Creating Beautiful Bezels with ICE Resin by Susan Lenart Kazmer

A couple years ago, I discovered ICE Resin, a product developed by Susan Lenart Kazmer...she is one of the most inspiring artists I've ever met.  If you're not familiar with her work, click on the link above to view her amazing work.    

Susan worked with Spellbinders to develop a line of bezels and pendants...and I became very familiar with the products. I got to teach and demonstrate the products, literally around the world at trade shows and art events...here's a flashback from the blog archives where you can see some of the places and people I met...Creating Beautiful Bezels with Spellbinders Media Mixage...for me, it was an incredible experience to work with the products and to share them with other artists and crafters.  I'd not created any jewelry peices for years...so it was a nice reintroduction to jewelry making. 

And, over time as I worked with the products, I discovered a few techniques and tricks of my own when working with ICE Resin.  For example, the resin in the photo above is tinted with artists pastels...the resin looks like Lapis...it's a cool technique that I love to share in the workshops I teach today.

And, over time, as I have moved on and done other things, artistically and professionally, I still get asked to teach ICE Resin workshops...I absolutely love getting to share the techniques with students who attend.  The student work is always very inspiring.  Very often we create memory pieces...I ask students to bring family photos and personal letters and we set out to preserve family memories by creating pendants and bezels with those treasure images.  

During the course of the workshops, I often end up with some beautiful pieces that I've created with the students as examples and instructional pieces...I've started adding them to my etsy shop,          Ken Oliver Crafts. They're often too beautiful not to share.   

I'm still teaching ICE Resin workshops and in fact, I have a workshop on October 24th in my hometown.  The event is called ICE at the Edge, You can click on the link...or click on the ICE at the Edge banner at the side of this page for more details.  The event will be smaller and more intimate than many of the workshops I teach, and we're going to be in the most beautiful venue...our classroom over looks the Ohio River in Southern Indiana.   

I am getting really excited about ICE at the Edge. Students are traveling from as far away as Florida, Connecticut, and Minnesota to attend.  

If you'd like to enroll, it's really easy, and affordable and the workshop includes dinner...

And, at the end of the workshop, you'll have created 4 beautiful pendants that you can wear yourself, or give as gifts.  

As you can probably tell, I love working with ICE Resin...it's let me create and express my art in lots of new ways...I'd invite you to visit my etsy shop to see more...and hopefully, you'll think about coming to ICE at the Edge to learn how to create these beautiful pieces yourself.  I hope to see you there!  

Hatpin Bezel Heritage Scrapbook Layout: Spellbinders® Shape It Up Sneak Peek and Giveaway Day 2

 Hi Bloggers, and welcome to day 2 of Spellbinders Shape It Up Sneak Peek and Give-a-way!  It’s really an exciting time of year at Spellbinders, as we’re gearing up to launch a brand new line of dies and accessories that are really going to blow you away!  Our newest releases are the most innovative in the industry. The projects you see here today and in the next few days are going to inspire you beyond belief.  So get ready to be amazed!  Make sure you read all the way to the bottom of the post. There’s a chance to win Dies, Hatpin Bezels and Texture Plate I used in this layout. The details to win are listed at the end of this post.  

 We all love creating scrapbook pages and I especially love vintage themes and heritage layouts that incorporate old family photos to memorialize our ancestral background.  Our new Hatpin Bezels and matching dies are perfect embellishments for scrapbook layouts and cards where you’d like to imbue a feeling of yesteryear into your work.   

Using the matching dies, you can coordinate the paper to match the layout, or you could even die cut a piece of fabric from vintage clothing to use inside the hatpin.  This layout features elements of days gone by you will love, an accordion pleated fan, “heirloom” hatpins, and a vintage photograph that tell the story of a 19th century family frozen in time.     

Supply List:
Spellbinders® Paper Arts Supplies:

GC-001 Spellbinders Grand Calibur®Machine

LF-015 Spellbinders Grand DecorativeCircles

S5-086 Spellbinders Bitty Blossoms

S4-351 Spellbinders Spiral BlossomsOne

S6-002 5x7 Matting Basics B

MB3-004 Spellbinders  Media Mixage Diamond HatpinBezels

MD1-014 Spellbinders Media Mixage Diamond Dies

MT1-010 Spellbinders Media Mixage Music Note Texture Plate

MM1-003 Copper

Cross Promotional Partners

Beacon Adhesives 3-IN-1 Advanced CraftGlue

Scrapbook Adhesives® by 3L Crafty FoamTape

Melissa Frances Embellishments

ICE Resin

Other:  Maya Road flowers,  Prima Marketing flowers Pink Paislee patterned paper, chalk ink, scissors, vintage photo, pastels, sanding block, seam tape or ribbon, misting bottle with water, score board, small mixing cup and craft stick, cotton swab, paper towels, paper trimmer.  

Instructions:
Hatpin Preparation:  Hatpin Bezels are filled with colored resin to mimic the look of a stone set inside a bezel. 

1.        Wipe hatpin bezels to remove any dust. 

2.        Mix ICE Resin according to package directions.

3.        Choose a pastel color to create resin pigment. Using a craft knife, scrap pastel stick to make approximately ¼ teaspoon of pastel dust.  

4.        Add pastel dust to mixed resin and thoroughly mix pigment (dust) into Ice Resin.

5.        Using a craft stick, slowly drip colored resin into hatpin bezels until resin domes.   Set aside to cure for 6-12 hours.

6.        Sand front and back of a piece of copper sheet.

7.        Cut two #2 (with #1 being smallest die template) and one #3 with Diamond Die from sanded copper using Grand Calibur machine.

8.        Place Music Note Texture Plate on gray Base Plate. Lay diamond die cuts on top of plate and cover with white Cutting Plate and pass through Grand Calibur machine to texture. 

9.        Using a cotton swab, apply patina solution to front and back of textured die cuts. Lightly wipe off excess solution with paper towel and sand raised embossed pattern to reveal music notes.

10.      Glue textured metal pieces to back side of hatpin bezels as shown. Set aside to dry.

 Prepare the Layout:

11.      Randomly tear and curl edges of a 12”x12” piece of patterned paper to create a distressed look for layout background.  Apply chalking ink to edges for an antique feel.

12.      Trim a 4”x 8” strip from patterned paper.  Lightly mist paper with water.  Place Music Note Texture Plate on gray Base Plate. Lay one end of paper on top of texture plate and cover with embossing sandwich (Tan Mat and Pink Embossing Plate) and run through Grand Calibur machine. Move paper down and repeat until whole strip of paper is textured. 

13.      Place textured strip on score board and score at ¼” intervals. Accordion fold strip and glue folds together on one end to create a fan. Set aside to dry.

14.      Position fan at a 45º angle on upper right side of background page.  Affix to page with 3-IN-1 Glue. 

15.      Cut/Emboss Grand Decorative Circles #3 and #4 from patterned paper. Layer, offset and adhere die cut circles with foam tape.

16.      Affix outer circle on to of glued portion of fan with foam tape.

17.      Layer four 1” pieces of foam tape together and place under lower left potion of die cut circles and mount to page. Make 3 more stacks of foam tape and add around perimeter of die circles for support. Refer to photo.

18.      Sand and lightly ink edges of a photo for a vintage look. 

19.      Using foam tape, affix distressed photo on top of die cut circles at a slight angle.

20.      Glue Hatpin Bezels, Melissa Frances Embellishments and seam tape bow to photograph as shown.

 Flowers:

21.      Cut/emboss an assortment of Bitty Blossoms and Spiral Blossoms One form coordinating patterned paper.  Roll outside end of die cut flower into a spiral towards center circle and adhere to circle base. Flair out petals to form flower. Repeat until all flowers are formed.

22.      Arrange with other flower and adhere with 3-N-1 adhesive in a pleasing composition as shown.

Create a Journal or Title Tag:

23.      Cut/Emboss 5 x 7 Matting Basics B #1 and #2 from patterned paper and ink edges.

24.      Stamp sentiment on #1 die cut.

25.      Layer and affix tags together with foam tape. Mount in upper right hand corner with foam tape.

You are going to love the unique details you can add to your work with Spellbinders new Hatpin Bezels, dies, and Musical Texture Plates.  They will let you add loads of personality and charm to your handmade cards and themed scrapbook layouts. 

 The Hatpin Bezels can be used in lots of other projects too….I love creating mixed media projects and the Hatpins are the perfect little “findings."

 

 In this project, “Little Box of Secrets,” I altered a small wooden box and used the Hatpins as key elements in the composition. 

A resin filled Hatpin Bezel with a die cut piece of paper, becomes the all-seeing "3rd Eye" on the outside of the box.  I layered findings and beads with a Hatpin Bezel to create a tiny finial for the top. I used black pigmented resin to fill the bezel to look like onyx.  A torn piece of textured paper becomes a backdrop for a tiny horse and chariot.   You're going to find that the Hatpin Bezels, dies and texture plates are really fun to use in all kinds of projects! 

Now, you know there are prizes and give-a-ways during Spellbinders Sneak Peek…here’s what to do:

For official contest rules click HERE!!

For the chance to WIN...CLICK HERE!

And to find even more inspiration, visit my friend Judy Hayes at Creating My Style Here's a little peek of what she's creating with the Hatpin Bezels.  I think you're going to love it. 

Thank you so much for stopping by today during Day 2 of Spellbinders® Shape It Up Sneak Peek and Giveaway.  I hope you love what you’ve seen and will be inspired to create some vintage details or mixed media elements for your work with Spellbinders New Hatpin Bezels, Dies and Musical Texture Plates.  

Make sure to enter the contest…you are going to want these goodies in your craft stash! 
Questions?  calexander@spellbinders.us No entries will be accepted at this email address.

Your creativity is limitless - Explore Beyond™!

Spellbinders Paper Arts at The Ink Pad in New York City

While I was in their neighborhood this week, I thought I should pop in on The Ink Pad in New York to spread little Spellbinders Media Mixage love in the big apple.  

Every square inch of this store is packed with creative, crafty goodness...there's so much inspiration...they have a stamp for everything you can imagine!  And they carry Spellbinders too...they have Spellbinders demo days occasionally with Seth Apter.  

Here's a quick look inside the store before we got busy.  

They've been written up in the New York Times, been featured on TV in Japan, Hong Kong, and in Europe ...I am telling you it's the crafty place to be in New York.  

Barbara Briskin and Anna Chiang are always there with crafty advice on everything they carry...they are a wealth of stamping knowledge.  Barbara taught me how to mount rubber while I was there.  

I love spending time with them...and Bonita is trying to hide behind her coffee cup...she teaches and she is one of the best stamping artists I have ever met.  She is a pro at Spellbinders die cutting and even offered me a few tips I'd never thought of before.  

If you are ever in New York and you love to craft...put this place on your "must visit" list...you will be enchanted...they have so much to offer.  And make sure to hang out in the store for a while.  It's a hotbed for celebrity siting.  Last time I was there, I got to craft with Katie Holmes, and this visit Robin Wright (Jenny) from Forest Gump and ex of Sean Penn) spent half the afternoon in the store looking at stamps.  

It was really busy all afternoon and everyone loved the charms and bezels we created.  

It was so busy that I didn't get too many pics of the projects we created and people we visited with...but we had an amazing crafty time.  

At the end of the day, I had an inky blotter and a metal bird blank, which looked kind of cool.  

Thanks again Anna, Barbara and Bonita...it was great to see you again and wonderful to spend time in the creative zone at The Ink Pad.  

Ken

It's Craft Day with Spellbinders Paper Arts and The Craft and Hobby Association

Hey there, this past week I had the amazing opportunity to visit with everyone at The Craft and Hobby Association  in Elmwood Park, New Jersey...we had Spellbinders' Craft Day for everyone at the office.  

We had a really fun crafty time.  The idea was simple...let's let everyone in the office have hands on crafting experience using Spellbinders and Spellbinders Media Mixage.  I was there to demonstrate and facilitate the creative process.  So, we set up a few cutting stations, provided lots of goodies to play with and then, we let the art begin!  

We had a blast.  It was awesome to see the creative wheels spinning in everyone's heads.  And since it was Easter break, some of the staffers brought their kids to join in the fun.  

Trade Show Producer Anthony Licata explains the finer points of creating bezels.  

We had so much fun creating handmade cards. 

It's really fun to watch how everyone puts their own creative spin on everything they create.  Beautiful spring colors and patterns on the card in progress.  

We learned all kinds of techniques together, diecutting, embossing, stenciling, inking, and discussed the finer points of layering die cuts to create beautiful cards.  

Glitter makes a perfect embellishment inside a heart bezel. 

Everybody got in on the action too.  

Craft and Hobby Association CEO Andrej Suskavcevic inspects the finely cut details of Spellbinders die cuts before creating his handmade card.  

The thing that really impressed me...

everybody loved what we were doing.  The card above, in progress, was created by the Information Technology Director at CHA.  He had never created a card before...but he was a natural!  And at the end of the day, he was formulating a process that the association could use to create handmade cards to use for their office correspondence.  

Anthony Licata created a French Country bezel. 

The more we created the messier it got, which is all good.  When it gets really messy, you know you are having fun.  

The handmade cards turned out beautifully. I got to teach bow tying methods.  

Susan Turchick, Vice President of Membership uses the Spellbinders Artisan X-Plorer to create die cut paper to fit perfectly inside a bezel.  

I got to hang out with my friend Laurie Pietruszka while we created...

Wow, we made a mess...you should have seen the paper chips all over the floor...

And each card was simply beautiful.  

Sue Turchick shows off her handmade card...it turned out so cute.  

And, Andrej, as it turns out is a blossom pro with Spellbinders die cuts.  

We came, we created, and we all left with beautiful projects at the end of the day...it was great!  

Thank you again Sue, Andrej, and everyone at The Craft and Hobby Association for letting Spellbinders host a craft day at your offices.  

I hope everybody had as much fun as I did..and judging from the comments at the end of the day, they did.

Ken