A Creative Day with a Friend: Playing with Ice Resin

Last week I visited with my friend Marianne in her craft studio.  What a great place to create Art and a mess at the same time!  That is my definition of a real studio.  We started early in the day.  When I arrived, I was welcomed by Waldo.

We hauled my boxes of stuff upstairs to join her boxes and piles of stuff.  We "ouwwed" and "awwwedd" over it all, and the possibilities!  Here is our work table and some of the good stuff we wanted to use with Resin.

Some of the items we used included Alcohol Inks, Colored Sharpies, Old Book Paper, Specialty Papers, Dried Leaves, Lace, Old dryer sheets, decorative paper bags, wrapping tissue, paper beads and more.  Our resin of choice: Ice Resin.    Marianne had taken a bottom part of an egg shell, peeled the membrane away, then dried the shell.  She brought it for me to use.  What a friend!

Marianne is a true Artist when it comes to using paper to create beautiful collages and decorative effects.  She creates and sells extraordinary and unique Journals at her Book Store here in Marietta, Barking Dog Books and Art, as well as in her ETSY shop BookArtsAndEphemera .

Here she is working on a piece, tearing papers and sponging with resin.

I found that tearing and layering paper was a real challenge for me.  It may sound easy, but it is not.  I have added resin to a single sheet of paper before, but had never layered.  I enjoyed working with a pro! 

Here are some more of the finished pieces, waiting to dry.

 

We placed our results on a separate table for them to dry.  The table was full by the time we stopped for the day.  I think we used almost two full size bottles of resin!

We decided to take a break later in the afternoon for a quick walk to the nearby Antique Shop.  She had wanted to show me some Chandelier crystals I might be interested in.  Well......we spent hours in there looking and buying.  I did most of the buying!  Time got away from us and the store was closing when we checked out. 

It was after dark, and we both had to get home.  That is one of the great advantages of a creative studio....the mess can wait until tomorrow, next week, whenever.

I have not had a chance to stop by and see how our pieces look now that the resin has dried.  I can't hardly wait!!!!  Marianne told me they are awesome!  

The results are transparent pieces that can be used to create whatever inspires the imagination.  Jewelry?  Journals?  The possibilities are endless!