Kristen Robinson - Tales of Adornment

T ales of
A DORNMENT

Techniques for Creating
Romantic Resin Jewelry

B Y K RISTEN R OBINSON

Tales of Adornment. Copyright 2011 by Kristen Robinson. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by North Light Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963. First Edition.

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ISBN 13: 978-1-4403-0866-6

E DITED BY Julie Hollyday
D ESIGNED BY Ronson Slagle
P RODUCTION COORDINATED BY Greg Nock
P HOTOGRAPHY BY Christine Polomsky and Al Parrish
P HOTO STYLING BY Jan Nickum

To Travis, my devoted and supportive husband! In all things you encourage me, support me and constantly inspire me. For everything you do and all that you are, I am forever grateful.

To my dear Conner: may all your dreams come true!

To my parents: Your constant encouragement and love is a gift beyond compare. I love you both!

Without my amazing and supportive family, this book would not have been born. Your constant support, encouragement and belief in me is an amazing gift, one I cherish deeply.

To Julie, my wonderful editor, who understood my vision from the start. You have my deepest thanks.

To Tonia for believing in my dream, I am grateful.

To the amazing creative team at North Light, who brought this book to life. I am ever thankful.

After spending much of my life living in a suburb of a large city our wee family recently relocated to a much smaller city in southern Oregon. It is here that I have found an entire new world of inspiration and a much welcomed slower pace of life. My new studio is located in my home and it is truly my haven, a place of contentment, creating and comfort.

After working in the corporate world after college, I soon found myself seeking a return to my roots (as well as my art degree). As my background was in fashion and art, I knew the two would marry and carry my ideas to light. With a renewed courage to pursue my true dream, I set forth with paintbrush in hand. I truly feel I am on the artistic journey of my life, one I compare to dancing through the pages of a history book. With a love of all things from the past and the stories locked within them I am drawn to many different forms of art, from jewelry and textiles to painting and mixed media. It is my hope that my deep passion for writing, creating art and reading comes through in all things I create.

As a Directors Circle Artist for Somerset Studio Magazine, Bonne Vivante for Somerset Life Magazine and a designer for ICE Resin, I am truly doing what I love to do. I now offer classes online through my blog, kristenrobinson.typepad.com, as well as art retreats. As a nationally known instructor and artist, I am truly finding great joy in sharing my journey with others.

The whole of this book is composed
of tales that build onto one another, creating fictitious histories. I believe each moment, each adornment we create and each object we treasure is our history. There is a great beauty and grace in the simpler things. New and old items alike have a story to tell, and it is our duty to pass the story on through generations.

While I have a great fondness for collected treasures as well as vintage and antique items, I often find that I am reluctant to integrate some of these into my work, as they are not replaceable. Beach glass found on a family vacation becomes an artifact, and vintage bisque birds are hard to part with. It was objects such as these that moved me to rethink the way in which I would use them.

Since I discovered resin, I have been transfixed. The chemical nature of the product leaves it a bit unpredictable, which I must admit is an attribute that draws me in. The possibilities are endless when creating with this product. Resin itself can be manipulated to replicate old glass; it can be tinted and it can be altered. When working with resin, one becomes somewhat of an alchemist and inventor wrapped into one.

In the following pages, you will find yourself transported back in time. At times, you might find yourself standing in the foyer of a famous dressmakers shop, or perhaps in a glimmering ballroom surrounded by the haute ton of society, while at others you will stand alongside a young woman as she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. My hope is that through this experience, you will be moved to lend your voice to the treasures nestled within your drawers and boxes. May your pearls and ribbon come to life and may your garnets and bezels don a voice.

acetone, 122

aging metal, 20

awl, 122

baking soda, 122

ball headpins, 24

beads, 117, 122

beeswax, 122

bench pin, 122

bezels, 9, 27, 122

birds, 98, 107, 120

book dangle, 6469

bracelets

Charming my Soul, 2831

Dream from the Sea, 100103

Remembering, 9699

Rendezvous With History, 3841

Today and Tomorrow, 5055

Where Art Thou, 8285

button stampings, 98

cameo pin, 4245

casting, 92

circle punch, 122

clamshells, 18, 19

clasps, 14

clay, 88, 117, 120

craft sheet, 123

craft sticks, 123

crimp tubes, 14, 123

cuffs

Her Name is Grace, 4649

Strength, 110113

cutters, 123, 125

dangles, 13, 16

dapping set, 123

disk cutter, 122

doming block, 123

dowels, 123

drilling, 9, 122

drills

cordless, 123

hand, 124

making jump rings with, 12

for twisting wire, 21

dye, 123

dyeing fabric, 25, 125

embroidery needles, 123

etching, 2223, 122, 125

eyelets, 123

Faux Bone, 66

faux glass, 102, 116

ferric chloride, 123

files, 123

firing brick, 24, 123

fleur-de-lis, 61, 65

hammering

metal, 58, 122

wire, 13

hammers, 124

hand drill, 124

headpins, 24