Pictured above is one of my favorite Lulu Smith resin pieces, Hobnob Pendant.
I met a gentleman that works at Corning and he had a lot of experience with resin. I asked him how do they keep out the bubbles and he said to pour it on a downhill grade. I don't know if that will work for smaller items but I'll give it a try. Some of the things that I have tried that help are:
slightly warming the mold before I pour.
blow gently over the surface to break the surface tension allowing bubbles to escape.
Taking bubbles out with a stick pin (this is so not fun)!
place the mold on a vibrating surface to break the surface tension.
pour in thin layers so that it is easier for the bubbles to surface.
last but no least I always say a prayer cause there is never any guarantee when it comes to resin and bubbles!
This was my first year doing the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore. The wholesale show for most vendors and myself was a waste of time however, the retail show proved to be a much better venue. Jewelry artists that seemed to do well were those that worked with gold, newer artists and those that had a price point under $300. Many of the artists that I spoke with that had done the show for 10-20 years felt that it was their worst show ever. However, in putting their comments into perspective they shared with me that when they first started doing the show it was common for artists to have a sign on their booth saying thank you Baltimore because they were entirely sold out on wholesale and/or retail. Oh, those were the good old days!
As a new artist I found the 6 day schedule grueling both physically and mentally. The biggest surprise for me was not the $2000 booth fee but all of the other associated costs. Additional fees include, electricity, piping, display cases (if needed), drapes (if needed), carpeting (if needed), parking, food, and advertising. If you elected to have an ad in the brochure the cost was a whopping $1400.
Although I had my best show ever I still felt that I would have done better if I had made more bangles. I did not bring them in until Saturday and they turned out to be my top seller. I hate doing bangles because they usually require 2-3 hours of sanding and retouching however since I had success selling them at the higher price point I will consider doing more in the future. The cost of goods sold on this item is nominal, but it takes a minimum of 16 hours to prepare and finish five bangles. Given that most of that time is used to sand and retouch the work to say that this drives me crazy is an understatement.
Most artists myself included felt that if selected they would do the show again next year. Given the cost and physical/emotional demands of the show that seems to be a great endorsement.
Smooth On has a new resin product and a resin tool that may prove to be a great help in the studio. The online tool helps you to calculate how much resin you need for your project and the second dispenses the right amount of resin/hardener for a 2 to 1 ratio. I have not tried it yet but it looks like a great product.
EpoxAmite® Dispensing Pumps EpoxAmite® pumps are calibrated to deliver the correct amount of Part A resin and Part B hardener with a single push. One Push ‘A' + One Push ‘B' = Correct Amount of Product to Mix. No need to weigh components using a gram scale or measure by volume using graduated cups. Pumps are identified by label on pump head.
I am excited to announce that the Metals Guild of Maryland is sponsoring a dinner with the artist program featuring renowned jewelry artist Bruce Metcalf. The event takes place on April 17, 2010 at the home of Shana Kroiz. All are welcome so if you are interested please send an email to info@artjewelryonline.com and I will send you the details. Featured is an image of Bruce's Lips and Leaves Necklace. 15 x 11 inches painted maple, holly wood, copper electroform, 24 gold-plated brass, 23k gold leaf. Collection of the artist; NFS
When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 Beers.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'
The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed..
'Now,' said the professor as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things---your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car..
The sand is everything else---the small stuff.
'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Spend time with your children.
Spend time with your parents.
Visit with grandparents.
Take your spouse out to dinner.
Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.
Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter.
Set your priorities.
The rest is just sand.
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented.
The professor smiled and said, 'I'm glad you asked.'
The Beer just shows you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of Beers with a friend.
Please share this with someone you care about.
LIFE ISN'T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS... ......IT'S LEARNING HOW TO DANCE IN THE RAIN.
All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual.Albert Einstein
All images are the property of the artist and as such areprotected by US copyright law. The information contained in this email message and its attachments is confidential and proprietary. It is intended only for the private and confidential use of the recipient(s) named above, unless the sender expressly agrees otherwise. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient and/or you have received this email in error, you must take no action based on the information in this email and you are hereby notified that any dissemination, misuse or copying or disclosure of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by email and delete the original message.
All that is valuable in human society depends upon the opportunity for development accorded the individual.Albert Einstein
All images are the property of the artist and as such areprotected by US copyright law. The information contained in this email message and its attachments is confidential and proprietary. It is intended only for the private and confidential use of the recipient(s) named above, unless the sender expressly agrees otherwise. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient and/or you have received this email in error, you must take no action based on the information in this email and you are hereby notified that any dissemination, misuse or copying or disclosure of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by email and delete the original message.
I have long struggled with how to solder a piece once the resin has already been poured. Last Tuesday I went where no man has gone before and invented a way to solder metal that has resin inside of its structure. Now by no means was this a major soldering phenomenon but I was able to solder a jump ring to a bezel. The resin did get soft but it hardened quickly after I finished soldering. My biggest surprise was that there was no discoloration of the resin nor did it catch on fire:-) Given the flammable nature of resin in its liquid form I was praying that this process would not trigger a heat reaction from the resin. In the back of my mind all I kept hearing was the robot from lost in space saying Danger Will Robinson, Danger, Danger. Ordinarily I would give this process away for free, but my concerns over the safety issues prevent me from doing so.
With my upcoming participation in the American Craft Council Baltimore Show I guess I can no longer call myself a hobbyist. I am in full production mode and between managing my two web sites VelinaGlass.com and ArtJewelryOnline.com, working full time and supporting my two sons in college to say that I am overwhelmed is an understatement. A lot of my previous work has been focused on organic shapes and big bangles. I will still maintain these items in my line, but I am now producing a new line that is focused on circles. So far I have thrown out 2/3 of my prototypes but I am extremely pleased with the remaining work. One of the things that I love about resin is that since the material itself is inexpensive I can work through prototypes using resin and not the more expensive metals. The value in resin is in the design and arduous finishing. I may spend anywhere from 2-4 hours sanding a piece so that it feels like silk. I am trying to get away from smooth surfaces to avoid sanding but some of my more popular work is smooth so I will continue to sand and watch TV so that my mind does not become mush. The work shown above is representative of my metalwork, organic and smooth surface.
