Resin Castings

There is definitely a learning curve to this resin stuff.  For one, I've now learned that I should've sealed the paper in clear packing tape so that it wouldn't get wet and turn dark.  The only one that still looks the same as before the stuff was poured on top is the pink/orange/red/yellow piece.  

For these cabochons, I used metal flowers, glitter and beads.  These came out the best.

That's a big marble on the left.  The center one is a blue bead but it was jammed so far into the mold that the resin didn't get under it so the top is flat.  The same thing happened with the glitter one on the right.  

These are old watch faces and backs for the most part.  Picture isn't that great.  The top one has a cubic zirconia in the center of a decorative watch face.  Then a turtle with blue beads.  2 watch backs with paper, the one in the center right is a cupcake.  The last row is a frame charm & watch face with paper inside.

These were my failures.  I started this project slowly and carefully, mixing the right proportions of resin and hardener, stirring then letting it rest before pouring.  However by the end of this project, I was sticky, the pouring cup was sticky, the bottles were sticky and I just wanted it done.  Unfortunately this meant very sloppy mixing and pouring.  As a result, these 4 pieces never cured.  3 marbles and a square pendant, hopelessly pliable and sticky.  I had to throw them out.  There was no way to salvage them.

I'll work with it again at some point but right now I'm in no big hurry to make another mess and have it taking up all the counter space in the kitchen while it cured.  In the meantime I should probably read and/or watch some tutorials.

More Craftie Things

Sorry I disappeared for a few days.  Winter's finally kicking in around here which sucks of course.  I was hoping for a relatively snow-free winter but we can all agree that's not gonna happen.  First big storm of the season is due this coming weekend.  I'm not a fan of snowstorms, but I'm even less of a fan of blizzards, so I'm hoping it's not going to be a blizzard.  Those are the worst.  

Continuing to get stuff off the craft table, I unearthed a plain white barrette and covered it with Guatemalan fabric, then glued on the charms.

This is the float I got up in PTown last fall, to which I added a beaded strand with little square mirrors.  It was hard to photograph.

I got this cool pendant and beaded a necklace for it.  However, it was just a bit too big for me.  I can't wear pendants this big, even though it's really pretty.  I gave it to my friend Clair.

Well the Seahawks went down in Carolina on Sunday, which sucked.  They left their A game back in Seattle.  But I made a batch of cookies anyway, last week.  

As usual, Sasquatch represents.

I also had a little resin starter kit that I got last year and didn't use.  Since I had this empty Altoids tin, the little duck and crab, I envisioned a little beach/pond type scene.  I know rubber duckies aren't found on the beach...but in the 1990s a ship dumped a container full of them into the ocean and they floated around the world, landing on beaches all over the place.  I had a hell of a time trying to get that 'grass' near the rock on the left to stand up, even though I put it in after the resin was set for a few hours.  Still need to cover the outside with paper but this is the gist.  I'd used resin for a couple of pendant molds and didn't quite have as much as I wanted for this project.

These are the pendants I made, although I need to add metal bails so that they can be strung. The paper (peace sign & pink) worked so-so.  The key & gears came out the best.  And I couldn't get the Evergreen State to stay in the middle.

At this point I have so many more craft ideas that I'm already overwhelmed and don't know where to start!  I need to seriously try to organize things so I can move ahead with my projects.