What I've Learned so far from using Resin - A Beginner’s Point of View.

I have just started using epoxy resin and want to share a few basic things I've learned so far. I'm sure some of these are not fully tested and are just some of the mistakes I have come across in my first few weeks of using this medium. I’m sure some of these items will become separate blog posts as I learn more about them, but I thought I would share these from a beginner’s point of view. 

1. Not all resin is made the same. 
1. I originally thought that all resin domed when cast in a mold. I found out the hard way that was a misguided notion. The resin which I purchased was actually a self leveling epoxy resin.  
2. Some things float and others sink. 
1. I started adding items to my resin right away. The first thing I added was dried baby's breath. I had been watching videos where people pour some resin into a mold, add dried flowers, and then pour some more resin on top. What I was missing was that you had to let the first layer of resin with the baby's breath cure before adding the second layer of resin. My first few pendants cured with part of the baby's breath sticking out of the resin.
2. I also tried making things "float" and found that some things actually sink in resin. I tried adding a gemstone to a partially cured (at the sticky but soft point in the curing process) resin pendant, hoping that the gemstone would float and partially protrude from the top of the pendant. I came back about an hour later to find the gemstone starting to sink. Thankfully, the resin was still not fully cured, so I was about to cleanly pull the gemstone out of the resin. 
3. Using nail polish to dye resin is tricky.
1. I did get some pretty cool effects when mixed nail polish with my resin. Unfortunately, if the nail polish was too thick, it would float to the surface and the resin would cure around it, leaving a soft blob of nail polish on the surface. 
2. I tried putting a layer of resin, adding nail polish, curing, and then adding another layer of resin. This seemed to lock the nail polish nicely into the middle of the resin. To my surprise, the nail polish all changed into a gold/orange tone. I had used purples, blues, and gold and they each ended up with a very similar gold tone. 
3. The best way I found,so far, to use nail polish is to add a layer of resin, let cure, paint the nail polish onto the resin, let dry, add a final layer of resin. Once that was fully cured, the color stayed true to the original nail polish. 
4. Not all acrylic paint mixes the same in resin.
1. I first used black acrylic paint in a set of resin pendants and they turned out so nice that I got excited to add other colors of acrylic paint. 
2. My white did not turn out as nicely. For some reason the white acrylic paint gave the resin a grainy finish. 
3. I do not fully understand what the difference is, because I've used red and blue and they have given the resin a solid color similar to when I used black, but I have tried the white in two separate batches and both have ended up with a grainy coloring. 
5. Silicone is amazing.
1. I read that you need a mold release when working with resin in molds. I know this could just be me being lucky but the silicone molds I have been using so far have been so easy to demold. 
2. I have by no means mastered this but you can make your own molds using 100% silicone sealant. I did try this, although my mold came out a bit rough, the resin releases from the silicone fairly easily. 
6. Packing tape works wonders for open back pendants. 
1. I just pressed packing tape onto the back of the pendant and added the resin. Once the resin was fully cured I pulled the packing tape off. Of course there was some residue left from the tape adhesive but that was easy enough to clean off the resin. 
7. Creating a geodes effect is not as easy as it looks. 
1. I unsuccessfully tried this once. The darker colors over took the lighter ones. This technique is going to require some practice.
8. Bubbles
1. I actually do not mind the effect that the resin creates bubbles within the resin. 
2. The problem comes when the bubbles are on the edges and it creates a void on the otherwise smooth surface. I've been able to counteract this for the most part by running a toothpick around the edge of the mold to pull the bubbles away from the edges. 
9. Not all molds are made equal.
1. Ring molds are much more difficult to get the hang of than open pendants. 
2. As I said above, creating your own silicone mold is not an easy task. There seems to always be gaps in the layers of silicone.
10. Sanding to a clear finish is not easy.
1. You have to work your way through sandpaper until you get to the very fine grit. I have by no means gotten the hang of this. Hence #11 below.
2. I've read that you cannot polish epoxy resin using sandpaper but you can add a sealed coat of resin to create the shined finish. 
11. Clear nail polish can save a project as well as colored nail polish.
1. This only pertains to fully cured resin projects. #3 above talks about using nail polish in uncured resin. 
2. I wasn't able to master the sandpaper thing but I found that using a clear nail polish fills in the scratches that the sandpaper leaves behind.
3. Adding a color to the back of a clear pendant adds a nice dimensional look to the piece. 
4. I recommend sealing the nail polish. I used an acrylic spray sealant. The acrylic spray I use dries in minutes. You can also use a resin spray. I haven’t used the resin sprays yet.  
12. Mixing matters
1. It is important to measure the correct amount of each part for epoxy resin.
2. It is also important to thoroughly mix the two parts together. 
3. If one of these two are not done correctly, the resin does not cure properly. I had a few castings come out sticky and one set did not fully cured and stayed soft. 

A few things I want to try next:

1. Adding photos to resin. I've read that I will need to seal the paper before adding it to my resin, so I want to do a little more research before tackling that project. 
2. Coasters. My brother recently moved into his first apartment and I think matching coasters might be the perfect housewarming gift. I have to practice creating geodes first though. 
3. Marbling effect.
4. Resin bar top. The main reason I started to "play" with resin is to create a resin bar top for our basement. 
5. Using a heat gun to remove bubbles. Right now I'm using some very small molds to create pendants. I'm somewhat scared to use my heat gun on it. All I can imagine is resin flying everywhere. I'll have to try this on larger pieces that I can hold easier and have more control over. 
6. Silhouettes. 

What you can make from crocheting circles – Part 1: The Basic Circle

Similarly to my series “What you can make from crocheting squares/rectangles”, this series will focus on what you can make using a simple circle pattern. Circles are a bit more tricky than squares because they are crocheted in rounds. You will need to make sure you keep count of your stitches or use a stitch marker to let you know where to start the next round. 

The pattern for a simple circle is as follows:

Stitches and abbreviations used: magic loop, chain (ch), double crochet (dc), join (jn), stitch (st), slip stich (sl st)

Using the hook size specified for the type of yarn you would like to use. 

Magic loop (or ch 2)

Round 1: 6 dc in the magic loop (or second ch from hook), jn to first dc with sl st (6 total dc)

Round 2: ch 2, 2 dc in each dc, jn to first dc (12 total dc)

Round 3: ch 2, * 1 dc, 2 dc *, repeat from * to * around, jn to first dc with sl st (18 total dc)

Round 4: ch 2, * dc in each of next 2 st, 2 dc in next st *, repeat from * to * around, jn to first dc with sl st (24 total dc)

Round 5: ch 2, * dc in each of next 3 st, 2 dc in next st *, repeat from * to * around, jn to first dc with sl st (30 total dc)

Round 6: ch 2, * dc in each of next 4 st, 2 dc in next st *, repeat from * to * around, jn to first dc with sl st (36 total dc)

Round 7: ch 2, * dc in each of next 5 st, 2 dc in next st *, repeat from * to * around, jn to first dc with sl st (42 total dc)

Continue with rounds increasing the number of single dc’s by 1 each round which will increase your total number of dc’s by 6 each round. 

Edging is optional. Tie off and weave ends when the desired size is reached. 

Each of the next posts in this series will focus on one thing that you can make using a variation of the above pattern. 

Please comment below if you have any questions about my pattern design. And visit my store front to see what creations I have for sale today.

https://www.bonanza.com/booths/MWL_Goodies

DIY Wood Cleaner

The worst thing you could do with wood is use water to clean it. The water can stain the finish of your wood piece or even worse warp the wood. Once the wood piece is warped it is impossible to get the original look back. 

I wanted to share a quick recipe for a DIY wood cleaner that I've been using to clean all the wood furniture that I have received from my grandparents' old house.

In a clean and dry spray bottle I added the following:

½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar

½ cup Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Dish Soap

1 tablespoon Lemon Juice

Just take a look at the results. I dusted the entire chair with a dry cloth and then cleaned the right side of the chair with my wood cleaner. You can see how dirty the left side was. 

You can use white vinegar if you do not have apple cider vinegar. And you can use any type of oil as well. 

The vinegar and soap act as cleaning agents while the oil conditions the wood. 

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Repurposing a Three Bulb Light Fixture into a Candle Holder - Part 2

I actually have done this type of repurposing a second time with a used light fixture. A friend was renovating one of his apartments before putting it up for rent. In the process, he had a vintage light fixture which he asked if I could make something for him with.  

Here's what it looked like to start with, covered in paint and grime. So the first thing I set out to do was clean it. You can check out the process I went through to clean it in my post "Cleaning Metal with Toothpaste". It took a bit of effort to get it cleaned. 

Once I had it cleaned up, I had to add the candle holders. I used a used and cleaned glass candle for the center to give it a unique look and added a glass bowl to both sides. I used hot glue to secure each of the glasses. Since the metal sides of the fixture were sloped I had to build up part of the side using hot glue to make sure the glass bowls would sit flat. 

Next I painted the three glasses black. I then used stain on the entire thing. I made sure not to get any black paint or stain on the inside of any of the three glasses. Since this will be used with candles, I wanted to be absolutely sure nothing is flammable where the candle flame is. 

Here's the finished product!

Repurposing a Three Bulb Light Fixture into a Candle Holder - Part 1

When we moved into our house a few years ago, we noticed that the previous owners left a few house-hold items behind. Mostly left over tiles from some of the renovations that had been done to the house. But they also left things that look like they were intended for a bathroom renovation. And even though we have renovated the first floor bathroom which was in dyer need of an update, the fixtures which were left by the previous owner just do not match the fixtures we finally decided to use for that bathroom. So with an extra 3-bulb light fixture at my disposal, I decided to turn it into a candle holder. 

Since it would no longer be a light fixture, I had to first remove the light wiring. Next, I painted the whole thing black. But I was not completed in love with the color effect so I added some brown (rust) coloring over the entire fixture.

I added one more light/transparent coat of black. This gave the fixture a dusty matte finish. And finally, I sealed the paint with a thick coat of modge podge to give it more of a shine. 

I added 3 glass candles which I intend on reusing the glasses in this candle holder when the candles burn out. And here is the finished product. 

Dying Clothes Pins

I have seen a few articles online about dying clothes pins and I just had to try it out for myself. This is what happened when I did try.

A little background on why I decided to even dye some of my clothes pins. I have two large tapestries which I have mounted onto my wall using clothes pins and Velcro (I may have to write a blog about how well or bad these were to use in the future). They are a cute way of displaying the tapestry without damaging the tapestry itself, but the color of plain clothes pins just don’t match with the decor in my basement. So, when I saw that you could dye clothes pins, I knew I had to try to make them a color that would compliment the tapestries they were displaying.

I tried dying 10 clothes pins and two tiny wooden hearts. I filled a clean glass jar (used to be for tomato sauce) with hot water (boiling), a table spoon of white vinegar, the clothes pins and hearts, and blue food coloring; letting them sit overnight.

After 24 hours they seemed more green then blue. I decided to add more blue food coloring and leave them for another 24 hours. I must admit I forgot about them and they actually sat for about another 60 hours or so.

They looked a bit dark when they were wet.

I must say I actually liked the color they dried to.

Next time I will take the metal off the clothes pins prior to dying them. Some of the metal started to tarnish from being in the water mixture for so long.

They turned out quite well to hold up the tapestry in my basement!

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4th of July

This is a special addition for the 4th of July!

I created a few items for a BBQ we are going to which has a strict Red, White, and Blue dress code. 😁

A few adjustable bracelets / anklets

A belt

A simple necklace

And a thick headband

Happy 4th of July!