Resin Dollhouse Geode table, working in miniature with resin and Polymer Clay.

Making Miniature Resin Geode Tables

Ok I'll be honest, I absolutely love miniatures.  To sit down all day and make everything in mini would be freaking awesome!!  I was feeling sorry for myself the other week, resin allergy, no one interested in my art, when something popped into my head and filled me with excitement.  Miniature resin Geode table for a dollhouse.  OMG yes.  I had to do it.

Polymer Clay popped into my mind for the base of the table, and that moment I went searching in the garage for all of my clay tools.  With Mr 4 by my side we began playing with scrap clay.  My scrap clay is a mixture of all the brands, Kato, Sculpey and Fimo.

 Here are my four basic geode shapes.  I just rolled some clay out, and cut out random shapes.  They went into my mini oven for an hour and then they were ready to play with!!

 I made up a very small amount of resin.  The great thing about miniatures is, it uses less of everything!  I placed the bases on upturned cups and began my experiment.  A very small amount goes a long way, so I did have trouble getting the distinct lines I can get on my large geodes.

 Obviously glitter played an important part, shiny pretty glitter.  What could take the place of the rocks, glass and gems that I use on the large geodes?
Beads of course.  I have a plethora of beads, finally time to use them!!  I mainly used microbeads, which are teeny tiny, obviously.

I also used some glitter gravel that I bought from a cheap shop.  It actually looks nice in geodes.



After the first resin layer was dry, I added another, this one I put in more glitter and tried to define the colours a little more.  It basically took a lot of patience and a steady hand, moving the resin where I wanted it to go, then using the heat gun sparingly to blend the colours.  I also added some gold leaf on the third layer.

After the fourth or fifth layer was completely dry I brought out the posca pens and drew some more defined lines around the geodes.  This made them start to look like something worthwhile.  I was a little worried to begin with.  (Apologies for the dog barking in the video).

I wrapped the edges of the mini geodes with painters tape, leaving about a 3mm edge above the geode.  I did this so when I poured the next couple of layers of clear resin they would build up and completely cover all the beads and make the table flat.  It worked!!

To remove the resin that had dripped onto the bottom of the geodes I used the heat gun and a small chisel to carefully get them off.  The resin actually came off quite easily, which was awesome.  Time for the edges of the geodes.  I used Mont Marte Leafing Size glue, and gold leaf and prettied those edges up.  I was actually really surprised at how easy the glue made putting the gold leaf on.  That one is a definite win, and I will use it again.

Mont Marte Leafing Size link.

The saga of sanding and using my dremel to cut some wood for the legs, ugh, wood and cutting just not my favourite thing.  I am actually in love with the way they turned out, I love the thickness, and I can see all the layers of resin and glitter and beads that lovingly did.  Let's not forget the swollen eye from my allergy to resin, the rash that spread like chicken pox, and the misery I was in from the pills and the itching.  To sum it up, it was worth it.  I will do it again, and again and again.

GLAM SHOTS!!

I'm happy with the experiment.  My doll house, everyone's dollhouse deserves some glam geode tables I think.  I absolutely love them :) 

I have also made some experimental resin tiles for a dollhouse.  I have embedded microbeads in some tiles, glitter in others and of course I have made a glow in the dark sample. All different styles and colours.  I will be doing a project with them in it sometime in September.  I will post my progress of that too.

Etsy mini tiles for sale here.

 I've also been glamming up miniature cheese boards for the doll houses as well, adding resin to them to make the glam mazing!!

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Until next time.........

Making my first Resin geode after I saw Mrs Colorberry

OMG Resin geodes!!!!!

About six weeks ago I was flicking through facebook when I saw a magnificent piece of art that I just wanted, I needed to create.  It was Mrs Colorberry, and I watched the timelapse of her making a geode over and over again and decided to try it myself because it was just too beautiful not to.

This is the end result of my attempt at a resin geode table.

I wasn't too sure about using MDF so I used plywood, I think it was 12mm thick.  I primed it ready to accept the resin.  If I didn't prime the wood it would just suck everything up like the Bermuda Triangle.  I use gesso now but for this one I used a paint and prime spray paint, white.

I googled for geode images that I really liked, the blue seemed to make me happy lol.  So I then drew out some lines which I wanted to the resin to follow, lol, resin to follow, lol.

I didn't cut a hole in the middle of the geode this time because I wasn't sure it would work, so I decided to use resin with black resin dye to pretend to be the hole in the middle.  I actually let this dry overnight so it wouldn't mix with the next colours, that pesky resin, always wanting to self level.

Then the next day I attempted to do the blue and white resin layers, using a heat gun to mix them together so they looked natural and pretty.  Remember, gloves, mask when using resin and a heat gun.  Even if the resin says it's ok the colours you are mixing in it may not be.  Better to be safe than sorry.  Also make sure the piece you are working on is level and in a safe and secure spot covered from wind and dust.

I have these awesome resin pigments from Solid solutions in Australia, they make the most beautiful colours ever!!!  solid solutions resin and dyes

This is my attempt at the middle and keeping the resin within the lines, hmmm, so far not too bad lol.  The rocks I placed around the area I wanted the resin to cover, they were some clear rocks.  

This is the next layer, though still technically the first layer, I used blue rocks, blue dye in the resin and white dye as well, and of course glitter.

I had the plywood sitting on my painting mason jars, yeah, don't do that, if there is resin dripping over the side it collects around the rim of the jars, and makes it super hard to remove when dry.

After the layers above had dried I then decided to do the black edge, which I didn't want mixing with anything.  I also had black sand that I put on the edges of the geode to make it seem more realistic and natural.

I wanted this geode to be the most beautiful thing I ever made, so I ensured that all the layers were dry before adding the next.  The next layers were resin and glitter, mmmmm glitter, so pretty.

Then I just placed some more gems and glitter in each of the layers, and then followed all of this with a few clear coat resin layers to make it smooth.

The base was made by my husband and son out of lightweight aluminum.   The end product is a layer filled, shiny glittery monster which I have fallen deeply in love with.

So shiny and glass like....mmmmmmmm

I love the iridescent glitter that makes it look green from one angle and blue from another.  I am super proud of this baby.

Moral of the story, don't burn yourself, follow the reference picture, don't put so much glitter on the final layer.  Do enjoy it, make layers and have fun.

Next up on the blog will be my Peter Stormare oil painting.  This is the painting that made me realise that I love to paint, and I want to get better.

Have a great week, an artists week.