I chose three resin and one plastic cluster to use with four different Swellegant metal paints and 3 different Swellegant patinas. These resin clusters have some great detail and I was looking forward to seeing them turned into the metal with patina.

~Resin or plastic clusters

~Swellegant metal paint - I used Bronze, Brass, Copper, and Iron

~Swellegant Patina - I used Darkening patina,

~Gold, green and verdigris

~Tiffany green and rust

paintbrushes, spray bottles

Optional- heat gun to speed drying - only use to warm GENTLY from a distance of AT LEAST 18 inches- you do NOT want to melt these

Firstly wash the resin pieces in warm soapy water to shift any grease, dust or fingermarks that will repel the paint. Rinse then dry very thoroughly. Any holes required should be drilled prior to painting.

Apply your first layer of Swellegant metal paint. Don't worry if it looks patchy or thin at this point - it will become more opaque as the paint layers build up. Once dry paint on a second coat. Use thin coats otherwise, the paint will clog up the fine details and also take an age to dry. Once dry paint on a 3rd coat - by now the coverage should be consistent. Don't forget to dab into the detailed sections and also paint around the edges. You can paint the reverse too if you wish - depending on what you will be using the resins for. I found that the plastic cluster seemed to repel the paint a little more than the resin but the results were the same at the conclusion.

After 3 layers of paint, the resins now look like metals. The bronze one looked particularly nice just as it is.

Paint on a dabbed 4th layer of paint and immediately while it is still wet apply your patina. This wet layer of paint is what the patina will react with. You can paint or dab on the patina, I prefer to use a spray bottle for a finer, more even coverage.

I used copper with gold/green/ verdigris patina

bronze with gold/green/verdigris patina

Iron with tiffany green/rust patina

Brass with darkening patina

Allow to dry and wait until you reach your desired effect. The times can vary I left mine for 2 full days to allow it to develop fully. When you are happy with the result to rinse with water (to neutralize the effect) and allow it to dry.

After 30 minutes have elapsed already the patina is showing clearly on the copper, the bronze and the darkening on the brass.

After an hour the patinas are more pronounced. The iron still remains pretty much the same at this point.

After 2 days there is bright verdigris and green on the bronze - barely any bronze color remains, the copper has bright verdigris and looks very aged. The brass looks truly darkened and old. And finally, the iron has a real rusty look to it!

All that remains to do is seal using your choice of sealant - Swellegant sealer, renaissance wax or Krylon spray.

Linzi Alford IS the Magpie in MagPie In The Sky Designer Jewellery in the UK. A penchant for glittery pretty things has led her to become a jewelry maker. Lucky enough to live in a beautiful part of England -the Lake District and is Mum to 3 (and Mimi the cat!) She trained in Silversmithing at Evening classes a few years ago and is a regular attendee at the local Artisan Collective Roaming Gallery. Photography is also a passion and she likes to incorporate her love of this with her jewelry collections using her photos as part of the creations.

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