Resin Fun

I have been collecting bottle caps for more than a year, hoping to use them for a project. Beyond making a christmas ornament out of them last year for Christmas tree at my husband's work, they have just been sitting there collecting dust. While I was pregnant with child #2, I had plans of teaching myself how to cast resin, but had been recommended to wait until after the baby was born. I continued to research it and a few months ago, a friend of mine expressed her desire to make bottlecap magnets.

So here we are with the results of that first experimentation. After my research, I decided to get my doming resin from Rio Grande. I loved that it had no odor, and therefore wasn't sending harmful fumes out into the house. I have heard that the Envirotech brand, which you can get at the hardware store, has heavy fumes. I decided that going with a jewelry grade resin would be best. The results were mixed for us, as some of our bottlecaps were still sticky to the touch after the curing period--we either didn't measure right or didn't mix enough. Luckily, I found a fix that worked--using clear nail enamel on top. The finish isn't quite as nice as those we didn't have to treat, but we were able to salvage the bottlecaps that would have remained permanently sticky.

I Love Making Gnomes

So, to take a break from making dolls and collages to sell, I decided to make some toys for my kids. I have been wanting to create these little guys for awhile. I came across this style of peg doll when I was researching Waldorf dolls. They fit with the connection to nature that is part of the Waldorf philosophy. Mine are made of wood pegs that I bought. I covered them in 100% wool felt and embroidered with cotton embroidery floss. Everything is hand sewn except I did use a little bit of fabric glue to attach the hats. I'm thinking of maybe creating some to sell. What do you think?

By the way, there are more pictures of these little guys in my new dolls and sculpture gallery on my webpage. You can click here and visit, if you are interested.