I absolutely love making Free Form Bowls, you don't even need a mould. You can use hot glue to create your shape and diameter, although I have not used that method personally. I like to feel safe, so I have always used a round or fluted mould. There are a few benefits to making free form bowls and I don't know all of them. This is great for beginners, because the end result, more often than not, makes you look like an expert Possibly the most well known benefit is reducing waste or as I prefer to call it 'A Two-ffer' Two for one. When making vases the run off of resin is captured in a mould beneath the vase. The final design is very often ad-hoc, but rarely displeasing. Once the resin is no longer tacky, but still soft, fashion it into the desired shape. I use two plastic bowls or, one bowl and a lot of packing tape and anything I can find to shape the bowl. Using a heat gun can help to get the desired shape. There is no right or wrong way to do this, more often than not, it depends on the mood I am in at any given time. Never, put the packing tape directly onto the resin. Cling Film [Saran Wrap] is a good barrier between the packing tape and the resin, it also stops you getting finger prints on the final product, unless that is either how you sign your work or is a design feature. Be aware that sometimes Cling Film can cause wrinkles in the resin, depending on what stage of the curing process it is in. My first bowl had the wrinkle design feature and I didn't use a mould actually, or technically at least. I covered the glass plate from my Microwave in Cling Film and poured the resin on to that, hence the wrinkles, which now of course I claim to be a deliberate design feature and I'm sticking to it. I would like to say, the final design was calculated, and deliberate. The reality is, WOW! was I lucky that day. The outside of the final bowl very much resembled a Tortoise shell, including the colour. The inside of the bowl resembled the underneath of a Tortoise, including the colour. My GP now has it, because he loved it. Sadly, I never got to take a photograph, it was barely cured before he claimed it. How did he get to see it I hear you ask, long and very boring story.

Here's my latest attempt lol https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZTjfQ0XpNE

I seem to have developed a condition that has caused me to start re-organising, will be seeing a Dr shortly 🤣🤣 Of course that means I have come across things that I have just taken for granted for about 10 years, which is roughly when I began dabbling in crafting, initially paper crafts. Storage was always an issue. Knowing what to purchase was not as simple as it sounds, but also, the cost involved in developing an efficient storage system. We all work differently and we all have different areas within the field of crafting, thus making our storage needs almost unique to us as individuals. My initial solution was to make my own and basically the only tools I needed was Grey board, PVA Glue, [Mod Podge for those across the pond] Double sided tape and acrylic paint, all of which, excluding the Grey Board, I had to hand. My first storage unit was for paper and card and it was literally a series of compartments made from Grey Board, Double sided tape, PVA and Acrylic paint. It was only ever meant to be temporary, I have just moved it from one cupboard to another and it is still holding strong, very heavy, when filled with paper. It no longer looks pretty, but it is still very functional and I would be lost without it. I have never actually found anything that is an improvement on it. I also made a sort of tools/pen/brush bit and bobs holder. Same materials, it was designed to be small enough to go on my desk so it was constantly to hand when I was working on projects. Since I knew it would get a lot of wear and tear, I ensured I applied extra PVA and Acrylic pain; actually sufficient to prevent the Titanic from sinking. I recently decided that it was surplus to requirements and tried to dismantle it, no chance, it simply refused to be destroyed. So I have given it to my grand daughter for her young children, who absolutely love it. They can throw it all around the house and it doesn't break; a few dents in the walls though, but that is still in tact. So, if you are struggling for storage either because, you can't find exactly what you need or the cost is, at this time, prohibitive, do what you do best, make your own

Hi painters, or those specifically who paint on resin. I made this resin clock and it was supposed to have an autumn theme with red, orange and yellow but has come out too dark so I thought I would try and rescue it by painting some details. What type of paint should I use? Is acrylic OK? (Neat or watered down?) I have acrylic pens as well as paint. Also should/can I paint a background? If so what colour and should I seal (I have gloss spray sealer) (there isn't enough lip to do a coloured resin layer). Here's pics with a black background, white and held up against light. Thank you in advance 🙂

Does the Craft Fair assistant come with a magic wand 😁I haven't done a Craft Fair for a long time but I will be doing one in December, or at least I think I will, given that I have paid for the pitch. Already I am thinking will this be worth my time and effort, because preparing stock for such is probably the hardest part. The questions that run through my mind include: Are customers at Craft Fairs different to online customers, given it is a Christmas Craft Fair, do the products need to be Christmas themed [I'm in trouble if they do]. How do I deal with those who criticise pricing based on their assumption that it is just a hobby to generate pin money, since assault is not really a good marketing approach. I have experienced that, not the assault bit, that was just what was running through my mind as a smiled politely, should you haggle in terms of price. Personally I would argue against haggling, they wont let me do it in Tesco. How do I attract customers to my stall to make a purchase rather than go to the other stalls, that I am thinking are much better than mine. Since I am a boring Accountant, or retired boring Accountant from the education sector I price according to how I was taught so many millions of years ago, should pricing handmade products take a different approach. Despite successfully teaching marketing techniques and marketing very well for other people, I am absolutely crap at doing it for myself, is their a magic solution. How do I present my stall that makes everyone go WOW or at least be a little curious. I have in the past done Craft Fairs on my own, this time I do have volunteers and this may sound as though I am lowering the tone, but past experience has taught me that this can be a factor. For those who do Craft Fairs without any volunteers, how do you deal with toilet breaks; I have discovered that leg plaiting is not really the best approach. I am sure minutes before the doors open for the fair to commence, I will have a million and one questions for you Tracey, so, what are you doing on the 12 December? I'll pick you up 😁