Since decorating my studio in black and white earlier this year, I've been on the lookout for a white crocheted doiley to turn into a resin coaster. In keeping with my theme, I wanted to embed the doiley in clear resin and then fill the back of the mould with black resin. But when I stumbled across a black doiley, I got so excited - this would add such an unexpected twist to the project! Sadly, that black doiley was just a little bit too big for my coaster mould. I was disappointed to abandon the idea of a black-on-white coaster and continued my search for a smaller white doiley. But last week, I came across a black die-cut pvc coaster and the idea was reborn! So instead of using a white doiley on black resin, I'm using a black doiley on white resin.... cool! Here's how this project took shape. This is what I used ( to shop for any of these products, just click on the item ): EasyCast epoxy resin Castin'Craft White Pigment Square silicone coaster mould or plastic moul......

If you've ever worked with chatons and epoxy clay in a stud earring bezel (or any bezel with a post/pin such as a brooch or a clutch pin), you'll know how difficult it is to keep them horizontal and level whilst they cure. Here's a little trick you might find helpful: use the foam protector that comes in the chaton packaging . After creating your sparkly earring, stand the foam upright and insert the earring post in the top.  Place the foam in a medicine cup (or a shot glass) and fill with rice to stablise it. Now your resin clay can cure without fear of becoming lopsided! You can also try this trick with liquid epoxy resin but just set your earring posts into the foam before you begin pouring the resin - your earrings will have a perfectly level dome. Here's another post with tips on how to stabilise bezels with uneven backs . Pin it for later! 'Til next time..... If you can't get enough of My Tutorials and you want even more inspiration,  click here to find m......

With wedding jewellery still my focus this week, I'm going to show you the second method I've used to include Swarovski crystals in these special pieces - using adhesive. I'm using chatons (sometimes known as pointy backs and V crystals) in a brass cup setting or brass stamping. The chatons have a foil backing which enhances the crystal's cut to create its reflective sparkle. When selecting an adhesive, you need to keep this in mind and choose one that will not affect the foil. For a special piece like the ones I'm working on that need to last a lifetime, I've chosen a 2 part epoxy adhesive. In this instance I'm using Swarovski's own CG 500-35 because it has more working time than regular 5-minute epoxy. The extra time will mean I only need to mix one batch of epoxy but the drawback is that it will take longer to grip. But one of the major benefits of using Swarovski's own 2-part epoxy is it's ability to absorb shocks by up to 500% compared with ......