Adventures in Casting: Rings

rings003rings002rings001 rings004 rings005Lately I’ve been testing my limits when it comes to casting. I’ve been doing it for so long, yet I keep using the same supplies and same process each time. Using the glitter as a filler lately has opened my eyes again and all I want to do is Cast things for me now. Stuff to test what I can do exactly. I know how to make a two part, 3D mold (as you can see here) but it’s not how I mainly cast things. I usually just build a foam core box and lay things flat on the bottom and fill it with silicone. Simple. Well, that doesn’t work for everything, like say, rings. I had to do a lot of testing with the silicone and the way I lay the pieces in the boxes. After a few mishaps with the silicone reacting badly with glue, double sided sticky tape not being sticky, etc, I ended up with the pieces you see above!!

The originals were hematite rings. The kind you get at the beach for $1! I’ve always loved them, but they never lasted long on my finger. I would end up breaking them on some hard surface within a few days. Hematite isn’t the strongest mineral.

The mold making was the hardest part really. The casting was super simple. I used a slow curing plastic because of the blended pieces I was trying out, so there’s loads of bubbles in this batch. I really don’t care though, since these are for fun. Tests. I’ll be keeping most of them, and a few will be sent out to my product testers (I have a small group of girls who test out my pieces and send me feedback). I’ve also sent a few to loyal customers already too.

So now a question… Should I sell these? Or are they only worthy of a gift in large orders? I’m not quite sure if there’s a market for plastic rings in weird colors. I guess this is something I should look into!!

Shop Update: Happy Clouds

cloudmonsterneck_halfsprinkles_004cloudmonsterneck_tangerineglitter_001 cloudmonsterneck_heartstarsrainbow_002I’ve been kinda absent on the internets lately, it’s been partially due to a ridiculous cold/stomach flu I had last week and then the fact that it was my husbands birthday this past Monday! We like to do birthday weeks, but he’s on call for work this week, so it ended up just being a birthday weekend. We spent the entire weekend out and about, it was exhausting and nice at the same time.

I’m kinda spending this week catching up on orders and shop stuff. It’s been pretty dreary lately, but I caught about a half hours worth of daylight yesterday for photos.  Which meant I was able to add a few Monster Cloud Necklaces to the shop!! Sprinkles, confetti and glitter, oh my!

If I can catch a few more rays of sunlight, I may add some more. We’ll see…

Shop Update: Arrows & Eyes

bigarrow_necklace_seafoam_001 IMG_2946I was able to get a bunch of new pieces up in the shop over the weekend. There’s a few Large Arrow Necklaces and around a dozen new Blythe Eye Chips!

I’m also in the midst of editing photos of some medium sized arrow necklaces and even more eye chips. Once the skies aren’t as dark I’ll get even more new pieces up! So make sure to keep an eye on the shop!

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My Weekend: Boonsboro Carnival

boon_carnival_001 boon_carnival_002 boon_carnival_003 boon_carnival_004 boon_carnival_005 boon_carnival_006 boon_carnival_007We spent last Sunday afternoon checking out a local carnival. It was CT’s first time at one actually! She rode a few rides and ate a bunch of carnival food, and only really enjoyed the funnel cake. She loved it all so much that I doubt this will be the only carnival or fair of the year. We have a bunch of towns around us that do them, and I can’t wait.

Sneak Peek: Arrows and Flat Gems

whatimdoing_0529_002 whatimdoing_0529_001I felt like I’ve been editing photos all day! Seriously, and all I have to show for it are these two photos!!!

I’m trying out colored backgrounds for a few of my new pieces and when I show off unfinished pieces on Instagram. I’m not entirely sold on it yet, but I’m never sold on anything when I first try it, so we’ll see. What do you think?

Also, this is just a tiny sneak peek of all the new pieces coming in the next three weeks! I was able to cast A LOT this past time! Half glittery, half solid and opaque. I even figured out how to blend opaque plastic where it fades from one color to the next. I’m proud of myself, Ha. It’s the small victories!

I was going to update everything in the shop all at once, but I feel like that puts too much pressure on myself and also takes away from family time. So expect to see a few pieces added to the shop here and there, no rhyme or reason, just when I can find the time to edit and list.

Also, just a friendly reminder that you can still enter our 10 Year Anniversary Giveaway until Sunday night. Just check out Tuesday’s post!

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A Quick Cuckoo Clock Painting

cuckooclock_001 cuckooclock_002For mother’s day I tried to come up with something original for my mom. She loves cuckoo clocks as of late and I thought maybe I could make something to go along with that. I did a quick sketch of a cuckoo clock using elements from numerous clocks I saw online. I inked it soon after. However I had no idea what to do with it. Most of my ideas would take too long. So I just took a picture of the sketch and showed my mom saying I’d make something with it soon. It’s the thought that counts right?

Fast forward a few days and I finally decided on painting it. A simple sketch like painting at first and then later I’d do a more colorful version for my mom. I bought a wooden canvas at a local craft shop and a few new brushes. I transferred the basic shape of the cuckoo clock and then freehanded the rest. I figured this first version would be great as my white elephant gift for Heidi’s crafternoon. I knew it was too simple for my mom and not really her style. It ended up going home with Molly, which made me super happy.

This very simple painting exercise has put me back in the mood to paint. Something I haven’t had the urge to do in almost a decade. I’m hoping it’s kinda like riding a bike, like you never really forget how to do it. I shake a bit now, which might make it difficult and things may not look as precise, but I’m still up for the challenge!

Plus I still need to paint my mom a damn cuckoo clock!!!