Miss Minnie

The death of a small business..

:-)  Last night over dinner I was discussing my new resin adventures..  discussing really means, I was talking and the Spam Man was forced to listen because we were at our local Italian place and the food hadn't arrived yet... The good conclusion I came to was on pricing. I am going to vary the pricing for this first market depending on how many pieces are in each resin.  The bad conclusion I came to is that, before my business is even off the ground, it is going to die of cashflow problems.  I can see that already.  How do people wholesale their work and then wait 30 to 60 days to get paid while paying for new supplies?  I am going to be forced to get a 2nd job to support it! how funny is that?  It kinda takes the pressure off...

I love this guy, he even has a gut!

Have a great weekend all! 

oh my!

My kitchen bench has been invaded by lots of little people and somebody brought their dog! 

I have been accepted into another venue to sell my work.  Very exiciting and terrifying at the same time.  Interested crafty local blogger friends and not weirdo/dangerous/stalker types please email me if you would like more details.

calling all silversmiths!

ok, typically me, I am trying to make my own finding because I can't find what I need.. yes, yes, I know.  So, I ordered some Nickel Silver and stainless steel online.  The steel is unbendable, *sigh* the nickel bends ok but gets brittle, it is Half Hard.  So what I need to know is how do you work with this stuff or sterling?  How do I bend it without snapping and how do I harden it up again after I have bent it?  Like, will it snap off because it is now soft?  argggg    THIS is why people go to Art School! any help from anybody would be greatly appreciated!  *sigh*  and yes, I am STILL trying to get my mold/moulds right *deeper sigh*.  My deadline is looming and now I am faced with a cash flow crisis typical of all small businesses, how to buy supplies when there is no income coming in... * even deeper sigh* 

Thankssomuch!

Thanks so much everybody for the comments and emails!  Today I managed to find a local supplier of silicone rubber AND they were close to home AND super helpful and didn't treat me like a "girly".  You know how sometimes really blokey places can be super patronising?  These guys were fantastic, they went through a whole lot of options with me and I came away feeling much more optimistic.  I spent the rest of the afternoon casting and crossing my fingers :-)  Thanks you guys! you rock.
I have been nominated by my wonderful friend Feli!  for the Rockin Girl Blogger, thanks Feli, you rock! I nominate The Silent K because she is an inspiring read (especially at the moment)  but would nominate "youse all" if it was allowed.  To finish, not that we need it, but a reminder why we should buy handmade...
harrowing read in the Sunday paper about the working conditions of these chinese staff in toy factories in China.  BAN THE BEANY BABY!

Whereubin?

I was going to maintain my blog silence but following the lovely (and timely) comment from Miss Gabrielle of Little Starfish  I had to "come out".  "Hello my name is Miss Dot and I am ready to throw my resin enterprise over the back fence"   To say that I am frustrated is so far wide of the mark.  Bullet points are all I can cope with:

'  I have a deadline looming (one, fingers crossed maybe two market days)
'  I have to order my supplies from the east as you can't BUY ANYTHING where I live.  So when I run out I have to wait a week for it to get here.
'  I am paralysed with fear about actually "personning" my stall at the market
'  I don't know anything about latex/rubber/silicone mold making
'  I have spent close to $AU500 already and am not getting close.

I have no words left but plenty of tears and moisture doesn't mix with latex.  Wish me luck!

A mandate in the mail...

Back.  Not sure for how long. Today I received the most wonderful parcel in the mail.  Can you read the card?  very timely :-) Also in the parcel was the most amazing music and creation.  Next month I turn 40 and this art piece brought back all these memories of my 70's childhood.  The yellow, the vintage button, the old coin, the silk flowers which reminded me of the flowers on my First Communion candle (yes I still have it)  you would have thought the artist was my oldest friend or family, it was all just so me! :-) each piece was like a small reminder of a part of my childhood.  It is also so beautifully composed, each item is placed, carefully, slightly tilted, not just stuck on willy nilly, but placed, oh so carefully.   I cried which confused the hell out of Miss Minnie who came to investigate... Thank you Ros, I love, love, love it :-)

On the resin front, I have been incredibly busy trying to custom make a mold that will fulfill all my requirements.. latex, rubber, dental modeling stuff  you name it, casting and recasting, buffing resin, cutting out shapes from balsa wood, forming paperclay shapes, cutting perspex.  Honestly, I am getting to the end of my whatever.
All I can say is at this rate I'd better be incredibly successful because I am working incredibly hard :-)
The hardest part is the isolation, not having anyone to bounce ideas off, help me with the chemistry side of things, someone with an engineering bent.  I understand now why artists share studio space. It doesn't help that I have to order so much stuff online and wait for it to come from the Eastern States because we don't have it here.   That's it for now, other stuff going on that I won't go into.  Won't be around much now, busy preparing for a market day in October and hopefully another in September if I am excepted.  Details to follow.
EDIT** I should have said, this is one pendant, it is double sided.  Thanks for the all the comments and emails about it.  cheers!