It’s been a long time since I’ve worked with resin, but I have a renewed interest in playing with this medium after taking a class from Susan Lenart Kazmer at the 2016 Bead&Button Show in Milwaukee. I have my workspace all set up and I’m ready to make more cabochons with resin. Everything I need is at arm’s length…mixing cups, stir sticks, and of course, Ice Resin®! Inclusions of glass shards, glitter, colored foil, teeny seashells and pearls, ribbons, etc., are items I often use in my cabochons. I love having a stockpile of them at the ready for both beading and mixed-media metalwork projects.

Shown here is my mixed-media “Seascape” brooch. The resin cabochon is set in a fine silver bezel atop a petal-shaped, hammer-textured copper backing. The pin stem is made of free-formed bronze wire.  A bronze metal clay seashell dangles from twisted argentium sterling silver wire at the bottom of the brooch. This is among one of my favorite pieces of jewelry!

One-of-a-kind resin focal cabochons are a favorite of mine to use in bead-embroidered pieces as well. The mixed-media bead-embroidered cuff shown here is titled “Mermaid’s Cuff”.  It sports bronze metal clay seashells accented with seed and keishi pearls, Delicas and seed beads. The backing is metallic bronze lambskin leather and the clasp is antique finished sterling silver.

This cuff is titled “Amphitrite’s Cuff”. Polymer clay sea-shells in rich shades of gold, copper, amethyst, and teal accent this piece.  Pearls, Delicas, seed, and dagger beads further embellish the cuff. I look forward to creating resin cabochons to use with beaded brooches and perhaps I will assemble several one-of-a-kind brooch kits that feature my resin cabs in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!