resin – Page 13 – Sherry Glaab

Here comes the sun!

I like making sun mosaics, and they have been popular in the past, so I decided to try another with this latest old window frame I’ve been prepping. It’s approximately 30″ x 13.5″, so it’s a good size to hang at the top of a window and get some nice light. For the background, I’m using that same Spectrum iridized blue glass that I used in the mermaid’s tail. I’ve used this glass in many projects. It’s one of my favorite colors – especially for skies. I cut a sheet of this glass into strips, then into squares, then nipped the corners off to make rough circles.

The blank slate – I drew a rough ball for where the sun will go with a Sharpie pen on the back side..

One thing about the sun is it’s not really something that just falls into a rectangular shape in my brain. I tend to want to have a nice square frame for the sun, but that’s obviously not going to happen with this mosaic. For the past few days, I have been trying to decide whether this sun will be to one side or in the middle, and how the rays will be distributed. I finally settled on this starting point for this big ball of fire. I used a circle from an old pattern I have used for the sun in the past to draw a guideline on the glass, then used a self-oiling handheld glass cutter to cut the shape. I finished off the rough edges with an electric water cooled glass grinder. Of course, I cut myself while handling the glass, but a tiny circular adhesive bandage came to the rescue so I could keep going.

Next I had to start thinking about the rays for the sun. Since I’m not using a pattern for this piece in general, I will likely try a few options and move things around a lot before I start gluing anything in place. This way I can change my mind if I decide I want wavy rays instead of straight, or whatever. For now, I’m trying out some triangles with smaller pieces of glass in between. I have some more glass to cut before I will get an idea of how much I like where this is going. I also laid out some of the blue glass to see if I like the pairing with this design. So far I’m a bit apprehensive that the blue circles might be too large in contrast to the sun’s rays. I might want to make them smaller. Here I have them just sort of stacked / scattered around for an overall idea, they aren’t anywhere near where they will be when everything is ready for the resin. However, stacking them like this in layers might be a nice effect. I stacked the seaweed glass on top of itself (two layers of glass) in the mermaid mosaic and I really like that effect.

Laying out an option for the sun’s rays.

I liked where this direction was taking me, so I decided to fill it out a bit more to see how it would look. More band aids needed.

Next I glued the outer bands of glass forming the rays down. They will keep the glass forming the sun in place when I eventually pour the resin. Then I started laying out the blue sky. After I filled in as much as I could with large circles, I cut some smaller ones and repeated the process. Then I started filling in the smaller gaps with triangles and even smaller pieces.

There will be a bit more filling to do tomorrow, but I have done as much I can in one day. Half of my fingertips are in pain from being stabbed with the sharp edges of the small pieces of glass. Now I need to sit back and look at it because it still needs some interest to bring it together. My eldest child says I should add some yellow to the sun – maybe some wavy rays. I can also make another layer to give it more depth, or maybe some designs with the tiny red glass pieces I have. Hopefully sleeping on it will give my brain time to formulate a plan.

Pigment bubbles try #2

Today I was able to see how my second attempt at pigmented coasters with bubbles turned out. Overall, they are OK, but not quite to where I want them to be. I also put the last coat of paint on the window frame I’m going to use for my next mosaic project, which I’m thinking about using for a sun theme, or perhaps an aquarium.

The white pigment spread out more than I wanted, so they aren’t defining the edge of the waves as much as I had hoped. I think if I let the resin gel a bit more before I put the bubbles layer in place, then let the bubbles gel before pouring the blue pigmented resin for the water, that will give me more control. I will try that next.

Mermaid complete!

The mermaid mosaic cured enough overnight that I could bring her upstairs to snap a photo in better light. I’m pretty happy with how she turned out.

9.5″x30″ stained glass mosaic set in resin.

Mermaid background poured

This morning I was able to pour the resin and decorate the background of the 9.5″ x 30″ mermaid window.

I mixed up 16 ounces of resin, which turned out to be a good amount. I had enough left over to start the first layer of one coaster, so there really wasn’t much in the way of waste. I love these silicone measuring cups because they are reusable and there is plenty of room to stir even when you fill it to 16 ounces.

When the resin is well mixed, I started pouring it gently over the mosaic.

Once I feel like I have everything covered pretty well, it’s time to use the heat gun to remove the bubbles that form in the resin. I have been thinking about getting a craft blow torch for this because the heat gun is hard to control and can move the resin more than I would like.

Now it’s time to add the decoration to the background. For this piece, I used some tiny blue filler (which I can’t get anymore because it was discontinued, but that’s another story). After the blue filler, I added clear glass flakes to add sparkle. My sister sent me some beads and I was thinking about using some of them, but I chickened out at the last minute because I haven’t tried them yet and I’m not sure how they will look in the resin. I’ll probably try them in a coaster first, rather than a larger piece like this.

After that, I just keep an eye on the whole piece while the resin and the decorations settle down. I added a bit more of the decoration materials and touched up some spots that seemed to need a little more resin after shifting. It’s also important to check on the piece over the first hour of curing time to ensure you can remove any bubbles that form – sometimes they can be large and will detract from the look I am trying to achieve. They can be removed with the heat gun or sometimes a craft stick. Below are some up close detail photos of the window.

Mermaid almost ready for resin

Today I went back and forth on, but finally committed to (read that, glued in place) some background decoration features for the mermaid. I glued them in place because they are small and the resin might push them out of place when I am pouring it. I don’t want to be trying to make the swirls look perfect when the resin is applied, so I used some Mac glue to secure them. I might add just *one* more little blue swirl. The next step is to let the glue dry overnight. Hopefully tomorrow everything will look great and I can pour and decorate the resin background to bring it all together!

Finishing touches on the mermaid foreground

After comparing a few alternatives, I decided to give the mermaid a bubble to hold. I really liked the flower, though, so I added it to her hair. I also started embellishing her tail with some green accents and gluing down her upper body. I was able to pretty much finish her today, now I have to plan how I will decorate the background around her when I pour the resin.

I have all sorts of options for embellishing the background.

I’d like to add some swirls and bubbles, but the placement of everything can be hard for me to figure out, so I generally lay out several samples and move them around to help me decide.

More mermaid progress

Today I was able to glue down the mermaid’s tresses and start thinking about her upper body. I spent almost all day working on her.

I used two colors of the same type of stained glass for her hair – a rich brown and an amber hue. My son says it looks like her hair is on fire. I arranged the pieces of glass and added a few details here and there as I glued it in place.

Hair detail prior to gluing it in place.

Once I had her hair done, I started trying out various colors for her upper body. This is my first round. None of her upper body / arms is glued (or really properly arranged) yet. I started with the sandy / tan glass and so far I think I like it. I would like to give her more depth, though, so I might need to incorporate some other shades, or just let her be sort of flat. I also can’t decide what she will be holding in her hands. Originally I planned for her to be holding a large marble (bubble), but the marble I have is not the right size (seems too small). I tried a large glass glob, and that seemed to be the right size, but it doesn’t add much in the way of interest to the overall piece. Then I thought I might use some of the pink glass I was thinking about using for her body and make a lotus flower out of it. I haven’t cut the glass for that yet, but it’s a possibility. I like the way the pink brings some interest to the mosaic, but I will also be decorating the background and will have the opportunity to add some interest then.

Still deciding on her upper body and what she will be holding. Above she has a pink flower.

Sand first coasters reveal

It’s time for the reveal of the coasters I made this week with the sand layer before the water. Spoiler alert, I like the water layer first final product a lot better.

Here are my reasons. First, the water layer doesn’t distribute as well this way. I think pouring the pigmented resin on top of wet clear resin really makes it move more and look more like water. Even though I used a craft stick to make swirls in the water, they don’t look that different from the control coaster at the top left of the first photo, which I just poured and didn’t stir. (Does it sound like I’m talking about Martinis now?) Second, the sand comes up around the shells and other decorative items on the beach and makes it look like they are all suffocating.

No white pigment between the sand and water in this one.

White pigment “bubble” between the water and sand.

They’re still OK overall, but I think I will go back to my usual layering order. I do like the white pigment at the edge of the water / sand, but it will take some time for me to perfect my technique for placing it. However, I did an informal FB Friends poll and folks are really pretty much evenly split on whether they prefer bubbles or no bubbles. I guess I will have to keep making some of each!

Third layer of the sea

Today I added the third and final layer on my most recent batch of coasters – the water layer. Usually I do the water layer second, but I wanted to see how it would look if I applied it last. Hopefully we will see good results (in the next day or two, after it cures). For now, these are the basic steps I took in pigmenting the water and layering it in the coasters.

Mixing the “Natural Blue” pigment into the resin.

I mixed up about 8 ounces of resin, then poured about 2-3 tsp in three cups for the three different colors of resin. This turned out not to be anywhere near enough resin and I ended up mixing another batch of 200 ml later.

Dumping some of the “Caribbean Blue” pigment into the resin.

Three shades of blue. The third one is “Majestic Blue”. Sometimes I use a green, as well, but not today. The bold resulting colors using these pigments amazes me!

I poured the three colors into the mold over the first two resin layers that have already cured.

Close up view. It should be fine that the water/blue layer is over some of the sand since the sand is opaque. I will mix the colors in a later step and make sure any empty / clear spaces are filled.

Pouring more clear resin over the water / blue layer. Once the clear resin is on top, I can mix and move the colors around a bit to make it look more like water.

After pouring the clear layer, I gently blow the resin with a heat gun in order to remove any air bubbles that form. A few are OK, but I think too many bubbles detract from the final look of the piece.

I use a small craft stick to mix the blue colors in a circular motion.

Continue to mix the colors in a swirling motion.

Covered for the next 24 hours or so to keep dust out while they cure.

I need to stay close to the coasters I poured for the first hour or so after I pour them in case some bubbles emerge that need to be removed. For this, I use a heat gun, though many people prefer a craft blow torch. Hopefully everything will cure / harden nicely overnight and we can see how they turned out tomorrow evening.

Thinking upside-down

Today was more cleanup on the window frame (I have to paint one side at a time), a bit of planning for the mermaid, and another layer in the next set of coasters. Below is actually the back side of the window. I sketched a rough outline of a mermaid I’m hoping to make before I put a coat of paint on the frame. When I’m done using the sketch as a guideline for the mosaic, the Sharpie ink will wipe right off with a wet paper towel. I also chose the glass (a blue Spectrum iridized) I want to use for the mermaid’s tail. I had to think upside down to do all of this today – the mermaid will end up facing the other direction and the coasters are built in backwards layers.

Rough outline of a mermaid drawn with Sharpie marker.

While the paint was drying on the frame, I mixed up 200 ml of resin for the next layer of decorations in the coasters. I poured a thin base layer for the coasters yesterday, so this is for layer #2. I had a little extra left over after pouring layers in 9 coasters.

For my last set of coasters, I poured the water before I added the sand background. I decided I wanted to try reversing the order and add the shells and sandy beach background first this time around.

I also wanted to try adding the white pigment at the edge of the sand where the water meets the beach, so to speak, to make it look more like the bubbles you would see when the water washes up in waves. I mixed some white pigment and drizzled it along the edge of the sand in 5 of the coasters, so I will have four without the bubbles to compare.

These will need to cure at least overnight before I can add the blue green pigmented water layer.