Resin Dollhouse Geode table, working in miniature with resin and Polymer Clay.

Making Miniature Resin Geode Tables

Ok I'll be honest, I absolutely love miniatures.  To sit down all day and make everything in mini would be freaking awesome!!  I was feeling sorry for myself the other week, resin allergy, no one interested in my art, when something popped into my head and filled me with excitement.  Miniature resin Geode table for a dollhouse.  OMG yes.  I had to do it.

Polymer Clay popped into my mind for the base of the table, and that moment I went searching in the garage for all of my clay tools.  With Mr 4 by my side we began playing with scrap clay.  My scrap clay is a mixture of all the brands, Kato, Sculpey and Fimo.

 Here are my four basic geode shapes.  I just rolled some clay out, and cut out random shapes.  They went into my mini oven for an hour and then they were ready to play with!!

 I made up a very small amount of resin.  The great thing about miniatures is, it uses less of everything!  I placed the bases on upturned cups and began my experiment.  A very small amount goes a long way, so I did have trouble getting the distinct lines I can get on my large geodes.

 Obviously glitter played an important part, shiny pretty glitter.  What could take the place of the rocks, glass and gems that I use on the large geodes?
Beads of course.  I have a plethora of beads, finally time to use them!!  I mainly used microbeads, which are teeny tiny, obviously.

I also used some glitter gravel that I bought from a cheap shop.  It actually looks nice in geodes.



After the first resin layer was dry, I added another, this one I put in more glitter and tried to define the colours a little more.  It basically took a lot of patience and a steady hand, moving the resin where I wanted it to go, then using the heat gun sparingly to blend the colours.  I also added some gold leaf on the third layer.

After the fourth or fifth layer was completely dry I brought out the posca pens and drew some more defined lines around the geodes.  This made them start to look like something worthwhile.  I was a little worried to begin with.  (Apologies for the dog barking in the video).

I wrapped the edges of the mini geodes with painters tape, leaving about a 3mm edge above the geode.  I did this so when I poured the next couple of layers of clear resin they would build up and completely cover all the beads and make the table flat.  It worked!!

To remove the resin that had dripped onto the bottom of the geodes I used the heat gun and a small chisel to carefully get them off.  The resin actually came off quite easily, which was awesome.  Time for the edges of the geodes.  I used Mont Marte Leafing Size glue, and gold leaf and prettied those edges up.  I was actually really surprised at how easy the glue made putting the gold leaf on.  That one is a definite win, and I will use it again.

Mont Marte Leafing Size link.

The saga of sanding and using my dremel to cut some wood for the legs, ugh, wood and cutting just not my favourite thing.  I am actually in love with the way they turned out, I love the thickness, and I can see all the layers of resin and glitter and beads that lovingly did.  Let's not forget the swollen eye from my allergy to resin, the rash that spread like chicken pox, and the misery I was in from the pills and the itching.  To sum it up, it was worth it.  I will do it again, and again and again.

GLAM SHOTS!!

I'm happy with the experiment.  My doll house, everyone's dollhouse deserves some glam geode tables I think.  I absolutely love them :) 

I have also made some experimental resin tiles for a dollhouse.  I have embedded microbeads in some tiles, glitter in others and of course I have made a glow in the dark sample. All different styles and colours.  I will be doing a project with them in it sometime in September.  I will post my progress of that too.

Etsy mini tiles for sale here.

 I've also been glamming up miniature cheese boards for the doll houses as well, adding resin to them to make the glam mazing!!

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Until next time.........

Painting a 3d resin doughnut

DOUGHNUT PAINTING AND RESIN!!

This is the finished doughnut with the resin on it.

Fairly different from what I originally painted, and I am definitely not happy with the resin on the icing only.  I mean the concept is great, I love it, if i had of pulled it off.  Unfortunately the second I sat down to perform this delicate operation my boys decided to invade my studio/garage.  That was fine, they were playing, I was slowly pouring the resin trying to get it in the right spot without moving.  Then the circus began, I won't go into details but it ended in a remote car having a broken mirror because it got run over by a bike, intense and very loud screaming by the four year old.  Attempts were taken to run over my 15 year old with a bike, my dog running around like a crazy animal knocking stuff over, climbing into shelves and bumping into me.  Needless to say I could've done better, but at least I won't forget my first attempt thanks to my adoring and loving children lol.

To begin with I just drew a doughnut, simple doughnut.  I wanted icing dripping as the whole plan was to do resin on it.

Then as I've been taught by youtube videos, I have to block in my colours.  I had decided the icing was going to be chocolate, the background black and I wanted a plate in it.  Sounded awesome to me, I was debating putting sprinkles on.  So here is what the blocking in process ended with:

Pretty basic, but a starting point.  I used liquitex basics and heavy body for this process, the yellow ochre I have is lumpy.  Cottage cheese like and is a son of a gun to spread, because it is off.  I have bought quite a few liquitex basics that are off.  At $10.48 each it's beginning to get expensive.  Liquitex has been nothing but helpful to me once I decided to email them regarding the problem.  So thumbs up to a company that recognises there are imperfections.

As you can see I did the background black, I thought it was freaking awesome, popping the white plate right out, but then I noticed the icing was vanishing into the black.  So I made the decision to change the background colour.  To red.

Here I was thinking I had done well, but after intense angry staring at it trying to figure out what was wrong, I realised I had done a faux pas.  Red, red is warm.  Warm colours come to the front, cool colours recede.  I wanted the doughnut to be coming forward, but the red background was stopping it because it was warm.  So another background change.










Now the blue made me happy.  It was actually a new blue I had just got, and OMG it was so pretty.  So of course the unhappy artist in me wanted to make it better by trying to make the blue into a wrinkled tablecloth.  Nope, didn't succeed with that one, still quite disappointed in myself for that.  Must practice wrinkles..........

Anyway I finished painting and let it dry for three days.  Over that three days I got a serious case of man flu and could barely even stay awake.  The pain was real, I wouldn't wish it on anyone.  

When I had partially recovered it was time for the resin, the bit I was terrified to do and yet excited as well.

This is everything I use for my resin paintings.  GLOVES......do not get resin on your fingers if you have issues with sticky annoying stuff being stuck on you for like ever!!!!  Ugh I hate it on me.  I buy my resin from Solid solutions

I have not had any issues as yet with their resin, and the more I buy the cheaper it is.  It does have quite a few bubbles when mixing the two parts together but when I pour they just seem to disappear.  

Placing the canvas on four upturned plastic cups I place a level on it to ensure it is straight and well, level.

Since I wanted the resin harder than usual before I poured, so I could control where it went, I added a little more hardener than part a, and I had to wait about ten minutes after thoroughly mixing the two parts together before I attempted anything.  If i didn't wait then the resin would self level over the whole painting and I would have no control.  That would be fine if that was what I wanted.

I have to credit my 9 year old son Lucas for taking a plethora of photos for me, he was a fantastic helper.

I am taking tiny bits of resin using my wooden stick and slowly dripping it on the icing on the doughnut.  Guiding where I want the resin to go.  This definitely worked, it is the way to go, only go slow, don't have a circus in your garage and GO SLOW.

I messed up a couple of lines, because I thought I was clever and could make it thicker, nope, it self leveled.  Cursing myself for that but lesson learnt.

Just slowly dripping the resin along the icing lines.

Trying to guide the resin to where I want it.  Next time I will just do one drip on the parts where I wanted just a high circle.  Not two.  Do not do two!!!!

I had to quickly get my flame thrower 😂 and blow it along the top of the doughnut, obviously not touching the resin with the flame.  This is so I can bring the bubbles to the top and pop them with the heat.  No one wants bubbly resin, unless of course you do, then so be it.  Rephrase, I don't want bubbly resin in this particular project 😜

After using my flame thrower (lighter) a few more times every few minutes, I covered the doughnut in it's box, making sure the lid would not touch it while it dried.  I left it to dry for 24 hours.  It depends on the resin you have as to how long you wait until it isn't sticky.  Even after that 24 hours, it's is still kind of sticky, we are humid here in QLD so maybe that affects it.  So if I wanted to paint on top of the resin I would normally wait about 3-4 days for it to dry thoroughly.  Do not use oil paints on top of resin.  It isn't recommended, or it won't work, or both.

I considered adding those straight beads you can get as sprinkles into the resin as it was drying, but I decided not to.  If I did that I would have to do another clear layer of resin on top of them, as I wanted it smooth and shiny.  It could be done without the second layer of resin, adding texture to a painting is always fun.  I might do that in the future.

Or sprinkles could be painted on top of the resin if so desired.  Whatever takes your fancy.  


Here is my doughnut in all of it's glory.  No actually I still need to varnish the area of the doughnut I did not put resin on.  Then it's finished.

I'm relatively pleased, for a first attempt.  I have learnt some things along the way that I will use next time.





I will be back next week with another blog entry, I have many things on the go, I just can't wait to show you what I'm getting up to.  Mother's Day is also coming up here in Australia, and I have something planned for my Mother to blog about as well.

Have a wonderful week.
Use you imagination.
Accept yourself.