Cut the basswood with the Cricut Maker and the knife blade. There are a few things to remember when using your knife blade to cut wood.
Be sure to use your strong grip mat and tape the wood down around all edges with masking tape.
Cut with the appropriate basswood setting and watch your machine carefully. At around halfway through the cut, start checking the cut to see if it is complete. Remove the material from your machine once the pieces are cut all the way through.
This starfish design works well with the knife blade but really intricate designs will not cut well.
Once your pieces are cut, you will want to use wood glue to stack them up. Use two round circles and one circle with a starfish cutout for each of the coasters. Set something heavy on top of your wood pieces and let them dry completely.
Once dry, you are ready to paint. Paint the coasters well on all sides including the inside with the blue paint. Allow those to dry completely.
You can then add the contrasting resin to your inlay. Mix a small amount of the resin according to the package directions. Use the pigment to tint it any color that you wish. Then pour this resin into the shaped hole. You will need to allow this to cure overnight. Be sure to pop any bubbles that rise to the surface and allow them to cure on a flat surface.
Once the white resin cured, I was ready to do a clear top coat over the entire surface of my coasters. Once again, measure and mix the 2 part product according to the package directions. Then pour over the top. Again be sure to pop any bubbles and cure on a flat surface. Allow to cure overnight before touching.