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Anybody who has ever mixed
two-component epoxy glue has already got the required skill
to make beautiful jewelry from resin. For foolproof tips,
what else to add to the mix and fifty projects this book will
tell you the rest.
I learned how to do this surprisingly simple and fun craft
at the age of about eight with a kit. There are some safety
precautions to follow as this is a toxic substance, but once
you know how to use it (and you already will if you are familiar
with epoxy), the rest is fairly easy. This might make it sound
boring, but it is an extremely versatile medium that can make
some professional looking pieces and is a great way of recycling
and upcycling all kinds of materials. The first part of the
book deals with what you need and how to do the basics, troubleshooting,
using paper, beads, findings, etc., and the rest is devoted
to the projects. Before you get to them, there is the excellent
feature of a double page spread showing thumbnails of all
of them so you can see at a glance what would interest you.
These are arranged in four categories: using paper, coloring
agents, powder inclusions and 3-D inclusions covering most
basic aspects of this craft. Each project covers a page and
features a large photograph of the finished item, a list of
materials and tools plus the instructions, as well as a basic
description. This tells you a bit about the piece and also
what you will learn by making it. Items used include all kinds
of papers including wrapping paper, old books and paper napkins,
coloring with things like nail polish, paint and ink, adding
glitter, flitter and embossing powder and embedding elements
such as old watch parts, pressed flowers and shells. Most
of the pieces are made using findings with frames and bezels,
but the final section shows how you can repurpose things like
odd game tiles, flat metal shapes and even just a plastic
sheet for freeform work. In short, this book manages to show
how simple and fun resin work is and it is great to see a
book on such an overlooked subject.
My tip to beginners is get a kit first and you will have all
you need to get started.
If you cannot find a good range of jewelry making materials
locally, try www.searchpress.com for a list of suppliers.
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