doming'' them.
We also learned to make our own moulds from scratch using Silicone and this was my mould master: a small rectangular eraser in it's ''bed'' ready to pour in the silicone moulding material.

 After pouring in the silicone: it's a pale blue custom colour for this tutor.
I will take photos of the finished mould, which I haven't yet done and share later.
But suffice to say it worked really well although the inside is dull due to using a non glossy master so my casting will be matt or need polishing if I want them to be glossy.

We also each cast a resin bracelet using Clare John's custom bracelet moulds and mine looks a little like this,  but again I haven't yet photographed it. We added inclusions such as sequins and beads and some were using glittery resin to make the bracelet rather than transparent resin colours.
We learned finishing, drilling and polishing tricks and our finished pieces were just so exciting and quite a surprise in most cases!

 This is the tutor's bracelet from the side...

 And one lady's bracelet was all transparent pink in one half and pearly swirly pale pink in the other?

 This is my version when I was adding the doming layer on day 2...

All glossy and wet looking, but it;s now dry and just as glossy!

 I made some red transparent discs with foil and spit-ring inclusions and here I was adding the doming layer to finish.

Also we added pendant hanging bails to some of our discs.

It was such tremendous fun but now I need time and a clean clear working space to play a lot more and make some funky contemporary jewellery pieces!