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Shop Update Coming This Spring!

Writer's picture: OVA the ArtistOVA the Artist

I hope everyone's new year started well! I know I've been a little quiet since the beginning of January. That's because I've been working on physical items for my shop. After all kinds of testing, I finally have some results I'm excited to share! A few other tweaks are being made, but the drop is still on track for spring.


A look into my March shop update:


A picture taken of stickers and other items
I'm elated with how the stickers came out.

At first, the printing was difficult. I had a lot of trouble with the colors in Design Space wanting to use my Cricut machine. Cutting them with the machine also turned disastrous because the outer design overlays the circle, so it doesn't cut a nice circle. Instead, the machine cuts ridiculous details around the edge and takes 5 minutes per sticker (ugh!). I've tried to re-outline them but to no avail. In the end, I decided to hand-cut these stickers. In the future, I'll likely use my machine to save some time and have precise cuts. Both the Thyme and Basil medallion will be available for stickers!

Since I have a cutting machine, I started thinking of other projects I could do to use it. A video of someone resin-casting charms interested me and I tried it myself. I used casting resin for my first tests. The bubbles are the main issue when trying to get a good pour. Stirring the resin with the hardener can cause bubbles, which don't always look the best. I also embed my cut-paper designs into the resin, causing bubbles. It's taken a couple of tutorial videos and more items in my 'oops' bin, but I've found ways to negate bubbling. First, stirring the resin and hardener slowly for five minutes is the best way to avoid trapping air in the solution. Pouring in layers also ensures bubbles are at a minimum. One layer is poured first and left to cure to have a nice clear surface to place the paper and glitter. When adding the paper element, I found coating the surface before laying it in place negates the likelihood of air getting trapped. The second layer is poured and the paper element is continually pressed to ensure any bubbles rise. These bubbles can be popped with a toothpick or heat gun/lighter. The resin will take 24 hours to harden and 48 hours to cure completely. This is a long process, but I like the result for things that require thicker pours like keychains.

A picture of stickers,keychains, and bookmarks
You can see where the bookmarks are a little wonky

UV resin is much easier to complete. There is no need for stirring, so the bubbling is minimal. A UV light also cures this resin in less than 5 minutes. However, the issue with UV resin is both sides of the piece normally need curing to ensure its solidity. The paper can sometimes block the light and the resin to cure partially. I started looking for ways to cure both sides, starting with a piece of plastic from an older picture frame. Unfortunately, the heat from the chemical process causes the plastic to bend and the piece also bends to that curve. I'm planning on getting a piece of glass to solve this issue. Since most pieces aren't that big, I hope to find the solution relatively easy today. With that, the hypothesis is the bookmarks I'm trying to make will lay flat when I cure them.







This has all been a fun adventure for me. Stay tuned for updates on my website and shop. I hope you all enjoy the new items and art to come! As always, stay safe and God bless!



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