I've covered how to press
real flowers using a microwave as well as how to
embed them in resin. The process is not as easy as it looks! But I am game to continue learning and experimenting. This time, I wanted to make real pressed flower resin clay earrings. There were some challenges including the difficulty in finding flowers small enough for earrings. Some people use petals but I wanted whole flowers!
Using resin clay certainly avoided the bubble trouble one sometimes gets with resin. This 2 part epoxy clay is also adhesive and air dries. This means it will bond with whatever bezels or frames you use. You also don't have to bake it unlike polymer clay.
I used
Apoxie Clay in its natural color - an offwhite - which I liked for its slightly rustic appearance. Alternatively use any color of
Crystal Clay
. There are also other brands out there.
I like weighing out the resin clay parts rather than try and estimate equal lump sizes! I also used wax paper to protect surfaces. As this clay is sticky, gloves are a good idea when mixing the two parts together. You could also use a bit of olive oil on fingers if using gloves is annoying.
I actually used small open frames (
courtesy of Nunn Design) - they are perfectly sized for earring dangles. I filled in the space with the prepared resin clay.
I used a pair of tweezers to clean up the edges.
I then added a previously pressed flower onto the resin clay.
I liked how this larger bloom could be trimmed down for an eclectic look.
Some flowers react with resin so I generally coat them with some Mod Podge to protect them.
I then mixed up a batch of clear 2 part resin. I used
Little Windows' doming resin which I previously received for review) but you can also other kinds like
ICE Resin 
As I have said before, some of the resin adventures I have had ended up with failures. These flowers -
lavender moss pink (Phlox subulata) reacted with the Mod Podge and/or with the resin. It basically discolored and faded in parts over a day or so. A good reminder to experiment as different flowers react differently. I'll have to consider trying different glues or glazes.
Another option is to paint over pressed flowers as some people do. So I tested it out on a white resin background (not resin clay) in some other bezels. I used acrylic paint and painted the flowers which I now know give an iffy result, a periwinkle blue. Seems to work!
But the dark purple lobelia flowers worked well as is as did the blue flowers of an unidentified perennial in my garden.
If you'd like to try flowers with clear resin rather than resin clay, check out
Becky Nunn's tutorial. She made me laugh at the part when she said,
"If you can see bubbles in my resin, you are way too close!" Such are the trials and tribulations of resin work!
DisclosureI receive books and products for review. I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links. The opinions expressed are solely my own. They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation.
PhotographyI used natural light my iPhone 6S with the camera+ app and the Modahaus TS320 tabletop studio for the final photos. To get the graduated grey background, I put the black sheet behind the white. I used artificial lights and the Modahaus TS400 for tutorial photos in my windowless basement studio. Check out my
How to Photograph Jewelry Webinar .
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