Free Resin & Peyote Project in Beadwork

This Clever Connections necklace is my latest project for Beadwork magazine. (It's the web-exclusive companion to my product review column.) It combines two techniques that I've been experimenting with lately: UV-curing resin and peyote stitch rings.

I made just about every possible mistake while working with the resin. The letter K is a sticker that I pressed onto scrapbooking paper. I thought I could just pour the resin onto it and let it cure (you can use sunlight or a UV lamp). Wrong! I should have researched it more first.

Every source I consulted says you should build up the layers. I should have poured a thin layer onto the sticker, then cured it, then added more resin. I also got into trouble because I tried to use an embossing tool to get rid of some surface air bubbles. That made my sticker lift up. If I had done the first thin layer, it would have held my sticker in place and the embossing tool wouldn't have caused a problem. I also put one of my pendants outside to cure and didn't cover it with a glass, so unwanted debris got stuck in the resin. Don't let resin intimidate you, but do learn from my mistakes and do your homework before you get started!

Once I got the details sorted out, I had fun making a few more pendants, which you'll see here in the coming months. There are so many possibilities! I'm already planning a lucky necklace with an embedded 4-leaf clover...