Fabulous Faux - Playing With Iced Enamels by Karen McGovern

I love experimenting with new products.  Especially products that are relatively inexpensive and fun.  Recently, I began working with Susan Lenart Kazmer's Iced Enamels.  Faux enamel powder in a nice spectrum of grungy, cool colors.  The idea is to create the look of enameled metal without, you know, actual enamel.  For me this is very interesting because I am a freak for enameled metal.  Just ask MaryAnn Carroll--I use her gorgeous enamel discs in just about everything I make. 
 

 

Now, right off the bat I will tell you that Iced Enamels in NO WAY replicates the look of true enameled metal.  BUT, for those of us that do not have an enameling studio, the line is fun, easy to use, and can add lovely textural accents and colors to your designs.  Basically it's a three-part system of a liquid adhesive applied to metal, followed by a layer of Iced Enamel powder set with a heat gun.  The third part is sealing, which SLK recommends you do with Ice Resin, her wonderful jewelry grade clear resin.  Since I never do anything I am told to do, I use several coats of Everbrite and have been very pleased with the results.

 

For an impatient person like me, faux enamels are really attractive as an accent.  Don't worry, MaryAnn, I will ALWAYS BE TRUE TO YOUR DISCS!!!  But, the faux enamels add a nice touch to larger pieces, bangles, cuffs and more.  I like the look of the powders--base colors mixed with "grunge" creating a crusty, aged effect.  The variety of colors is very nice as well, although I am waiting for some greens and dark blues to come along....ARE YOU LISTENING, SUSAN??

 

I'll share with you a bracelet design I'm having fun with that was inspired by Barbara Lewis, the queen of torch fired enamel jewelry.  You get an extra "faux" here, in one of the bracelets I also used polymer clay faux beach glass shards created by Ginger Davis Allman of The Blue Bottle Tree. GORGEOUS!!!

Iced Enamels on aluminum with polymer faux beach glass...
 

Basically, I start with a 3 x 2.5 inch piece of aluminum (or any metal, I just love aluminum) and cut it on an angle leaving one end wider than the other.  Round the corners, file the edges smooth, then texture the metal if you wish (I use the paving stones on my driveway as a texture plate!).  At this point you can stamp a message on the inside of the cuff if you like (thanks, Barbara Lewis, for this lovely idea). Drill or punch a hole in either end and curve the metal on a bracelet mandrel or with your hands to fit your wrist comfortably.  

Iced Enamels on copper. Created for the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation in support of their bongo antelope
conservation programs.  The colors of the cuff are inspired by the beautiful striped hide of a bongo, and Delilah
is an orphaned bongo that we are hand rearing at RSCF.  I have pics of her all over my Facebook page!
 

My Iced Enamel "station" is an old cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Using a cheap paint brush, coat the top side of the metal with the Iced Enamel adhesive (cleans easily in water so you can use the brush again).  Then sprinkle on the powder in the color of your choice (you can also blend colors prior in a little cup if you want, or apply layers, which I'll explain in a minute), shake off the excess, then heat the powder to melting with a heat gun.  My heat gun has two settings, I use the lower setting to get even, controlled heat.  NOTE:  Clear away any excess Iced Enamel powder that you have over-sprinkled BEFORE you turn on your heat gun.  Otherwise the powder will blow all over Kingdom Come!  As you heat, the powder will bubble and melt in a couple minutes.  The bubbles disappear after you stop heating.  There is a slight odor, but nothing overwhelming.  Do this with proper ventilation, etc.  Let the metal cool, then either seal or add more adhesive and another layer of powder in another color, accent, pattern, STENCIL (oooh, that would be cool, I have to go get some stencils...), allow to cool, seal and you are DONE.  You can also file away some of the enamel to create a more imperfect or grungy look--whatever you like!  For copper and brass I would start by giving the metal a nice liver of sulfur bath to create a dark base to show through, but that's my taste. 

As I mentioned, I use Everbrite ProtectaClear spray to seal.  Two or three coats do a great job, and dry in minutes.  Finish the bracelet with riveted or micro screw elements, beads, chain, leather, ribbon, whatever you have on hand!  I've made a few of these now and am really enjoying the look and feel on the wrist.  FUN!

"But Karen", you say, "Will the faux enamel really stay on the metal?  Won't it rub off?"  Well, this stuff is pretty amazing.  The first time I used it, after heating with the heat gun and melting the powder on, I immediately dropped the cuff on the floor, while still hot and "gooey".  I picked it up (using a towel cause that sucker was hot), and some of the semi-liquid enamel had rubbed off (and also now stains my floor mat), but only a top layer. Cursing, I cooled the metal in the sink, then tried to sand away all of the enamel powder to start over.  I COULDN'T!  I went at that thing with a sanding sponge, sandpaper, and diamond files.  Yes, if I had spent the rest of the day working on it I would have gotten it all off, but by no means was it coming off easily.  And that was before sealing with Everbrite.  So, I am pretty confident that this stuff stays on and will hold up over time.  I also think a textured surface will "grab" the faux enamel better as well.  If you are really concerned, I suggest using Ice Resin to seal.  Takes 24 hours to cure, but then you really have a totally impervious coating.  

So, give Iced Enamels a try and let me know what you think!!  You can find great tutorials and ideas online at the Ice Resin website.  Go nuts!

Resin - A Love/Hate Relationship by Karen McGovern

Resin has come a long way, baby. I've recently been experimenting with jeweler's resin, thanks to the inspiration of Susan Lenart Kazmer and her Ice Resin. Ice Resin is a fairly recent development in the mixed media art jewelry world, an easy to use, crystal-clear resin specific for jewelry design. The possibilities are endless...fill bezels and embed gems, color it with inks or powders, layer it, add metals, glitter, dried flowers, coat art paper, anything you can think of. It's quite amazing what you can do with a bit of imagination and some free time.

As you probably figured out from the title of this post, I both love and hate resin. I love it because my head is filled with a million ideas to use it, I hate it because I am the most impatient person on Earth and have limited time and space to work on jewelry in the first place. Working with resin takes time, patience, and attention to detail. Three strikes, I'm out!

For those of you that haven't tried Ice Resin (or similar products, the are several jeweler's resins out there now), I encourage you to do so, but be prepared. You need a dedicated, clean space to work, and a clean, dust-free space to cure. Cure time is at least 24 hours. I'm including some links and photos here of my favorite products and artists working with resin to inspire you. It really is a fantastic art product that totally frustrates the Hell out of me! I long to be able to create works like these, from Altered Alchemy and Susan...gorgeous! Sigh....

I am a schizophrenic artist at best. I flit between projects, never make the same thing twice, and jump between media like a jack rabbit. I also screw up...a LOT. So, I shall share my most recent resin screw-up, which I actually managed to salvage, thanks to a surprising automotive product. Are you on the edge of your seats yet??

I recently was inspired to make a ring based on a pomegranate. I constructed a brass ring with a dish-style bezel. Really pleased with how that turned out. I planned to fill the dish with tiny garnets in resin, representing pomegranate seeds. As usual, I was going for broke, in a hurry, and mixed what I thought was the perfect amount of resin, and set my garnets. Lovely. I carefully placed the ring in a clamp, set it in a dust free space (a shelf in my kitchen) and tried not to have a brain embolism waiting 24 hours. The next day I snatched the ring from the clamp and found the garnets resting in a pile of sticky goo. What the...?? Okay, maybe it needs to cure a bit more....imagine the Jeopardy theme song in the back of your mind as I waited, and waited. Test number two, now 48 hours...still a pile of goo, with garnets in it. Craptastic! At this point I had to accept that I had not mixed the resin correctly. I obviously used too much resin and not enough hardener, even though I thought I was being very careful. You need to be precise, one part resin, one part hardener. Soooo, I spent an hour scraping the mess out of the setting. When I was done, the setting was free of most of the resin glob, but still coated with a film of sticky gunk. How to clean? I didn't 't want to use paint thinner, I was afraid it would affect the patina I had painstakingly created on the brass. Salvation came in the form of a can of WD40. I knew WD40 worked well to remove adhesive residue, so I spritzed it into the setting, and wiped it around with a Q-Tip. Viola! The resin wiped away completely, and the patina wasn't affected at all. Rinse, dry, ready to go again. This time I used calibrated syringes to measure out the resin and hardener, mixed, poured, set the stones, and THANK YOU JESUS IT WORKED.

WD40, the miracle in a can, and the ring that tried to kill me.

The moral of this story? Patience is indeed a virtue, which I do not possess...and, WD40 is pretty awesome.

Also, there is another type of resin out there for those of us who need instant gratification. UV resin. Lisa Pavelka's Magic Gloss is a pre-mixed, ready to pour resin that cures in sunlight in about 5 minutes. It must be exposed to UV light to cure, you can even purchase a UV bulb set-up specific for this resin. Nunn Design also has their own version, and the product is fantastic. BUT, you cannot color or free-embed anything using this resin, since the UV light has to penetrate completely to cure (yes, I learned this the hard way). I love this product for coating paper/photos or filling bezels that are fixed with items glued down to the base. Resin-coated papers are my favorite thing at the moment...more on that in my next post--"Resin-nating" (see what I did there??).

 

A necklace I made featuring vintage nudes UV-resin set in steel wire frames.





Until then, give resin a try and let me know,what you think. Share some pics and stories about your experiences. Stay sticky, my friends....

 

yet another way to love -

mary jane dodd

'...with intention' 2012

it is relatively common knowledge (i think) that i love using ice resin in my work in different ways... 

while designing this piece, i became concerned about the stability of the tablet... at the moment it is on tightly, but what if the fiber wears or stretches?

i then remembered that ice resin can be used like a glue... 

it's true!

and so i went back, and 'glued' the tablet onto the metal plate... 

then i 'glued' leather into some end caps to hold them firmly and create a smooth look... 

i can now sell this piece confident in its durability - which is of great importance to me... 

give it a try!

** be on the look out for  a new question and answer feature... you submit questions and we will do our best to answer them or find you a source that can... 

my love of resin

mary jane dodd

resin, specifically ice resin, allows me to make things that i couldn't otherwise... it allows me to use words on paper to create three dimensional pieces... 

because i know the knee jerk reaction of trying new things, i wanted to share with you how friendly resin can be to work with - and how rewarding... the official source of information is naturally the ice resin site... there you can find videos and lots of helpful information... 

i have an article in the current belle armoire jewelry on etching and resin... this ring is one of the samples...

the paddles can be used as simple accents or charms (i apologize, alice, i didn't mean to overwhelm... just wanted to show where you could 'go' with them...)

here is a simple breakdown of the process - it takes practice, it is messy, but don't give up! you can find more details in the article - it is too long to share here... 

form the wire of choice - copper, brass, steel, etc... i use a pencil for size and shape... 

do any hammering you might like, add patina, then polish... 

i place a heavy storage bag on piece of heavy cardboard to use for a work surface... make sure the plastic is taut... i then make sure that each and every paddle lays flat... if it doesn't, the resin runs out...

select the paper you want to use... cut shapes to fit your wire forms... 

with a disposable paint brush, apply the resin to the front and back of the paper... 

allow to cure for at least 24 hours... 

on being a woman

mary jane dodd

i came into this world a female... 


for one reason or another, have you ever repressed something so deeply that it was almost forgotten?  i recently realized that identified with myself as a human... but not a woman... 


this integral part of me has been rising in my work... the balance that is all of us... it had been rising before i was conscious of it... and waited for a time when i was safer to explore it... 


complex and simple, strong and fragile, soft and tough, silly and witty, practical and imaginative, centered and kinetic, firm and yielding, always loving, on and on... 


i had made a simpler 'urban posey' before... but here i wanted to layer the petals, to use different papers and wire... to etch the metal... use softly colored silk... and have it move... 

resin paper has allowed me to speak softly, silk fiber to create a balance to metal... to demonstrate fragile strength... materials reflect intention... and allow you to wear your heart on your finger... 

what materials speak for you?

What "Happy" is to me..............

This wasn't hard for me.  Really, on any given day, during any trial in life, there is one constant thing that makes me happy.

My kids.

Each of them has their own little way of making me smile, or laugh or want to tell one of their wildly funny stories over and over.
They are awesome, because they don't get drug down by life, because they don't worry about bills, or prejudice, or the many troubles that us adults do.  They just are.  They are sweet.  They are innocent.  They are happy. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy with the simplest things.

A caterpillar on a stick.
Planting leaves.

The shell of a cicada.
A puddle.
Feet in the water.

It doesn't take much to make them smile in wonder.

My kids are awesome.  And you know what?  Everytime we go outside, I come in with a bouquet of flowers from the yard.  They always give me flowers. 
What an act of love!  They shower me with gifts every chance they get, whether love is scribbled on a paper, or picked in a flower, it is love, for me, and I am happy.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Little
dirty hands, raised up
presenting a gift
flowers picked and wilting
full of radiant love
full of pure joy
full of thankfulness
received in humility
received into the heart
held close
Happy

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok, that was the touchy feely stuff- now for the jewelry making end of this challenge.  I did it.  I went out and bought Magic Glos resin to make this piece.  I saw a tutorial on it long ago, and they captured flowers in it……how perfect would that be for my Happy Piece.

You can see the tutorial that inspired me below.

  Let me tell you, it really is that easy to use.  I liked this style, for the organic look of the edges.  However, it is actually very hard to get it flat, with no bubbles, with no thin crumbly edge……I could go on.  So, if you are looking for perfection, keep looking.  I think it works too fast for perfect results.  I do love that it’s easy to use.  So for me, since I don’t demand perfection (I mean, nature isn’t perfect, and that’s what I want in my work, a natural feel), it’s my choice for resin.

 I also knew I wanted to rivet the flowers encased in resin to some sort of copper backing.  Again- didn’t go as planned.  Guess what?  Resin cracks easily.  Not sure I will do more rivets with these, I lost too many, but I may bezel some.  I also made these….

(but they were flowers I bought.  The ones I used in my necklace were actually from my kids.)

So- I riveted my kids flowers in resin, to the copper backing, which had some xoxoxoxo stamping on it, and some greenish patina.

I finished the piece with some copper loopty loops I have been making.  The sea green patina matched perfectly.   Connected them all with wire, and added a chain………………………..

VOILA!

HAPPY!

Have you entered something that makes you happy yet?  We would love to see what it is!

loving the idea of contain

mary jane dodd

'the deeper that sorrow carves into your being

the more joy you can contain.

is not the cup that holds your wine

the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven?'

~ kahlil gibran

i have a particular fondness for containing things in resin -

messages - translated through ephemera, natural and vintage objects...

allowing delicacy of emotion and materials to be preserved...

RAW - the 52 week journey

mary jane dodd

'thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people

 are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; 

that wilderness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful

 not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, 

but as fountains of life.' 

~ john muir

don't let anyone - especially yourself - beat you down... be humble... seek your heart's desire... gaze upon the moon... celebrate each day... return to life... 

fear and resin

mary jane dodd

'play is the beginning of knowledge.'

~ unknown

just like you, i would often cringe at the thought of trying something new... the past two years have brought a change in that thinking though... in the scope of life's experiences, trying something new here pales in comparison to some of the things that we might have to adapt to... 

and so as serious as i am about my work, i try to view my new ventures as play... experimentation... in fact, in the times of greatest chaos in my life, i will often leap towards a new technique or medium to try... it is grounding, makes me feel alive and is confidence building if for only having done something unknown... 

resin is fun! do i groan because i like to be able to use most of the 1/2 ounce? yes... so i try to have lots of things to do with it when i sit down... if i am making paper drops or paddles, i want to have a lot of them - i despise throwing out unused product (that is how i hold myself up)... 

if i do a big batch i also have pieces ready to work with in the future - which is nice... 

this is the perfect medium if you love paper, words, old books... 

a 'dr. seuss' challenge inspired this piece:

a calder challenge pushed me to try tinting it because i wanted to be able to evoke the colors and movement found in his 'blue feather' stabile... 

you can fill pre made bezels or make them yourself... what i absolutely love about this product is how much you can do with it... make it shiny and colorful, use it with patterned papers, try it in molds... 

here are some examples i found on etsy... 

lil smile pendant by jade scott

drops of color earrings by ajc design

in my reading around in the blogosphere, i notice that resin is often mentioned as something that people have purchased but not tried... if this applies to you, i encourage you to give it a go... visit www.iceresin.com to learn about it... go to youtube and look for instructional videos by susan lenart kazmer and her team... it runs about $24 for the kit... 

so go ahead and play! 

and don't forget to enter april's call to create - inspired by your favorite song...