The Great Resin Adventure

So the hubs is a geek. He wanted to buy a chess set.

So I am a geek. And I decided I was going to sculpt him some chess pieces with the really nice sculpting tool kit I got for Christmas.

So I am a geek and decided that I was going to sculpt him the pieces from Harry Potter. You know, the HUGE chess pieces?!

Well, after doing some research, cuz I'm a geek, I got discouraged. I'm not that good.

So long story longer, I decided to use moulds, and instead of sculpey, I decided it was a good idea to learn to to pour resin.

Apparently with a cork screw and a little will power, you too can play with toxic chemicals.

I think we got a little high from the fumes.

So we poured.





David brought home these pipettes that proved incredibly helpful!

That lower hand is me giving the mould the reach-around to inhibit bubbles.





So here they are resting.

And here they are underneath.





Here are the results!



So I tried again!! I got more colors, moulds, and creativity!




Here is another pictures of the chess pieces.

So what have we learned from this experiment?

1. You can't pour enough resin for the the chess pieces. It hardens too quickly.

2. The pawn pieces and the king piece get different resin concoctions. See, resin "dries" inside out, bc the catalyst creates a chemical reaction that emits heat. The heat hardens the resin. So the bigger the piece, the less catalyst you need bc the more resin makes more heat. The smaller the piece, the more catalyst you need bc the less resin so the less chance to get hot. Did I explain that right?!?

I am still having a tackiness issue. Anyone have any suggestions? Someone mentioned rinsing them in lacquer thinner, but so far, that is just making them stickier. We'll see I'd they dry.

Today I found a mould shaped like a bracelet. I'll add pictures tomorrow!


- Posted like a ninja somewhere across the frozen tundra.

The New Generation of Swingin Martinis blogging

I am coming to terms with the fact that I have an iPhone. And now that I've discovered apps beyond the twilight game and chop, chop ninja, apps that actually help you in life and with your business, I hitting it full steam! Now hopefully I can blog more often, and about better stuff, and with my new photo editing apps, with awesome pictures!
Wish me luck!!!



- Posted like a ninja, somewhere across the tundra.

Location:W Jefferson St,Boise,United States

Another Pimp New Messenger Bag!

You may remember my last post about a pimp new messenger bag....


no?


ok....


Check Here then come back to us...


See...pretty cool....


But I use it a lot at work and it was starting to die....not die so much as need a make over...and it doesn't help that it got in a fight with a bottle of cocoa butter lotion and it has stains all over it...it's still a hard worker...but I was in the mood for something new!


So I made a new messenger bag!


It's huge! It has some awesome pockets! Great lining! Super sturdy! and le piece de resistance: A SEAT BELT FOR THE STRAP.


Pimp. I know.



So here are some pictures of my new work....

Yes the front isn't very flashy....I might add a few pins, but I liked it simple.

The inside pockets are lined with a grey flannel

One large pocket and two small ones in the inside.

Who added a special Water Bottle pocket!? This guy!

More of the inside.

On the front it has two large pockets.

Awesome side pocket.

Awesome other side pocket with snap!

Snap Closed. It's blurry :(

Back pocket...it blew my friend and I's mind how to do this...then we said "we built an effing Octopus! You think we'd be able to insert a pocket!?" And we did!

Back pocket all zipped up.

The Best part! The seat Belt I found on ebay! I hope to be able to get to junk yards/etc to find more of these!

Little Hook Closure for the front flap.

And that's it! I hope to be able to make more and get better at it! Next step is trying to find the pieces to make the strap adjustable!

Thanks for looking!

BAD ASS HALLOWEEN COSTUME!

That is right folks! I'm giving you a sneak peak at my Halloween costume!

Mostly because I just put the three layers together and it is BAD ASS!!!

Inspired by one bad ass Disney villain! I decided after months and himming and ha-ing over what to be, I came across this picture and my mind was made up!

Now personally, the chick who plays Ursula on Broadway is WAY annoying...so much so that despite her FANTASTIC costume, I will NOT be seeing this show if I happen upon New York soonly. Yeah.

Now, I don't dick around when it comes to Halloween...have you seen my previous posts?! You should go look...

Yeah.

So I had to out do myself this year as well. And in doing that means making my own costume...not purchasing this piece of shiit that Disney pawns off as a legitimate portrayal of Ursula the m.f. sea witch!

yeah.

So I decided to enlist the help of my super talented friend Megan.

That's her being a bad ass in our production of Bye, Bye, Birdie. Yeah, I say "Megan, wanna be passed along like a hoggie!?" She says "sure!" I say "Megan, wanna let me use your mad design skillz for a pair of tentacles!?" She says "of course!" I did pay her in Salmon Fettuccine, so everybody wins.

Step one: the hoop skirt.

Don't judge. It's my first time making something like this with form, etc. I used 1/2 in plastic pipping from Home Depot.

Yep, David got in on the Action too!

So here is my sad attempt at a hoop skirt:

I know...I know...I had a pattern too...eek...good thing it goes underneath! I had to make some stuff up as I wasn't using boning...that shiv is not strong enough to hold up my tentacles...

Don't judge me.

Step two: The over skirt (which will go under my tentacles).

It is made from this super awesome sheer material that when you look at it one way, it's blue, and when you look at it another way, it's green! Way bad ass. Don't tell David, by my initial plan was to have the skirt made from blue cotton...easily a $10 skirt...this cost a little bit more...but bad ass Halloween fabric at 60% off was calling my name...I couldn't let it down!

Step three: The Tentacles!

The tops are made from black on black somethin-or-another...some kind of Halloween fabric, also 60% off. Black fabric with glittery black flocked swirls.

The underside is a purple suede like polyester. The plan is to have wires in them so they curl up and around. Suction cups too...what kind of octopus doesn't have suckers?!

Still missing is the bad ass webbing between each tentacle...it's this sheer material that when you look at it one way, it's green, and when you look at it another way, it's purple! Yeah...Megan picked it out...and is also why blue cotton wasn't going to fly as the underskirt...it just wasn't awesome enough to match the webbing!

The whole tentacle skirt has a zipper up the back and is stuffed with three huge bags of polyfiberfil. Eventually there will be a waistband, but I have to get the wires in first...which David said he'd help on....but he's asleep on the couch right now. I might need to make more Fettuccine for Megan!

On top I will not be wearing my teal hoodie, but rather the bad ass corset that NancieNan made me for my Halloween costume last year. I also took some sculpey and made a sea shell necklace like the one Ursula keeps Ariel's voice in....bad ass!

I still don't know how to do my hair. I have closing night of my show, so I don't get a whole lot of time...not too worried...no one is going to be looking at my hair...

So there you have it folks! You don't have to be a drag queen to be Ursula for Halloween. despite what google images tells you!

PS: Can someone please tell me why when you search "Disney Ursula" I got a bunch of Mermaid porn depicting Ursula with legs and one tentacle? Use your imagination...or search for it yourself...weirdo.

So keep yourself tuned in to see this bad ass costume come to life!!

I am so stoked right now!

I got inspired by someone else's blog!

http://newdressaday.wordpress.com/

This chick rules my world!

Read her blog!

She buys ghettotastic gear from thrift stores around Hollywood (rough life shopping in Hollywood) and turns them in to totally wearable goods!

I got inspired!

I went to the Church Thrift Store by my work the other day during my lunch break trying to find a Scrabble Game, a rotary phone, and a sheet to use as the back of my pirate quilt...I found none of those things but did find this:

A night shirt.

PS, it had longer sleeves...I forgot to take a picture before I got scissor happy.

I don't know if you know this about Swingin Martinis Designs, but we love vintage night things...I want bed jackets to make a come back a light summer jackets...I'm the only one who thinks this apparently...

Look at the cool embroidery around the top! This screams "show me to the world" and not "wear this kick ass top under your covers at night and sleep." So I am making the appropriate changes!

Anyway, I shortened the sleeves and took that extra material and added it to the bottom so I'd have a couple more inches of length...it was just "that much" too short to wear without feeling like I was in a 90s midriff flashback.

I added elastic to the sleeves which was supposed to make them a bit puffier, but I guess I don't know what I'm doing because they are not puffier...I maybe shouldn't have added the elastic right to the edge...I also maybe should have made the elastic bigger to fit over my "buff" (some say fat) arms...and maybe, just maybe, there isn't enough fabric on the sleeves to accomplish that. Weird.

Speaking of Weird, I think someone wore this when they wanted to start a business....maybe a business woman of the night? Or someone's initials....because I'm constantly worried about someone stealing my pjs...or when I leave them on someone's floor, I want them to be promptly returned....maybe she should have added her phone number or email address...so there goes me wearing the top button unbuttoned like a hoe ever....damn. I guess I'll have to save that for the next night shirt that I craft in to wearable clothing!

So that's it for my first "reconstruction" of a $1 Thrift Store find! I hope that there are more in the future, although the Hubs does not....he said I have too many clothes to begin with....he just doesn't know...

An Update

I haven't written on here in a while...I guess that's good?

I have been pretty busy. I have been active in the alchemy world of etsy (which, if you aren't aware of the alchemy page, it's pretty sweet - people post what they would like made and people place bids on making that item...I get most of my business this way...)

I even got a job making a chick a skirt...I haven't really made clothes for other people with any success, so we'll see what she thinks!

I also got a sale from Twitter finally...I joined Twitter thanks to my friend Aimee (beachchicken.etsy.com) and really only used it to communicate with my friend Carly...but one day some chick needed a skirt, I said that I could help her and awesome-o, I got a sale!

I haven't done First Thursday in a while, but not because of a lack of interest, but more a lack of time! After I finished the production Nunsense, I started working back stage on Move Over, Mrs. Markham. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment...the show is hilarious, go see it, but apparently I don't like hanging out with my hubby or my dogs.

I have tried some new crafting techniques - like shirring...wow, what an adventure that turned out to be (stay tuned for pictures and more info).

I also made a pretty awesome dress for my cousin's wedding that I'll write about soon.

So I've been busy, but also have been wishing I had more time to make some stuff for upcoming events (my shop, First Thursday, and Hyde Park in September).

So even though my calendar is booked, hopefully I can bust out one new item a week (my new goal for June, which might just be a pipe dream.)

Wish me luck, bring me treats, or come by and help!

Craftster challange!

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=343481.0

I can't wait to do this challange!

I have been waiting for one that I could actually come up with something creative for!

I'll post pictures as soon as I create something!