How to Make a See Through Sea Glass Necklace | Some Photography Tips
I really like the deep channel bezels that I got from Nunn Design. They can be used to embed all sorts of things using either resin clay or resin. (See this post where organics are used). As sea glass is translucent, I thought it would be fun to make a see through sea glass necklace. You could also add resin clay and embed decorative items in the outside channel. But I opted to keep things simple.
This mini tutorial is very easy to do. The trick is to use packing tape or a piece of adhesive shelf liner to cover the back of the bezel. Press and make sure the bottom edge of the bezel is well down. This stops the resin from leaking out.
Then it is a matter of making up some 2 part epoxy resin. I used Little Windows' resin (my favorite) but you can also use other types like ICE Resin 
. I poured a layer of resin into each bezel, popped any bubbles I could see with a little cocktail stick. I covered the bezels and let the resin set overnight. This first layer thus acts as the "invisible" back of the bezel.
I then played around with very small pieces of sea glass which are really too much bother to try to drill. The sea glass came from Nova Scotia - a kind colleague used to collect them for me while he walked his dog along the ocean beach near his house. I thought of including a small sea shell in the design but decided against it.
A second batch of resin was made up and the resin poured slowly into each bezel. After checking for bubbles, I let the resin cure fully under cover for 48 hours.
Once the backing tape was peeled off, I noticed 2 things. One, the backing tape left a frosted look at the back. No big deal. Just add another thin layer of resin to clear it. Two, the frosted look of the sea glass itself disappears.
It's fine to photograph the see through sea glass pendant flat as I did here :
But photographing the necklace either hung or upright does make the sea glass look transluscent and better.
The bezel naturally rolled to one side in the upright pose. It made for a fun kind of image.
But a tiny bit of blue tack at the bottom of the pendant kept it upright for a more conventional photograph.
Not too long ago, I visited Prince Edward Island on vacation and stumbled upon a gift shop in Charlottetown selling small bags of sea glass. Collecting sea glass on the owner's daily walks along the beach was her hobby. She was selling only the most common colors - white, green and brown. Pity because I wanted more blue glass!! I still bought a couple of bags because they were good sized pieces and I would have no easy way of collecting sea glass on my own.
She had many finds over decades of collecting which she kept in her shop display counter. The big dark glass piece below was from a rum bottle - a few centuries old. The blue and white piece was what she called fire sea glass where molten glass had combined probably during a shipboard fire.
Disclosure
I 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.
Photography
I used natural light, my iPhone 6S with the camera+ app and the Modahaus TS320 tabletop studio and Steady Stand (medium). The necklace is suspended from a Modahaus Steady Stand. Check out my How to Photograph Jewelry Webinar and sign up to learn more on how to take good jewelry pictures (the webinars will resume in August/September).
Before You Go:
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Wire JewelryTips -Jewelry Business Tips
This mini tutorial is very easy to do. The trick is to use packing tape or a piece of adhesive shelf liner to cover the back of the bezel. Press and make sure the bottom edge of the bezel is well down. This stops the resin from leaking out.
. I poured a layer of resin into each bezel, popped any bubbles I could see with a little cocktail stick. I covered the bezels and let the resin set overnight. This first layer thus acts as the "invisible" back of the bezel.I then played around with very small pieces of sea glass which are really too much bother to try to drill. The sea glass came from Nova Scotia - a kind colleague used to collect them for me while he walked his dog along the ocean beach near his house. I thought of including a small sea shell in the design but decided against it.
A second batch of resin was made up and the resin poured slowly into each bezel. After checking for bubbles, I let the resin cure fully under cover for 48 hours.
Once the backing tape was peeled off, I noticed 2 things. One, the backing tape left a frosted look at the back. No big deal. Just add another thin layer of resin to clear it. Two, the frosted look of the sea glass itself disappears.
It's fine to photograph the see through sea glass pendant flat as I did here :
But photographing the necklace either hung or upright does make the sea glass look transluscent and better.
The bezel naturally rolled to one side in the upright pose. It made for a fun kind of image.
But a tiny bit of blue tack at the bottom of the pendant kept it upright for a more conventional photograph.
Not too long ago, I visited Prince Edward Island on vacation and stumbled upon a gift shop in Charlottetown selling small bags of sea glass. Collecting sea glass on the owner's daily walks along the beach was her hobby. She was selling only the most common colors - white, green and brown. Pity because I wanted more blue glass!! I still bought a couple of bags because they were good sized pieces and I would have no easy way of collecting sea glass on my own.
She had many finds over decades of collecting which she kept in her shop display counter. The big dark glass piece below was from a rum bottle - a few centuries old. The blue and white piece was what she called fire sea glass where molten glass had combined probably during a shipboard fire.
Disclosure
I 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.
Photography
I used natural light, my iPhone 6S with the camera+ app and the Modahaus TS320 tabletop studio and Steady Stand (medium). The necklace is suspended from a Modahaus Steady Stand. Check out my How to Photograph Jewelry Webinar and sign up to learn more on how to take good jewelry pictures (the webinars will resume in August/September).
Before You Go:
- How to Drill Sea Glass
- How to Wire Wrap Sea Glass Jewelry
- How to Tumble Glass to Make Faux Sea Glass
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Wire JewelryTips -Jewelry Business Tips
I read somewhere that the frosted look is due to the adhesive in the tape. Sometimes changing the brand works. I personally feel that thicker plastic sheets (that don't crumble or rustle) are better that very thin ones
ReplyDeleteYes it is indeed because of the tape. Packing tape is smoother than the adhesive shelf liner I used. I still prefer the later because it is,as you say, easier to work with than thin ones.
DeleteWhat a great combination Pearl. Those wonderful deep bezels from Becky Nunn (swoon) and sea glass (swoon again).
ReplyDeleteI like how some of the glass is protruding just slightly. That gives it a wonderful organic look.
I've got so much sea glass sitting in my studio and cold cold nights here that would not be good for resin work. Unbelievable!
Hope you can do resin work when it warms up...eventually!!
DeleteI love these pendants Pearl! I have an abundance of Sea Glass. I'll have to give them a try!
ReplyDeleteYou'll be turning out lots of pendants in next to no time!!
DeleteEek! what a cool look, Pearl! and fabulous use for those teeny bits of glass!
ReplyDeleteIt's also fun to wear!!
DeleteResin is a perfect idea to showcase small pieces of sea glass!
ReplyDeletePearl- I wanted to add that I have come to see packing tape in a new way. It isn't all created equally. Some packing tape even from the same brand can vary from roll to roll. I have had funky marks show up on my resin due to the inconsistency of the glue on the tape. I now look carefully before selecting my packing tape section that I want to use. Just to make sure that my resin won't have any marks or blemishes.
ReplyDeleteEven the same roll? Yikes. Good to know that we have to look carefully.
Delete