Fini Friday! Molds, Keys and Treasure Bottles!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to Fini Friday!

I've been having fun with creating with resin and I'll show you what I've been up to!

Last Friday I blogged about making molds from old keys.  Today I'll show you the first prototype from those molds!

The coloured resin keys on the top right.  I think these are good first attempts.  As you can see, however, the larger of the keys will need some cleaning up and may need to be mounted in some way so as to be more durable.  The smaller key and mold required little clean-up and will make good pendants. 

I also spent some time with a good friend and fabulous costumer this weekend who was gracious enough to share his mold-making skills and expertise with me.  I have a few new techniques to try in both creating new and better molds and creating molds that will allow my resin creations to become three-dimensional!  YAAY!! Stay tuned for that!

This next series of photos are Treasure Bottles that I've been creating over the space of a few weeks.  The final bottles have three layers of hand-coloured resin in them!  The photograph on the left is at the finish of the second pouring or layer of resin! That's how I am able to give the look of the various materials being suspended in glittery water or air or etc.! 

What is in there?  As of the second pouring; a goldstone star, a wrench charm, and Fire Opals!  The bottle on the left also includes a bead shaped like an orange!

The photograph on the right includes the third and final resin layer, which includes a pearl for each bottle.  The bottle on the left includes a shell, while the bottle on the right contains a tiiiny, little pinecone (yup! a real shell and pinecone!)!

I also painted on a bit of the (non-toxic) resin on and around the cork for each bottle and they are secured with star-shaped silver spacer beads above and below the cork!  These really should be quite durable!  The metal is sterling silver.

So, there you have it!  A little of what I've been up to in the studio this week!

Just FYI, I'll be combining Whimsy Wednesday and Fini Friday next week as I'll be at CONvergence most of the week!

Maybe I'll see some of you there!

Ciao!

Fini Friday! Keys, Levels and a Gadget!

Hello Everyone! Welcome to Fini Friday!

 I've had a steadily busy week this week in the studio and it has been a lot of fun! I've been playing with resin quite a bit! 

 I even cracked open my batch of Silicone Mold Putty and played a bit making molds from old keys! 

Let me show you a bit of what's been going on! Here are the molds and the keys that created them on the top or right.  These seem good for first attempts, but I think the larger key mold is likely too shallow.  I'll probably need to do some carving and cleaning up on the casting.  We'll see! 

These are the levels I showed you a little while ago.  This little photo is showing you what they look like with beadcaps and wires glued in.  This was taken while waiting for the glue to cure.  I think they look pretty spiffy!  The next step is to paint them with resin, both to secure the beadcaps (why yes!  I *do* overengineer things, Thanks!) and also to add a bit of Faerie-ness and sparkle!

 This last creation is another in my Pen collection! 

 Title: A Peculiar Gadget

Ingredients:  Steel pen (USA), glass, acrylic, spring steel, lead-free pewter.

I chose the glass bead between the clear-and-gold-flecked bead and the spring because I thought it had the appropriate finish to look like those blued connectors on machines that had absorbed a *little too much* heat!  This is very much inspired by Steampunk and along the lines of a generator or energy-generating gadget!  Also?  The spring in the middle does work and therefore this pen doubles as a fidget-toy!  WHEE!!! 

If you'd like to see this and more creations not showcased in this blog, in person, I'll be in Saint Paul this Sunday! 

See below for details!

This weekend you can find me basking in air-conditioned splendor!

Arts and Crafts Show Sunday, June 24th Only!

10am to 5pm

Temple of Aaron

616 So. Mississippi Blvd Saint Paul, MN 55116

That about wraps this up!!
See you either this Sunday or for Magical Monday!

Ciao!