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I'm Back - Almost a year

Over the past 2 years I have fallen behind in my crafts as well as blogging - I have decided that its time to get back to work and get some crafts started and my stock up for shows for this Year .

I Have been playing with paper over the past few years and still enjoying it and using my cutting machine.

So the first new things I have been creating are Custom Resin cups - sprinkled with glitter and customized with images and sayings.

to start I bought (with 55% discount coupons ) 3 of the We R Spin Its and one off Amazon turners for the cups - as they must turn while you resin so they get an even coat of resin

(in the end I had to modify the Spin its - because they are terrible to try and keep a cup on them and unable to really do the 30oz cups well ) If you look on you tube to how to upgrade your spin it they have all the details on how to fix the problems .

The First Cup I did - I tried to keep it simple and follow some you tube instructions

I used modge podge as the base flue and put the glitter on - then I sprayed it with a clear sealer - did another coat of modge podge and sealed it again - then I put a layer of resin (ART RESIN) and added some chunky glitter to it - let that spin and dry

then I sanded any sharp parts (some were created by bubbles - I did not use a torch or my heat gun enough to pop the bubbles that come to the surface )

Then I applied the final coat of resin and ta da - my first cup was for my Daughter an 18oz cup I got at micheals - reg 8.99 I got for 50% off

Was very happy with the results - the glitter I got at michaels as well with coupons (the spin it brand is great )

then I made another 18oz for my grand daugher with what she wanted on it

Of course micheals had no more usable 18oz cups so I happened upon 30oz cups at Dollarama and started buying them up - Bigger is better - right - I like a big glass of water or drink so I ended up with almost a 100 cups

The next cup I did the same method - here it is on a spiner drying

then I made a custom sports cup for my daughter for my grand daughters ringette

its a ringetter silhouett with her nickname and number and the other side of the cup is logo and number

then I made my other grand daughter her nightmare before christmas cup

I watched more videos and decided I needed to make a peacock feather cup only this time a different technique - spray painted the cup white and blue then you apply resin and sprinkle the glitter into the resin - let dry - apply the words and designs (in this case feathers) then do another layer of resin

(my friend took this one so I customized it with her name

on the spinner- first coat resin over painted white and blue cup

with feathers

Next using the same technique it was paint the cup a yellow gold - (this is so if anyting shows through you dont notice - so I sprinkles all gold holographic glitter on

let that dry

then I add stickers (I just happened to have extra red so I made them in red ) hexagons to represent the honeycomb and the drips at the top

after I do that I spray the cup white let dry and then do alcohol inks and use a clear sealer - then I peel the stickers off and it becomes a peek a boo cup you can see the the original base glitter through where the stickers were

Next I put my words and my water slides of bees onto the cup

then it is sealed with one final coating of resin

So right now am making a 2nd bee cup , two more ringette cups and another feather cup - so busy busy busy

New techniques to learn - I may have a shipwreck, a stripe this week to show

and

as soon as the weather warms up I need to clean up my studio and start fusing and doing some lampwork to get ready for July show

Falling behind again - trying to catch up

I have been doing resin tube in pens and loving it - just need more time

Resin

Current work is tube in sierra pens - so I find the pics, print on waterproof label -cut out with my Scan n Cut and apply to the brass tube then put into the tube in mold

Then I am using art resin product (1:1) for its clarity and pour over and let set

hard to see but resin is setting

then when they come out I turn on my lathe - (got mine at Canadian tire up here under 250.00 10 years ago )

what a mess I make

and then I turn them , and sand and sand to about 12000 mesh and then polish with a plastic polish till they shine

so far

First one took a while I think I redid at least 5 times sanding and polishing till I figured out how to get a shiny finish

and then assembled into a Sierra style pen (that matched my tube in mold for size )

the next one was getting better

then the next - better

Then I used one of my honeycomb molds that I 3d printed and filled with resin and was happy with that

Finally I did this one that I took for work as I love the colors - and so far the best one I have done

SCRAPBOOKING

Was away at a retreat on the may 3rd weekend and loved it - loved being pampered - unfortuantely my knee was still hurting from the bakers cyst and my hip nerve was killing me (if I had only gone and got some aleve would have been fine )

Had a ball and did some scrapbooking

didnt get the last one finished to where I wanted so until next scrapbook crop

3d printed parts for pen turning

I printed jaws for my low profile vise and a dust collector hood that will fit on my lathe with magnets The vise heads are single side but the v groove matches as it was the only groove file I could find but it will do the job Cant wait to fit up the dust collector head with my vaccuum (actually I have a real dust collector unit I've never used for 15 years ) will be nice to have the shavings cleared as I work

Looking for a particular drill press vise for Pen turning

At the Pen turning class they had a particular drill press vise that was perfect. I currently have the lee valley version of the holder for the pen blanks and it works but not a fan. Its a self centering pen vise and its really tall

I pin it down with a c lamp on the drill press

but at the class we used a heavier lower profile vise which I found easier to use

an Irwin Record 414 drill press vice - amazon.ca had but out of stock for now - I like this as easy large screw and it nice an heavy to hold on the drill press

but I have something from Princess auto that is a lower profile I got for making resin rings

so I think I will print the jaws that have a v-groove in and attach to this low profile for now

found these on thingiverse - and I can modify

have the v-groove to hold the pen blanks

love having the 3d printer

Lee Valley Pen Turning Classes

I have not turned a pen I think in about 10 years - took a class back when with Lee Valley in their morningside branch. On Feb 5th taking two classes at their Vaugh location as a tune up to start turning pens again as now I have the 3d printer and resin casting to work into it.

Class one in the morning was making the european pen - remembering all the things we need to do - the blank I used was very light and pock marked and I really did not do a great job on it

but to tell the truth would rather make as many mistakes as

possible so that I can ask questions on how to fix or get better at turning.

In the afternoon we did a baron fountain pen and got a dark wood this time and loved it. A bit more intricate to assemble but a nice pen.

I have all the tools (I needed a drill bit for my Sierra blanks and some finishing sealer/wax and some glue ) cant wait for the weather to warm up from all this nasty cold and ice

Homemade Wink of stella

Making home made what is called wink of stella these pens are sort of sparkle pens and I use the clear on everything cost is around 10.00 per pen At the last crop my table mate said there was a you tube on how to make at home and I found it and I had all the materials at home The most important is mica powder and I had bottles of pearl ex mixed with alcohol and water and some gum Arabic as a binder and voila I filled old wink of stella pens (I never throw out as I thought to use as water brushes) and the home made works just as well as the store bought . The pearled macro pearl is what I am using for the clear runs about 14.00 cdn if not cheaper plus dollar store alcohol (next time using high alcohol content like 99 with water or straight 50% ) and gum Arabic I'll have to work out the proportions but it's how I mix a bit of this and that but made up a small container of each color . Hardly used up the pearled powder cant tell the difference