Bottle Cap Brooches

My hubby is a fan of real ale and as such often drinks a bottle or two (sometimes even more- real ale to him is the equivalent of buttons to me) this means I have a lot of bottle caps at my disposal. I must, also, give a shout out to our friends Andy and Carrie, they have been collecting for me as well and gave me one of my favourite caps, the owl from Hitachino Nest Beer; the other is a Brakspear Brewery Cap with their bee logo. 
These I'm saving for a different project.

I thought I would make brooches with some of the rest using resin I had and bits and bobs I had around the house.

First things first, I gave the caps a good wash, I then set about removing the plastic seal bit, stuck inside the cap, using a pair of pliers. This was easier for some than others, so for the rest I just did the best I could before giving up entirely and, to be honest, it didn't really make a huge difference.

I decided I wanted dangly bits hanging from each one so needed to drill a hole in the side of the cap. At first I tried using my Archimedian drill which was possible, but tough going as it kept slipping so I switched to my "ImpressArt Hole Punch", although a bit fiddly to hold with the cap, it made it a lot easier and much quicker to add a hole!

I gathered up pieces of card and paper with an interesting pattern, mostly from magazines and catalogues. I then cut circles out using one of the plastic inserts as a template, but handily found one of my circle punches was just the right size. If the paper was uncoated, for example from a page in a magazine, I coated both sides with clear tape- this prevents "bleeding" of the colours when the resin is added.

I glued each circle inside a cap using 2 part epoxy glue and left them to cure completely, this doesn't take too long at all, just a few minutes. During this time I picked the extra trinkets and bits to add, small buttons, glitter, resin flowers and beads for example. I also made the dangly bits using wire, jump rings, and by gluing bits to copper discs which can be hung from the jump rings.

Next I added the clear resin, carefully following the manufacturer's instructions. I poured at least a 2mm thickness in each one but made sure it did not quite reach the hole I had drilled in the side. I then left them to set for at least 24 hours somewhere they wouldn't be disturbed or get dusty.

After I was satisfied they were completed cured I glued a brooch finding to the back and added the dangly bits.

Job done! I'd love to know what you think of the recycled bottle cap brooches.

Until next time, craft in earnest! Craftin' Ernest x

Washi Tape Embellished Necklace

I'm really loving all the statement necklaces that are so popular at the moment, there are some really bold ones available. I recently bought a silver coloured necklace very cheaply (from Primark, well actually Penney's as I bought it in Ireland) with the sole purpose of jazzing it up a bit and thought washi tape would be perfect to do just that.

The necklace consists of three crescent-shaped pieces attached to a single section on each side, these in turn are attached to a length of chunky chain. The front sides are smooth with a slightly beaten look while the reverse side has a ridged lip around the edge and textured surface.

Front

Back

I decided to add some colour to each of the crescents which graduate in size, getting slightly bigger as you go down, and decided to do this to the reverse side so I could easily apply a resin coat thanks to the lip.
The first step was to use flat-nose pliers to open the jump rings attaching each crescent and removing them but keeping them safe.

I then used some paper and a pencil to create a template for each of the crescents by tracing them as best as possible, cutting them just short of the hole on each side. 

This is what I stuck the washi tape to, I attached short sections of tape completely covering the paper surface, I then trimmed off the excess. Repeating the process 3 times, once for each section.

I used three different tapes which I liked the look of together. You could do complimentary patterns/colours, contrasting patterns/colours, all the same- what ever takes your fancy!

I then glued each one in place to the corresponding section using epoxy glue. After this I coated each crescent in clear resin (here's a link to a previous resin post of mine:  http://craftinernest.blogspot.co.uk/2013_09_01_archive.html)

Once this was thoroughly dry I used the original jump rings to reattach each crescent but the reverse side out, creating a totally unique accessory. 

All that was left was to wear it with a big smile on my face :-D 
Hope you like the result? Keep crafting in earnest, Craftin' Ernest!

Resin8

Yesterday I attended a one day course in resin jewellery run by resin8.
http://www.resin8.co.uk/
I had seen them demonstrate at a craft show in Cardiff I had attended a couple of years ago. I bought a few things off them, including a button mould! However, I wasn't overly confident about using the stuff. So my yummy hubby bought me the course for my birthday as they're workshop is only an hour away from where we live in Winchcombe, North Gloucestershire, a really beautiful and unspoilt, quaint little town.
The course was run by Resin8's Clare John, what she doesn't know about resin isn't worth knowing. You can watch her do her magic on YouTube....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ntPY5jljjc
I really enjoyed the day and learnt so much. I had a lot of fun experimenting and made SIX different items. We were shown a number of different techniques to try, all were great learning experiences.

Due to the time constraints it was not possible to completely finish each piece with a doming layer on top. I think this really finishes a piece off so I bought some "doming resin" and, with the confidence I gained yesterday, I completed them at home today! You can buy everything you need from their website.

One item wasn't set enough to transport home so I have the excitement of it arrivng at some point in the post.
The course also included lunch, we had a truly delicious homemade soup and chunky wholemeal bread, it really fuelled our creativity and kept us going. I would highly recommend attending if you want to learn about resin
I'm really looking forward to making more and experimenting with the techniques and making buttons inset with buttons! There's so many different things to try....

Until next time, craft in earnest. Craftin' Ernest x