FILL THE PETALS AND LEAVES OF PLANTS EPOXY.

At this time I want you to present a master class on casting leaves and petals of plants jewelry epoxy. I want to warn at once that this is not such an easy job as it seems at first glance, and the creation of one of the lobes usually takes three to five days. But it's worth it, because with such bright, glossy petals gets very unusual, beautiful and delicate decorations, especially if you add accessories with floral ornament.

Getting. We will fill headers golden leaf (popularly-ivy) and dahlia petals and mallow. All the petals and leaf were pre-dried. This is required, otherwise, by pouring the petals change color, and after all zagniyut inside the resin, and the resin itself may become cloudy.

By the way, I want to say that I have tried so very long to cover the resin leaf so that it is smooth, glossy and beautiful from all sides and that I did not succeed, then the resin is "running away" the wrong side ports because of the uneven surface, if not the sheet tightly sticks and break when removed from the surface. And then it hit me - absolutely need glossy, very flexible surface to wrong side of a leaf as it was formed almost independently, and the leaf waste without problems. And I decided to cast myself silicone mat from the same silicone that I use to Molde. Since then, all the problems have been resolved, and my ordeal was over, besides considerably ECOM workspace: no need to dim the entire table with plastic wrap, simply place a mat on a flat surface, such as a box or dosochki and all - you can begin to pouring! And in addition to petals and leaves on it, if necessary, can be poured various pictures, as well as work with Cured polymer clay, almost without using water, thinly roll out self-hardening plastiku- generally miracle, not mat I made. Well done! ;-)

So  we need: epoxy resin, silicone mat (can be ordered in my shop), brush, leaves and petals:

 

For a start, we need to cover the leaf and petals with a thin layer of epoxy resin and give them a bit grasp. We do this by using a soft brush, if we paint our leaflets resin. Remains of the resin is not vybrasyvaem- it is useful to us soon !:

If it is a pity the brush, you can simply dip the petals into the resin to drain surplus and put to dry on the mat, but get a little less accurate. After 4-6 hours of our first resin layer has started to set, and the remaining resin thickens (I am writing about gum brands Cristal resine, other resins may thicken as much earlier and much later - we need a state similar to a fairly thick honey). Now our task - to pour the first layer of resin, so much so that it does not leak beyond the petals (which is why it is and should be fairly thick) and formed a small dome on the petal. Carefully impose resin layer, helping to distribute it the same brush, or any other palochkoy- pomogalochkoy. This side lobe will face so do all neatly:

The first phase is over. We lay our petals dome from dust and put to dry on a flat surface (if there be not a big slope surface, the resin can "run away", so find the smoothest place in the house or in until bezuklonnogo position by placing a mat / dosochki different items).During the drying process monitor, sometimes looking under the dome, is not whether there were bald spots if they appear, you need to add some more resin. If at this stage the resin still ran away - it's not terrible, we are still going to handle the leaves, cut off the excess and do some more rosin resin, but it is better to avoid this:

A day later, we need to remove the petals from the mat and give them the desired shape using the nail nozhnichek. Sure, you can do it, and to fill the first layer, but at this point our petals are very delicate and fragile, as after the initial fill and they are sealed to them not so bad to work, afraid to break:

Next, you must perform the procedure fills, but the reverse side. For this we again potrebetsya thick resin. Not to wait a long time thickened resin (I again about Cristal resine am talking about), you can put it in a water bath for 20-40 minutes, but  you need to very closely monitor the consistency:  perederzhish - is not possible to exactly cover the leaves and resin will greatly bubble, not doderzhish- rastechetsya the edges, which for us at this stage is not desirable:

So resin thickens and we gently cover the underside of the future of our leaves. Approximately so our leaves look to the resin coating on the reverse:

Cover, again covered the hood and cleaned on a flat surface to dry for a day. Sometimes I look enough resin. After one day overturn our leaves - they are perfectly separated from the rug, despite the fact that lying on the side, already coated with resin, obtained out of the corner smooth and shiny:

Comes the final stage- must again apply a thick layer of resin on the front side lobes, that is on the front side we will have 2 layers of resin. Again ready thick resin and Sedimentation (who is dark and hard to see can benefit here is such a light bulb for 38 rubles from the store "Fixed Price", I bought without a table, and it is very convenient for it to work:-):

Once again sent for drying for 24 hours at a level place. Do not forget to peep, not ubegla resin and whether there is enough of it. The process, as you can see, quite a tedious and time-consuming, not always get everything right the first time. 

After three days of hard work and observation of resin that's what we got:

Petals obtain flat, glossy and very delicious:-) Regarding prochnosti- pretty strong, but to experience it all, we should not avoid getting the next (here I deliberately broke the leaf after a single pouring right and wrong sides):

Like any other  jewelry made ​​of epoxy resin require careful treatment , I would say, they are not for everyday wear jewelry. If you are still in doubt about the strength of the cast-petal you can repeat the fill from the inside and, of course, from the right side again, but then you will need to wait a couple of days. Wrong side of a leaf of ivy and Sides:

Well, as the completion of the resulting jewelry:

TENDER HEARTS OF EPOXY RESIN

For the work we need: epoxy resin (I PEO-510 CE)
Silicone mold- Heart
Piece Lace
Acrylic paint, if you want to change the color of the lace
Forceps or tweezers
fittings assembly
Bormashinka or manual drill diameter 1-1.5 mm
Nail Scissors
Minutes 15 times on the first day and the same second.

To begin with, we certainly need to mix components A and B of the resin according to the instructions and degassed with her. Cutting a small secret resin KE-510: instruction indicates that the resin components be mixed in a ratio of 1: 4, and the resin dries to 48 hours, I mixed in the ratio 1 (B) 3 (A), and thus the resin dries day . The quality of the casting is not skazyvetsya. Degassing, lowering resin cup with hot (not boiling) water for 3-5 minutes:

Next, take a piece of our lace and pretends to opening mold. With the help of nail nozhnichek cut out heart with the most lovely part. Slice-heart can ever be exactly the same size as the hole, or be literally 1-2 mm more below, explain why:

Next, again small sekretik. Many skilled workers complain that lace is lowered into the mold with resin gives a lot of air bubbles, which, moreover, can not be retrieved later from the front of the future product. We solve this problem and here is how: First, the resin should be degassed and liquid; Secondly, you must first drop the lace in the glass with her smoloy- there is impregnated, puzyriki come out and remain in the cup; Third, we omit the lace in moldik already degassed resin filled to the required level to us. Now, pour the resin part in Molde, "paddling" in lace cup with resin and lay it in Molde with tweezers, so as not to stain your hands:

The first part of the work is finished. Mold remove the dome from dust to dry for 24 hours. NEXT to lace absolutely not surfaced, for this you can leave 1-2 mm allowance, so as to be kruzhavchiki cling wall Molde and will not swim out to the surface of the resin, if it is still proizoshlo- not scary. A day later, add a thin layer of resin on top, as if sealing lace, and again remove dry for a day.

By proshestivii 24 hours, took out our heart from Molde. He was joined by another, the red:-) was treated with a sharp edge of the casting hand with sandpaper or a grid 1000-1200 bormashinkoy nasadochkoy with suitable cover and, if necessary, glossy varnish (I have a water-based, for plastics):

Give 3-12 hours to dry the varnish (see. Flakonchike instruction). Lakirovka- is just one of the ways of guidance gloss and gloss product of an epoxy resin. It helps hide minor flaws after sanding, and gives a large glossy surface of the product, especially when used MDL 5-10-20 times since the epoxy is still very aggressive environment and whatever solid and quality was not Mold, she had gradually erodes, and the workpiece is not obtained such as glossy initially.There is a second way of guidance loska- polishing it. It refers to the professional technicians and over it, I also plan to do a master class, which lists all the necessary tools, formulations stores to buy them, and, of course, is shown and described the process. This technique required lot of experience and time, decent cost of funds for the purchase of equipment and materials, so this MC I suppose to do in PDF format file with the protection of information, and it will be available for sale in my store for adequate cost. So much for polishing, We moved a little from the topic. Returns:-) It's time for mounting accessories to our hearts. Such hearts, I saw in my imagination as a cute kulonchikov- podvesochek, so picked the following accessories: silvered wings made ​​in the USA, nakladochka filigree of oxidized brass (USA), with a special shtyrechek leg and hole (China) - for a heart with wings and, of course also suitable Bailey and chain. I especially liked the relatively new for me kind of attachment is a special shtyrechek. It is literally the size of 5-6 mm, hole diameter of 3 mm, but creates chudesa- product may look very neat. To install it, you must drill a hole in a workpiece diameter of 1-1.5 mm drill depth of about 4 mm thick dip shtyrechek in resin and stick it in the hole. Rest accessories (wings, nakladochka) I also fastened with a very thick epoxy resin and allowed to dry for another day:

BOHO-DECORATION INTERVIEW WITH MARIA BULANOVOJ

Jewellery  Mary Bulanovoj  boho inspired philosophy - they are simple and at the same time challenging, they emphasize the natural beauty of the material and fascinate unexpected combinations. In an interview, Maria will allow us to look behind the scenes of his creative life, tells of an unusual collection of hammers and tell you how to make porcelain shards jewelry.

- Maria, from the origins of your love for jewelry? When you have started to create their own hands?
- Ornaments I passionately love since childhood. But that could be a Soviet child? I remember kulonchik - head of Nefertiti, the mother's and grandmother's brooch necklace, given to us with his sister over. Wear them was impossible. Do not have a pendant chain necklace broke, brooches and children, alas, did not wear :) So we took the nuts from the children's designer, is threaded into the hole coarse thread, worn around the neck and it appears that it pendants :) and were quite satisfied and happy . It was us five years.

Now I think someone up there I conceived jeweler. But at times when I go to college, I even could not imagine choose a profession. So I became a teacher in the third generation, grandmother, mother, father and sister.

Somehow minor repairs decorations, simple assembly of finished hardware I always worked. But when sitting at home with a second child, I saw on the internet the simplest beads from polymer clay. It was a turning point because I realized that's it - I want to make jewelry from the beginning, from scratch, completely my own. Polymer Clay with us then just appeared. I found the place where it was very cheap. Without labels, some kind of "left" Polish clay. But it was bliss! I molded day and night, passionately and ineptly :)

Then I saw in the glorious polymer community, which, I think, was the start of many masters of the Fair, which complement the most advanced plastic copper. I am extremely impressed with it. Somehow I gradually switched to a copper wire, and do not forget to try the epoxy. Then he added brass, copper sheet, nickel silver, gradually accustomed electroplating, etching, soldering and jewelry Tiffany technique. 
I'm 100% self taught. Trained exclusively on communities and master classes on the Internet. I am very grateful to all the generous people, sharing their knowledge and discoveries. I try to follow their example.

- What do you most often find inspiration for your work?
- I often go to the material, I pick up beads stёklyshki, stones - and there is an image in my head. Works fine if I need to make a decoration for some of their specific odyozhku :) And somehow, so I arranged inside that I push against childhood experiences - my mother's copper bracelet and earrings from somewhere in the Caucasus, a set of postcards from the Baltic Museum amber ring classmate, inherited from her grandmother hold of me - so I'm going down this path of something primitive, natural, rough, wild and authentic. 
Postcards, by the way, I have now. But not mine, but the husband's family - they turned out exactly the same set. And just as it is I still inspires. And bracelet goes with me through life, though I never wore. And I still remember the amber ring she wore on the index finger (if it was unusual) teacher from a neighboring group in my kindergarten. Actually, I usually can not remember what the man was dressed in 5 minutes after the farewell, and its decoration will remember for a lifetime. Do not like it when women are unadorned, they consider uninteresting :) This here is my fad :)

- Creation of jewelry, for sure, a very interesting process. As he passes you? What a moment in it the most responsible, the most exciting?
- Yes, the process is often a multistep and addictive :) It consists of different parts depending on the particular design. If you do a composite necklace of many elements, it takes a long time to prepare its parts. In the plating bath can Copper pendant, this time in a solution of ferric chloride is etched brass billet, and I'll sit and solder something third, fourth and fifth. Or sculpt ceramic beads. Or forge and mint. 

I can not stand a long process. Usually make jewelry no more than two days, but this is rare. Most stacked in one day because I can not stop until I see the result. Although I like the process no less, if not more, of the result :) I think this is the secret of all the happy people who are happy to go to work - they enjoy the process, not only on the result in the form of salary :) This idea is not new, but my own, hard-won :))

Like many, I love polish products, removing excess patina. As if you remove layers with antique dark picture, which could not see anything, but suddenly eclipsed wonderful landscape or portrait adorable. 
complex and demanding me to solder a gas burner. Solder for copper is very difficult, it is easy to spoil the whole idea. But the occupation is very exciting.

- What is the situation you need to work comfortably? How is Your Handstitched Area? 
- The environment should be quiet and working. If something is disturbing, it is better not to start, or you can do some routine work: for example, to procure shvenzy earrings, something to grind ...
a small workspace - a part of the table and plenty of homemade shelves behind him, which store beads worth galvanic systems and stuff. 

- Jewelers use a variety of amusing and a variety of tools. Tell us about your most need assistants. 
- I started to work with the most basic and cheap pliers, pliers, wire cutters. Many are alive and still working. Gradually increase the number of my silent helpers. And not very silent. Among them there are very sonorous, like hammers and anvils crossbars. There are noisy - engraver, for example. There are those who do not particularly like the neighbors below - knockout disc and a sledgehammer. Generally, for hammers I am very indifferent. I've got more than 15 pieces of any different. There are special jewelry, and have a hammer roofer, panel beaters set with three different hammers, rubber mallet, plastic hammer Tools ... I love all the time I want to buy something, even if it looks like I already have :) It is generally -What is the best gift for me. 
Of course, I have plenty of non-standard tools. For example, I even minted using plastic buttons and lid from the children set of colors. In the course of going and knitting needles, and nails, and some iron fragments found on the street.

 

- Very unusual look of your jewelry tin and porcelain. How did you come up to combine these materials? 
- I've always been terribly sorry to throw the pieces are beautiful. And because my head is so arranged that I always and everywhere seeking applications for jewelry, the synthesis of porcelain and tin occurred naturally and naturally :) Then it turned out that I was not the first hit upon the idea to insert the pieces into a frame. That some foreign masters specially bought and krushat great new dishes for this purpose. But I use the fragments obtained exclusively by natural way :) Actually, I quite often use elements found on a road - metal debris interesting shapes, pieces of wood, so many things!

- You keep the cherished memories, impressions and objects that inspire you as a child. Ever a collector (or collect) anything? Also hammers :) 
- Also had two hammers collections. 
As a child, my great passion were pens. In general, I have always loved to write by hand. So instead of school canister one time I wore a bag from leatherette, tightly packed bunch of pens. On the lessons I have them all the time changing. It brightened particularly tedious schoolwork. A house was a lot of pens. They are still with me, only I did not treat them so tenderly.

When I started earning herself, started buying silver jewelry. I have a lot of them, but I'm very shy about his passion, because my mom was skeptical looking at another purchase and reasonably say: "Well, how many earrings (rings, pendants, ...), you can have?" But it is a rational man, and passion - it is a passion. It is not subject to the arguments. So when I got married, and it turned out that my husband likes a girlish infatuation, passion was legalized, and I sighed with great relief and imbued with even more love and gratitude to my husband :) Now I almost stopped buying ready-made ornaments, often wear their :)

- Poetic and lyrical names his work would prefer not to give? :)
- The names I have born very easily, but I rarely report the globe. Usually my name at the Fair Masters descriptive and informative about the material, style and size. A lyrical piece stays with me :) So buyers can come up with something different. Sometimes I look at some other decoration wizard - like, very much so. But I understand that not buy no matter what. Name for me a killer, and I will always remember him, I can not wear the thing with that name.

- What else besides art and handicrafts you gladly do, not on what a pity to spend time?
- In general, the production of jewelry in the wild amounts - my main pleasure. I am always changing techniques, moves in a circle. With passion mastering something new. I like to consider the work of other artists on the Internet, I love video tutorials, reading, talking with the children. More, of course, they talk to me, but I say :) take care of our dog and turtle Jenny Paschke-bows. Relax the soul, when I wander through the old district of the city. Very much I love shopping with beads, stones and tools stores. I was there too :) I need to rest a lot of time for solitude, I discharged in a large society. But in my family well. Husband and children have always supported me in my endeavors, I am very grateful. Husband performs all possible technical and financial support. Without him I would not have happened. He first seriously reacted to my hobby.
In the summer we will travel around the whole family on Grushinskiy Festival, where we Volga, ducts, pine - a wonderful nature.

 

- Do you have a dream in terms of creativity? What advice would you give to those who want to engage in professional and hendmeydom be demanded master? What are the qualities you need to have the need to develop in yourself? 
- I always difficult to answer such questions. I dream of unusual inactivity. I tend to plan and carry out what you can do at the moment. I would love to buy a muffle furnace and experiment with ceramics and glazes. Want rolls, they greatly expand opportunities. But it plans already calm, they can be implemented gradually.

I think it is worth watching and hendmeydom professionally only if you want it really passionately. With the thought that it is just easier way, it is unlikely that it will turn out. We must spend a lot of time and energy on promoting the store. For me, this part of the most difficult and least favorite.Here we need perseverance and immodesty. 
About quality I can not say for sure. Because it is not always thrive conscientious and hardworking. Although that's benevolence in dealing with customers needs uniquely. We need patience, sense of humor, the ability to not get angry and irritated because of the endless questions and requests. 
I think that a good master inevitably and constantly develop and grow bored doing long development and run-in. It takes courage to decide on something new.