Once upon a time not that long ago, I was tasked to make a koi toy (hehe, that's fun to say) So as I always do when starting I project I ran to the pinterest to begin searching out my target so that I might better complete said task.
Whilst strolling through the many and varied selections, I stumbled upon many a painting of koi in ponds, with all the layers shown, rock, fish, and lilies such as this:
These lovely paintings gave me an idea and I ran with it over the hills and through the woods to grandmother's house and back again and the craft store four times due to epic fails...
But before the fails, there was success. For this wasn't any fail, this was a last minute destruction of hours of hard work.
It started like this:
That's a bit of needle felting, various counters, beads and seeds sandwiched between two layers of fabric and stitched in place.
Then it became this:
With a bit of paint and a ruined pair of pants (I never think to change into already messy clothes before I do messy things)
Then after wetting and separating a million strands of floss, stitching them into place, finding and washing twigs and pouring the first thin layer of resin, it became this:
I was super excited and cocky at this point and had also finished the fishes whilst waiting on the resin to set. I added another thicker layer and when it was almost set, added the first fish:
Can you tell that I was expecting this to go well?
I poured another layer over the fish to anchor it in and give more depth between it and the rest of the fish I had made:
He looked so cute and shiny his home, I'm glad he didn't know what was coming.
Between these layers there was a visible line, it was mostly air bubbles that had come to the surface of the previous layer and not popped. I couldn't see them before I added the second layer or I would have figured out how to fix it first (I learned afterwards that a good sanding wouldn't have been a bad idea). So after seeing this I decided I would add the rest of the resin as one thick layer so as not to have a bunch of tiny stripes mucking up visibility.
Big fucking mistake. At this point I'll take a step back and mention I was using acrylic water from walmart, another big mistake. Well to make the last layer I had to mix two packages...in case it isn't obvious I have never used resin before this. One of the packages was old. When I mixed them and poured them I filled the boxes and went and hopped in the shower disgustingly pleased with myself.
I came back to this:
see the lines in between layers? Ain't that fucking special?
the resin super-heated and literally boiled the fish up off the bottom of the layer to the surface. Not to mention cause swirly, bubbly gaps everywhere
It's been sitting for over a week and it's still squishy to the touch.
So absolutely crushed, and with the intended recipient on her way home from vacation that day, I decided to start over. I went to the store bought another awesome box and new, expensive resin. I bought a glass measuring cup and wooden stir sticks too, I was going to get this right this time.
Box one, I bring home I paint. I make a new bottom, new grass, start new fish. Wanting to make sure I didn't ruin another bottom, I poured a bit orf resin into the recessed windows. I thought it would be good way to see how the resin would set and not get in the way of the bottom fitting. So I mix and I pour and it turns green. I was so mad I threw out with a shriek of frustration.
I hop in the car, get a new box and start again, this time no paint thinking that was the problem. So I pour a light layer to coat the windows and when it sets it looks like frost...well maybe I had mixed it wrong or there was a reaction with the glue I used to keep the resin from seeping out.
So back to the store, and home again with a new box. Try again, mix everything very precisely, pour a slightly thicker layer thinking maybe it just set too quick. Nope, failed again, this time it looked like thick water drops on glass and had a yellow tint to it (so did the second but I had assumed that was the glue, which I left off this time)
So at this point I said fuck the box, I'm done spending money. I dig around my stash of awesome things and find an empty snow globe with a wooden base. I decided to change up the idea a bit and just use that. Thankfully I had the foresight to try the resin before I started making anything to fit this piece. I again mixed perfectly, and poured into the clean glass dome.
It set yellow, lumpy and cloudy. At this point I decided it was the resin, it was old (don't know if it was just decided to believe it for my sanity). I took it back and got my money out of it thankfully.
So after all that I gave up...sort of. I still had some fish, the rocky pond bottom, and goddamn it I was going to make something awesome with them...just no resin...possibly ever again.
And now I am happy, and soon it will go to it's home with it's new owner...that's right I did all that just to give the thing away for because.
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