A Paper Weight Surprise for Christmas 2014

Something Special for my Parents

Now that Christmas is just around the corner I wanted to make something extra special for my parents as a joint present.

As my latest craft is making resin coasters, rings, bowls, necklaces etc I though it only fitting that I make something out of resin as a keep sake, but WHAT!

I started looking through my many books on various crafts for inspiration to see if it would trigger off an idea.

Bingo - my book on Casting for Crafters by Marie browning had the answer.

There on a page staring back at me - paper weights embedded with old postcards, keys, stamps and all kinds of memorabilia.

I made my list of items I needed for my paper weight - baby pictures, recent photos, coins from their birth years and personalized ribbon.

Amazon and Ebay are great for coins and ribbon so half the task completed.

After a search on my computer I found some photos of when my parents were babies so job done there, and in the summer I took a photo in our garden when they visited for tea - My Items finding task complete.

Now I just had to work out the order I wanted my items to be embedded into the resin.

I planned to cast 3 separate layers so it looked like the items were floating.

I coated my photos in 3 layers of mod podge to seal them, other wise the colours from the pictures would run when the resin stated to cure in the mold because it heats up slightly.

Then it was a case of patients for the first coat to dry before I moved onto the second coat and then the third.

The project took about 2 weeks to complete, I stuck a pen either side. Pens always go missing when you most need one so I though this would be a great idea and they have one each!

Lastly my personalized ribbon with my parents names and D.O.B to go around the edge of the paper weight just topped it off nicely

All in all a job well done, very pleased with the results and I hope they will be pleased too.

The Finished Paper Weight

 

 Dad as a baby, born 1940

Mum as a baby, born 1941

Bursledon Brickworks Craft Fair - 30th November 2014

Bursledon Brickworks Craft Fair

This week end was a better morning for doing a craft fair, for a start it wasn't pouring with rain like last week at the Twyford craft fair.

I arrived right on time at 9am ready to get set up for an 11am opening to the public.

There must have been at least 60 tables laid out for the crafters.

I think this is the biggest one I have ever been to before.

I saw a few familiar faces that I've met at other fairs over the years which was nice. 

You don't feel so alone when there's someone you know and they can always watch your table while you nip to the loo or buy a quick coffee.

I'm getting faster at putting out my wares, it only took me an hour this time so plenty of time to have a quick look around at the other tables before the descending public come forth.

Lots of knitters, cards, jewelry, woodwork, pickles and jams, felted items, buntings and many more besides, so a nice mixture of crafts.

My day started off well, a man purchased 3 pen holders, 2 trinket bowls and 1 resin ring.

To say I was elated was an understatement!!

The day rolled on and more people were buying from my stall.

I received lots of nice comments too which makes it all worth while, and knowing someone has got an item in their home that I have made is just the best feeling ever.

The day went quite quickly, it always does when your busy.

I took a lot more money this time than I did last week so its growing! I'll definitely go back to Bursledon next year not just Christmas time but a few of the other events they hold throughout the year.

Craft Fair today at Twyford Village Hall - 23 November 2014

Rainy Day at Twyford. 

The rain was really heavy when I awoke this morning, I'm so glad I packed the car the night before. 

All day long the rain continued which I'm sure put a lot of people coming out of their warm cosy homes.

You never really know what the public are looking for at craft fairs!

Some guy was selling wood work items, he had made some wands like the ones used by Harry Potter and they sold really well.

Welly boots and brollies went down well with another store holder, it certainly helped with the weather we had today!

I sold a few coasters and rings and that was about it compared to last week at Otterbourne.

You just never know how well you are going to do!

But hey ho I made the best of today and met some lovely stall holders.

I love to hear about how they started up their crafting business.

At the end of the day I'd managed to get back my table money I paid out and a few pounds on top.

I'd purchased a few raffle tickets to cheer myself up in the hope that near the end of the day I may win a prize, which never ever happens to me. Unlike my mum last week who won a prize - 2 tickets for Archery or Kayaking.

As my mum is in her seventies she won't be taking up that challenge, but I will!

As the day was drawing to an end the raffle numbers were called out and I couldn't believe it I had actually one a prize - me who never wins anything.

I won a great big box of goodies which must have come to £20 or more.

so that made up for the slightly dispiriting day I'd had today and I'm sure mum will share in a few of the goodies as she's given me part of her raffle prize and my dad will take the other half, so an hours free Archery lesson here we come.

New "arty Resin" sign for my table

My "Bumper Prize" from the raffle

Bag, purse, teddy, tissues, room spray, small towel, fluffy bed socks, wine and lots 

of bathroom smellies.

Getting ready for Twyford Craft Fair 23rd November 2014

Another Craft Fair - Twyford Village near Winchester

I've managed to get two more craft fairs booked in before Christmas.

I'm going to a craft fair at Twyford on Sunday 23rd November, a very old village near Winchester.

Twyford is one of the most beautiful villages in Hampshire, often called 'the queen of Hampshire villages,' is situated on the River Itchen about three miles south of Winchester, and about a miles distant from Shawford Station, which is a junction for the London and South Western and Great Western Railways, both of which run through parts of the parish.

I have been busy making more Christmas Coasters and Pen Holders ready for the days event.

My new sign for my table has arrived just in time, so hopefully I will attract a few more buyers to my table.

 

Autumn Leaves are falling

I love this time of year when all the leaves are falling, the colours are spectacular.

I've been busy gathering them as I want to try and embed them into Coasters, Pen Holders, Pendants and Paper Weights.

At the moment they are drying between news paper, I need to leave them there for a least a few weeks minimum to dry out completely.

Any moisture left in the leaves will spoil the resin and that will ruin the finished piece, so I have to be patient!

      

                                                                                    

Otterborne Craft Fair - 2014

November 2014 - One month on and enjoying my full time crafting

I have been really busy with my resin crafting these past 4 weeks.

So many new ideas I want to put into practice, the days are just speeding by.

I recently booked a table at a local craft fair in Otterbourne.

I normally go every year and sell quite a lot of my other crafts.

I've not tried out the resin before at this fair but it went down really well with customers.

Lots of positive feedback from people buying and just browsing.

I sold quite a few of the beer bottle cap coasters and sparkly necklaces.

I have 2 more craft fairs booked up locally where I live, so hopefully I will get the same reaction!

Otterborne Village Craft Fair - first time selling my resin work

October 2014 - Started a New Chapter in my life.

artyResin

artyResin can be found on these sites below;

Etsy;          https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/artyResin
facebook;    https://www.facebook.com/SuesartyResin         




I have been making different art and craft items for over 30 years.
My passion for making things with my hands and getting creative started from a very early age.

All I ever wanted was to "Be Arty"  At school I had the maximum hours of art classes I could take, I was offered other subjects like cookery, and so forth but Art was all I ever wanted to be involved with.

I had a brilliant Teacher and she gave me so much encouragement, I could see her passion for the subject and that inspired me more.

After many years of Office work I decided to finally follow my dream of turning my passion into a little business. So I quit my job and started a shop on Etsy.
A bold move I know but if I don't do it now I will just keep putting it off.

The right time is now to start this new chapter in my life.
One door closes another opens as they say! here's hoping.

This past month has been a real learning curve for me.
Setting up the Etsy shop, updating facebook and setting up a website advert of which I had 165 clicks to the website and 6,835 people saw my advert via Google, facebook, Etsy and other social media sites.