8.29.2008

adventures with uv resin...



i've been wanting to work with resin for a while, but the precise mixing and the messiness of the whole process kind of turned me off. recently, i found a product called magic glos, which is just like regular resin except there is no mixing involved and it cures under a uv light or sunlight. i really wanted to find a way to bridge the gap between my paper goods and my jewelry, and this seemed like the perfect way, so i bought a starter kit from crafter's cafe.

it arrived in the mail yesterday and i was really excited to use it right away. so excited that i squeezed the bottle too hard, causing the plastic tip to pop out and spill most of the contents of the bottle onto myself and my work surface . . . not a great start! once i cleaned up the mess and threw my clothes in the wash, i started over. i managed to salvage about half the bottle, and was able to make 7 pendants with varying levels of success. here is what i learned:

- coat your paper first with some type of waterproof barrier. i used fimo decorating gel, which was recommended by the creator of magic glos. i found it at joann fabric; you have to bake it in an oven for about 20 minutes at about 265 degrees farenheit to cure it.

- uv resin does not work well in thick layers! if you pour too thick a layer, it seems to cause issues with curing and lots of air bubbles. it is best to apply several thin layers, curing under the uv light in between layers.

- you can use a lighter to remove any unwanted air bubbles. just run it over the surface of the resin before curing. be careful not to get too close though!

- the resin is thick and may not spread into your setting perfectly without a little help. use toothpicks to spread the resin evenly in the cavity and make sure it covers your image completely. for the final layer, use a toothpick to make sure it your image is completely covered, then add a little extra, drop by drop, until you acheive the desired doming effect.

here are some of the pendants i ended up with:

the picture at the top of this post is a selection of 4 pendants that turned out pretty well . . . playing around with different design options.


this one is my favorite! i made it out of the corner of an envelope i received from hong kong . . . they have such gorgeous stamps and i love the postmark. i am keeping this one for myself :)


this one turned out really nicely. i used a section of my gocco printed doily design (also seen on one of my notecard sets). i will be adding it to my etsy shop soon!

i will be doing more experimenting as soon as i can get my hands on more of this stuff, so keep your eyes peeled for new additions to my shop!

xoxo,
lesley

8.27.2008

BOGO!!

i made out like a bandit at payless today, and i just had to share. i'm normally not a fan of payless but they have really stepped it up for fall. they have some super adorable styles that are right on point with the trends. and when you can get 4 pairs of shoes and a bag for $88, you know something good is going on! here's what i snapped up:


adorable black patent oxford pumps... such a huge trend for fall!


pretty purple peep-toe pumps (alliteration!) with tie. tres chic, and purple is the "it" color of the season.


and my favorite, victorian-inspired grey booties with button detail... these were featured in september's issue of lucky magazine!


i also nabbed this cute ruched satchel (with is actually a much richer, army green type color in real life) with patent straps. cute and roomy, so it holds all the essentials (and more).

i also picked up a fun pair of buffalo checked slip on sneakers for $11, but i couldn't find a pic on the website. i think i was in serious need of some retail therapy today, so i'm feeling really good about my purchases... and i didn't break the bank!

xoxo,
lesley