Hand Painted Cup with Gnomes and Mushrooms

Yesterday I finally got around to painting a coffee cup with gnomes, mushrooms and flowers. I had been thinking about doing this for quite a while, but have never sat down and actually done it. So here it is. I am planning on selling it as part of a shaving kit, along with my cold process shaving soap and a red shaving brush, which might have white polka dots. I still have to test the cup, respectively the durability of the paint before I list it in my etsy store, because I do not want to sell any inferior products. The paint I purchased said that once cured, it would be dishwasher safe, but I find that hard to believe. I think the best way to handle the cup is to handwash it.
I am currently obsessed with gnomes, so if this paint meets my expectations, there will be many more cups featuring gnomes and other fairy folk.

New Thrifting Find, A beautiful Noritake Tea Set

I am quite excited to have found this beautiful Noritake tea set. It was made in Japan and the pattern is just called #5455. This pattern was discontinued in 1955 and seems to be hard to find. I was almost tempted to keep it for myself, but the box in which I store the items I want to keep is getting quite full and I have made the resolution that once it is full and I want to keep something else, an item from the box has to go to make space for a new one. (I think I have been watching too many episodes of "Hoarders" and it has scared me. Plus I am really more of a coffee person anyway.
So if you are interested in the set, it is for sale in my Etsy store

Resin Shaving Brush Handles Part Two

I did another casting of the shaving brush handle and it did not turn out either. This time I added more catalyst. The casting turned out hard, but very bumpy and unveven. It could be the mold release I put on the mold. So now on to part III of adventures in resin casting. Maybe three really is a charm?!
It better, because I am getting quite frustrated and the entire house reeks from the resin.

Resin Shaving Brush Handles

After a few failures, I finally succeeded in making a flexible mold for my shaving brush handles. The mold turned out nicely, showing all the fine details. So yesterday, I went and purchased casting resin, and cast my very first shaving brush handle. I followed the instructions closely, making sure that I used the recommended ratio of resin and catalyst. unfortunately, when I unmolded it this morning, after 18 hours of curing, the surface of the cast was so sticky, that it pulled resin strings. I don't understand what happened, and I am quite discouraged by the results and not just a little disappointed, especially since I can see the details cast very nicely. I guess I could try and clean out the now sticky, coated with uncured resin, mold and cast another piece, this time with more than the recommended amount of catalyst. It would have been such a nice piece! On the more positive side, I tried to achieve the look of ivory and succeeded and all the details are beautiful, so all I need to figure out is how to cast it without it being sticky.
In the photo you can see how sticky it is. With a little imagination, one can see the similarity to ivory. I had planned on applying a patina with a dark brown glaze to highlight the flowers and give it a more authentic ivory look. Well, hopefully the second time around will work.

New women's shaving items

A few weeks ago, I was semi-ranting about women not having enough choice in shaving products. Well, I have been working diligently to remedy this. Below you will see pictures of 2 new shaving kits, specifically for women. I hade made 3, but already sold one with a pink shaving brush. One of them (the silver one) is available for purchase in my Etsy store. The other one will be listed for sale soon. I am also making a gold, a baby pink and a medium blue brush. They are almost done and will also be for sale soon. The third picture is a cup I adorned with polymer clay flowers, to give it that feel of the expensive antique ornate porcelain cups. The fimo is triple sealed and securely adhered to the cup.
I have also made a prototype for a resin handle I want to cast and tried to make a mold out of plaster, but miserably failed. Back to the drafting table!

Pictures of Thrift Store Finds

As promised, here are some pictures of the latest finds. Unfortunately while cleaning and inspecting the dragonware tea set, I discovered that one of the saucers had been repaired. So now I will sell the set with 4 cups and saucers, instead of 6, because I think that if I sold it with 5 it would seem incomplete?!

Exciting Thrift Store Finds

On Saturdays, I usually do laundry and clean the house in the morning. This Saturday, I really did not feel like it at all and when my friend Judy texted me and asked me if I wanted to go thrifing, I was happy to be able to escape my chores.
And it was a good thing I went, because I found the most beautiful teaset. It is a dragonware tea set, with a geisha lithophane on the bottom of each cup. The set has 6 cups and saucers, one tea pot, one creamer, one sugar bowl, and six luncheon plates and so far all of them seem to be in great condition.
I will give them a closer examination tomorrow, and I will also take some pictures and post them.
I also found 3 Royal Halsey tea cups in equally great condition. Pictures coming soon, too. Boosted by my success yesterday, I decided to stop by our nearest Savers today, and found 4 Otagiri goblets in the Horizon pattern, one Otagiri sugar bowl in the Mariner pattern and a porcelain cameo, depicting a couple. The front says Fragonart, and the back says "made in France, Limoges". A very nice piece, too.
In the coming weeks I will go through all my thrift store finds and start listing them in my Etsy store. I have accumulated boxes full of treasures and it is getting harder to part with them every day. If this keeps up, I will be one of the people in the television series Hoarders! I have a bunch of boxes in our bedroom, which is really not where they belong. I need to get the stuff out of the house and into my studio, which is a 500 square foot pool house. I have already partially built my office area, but then had to quit because of my arm surgery. I feel good enough to do at least some minor woodworking to at least finish the desk and shelves. I probably shouldn't, but I need to focus my energy on something other than thrifting, or we will be buried alive.
I also would like to build a 5 foot wide pantry area with wire shelves in the kitchen area, so I have a designated and larger space to cure my soaps. Let's hope my arm is up to it.
Well, enough for today. I have to get some rest, because I made myself tired with all that work I was talking about.
Like I said, pictures of my finds will be posted within the next couple days.

Honey Mint Soap

My Honey Mint soap is finally ready to sell. I will list it in my Etsy store within the next few days. I still have to take pictures, etc.

Women's Shaving Brushes

Today I finished the prototype or original for the resin shaving brush handles I am going to create. I used polymer clay and embellished the base with flowers and leaves. I was trying to create a look similar to handcarved wood or ivory. Tomorrow I will build the mold and then try and cast my very first shaving brush handle. IF it turns out the way I envisioned it, I will be able to cast handles in many different colors, based on the availability of resin colorants.
I will post a picture of the finished product soon.

Thrifting Finds

As promised here is a photo of most of the items I found while thrifing this past weekend

Starting at the front left: a bone china cup without handles. (It has undecipherable Japanese or Chinese characters as a pottery mark). Next, a cute floral design cup, made in Japan, three (3) porcelain spice jars, featuring the blue onion pattern. Even though, these don't have any pottery mark or identifying mark, they are almost certainly made in Germany, as the writing on the lids, Kümmel, Curry, Nelken (caraway, curry, cloves) is in German. I will not put these up for sale in my Etsy store, until I can find out some more info on them. Next to them, 2 vintage Trader Vics salt and pepper shakers, an Otagiri, Japan, large mug/stein featuring an embossed sea gull/ beach scene, a Royal Sealy sugar jar, featuring a pink and yellow rose design and lastly a footed, cup without handles with a pink rose and border and gold plated rim, without a pottery mark.
Most of these items will get listed in the near future in my Etsy store.