Pandeimonium Accessories

In my time being a crafty busybody, I have tried various types of glue. Some worked, some did not.
So I'm going to share a few types that I've used, some pro's and con's, and my personal opinion on what to use.

So I went shopping today! Wooo!
I bought myself some Aluminium sheet metal for my metalwork projects, a Rotary/Dremel tool kit, solder, some rubber stamps and a few cute frames.


I bought this Ozito Rotary tool kit from my local hardware store
(Bunnings) for roughly $38. It included all the necessary tools
i.e. Drill bit, sanding pads, engraving tool, polishing pads, buffing tools, etc.
It also included a desk stand (the vice clips onto your desk and allows you to hand the tool from the stand) as well as a  flexi tube - basically an extension piece to make it easier to handle.

I tested this out today and I love it! It's going to take me some time to practise my engraving ;) but I think I have the sanding and drilling under wraps!





These are the cute frames I picked up from the discount bin at Lincraft. They cost me $6.50 for 3 (2 photo frames and a mirror), due to the glass being cracked in one of them.
I plan on using the one with the cracked glass as a jewellery stand (replace the glass with lace/ribbon/mesh to hold trinkets).
The others I may paint/deco for personal use or sale if there's any interest.





So I also purchased some rubber stamps while at Lincraft to use for solder stamping (a new craze sweeping through my craft group).
I picked these ones up for $3-5 and I think they're pretty cute.
hopefully the grooves will be deep enough for a good imprint!
/crosses fingers






This cute little key frame was a spur of the moment idea after finding something similar on Pinterest.
Unfortunately the incredibly bright blues were not my style, so I changed to metallics and black/white and tried for a wood style background with the help of paint.
Let everything dry, glued on the keys and ta-da!
Super cute little frame!





Thanks for reading and have fun crazy crafters! xoxo

Now every crafter knows one of the most important things to have is a work shop (Or at least a designated craft space). For the longest time, I was just working at my computer desk and boy did things get cluttered and messy.




 So once I was 100% serious about pursuing more in craft, I gave myself a designated craft area. I will admit, this area has changed location in my house numerous times.
But I'm going to do a rundown of what I think are the most important things for a work shop.




1. A quiet space - this can be a spare room, a corner in the living room, or even an office. As long as you have space to think, relax and enjoy whatever you are working on with no distractions, you are good.

2. A comfortable chair - You don't want to be wriggling all of the time trying to get comfy. You want to be able to relax, get comfortable and you can't do that in a hard chair.


3. Storage - Trust me. If you're anything like me, you're going to need all the storage space you can get. Bookcases, cabinets, shelves, chests of drawers, cupboards, plastic storage drawers/boxes, anything you have can be converted into storage.
Then you need something to hold all of your supplies. Jars, baskets, tins, containers, you name it.
As you can see, I used little red plastic baskets to hold my bigger supplies and little containers with compartments to store the smaller ones.



4. A work desk - Probably one of the more important things (thought I know people who craft from bed or their lounge chair). A work desk can provide you space to assemble work, set pieces aside for drying or even as additional storage space.


So this is my current work desk. It doubles as my storage/display space. My finished work goes on top, while my supplies live in the  shelving at the bottom.
It's just the perfect size for me. The "bench" is split into 3, with the centre being my main work space.
The only downside to it's placement (being under the stairs), is that my kitten loves to use the stairs as an access point to my finished stuff. He likes to sit on top and watch as I craft away.





I like to recycle old furniture and things if I can.
E.g. The "shelves" on the top are CD racks with the shelves taken out and laid on their sides. The shelving gets used as little plates I guess, so I can move things while they dry without ruining the glue/paint.






My little shelves here are made from old CD cases that I've glued into little cubes. They're the perfect size to hold all of my tools and are surprisingly strong! You would use them as shelves or you could put little drawers in them (like the black ones on the bottom) and make a mini cabinet.





Thanks for reading lovely crafters! Keep calm and keep crafting!
Love Hannah xoxo

Hey crafty guys and gals!
As requested here is a quick tutorial on the basics of using Resin.

You can create all manner of fun things with resin.
To the left I have a few cute little Cabochons filled with goodies, a pendant that I coloured and a bracelet that I sealed, all with resin!





What you need:

• Resin - I'm using 2 part resin. Can be in a bottle or a syringe. (Mine is called Craft Smart and can be purchased in craft stores or online)
• Newspaper/paper/plastic to protect work surface. Do not use wax paper! It makes a BIG mess.
• Mixing container - plastic cups/etc are great. I use a tea light candle container in mine ;)
• Mixing tools - I use matchsticks I purchased from the craft store
• Mold - I'm using hand-made molds made with Sculpey Mold maker (available at craft stores or online)
• Optional: Acrylic paint or resin dyes/ seal-able objects i.e. gears/dried flowers/beads

 Lets get started!

Firstly, lay your newspaper/plastic down on your work surface to help prevent any spills ruining your desk.
Grab your mixing container, resin and mixing sticks and make sure your mold is on hand.


So using my own bottles as an example, the one to the left (with the red stripe) is the Resin. The other is the hardener. One cannot work without the other. When pouring these out, remember you need a 1:1 ratio.
If you don't pour them evenly, the mixture may end up sticky or not set at all.
My favourite way of confirming I have them even, is to set them next to each other as pictured and check that the levels are even.



So! Now that we have that under control, time to pour!
Pour a small amount of resin into your container.
Note: You are using both bottles, so only pour half of the amount you want from each bottle. I messed this up the first time and ended up with WAY more than I needed.
Once the resin is poured, repeat with the hardener.






Mix. Mix. Mix. Mix. Mix! for at least 2 minutes to make sure everything is completely blended.
(Ignore the black in the bottom of my container. It's dried resin from my last batch)
Note: At this step, if you choose, you can add acrylic paint or resin dyes to colour your resin. If using paint, add small amounts and mix completely before determining if you need more. Be careful not to add too much paint, as it can throw off the resin.
If using resin dyes, follow the instructions on the bottle.




Time to pour! I'm using a small rose mold I made from Sculpey Mold Maker, however you can use ones you have bought as well.
Take care with pouring as air bubbles may get trapped and ruin your work. Try to let the resin ooze in rather than filling the cavity straight away. This will help eliminate air bubbles.

If you do happen to get bubbles, try popping them with a pin/paperclip or if you have a propane torch, you can sweep that over the piece (about 15cm away) until bubbles disappear.
Be careful not to overfill as the resin will drip and ruin the design.
Once your mold is filled, set is aside to dry! I try and sit mine on a lid/something sturdy so I can move it and not disrupt the drying process.

If you're wanting to use it to seal a piece instead, take the resin and use a small brush or spreader, and make sure to spread evenly over the piece. If you need to seal both sides, I would recommend doing one side at a time. Set aside to dry.

Most resins take at least 24 hours to dry (best left in a dry, dust free area). I've found mine take a little longer to fully harden.
Note: Weather/temperatures can affect the drying times. In winter, it make take a little longer to cure. This can be remedied by working in a warm room.

Once fully dry, carefully remove the piece from the mold.
Note:  Please research your molds/resin types when buying. Some molds require a release agent (generally hard plastic molds). I've found silicone ones do not and are very easy to use (and make yourself!).

Now you can file/paint/glue/whatever your heart desires!


Here is an example of a cameo I hand-cast from resin. I used acrylic paint to colour the resin (the black and the copper).
I then used paint again to "tint" the piece to look old before setting it in this pretty filigree base.
If you paint over your piece, you can go back and seal it again with a clear coat for extra protection.







Thank you for reading my tutorial. Please note, I am far from a professional. All advice given is only from personal experience and doing your own research is always advised.
If you would like me to cover a particular method/topic, please message me with your requests!

Much love, Hannah - Pandeimonium Accessories xoxo

Pandeimonium is now on Blogger!
As I am always being asked for tutorials, I thought I would start up a blog just for that!

Keep an eye on the page for tutorials, competitions and more!