Hey there, can you introduce yourself?

Hello! I'm Sara, and I'm an avid crafter (okay, that's an understatement). I've been crafting since I was a little girl, and now I'm lucky to say that I've been in the crafting industry as a profession for 23 years! My first love is paper crafting, with jewelry making as a close second.

I'm American, but have lived in Europe for the past ten years, and currently live in Germany with my husband and our six-year-old Mini Crafter.

Tell us a bit about the book?

How to Make Resin Jewellery is designed to be a complete workbook for crafters looking to experiment with two-part resin epoxy for creating jewellery pieces. We cover all the basics of mixing and pouring resin (plus troubleshooting tips like how to get rid of air bubbles) plus info on bezels, beading basics and how to use paper with resin.

The projects include bracelets, pendants and earrings, all with a clean, classic look. While there is a lot of variety, the pieces are meant to be quite contemporary and classic...pieces you'll wear for years to come. And there are a lot of projects--over 50 in all!

What was the inspiration behind it?

I LOVE using resin for jewelry. The look is gorgeous, there are so many fabulous techniques and creative design possibilities. Yet I remember when I first decided to try the technique, I was really intimidated. It's a chemical process, after all, with some limits on open time and you really have to be very precise with measuring. Once I had a go, I was hooked. After I got more experienced, I began teaching classes. The students had such fun once they got over their initial intimidation...just like I had! wanted to create a book that replicated those classes...so crafters all over the world could learn the basics, navigate the intimidating bits, and the get straight to having fun!

Which is your favourite project?

The Feather Pendant on page 84. It's one of the more complex pieces in the book, requiring multiple layers of resin to give a dimensional effect with the inclusions. The main focus of that piece is this beautiful little blue feather. My then-toddler daughter found it when we were out for a walk, and she gave it to me, saying, "Mama, you can use this feather in your artwork." It was such a sweet moment and the actual feather is so unusual, that the resin pendant was such a perfect place to preserve it.

What is your craft space like?

We recently moved to Germany for my husband's job, and until we find our permanent place, we're living in a very tiny apartment. My crafting "space" is a tiny corner of the living room, which I have to tidy up regularly due to a curious crafting-minded kindergartner plus two cats! In our last home in Poland, I had a gorgeous big room to myself. But in either case, I find myself to taking my crafting to various parts of our home...often, the kitchen table becomes my workspace.

Have you always been creative?

Definitely! Crafting, drawing, writing, reading and other kinds of creative activities have always been my comfort zone. I was lucky that my parents found my creative pursuits worthwhile, and I never lacked paper, colored pencils, markers and journals. I think the most important part was how they paid attention to my artistic efforts and really encouraged me.

When did you first start crafting?

My mother is an avid crafter and taught me drawing skills, plus sewing and cross stitch so a large part of my childhood was spent sketching, drawing and making cross stitch samplers. I also remember creating a small army of wooden clothes peg dolls, with carefully stitched clothing I made from felt pieces, with little seed beads stitched on for buttons. They had yarn hair and drawn faces and accessories like hats and handbags. They all had names and stories and I think I probably spent an entire summer crafting and playing with these dolls!

Who are your crafty heroes?

I'm an avid reader, so narrowing down a list of favorite authors is a hard one. I adore fiction, especially stories set in different countries or different eras. Patricia Highsmith is a master of the stylistic retro thriller, Shirley Jackson for social commentary disguised as gothic fiction, and Maya Angelou makes the words sing on the page.

As far as crafty heroes, I find the folks I admire most are those who have created viable businesses providing us with amazing craft supplies. Leandra Franich, owner of PaperArtsy, is one such person. My other crafty heroes are the amazing number of crafters who create, share and explore techniques,along with us. Without them, there would be no creative industry. I am constantly amazed at what crafters create and feel fortunate when they share their creations with me.

Where do you find inspiration?

Travel is always a source of inspiration. There's nothing like getting out of your comfort zone (literally) and seeing a new part of the world...even if that's just a new neighborhood. I also get inspiration from book covers (great for inspiring typefaces and design), retail shops (clothing stores are masters at creating engaging window displays that mix colors, textures and create a story) and music videos (excellent for setting scenes, and creating messages with words and movement).

What's next for you?

I'm looking forward to exploring my new hometown of Hamburg this year, especially as my language skills slowly improve! I'm also working on some new stamp designs with PaperArtsy and continuing my work as a Guest Demonstrator on Create and Craft television.

In this inspiring book, well-known crafter Sara Naumann shows you just how easy and quick resin jewellery is to make, using minimal equipment and readily available products, and provides over 50 fabulous projects for you to try. You can add numerous items to the resin to achieve different effects. You can place paper in the bezels to act as a background to the resin – such as old book paper, map paper, scrapbook paper and photographs. Paper can also be painted, stencilled, or layered with washi tape before being coated with resin. Try sheet music for a vintage vibe, or origami papers for a fresh, contemporary look.