Goosebumps inspired pocketwatch!

I felt a great deal of nostalgia the other day reorganizing my closet and coming across my collection of “Goosebumps” books circa the 1990s and got inspiration to design RESINation jewelry “attic “pendant. I recalled fondly the things that would come to mind reading the famed R.L. Stein books such as, locks, keys, creep eyes, and grandma’s old vintage fashion mirror. Bar none, IMO the best books from the series are, “Night of the Living Dummy.” Series.

I think the part I like best about it is the way that the resin bends the light so that the working vanity mirror has sort of a carnival mirror effect!!!!! WOOO-OOOOO-OOOO!!!!

Tips for casting resin in hard molds!!!

   Conventional wisdom tells us that you cant use resin in certain types of molds, particularly hard plastic molds.  Through a lot of trial and error I have found a mold that works really very well. After trying several, I have found that the paint palettes from Joanne's Fabric are the right quality for the project!  They are less than 2$ (at my store anyways) plus you can always have a coupon sent to your mobile to get an even better deal:)  Here is the specific pallette-

  It's so easy!  Here's what I do,
 
Fill the cavities with whatever embellishments and pour the resin in small layers and then once its finished THEY POP RIGHT OUT! Here's the secret-
 

PUT IT IN YOUR FREEZER! Yes, I'm serious!  Because the resin, like most all matter will shrink when it is cold, if you pop it in the freezer for about ten minutes the cabochons will pop right out!  If you are anything like me you'll be tempted to pop them out before the hardening period after the last layer cures.  I strongly recommend waiting the full period because if you pop the cabochon out and it falls to the ground you can get tiny (or big) scratches on the surface and you'll end up making more work for yourself!

Thank you so much for reading! If you are interested in more frugral crafting tips, tutorials, ideas, inspiration, and fun dont forget to subscribe:)

Fear of Promoting Your work holding you back?

Fear Of Failure and Fear of Promoting YOUR Talent

     When a person decides to do something big, like starting a business or entering a contest the rush and euphoria of the idea can be invigorating.  Once the high wears away unfortunately people are sometimes left with doubts and fears. They might worry about what others will say and what happens if they fail and they’ve put themselves out there. They may feel that people will believe they are arrogant or shallow.  They may even let those around them discourage them from pursuing their dreams. 

     I became inspired to write this post because I've seen so very many excellent blogs but I look at the stats and likes and can't help but want to tell the writer PROMOTE PROMOTE PROMOTE! From where I'm standing, the only barrier I can see between the persons excellent post and followers and likes is that no one knows it's there!!!

     If you are reading this because you can identify with those feelings I want to help you have a different perspective not only on starting a business but your ABILITY to do so if you put your mind to it. The goal is to keep the vigor and build confidence through self-talk and daily reminders.
     For me, it wasn’t an overnight thing. It’s something I struggled with alot in the beginning. It sort of trickled in slowly with one blog post here, one tweet there, and my confidence grew more and more. In the begiining when a person starts on any social media platform it feels as though you are talking to yourself for quite some time. Then a follower here, a retweeter there and the chain reaction was set forth. I began creating my own content, my own memes and tweeting my own thoughts.  And guess what? People LIKED it, they listened and they wanted to know more.
    FIrstly, I think it’s appropriate to distinguish between confidence and arrogance.  There is absolutely no shame in having talents, abilities, skills, etc. And we shouldn’t be made to feel as though putting those talents on the frontline is somehow shameful. There is absolutely no shame in working it! I believe this is a symptom of a deep rooted belief system in society that tells us we shouldn't be proud and we shouldn't feel good about greeatness. Arrogance, on the other hand in my opinion is when a person is unable or unwilling to acknowledge that they or their service is incontestible. In other words, they are perfect and superior. I give you William Pollard,
“Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.”
       For myself and others, there is almost nothing more enticing as a buyer than seeing someone come ALIVE with their work and be PASSIONATE about what they’ve created. Even if I may not personally care for it as a buyer I am certainly more likely to hit the share button and share others’ work with the world. Because it is MAGICAL!!!!  On the other hand, someone advertising their work as better than or cooler than anyone else’s compells me to unfollow. TBH.  When I see someone excited about its individual qualities and what the piece means to them, in my opinion that is CONFIDENCE!

          Pretend for a moment you are looking for someone who repairs cell phone screens. You announce to everyone nearby youve just broken your screen and now youve got to get it fixed. Joe, the cell phone repair man keeps quiet for fear of putting himself out there even though he could quickly, efficiently, and economically repair the screen. Would you fault him for speaking up and offering his services?
    Secondly, I think one must look at the bigger picture.  We live in an enormous, interconnected world today.  Think of the population, all the INDIVIDUAL people with their own wants, needs and personalities. Now look into your own life.  Are there people that love you? Support you? LIke you? My guess is a wholehearted YES!  Therefore, It stands to reason that you are just EXACTLY the person with the skills and abilities someone else needs and wants. They just haven’t found you yet!
    WIll everyone like you, your service, or what you have to say? Of course not, you may even find yourself encountering more people in the beggining that are not interested. I believe this is one of the key areas in which confidence is absolutely VITAL and the BACKBONE of your endeavors..  So many start a blog, enter contests, etc. and become scared when they have been doing it for a while and the activity and likes on your feed are slow at best.  In my experiences listening to other bloggers this is largely the case. Often it is not until after you have made several posts for a spell that you start to see the results. It’s easy to want to quit. You shouldn’t!
   Thirdly, I believe it’s absolutely necessary to take a look at the support system in your life. Starting a business, like many other huge additions or changes in a persons life can be scary and overwhelming. A good support system that will offer support and advice will empower a person to be the absolute best they can be. They’ll be there to tell you what you want to hear, what you don’t want to hear in a supportive manner and offer experiences of their own or knowledge they have to help you improve.
    For those who unfortunately may not have a solid support system, there is a whole world of people just like you that do the things you do to network amongst.  Networking is a healthy symptom of confidence.  Its the abiltiy to tell yourself, “Yes I’m new to the game, but I am worthy of talking to and learning from others who can help me get to where I want to be.”  There are plenty of people willing and able to give advice and in many cases flattered that you came to them for that advice.
  The important thing to remember is that they were once “new to the game” as well. They may even have felt this same way. They may have told themselves it was fruitless to try because it’s too late in the game. Someones already doing it.. While that is a real thing that newbie bloggers these days face, you must look at the greater picture of things.  One of the biggest reasons people use the internet is for INFORMATION. If you are creating good, quality content in whatever it is you are doing people will find it and they will love it! There are so many people with so many needs, wants and even learning styles. If you can use your skills and abilities to help others you can affect change in the world! Maybe someone is already following a similar blogger or personal mentor but they are lacking in key components of learning that are more effective for each person? And maybe you are that one person that can help make it click for someone. Or maybe your blog gets found by a newcomer who loves what you have to say? This, I believe becomes a persons signature. Anyone can teach some but no one can teach everyone.
    Hopefully this helps! Thank you so much for reading!

FAQ's about resin

   I have gotten a lot of really good questions lately about resins so I’ve decided to do a FAQ’s highlighting some of the more common questions I get:
Q. What kind of resin do you use?
A. Depending on the specific piece and purpose I either use Alumilite brand resins or Art Resin. 

Q. How long does it take you to make a piece of jewelry?
A. It’s often several days to a week. Many resins are better when used in layers that are allowed to fully cure before pouring the next layer. This method also allows me to give depth and dimension to the pieces.
Q.  How did you get interested in using resin?
A. I have always been interested in things like the origami owl necklaces, time capsules, ships in a bottle, miniatures and things like that. There is something very romantic and sweet about them. Preserving things in time:) I actually found Ice Resin on accident at Hobby Lobby and the rest is history. I fell in with it. 
Q. Is it hard to use?
A. Yes, like most everything else it took a lot of practice to get the hang of.  Resin can be frustrating because if you’ve made a mistake. often most if not all of the things you’ve put in it are ruined as well. Each time I made a mistake I felt like I understand how it works just a little bit better.
Q. How do you know how much resin to mix?
A.  Depending on whether I am casting into a mold or a finding I can usually measure the mold and calculate the volume.  I always aim for more than I need because I always have scrapbook pieces or other odds and ends that I can use the remainder on.I always have a mold or two handy to pour in so that none is wasted.
Q.  Is it expensive?
A. Sigh, yes. However, I have found ways to get it at a discount;) TIP!!! If your local Hobby Lobby carries resin, use the mobile 40% off coupon! When I consider the wide array of uses for it and the fact that with proper care your piece can potentially last a lifetime it makes it a bit easier for me to splurge.
Q.  Any advice for beginners?
A.  When I first started trying to learn more I watched so many videos on youtube, and like most things there is conflicting information out there. Some may vary in their mixing, measuring, casting, etc. methods.  My advice to anyone would be to consider that different climates, methods, and procedures all play a role in the process of resin curing. And to follow manufacturers directions, no matter what. You can make so many amazing things and after investing the time and money into your project you don’t want to have to scrap it. Measure correct proportions and don’t eyeball.  Resins cure by bonding each individual molecule of hardener and resin together. Therefore, pouring too much hardener can cause your resin to cure too fast.There will also be spots that remain goopy because the remaining hardener has nothing to attach to and remains in its hardener stage.  The same applies with using too much resin. Take your time, you really want to be able to have both the time and the attention to babysit your resin. I can't count how many projects Ive ruined by leaving the candle unattended so to speak.  

   Lastly, it's important to consider costs of making things with resin. It depends a lot on the kind of things you are making with resin but if you work in thinner layers there are more costs involved with supplies.  Things like cabochons and working in molds are great because you can mix larger quantities (just remember the more you mix, the faster it cures!) rule of thumb!  Resin is an exceptional medium and alot of fun to work with.  It really helps your inner creative come alive!  Comment below for links back to your own work with resin, I love to follow and share on social media!

What I Wish I Knew About Resin Before I Started Using It!

If I could tell myself,

1.  You are going to need containers. You'll need one for this, then one for that. One for the paints, one for the polish. The dollar store is your best friend.
2.  To sum it up, resin starts thick, heats up during the exothermic chemical reaction and becomes less viscous; then hardens as it cools.  But it's not done there.  Its still has to harden. hands off (usually an additional 48hrs)
3.   Resin is not forgiving.  Although experimenting is one of the best things about resin, it's is important not to be too hard on oneself.  With every mistake I made I think I grew to understand it a little better. I still make mistakes but I've gotten a little better at predicting outcomes (it's a little better, but it's the little things that count right?                      Which brings me to,                        
4. Don't be too hard on yourself.  Resin is multifarious, there are so many variables that go into the results of resin.  Even if you do everything exactly as prescribed things like humidity and room temperature or the errant eyelash can affect things like clarity. Speaking of which,
5. Lighting is essential! You need to be able to see any little bubbles, hairs, stray glitter, etc. Those little details become bigger problems later if the bubbles don't rise to the surface and they connect with other bubbles to form big, noticeable BUBBLES! 
6. Keep notes!  When something you make turns out really well and you want to reproduce it's easier to do so if you've got something like a hanging chalkboard that you've kept notes on. (additional note to self, dust on the fingers-dust in the resin!)
7. Yes! You CAN cast resin in hard plastic molds! It's so much fun to experiment with different types of molds and even casting in things that are not made to be molds!   Link to blog post for casting in plastic molds!
   http://resinationjewelry.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-secret-to-plastic-molds.html (opens to my blog tips for casting in hard plastic molds!
8.  The best tool for mixing and stirring? A fork! YES a fork!  It stirs it faster and better and if you are still stirring fairly carefully and slowly it mixes without bubbles!  
9. Resin is best done in very thin layers.  Sometimes, when I feel pressured working on something with the time constraints, I remind myself that overfill is most likely one of the leading causes of 90% of my failed projects.  In addition, there are instances where the bottom layer will remelt down a little bit due to the heat if it is not cured enough.  That can spell disaster for your project!  Additionally, bubbles are much easier to take care of and many make it to the surface and dissipate much easier in a thinner layer.
   We would love to hear any of your insider tricks and secrets!  Comment below and if you have a relevant blog post to share please feel free to do so!

Possible market for Bead Makers?

    Im really excited to share this post today!  I think I have found a market void that needs filled.  Recently, I had a custom request for a cell phone case and she had a very specific request-dancing pigs! Pigs, dancing or not are actually quite hard to find.  I first checked locally; and to my dismay, neither Hobby Lobby nor Joanne's carried them.  I searched in the papercrafts for stickers, beads, seasonal, I even got desparate enough to look for cake decorations that I could make a mold of. Nothing. So, I searched online instead.  Before I begin to sound like a Dr. Seuss novel, let me say I searched high and low there as well! I did find some stickers with some dancing pigs but they weren't the color scheme my customer was looking for. I eventually want to learn so comment if you know of great polymer clay blogs for beginners! I've seen so many neat things I can't help but want to experiment!

     I'm no marketing expert but I feel like this is an opportunity for crafters and beadmakers.  Certainly there is more than one person in the world that fancies dancing pigs?  Without a doubt.  I would love to see someone talented with polymer clay make some cabochons or a scrapbook maker could design some pages!  It never hurts to look into creating and making some test proofs to share with an online audience.  You could take it a step further by asking for feedback! Customers love knowing that their opinions matter!  Submit links to your work to be featured in my blog!  Thanks for reading!

image via http://roderickknudslien.blogspot.com/2013/02/dancing-pigs-135cm-120cm-oil-on-canvas_12.html

    I love this painting! Its so vivacious!!!!!