Glitzy Beads and Pendants by Linda Hess

I do LOVE glitz and glimmer! For this reason I was instantly attracted to the Gala Glitz products. In the past I have worked with the Clear Cast resin from Environmental Technologies and knew that the 2 products would work together very well. I wasn't disappointed.

Materials:

Art Glitter Gala Glitz Pink & Gala Glitz Gold

Art Glitter #806 Sonata Small Glass Beads

Art Glitter #19 Grape Ultrafine Opaque Glitter

EasyCast Low Odor Clear Cast Epoxy (www.eti-usa.com)

2 #33610 easy Cast Jewelry Resin Molds (www.eti-usa.com)

disposable mixing cups with measurement lines

small disposable cups (Hint: Recycle old medicine cups)

popsicle sticks

The EasyCast lives up to its name...it is very easy to use. It comes with 2 bottles, one hardener and one resin. Pour equal amounts into a disposable measured cup (mine has 1/2oz markings on the side). Mix thoroughly with a popsicle stick (my "tool" of choice) for 2 minutes and then it is ready to pour.

Pour about a third of the mixture into a small disposable cup and then add about a teaspoon of the Gold Gala Glitz to it. Mix thoroughly. If the mixture seems saturated with color, then it is ready to pour into the mold. If however you see more clear liquid than Gold Glitz add a bit more Gala Glitz and repeat the mixing process until you are happy with the saturation. I was amazed at how far a small amount went! As you can see in the photo I was able to pour multiple pieces before using it up.

I repeated the process with the Pink Gala Glitz and was greeted with similar results (in terms of how far it went).

With the last of the EasyCast I wanted to see if the Small Glass Beads would work and if the color would "bleed" (remember I had a bit of a problem with some of the colors mixed into liquid polymer clay). The mixture wasn't as sparkly as I had hoped using just the beads, so I grabbed my pot of glitter and added about a 1/2-1 tsp to the cup and then mixed. Perfect glitz and glimmer!

The EastCast product must soft set for 24hrs before you can pop pieces out of the mold. Once I popped them out I noticed a couple of points that may save you from any frustration:

1) Do not over fill the molds. If you fill the molds to the point that I did (all the way to the top) then you will be spending a little time sanding the curved edges away (unless this curved edge works in your design idea).

2) The Gala Glitz and Small Beads will sink to the bottom of the EasyCast mixture during the curing process. If you add more product to the resin during the mixing step then the separation may not be as noticeable. Again, for some this separation may add to the design concept and be the perfect "unplanned" detail. For others it may seem like a disaster...be forewarned.

3) The glitter seems to stay suspended in the curing process. Imagine Glitter beads or glitter touches in your designs! I am already planning to experiment with painting the mixture on a canvas to see the effects. Or on wood beads. I will let you know what happens.

What to do with the finished un-molded pieces? Holes can be drilled through for stringing, bezels can be added for pendants, or pieces can be wired wrapped...wouldn't that make a FABULOUS ring?? Unfortunately the pieces CANNOT be baked (my favorite question for most manufacturers), but they can be set into pre-baked polymer clay bezels for truly custom made eye-catching art pieces.

Enjoy experimenting with these products. I know I am. Now off to the studio I go......