Resin With Nikki~ Let's Experiment!

Story behind this piece (if you are interested):

I have always wondered how people embed dandelions and other plants in resin, so I really wanted to try it out.

Last week I chanced upon a dandelion so I decided to bring it home to try! I did not have a round sphere mold so I decided to pluck off just the fluff, since I did not really like the idea of the black seeds in my flat piece.

After putting in the fluff, I realized they pretty much became transparent, so I thought a dark background would be suitable. Since this was an experimental piece and I had NEVER done a galaxy piece before, why not try it out now? Might as well kill two birds with one stone.

So I tried a variety of glitter colours and backed the piece with blue-black resin and it turned out pretty awesome! I wasn't having too high hopes with the dandelion fluff, but I'm glad the galaxy effect turned out satisfactory!

I can't wait to dome the back and add a bail so I can use it as a keychain or a bag charm! Wouldn't that be gorgeous?

I hope to make more resin videos on my channel!

Nikki :)

Regarding the Shiny Silicone Heart Resin Mold

On Aug. 13, 2015, my morning started with a video by CrafterzDelights (hereafter known as CD) reviewing some UV resin by Padico.

After I watched the video, I spotted this comment:

Why yes, that would be ME!

Shortly after that (please ignore the time stamps, screen grabs were taken at different times), CD replied:

Throughout the day, I've gotten multiple comments on Crafty Amino on my Storenvy sale post.

(the XquisitSweets one has now been deleted by the author)

This! Magnified really big for emphasis.

How am I "stooping so low" to "rip off someone's work"? Who did any original work here? Did CD design the mold? No. Am I doing this to make money? No. Please get your facts straight before making such accusations.

CD issued a "statement" on ALL her social media declaring this.

MY RESPONSE

Firstly, the post was edited from "my shiny puffy heart mold" to "this shiny puffy heart mold." That already speaks a whole lot.

There, she admitted that she did NOT make the design.

So she did a lot of research getting a supplier to make the mold in a colour she liked and in smaller quantities.

I did the same research, looking for a suitable supplier for my budget and purpose as well. Did I choose to have it in pink? No. The supplier offered me that colour.

The last time I checked, she did not invent the colour pink.

And she said she knows anyone can sell it as long as they find a seller. She already knew this was bound to happen.

About the messaging part? Yes, I did message her. Please read the next part.

MY POSITION

I did NOT contact her with the intention to sell the mold. I contacted her because I genuinely intended to buy the mold.

At the time, the exchange rate was not looking that great (but it's gotten even worse now at the time of writing), so I was merely asking if she had more stock while I wait for a possible improvement.

During our very brief conversation on Facebook messaging, I had still wanted to buy from her, despite the high shipping cost to Canada ($11 for the mold plus $8.90 for shipping -- all US dollars before currency conversion to Canadian dollars). After receiving curt replies in an uninterested tone (how I feel anyway), I was totally put off the idea of handing my money over to this shop owner.

WHY I AM SELLING THE MOLD

So, what is my purpose in selling these molds? To make money? No.

I am not selling the molds to compete with her, nor am I trying to prove myself superior to her.

I am just really put off by her unfriendly business attitude towards (potential) customers, and that made me not want to support her or hand over my money to someone who is dealing with me so unwillingly.

What's more, she made it so clear that she only ships to the United States and Canada. Some time ago, her shop was exclusively shipping to the US only and not even Canada. I was happy to see that she finally expanded shipping to Canada, but only ended up disappointed that I was now dealing with such an attitude.

I was thinking about all the international crafters who would love to buy that mold from her, and I thought, why don't I sell the molds to them? If she was not shipping internationally, that means I could tap into the market by offering something that she does not. Was there anything wrong with that? Not that I can think of. I am merely doing a public service for everyone who wants her mold but does not reside in the US or Canada.

I went on the Internet, did my research, made sure that she was NOT the original designer of the mold (long before she admitted to it), and then went sourcing for a supplier. Was it a lot of work? Yes. Was it worth it? Definitely.

I'm sure she put in a lot of work to find a suitable supplier, but she cannot discredit me and said I did not do the same. I can tell you for sure it was certainly a process.

Did I message her with the intention of selling "her" mold? I will say that again, NO. You may choose to not believe me but I have a clear conscience and proof to back myself up.

BOTTOM LINE

• I did not message her with the intention of selling the mold.
• I wanted to sell the mold because:

1. I did not like her attitude towards me.
2. I did not want to hand over my money to someone I did not feel comfortable in doing so.
3. I wanted to do international crafters a favour by offering them access to the mold.

• I did not choose the mold colour.
• The mold is not hers; anyone can sell it. She said it herself. I did not do anything wrong by selling it.
• I am selling the mold because I want international crafters to have a chance to buy it.

Before you criticize others, please check your facts and make sure you get to know both sides of the coin. And here is my side. 

I'm sorry this was a long post, but there are more screenshots that I have omitted for now. They might appear in a future post. 

I knew this was bound to happen at some point or another, so here it goes. Do I regret anything? Definitely not.

Thank you for reading if you have read this far.

Nikki :)

Basic Resin Tutorial!

Finally, I managed to film a full resin tutorial with this silicone heart mold I am selling on my Storenvy!

This video shows you the materials you will need, how to measure the resin, and pouring the first layer, adding stickers and glitter, and pouring the second layer!

I might make a separate doming video on these pieces.

If you are interested, the mold can be purchased here!

http://nikkiteahouse.storenvy.com/collections/378108-silicone-heart-resin-mold/products/13718742-shiny-silicone-heart-resin-mold

Nikki :)

Happy 3rd Anniversary Sumikko Gurashi!

It's Sumikko Gurashi's third anniversary! How time flies! 

These little corner beings get cuter and cuter every day and they are my new favourite San-X character!

Sombrero Pusheen!

It's May 5th, also known as Cinco de Mayo!

According to Wikipedia:

The date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Pueblaon May 5, 1862.

With the Mexican festivities, I thought it would be fun to incorporate cute little Pusheen with a sombrero, a wide-brimmed hat in Mexico!

Isn't he the cutest? :D

Sumikko Gurashi Wedding!?

SUMIKKO GURASHI WEDDING YES PLEASE~~~

How lovely would it be to have all the little guys welcoming your guests at your wedding?

Just look at the little plushies!!! Shirokuma holding a darling flower! :D

I would love to have something like this at my wedding!

Nikki :)

Crayola Air Dry Clay Review!

I don't normally do product reviews on this blog but I just felt like expressing my opinions on the Crayola Air Dry Clay!

My friend Veronica told me about this air dry clay and I thought it would be fun to try it out!

As you know, I mainly work with polymer clay, which can get pricey if using large amounts. I wanted to try out a cheaper clay so I could make bigger projects if I wanted to.

I have tried Daiso air dry clay, but the finished texture was squishy and light, not what I was looking for.

So I finally went to Michaels and got myself a tub of the Crayola air dry clay in WHITE. This product also comes in terracotta.



This is what the packaging looks like (minus the plastic wrap, more about that later). It is a huge tub, 1.13 kg (~2.5 lbs), for $9. I used a coupon at Michaels and got it for $6.

For comparison, a 57-gram block of polymer clay usually costs $3-$4.

So I tore off the bottom sealing tab and when I opened it, I must have used too much strength and the lid cracked (in two places!).



Well, that was just the start. How am I going to keep a tub of air dry clay from drying out with a broken lid? That explains the plastic wrap you saw in the earlier picture.

I was already disappointed and worried.



The clay itself is a greyish colour, somewhat resembling concrete. I pulled off a nub and it was wet to the touch.

I didn't expect to write a review so there are no pictures of me actually (trying to) work with it.

Here's a wordy account of the process (skip to the TL;DR part if you like):

First, I tried to press it in a silicone cupcake mold, and it worked pretty well. I managed to pop it out with no problem.

Then I tried to press it into a polypropylene mold and it got stuck like crazy. I tried to pop it out but the piece became misshapen and half the clay remained in the mold.

I tried dusting the mold with cornstarch before pressing in the clay and it sort of worked. But it still came out deformed when I tried unmolding it.

I also tried to add colour to it by adding a drop of acrylic paint but it did nothing to colour the clay, which remained a sad, grey colour.

I tried to roll it flat to make a sheet to use cookie cutters on. It cracked easily (maybe because it was drying out).

I dabbed on some water to rehydrate the clay and it got sticky all over my hands, almost like mud. I continued working with it, drying to make a donut next.

The donut took shape as I pressed a tool in the centre to make the hole, but I had trouble pulling the tool out without destroying the donut.

As I tried again and again, it was either too dry or too wet to work with.

All this time, the wet clay had left my hands and everything I touched full of mud, including my molds, tools and work mat.

Thank goodness it was easy to clean off with water.

TL;DR version: a Pros vs. Cons list:

Pros

• Inexpensive (compared to polymer clay)
• Easy clean up with water
• Easy to work with for younger children 
• Works well with silicone molds
• Easily softens with water

Cons

• Difficult to make detailed pieces
• Does not work well with non-silicone molds
• Either too dry or too wet to work with
• Leaves messy residue on hands, tools and work area
• Cracks easily 
• Short working time
• Does not colour by mixing in paint
• Packaging issues (lid breaks easily)

Over all, I think this product lives up to its targeted audience: KIDS.

It may be good for making larger, not-so-detailed projects with children, but it did not work for me since I usually make miniature pieces with more details.

This was an honest review and it's too bad it didn't work for me. It would have been a nice alternative to polymer clay if I wanted to mass produce some charms :)

Hope this review was somewhat helpful!

Nikki :)

April 2015 Calendar!

The calendar for April, 2015, features this odd San-X character, Shirasutai!

I have not heard of this character until now; I've only seen pictures here and there. I've always mentally referred to it as the "strange fishy character."

According to San-X's English website, Shirasutai is "a team of tiny fish that love to play in rice and under the sea."

Oh well, at least I was right on the fishy part ;)

Enjoy April! Spring is here! That means beautiful flowers and blooming cherry blossoms! Great opportunities for photoshoots!

Nikki :)

Charm Update #20!

Check out my latest charm update! It's been a while since I last did one! :)

Kawaii Plant Pot!

Hey everyone!

To welcome spring and all the blooming flowers and plants, I made this kawaii little plant pot out of polymer clay!

Enjoy!

HAPPY PI DAY!

I made this polymer clay pizza video for March 14 ~ PI DAY!

I was pretty proud of how realistic it turned out! :)

Hope you found the tutorial helpful! 

Nikki :)

St. Patrick's Day macarons!

It's one week to St. Patrick's Day!

Get your green on with these little green macarons made out of polymer clay!

I had intended to make shamrock-shaped macarons but I could not figure out how, so regular macarons with some decorations will do!

This year, I had a bunch of St. Patrick's Day charm ideas, but I haven't got around to making them all yet!

This is my first tutorial on polymer clay macarons and I think I did alright!

I also filmed a couple other polymer clay tutorials so keep a look out for those in the coming weeks!

Nikki :)

Working out on the weekend!?

Tonkatsu and his Ebi friend are working out hard on the weekend! Or are they???

These two characters are so cute, I love them so much!

This weekend, I'll be crafting, making Neapolitan rice krispies treats and meeting some friends I haven't seen for awhile!

Nikki :)

Penguin DIY Chocolate Kit!

I found this DIY chocolate kit at my Korean supermarket and thought they would be super fun for a video!

Why are the penguins eating chocolate/biscuit mushrooms? I have no idea LOL. 

The chocolate tubes were surprisingly easy to work with and not as messy as I expected!

If I were to do this kit again, I would probably not mix the flavours so that I can taste the distinct taste of each chocolate (white, milk and strawberry). 

The chocolate itself was quite tasty, albeit greasy, as in it leaves a strange after taste in your mouth.

Definitely a fun project to do with younger kids! :)

I wish I can find more fun kits like these to do videos on! 

Nikki :)

March 2015 Calendar!

It's time for a monthly calendar again! February sure went by quick, probably because it was a short month!

The March, 2015, calendar features the nautical Mamegoma, perfect for its 10th anniversary!

We previously featured the series here.

March means winter is going away and spring is fast approaching! Cheers to warmer weather! :)

What are you excited for in spring?

Nikki :)

Mamegoma 10th Anniversary Series!

There is a new Mamegoma series for its 10th anniversary!

I love nautical-themed stuff, and pairing it with Mamegoma makes the perfect combination!

I love the beautiful spiral bound note book and the classic tote bag!Look at Mamegoma in its little sailor cap! Super cute!!! :DNow, if only they can come up with some nautical Mamegoma stickers... *taps chin*Do you like Mamegoma? :)Nikki :)

Charm update #19!

New charm update! Featuring cookies, pastries and breakfast foods!

Practising a new style of faces and testing out some molds! :)

Which was your favourite charm?

Nikki :)

Happy weekend!

Happy weekend!!! All I want to do is sit in front of my TV and munch on snacks, just like Neko is doing here!

What are you up to on your weekend?

Nikki :)

Valentine's Day DIY Candy Heart Charm Bracelet!

For Valentine's Day this year, I made this dainty charm bracelet from real candy hearts!

I found the candy hearts in the dollar store and I knew I could make something cool with them as soon as I saw them!

It took me about a week to make (because of all the steps of painting, drying, gluing, glazing with glaze and resin) but it was so worth it in the end!

I just loved how it turned out! Also proud that this was my own original idea!

I also made some spare ones and I think they would turn out excellent as phone charms!

Nikki :)

Resin Showcase #14!

I have posted another resin update on my channel!

Featuring some Frozen pieces (thank you Veronica for the stickers!), some Sumikko Gurashi pieces and some other animal ones I made awhile ago but never got around to showing in a video.

Which piece was your favourite? Mine is probably the Neko piece :D

Nikki :)

New San-X Characters!

San-X has introduced four new characters to its lineup!

First is this little Shiba Inu.. He's like a little grandpa with a broom..

Next is a samurai cat munching on a banana/fish?

Here's a weird one.. Pudding aliens versus jelly animals??? Oh my!

Last is this poor bear who is bored of the zoo.. It looks like he is running away on his bike..

I don't know how much I like these characters yet.. They all sound pretty absurd to me, maybe with the exception of the Shiba Inu one!

Can't wait to see what merchandise San-X will come up with for these new characters!

In the meantime, here are some time-limited wallpapers for the new characters!

What do you think of these new characters? Will they win over my heart from Rilakkuma and Sumikko Gurashi??? *grins*

Nikki :)

February Calendar!

It's time for a new monthly calendar!

Here's a super cute Sentimental Circus calendar for February!

There is not one but TWO Shappo characters! Is the other one new? Hmm..

The images are from the new Starlight Dream series.. Love how their umbrellas are actually star constellations!

This series is becoming one of my favourites! So dreamy!

Happy February!

Nikki :)

Sumikko Gurashi House Series!

New Sumikko Gurashi house series!

I'm not sure of the exact name but it seems like they are all lounging in a little house!

Look at all the cute merchandise!

I love the little figures, the plushies and the memo pads!

What about you?

Kawaii cookies!

I spent my Sunday making kawaii clay cookies!

I haven't done clay in a very very very long time!!! Need to practice my skills :)

What do you think? Will they look good as earrings or a necklace or a ring?

Nikki

Christmas in January!?

I know it's way past Christmas but I just uploaded a resin update featuring my Christmas pieces!

I am quite pleased with all the stuff I made, especially the gingerbread men and snowmen! :)

Nikki :)

San-X website makeover!

San-X's website just got a makeover!

The former version was more cluttered, and icons and links were all over the place.

I must say, the new version is a lot more organized, but slightly less visually aesthetic!

It is also super cool that they now have an online shop! I have not fully investigated if they ship internationally, since everything is still in Japanese. But if they do ship outside of Japan........ TAKE MY MONEY! (Edit: Sadly, they do not ship overseas at the moment.)

*just kidding*

You know i'm not.

It will definitely take me some time to adjust to the new layout!

Just clicking around a few links has made me realize they need an English editor! PLEASE HIRE ME. I will fix all your typos and grammatical errors in exchange for Sumikkogurashi goods!

*not kidding this time*

Nikki :)

Craft storage!

Today I got some storage bins to organize my crafting stuff! More organization to be done!!!

Damage: $17 ($4 for the 4-pack, $6 each for two big ones)

How do you store your craft supplies?

Nikki :)

January Calendar!

This cute Kutusita Nyanko calendar for January is so adorable!!!

This year, I want to get into planners and stationery! If only I have a colour printer... hehehehe :)

What do you want to accomplish in the new year?

Nikki :)

Boxing Day Haul 2014

BOXING DAY HAUL!

I got the gingerbread house ($5), measuring cups ($3) and measuring spoons ($2) from Superstore!

The rest were from Michaels :)

The paper pad was $5, the candy molds, candy melts, baking cups were all $1 each, and the Hello Kitty plushies were $3 each!

I LOVE SALES AFTER CHRISTMAS!!!

Total damage: Under $30! :D

Nikki :)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Rilakkuma!!! It's the year of the sheep/goat/ram!

What would you like to see on this blog?

I'm planning to post more on San-X merchandise, every day crafting and my Youtube videos!

Cheers!

Nikki :)