I'm back!

It's been a while since I've made a post. It's now the end of January 2026. I'm now working on making items for an upcoming craft fair at my church. I decided to do candles and resin items. I've discovered a new thing called ceramic resin (specifically Mix2Mold) and it's absolutely amazing!

I've seen other posts that mention issues with bubbles and yes, I've had those issues too. Many times. Many many times. Most of the time, the bubbles are in a spot I can sand away. Sometimes, they're not. Sometimes they're in a spot that works out fine and other times, not so much. But I make do as best I can. I like the ceramic resin because it's easy to decorate! I've made quite a few pieces such as a Virgin Mary figure, an angel figure, and another figure with an Indian maiden with a wolf.

I also use epoxy resin and that is also touch and go. I have issues with bubbles with this too. I have a warmer gun type thing that helps but I can't seem to ever make something completely bubble free. My latest project right now is making a chess/checker set. I just made one set of chess pieces and painted them with silver chrome paint and a metallic black paint on the base. The next set I make will be either gold or some shade of bronze with a black base. I have a mold for the board, but I haven't made it yet. I have molds for the checkers, but they seem to be hiding from me at the moment. I might have to invest in another set.

The candles I've been making have been done using soy wax. I haven't tried the beeswax yet, but I might someday. The wax I've been avoiding is the paraffin wax. I've read that it's not the best type to use because I think it has petroleum or something like that in it. I prefer the natural type of wax. I've had trials and errors with the scent issues in my candles. I had to do some research to see how much essential oil to use for the amount of wax I use. I've tried different molds as well. Some worked out great, others did not.

I'm also exploring making wax melts. This allows me to use scents that are not really recommended for a candle that's burned. Since wax melts just, well, melt, they're safer to use because they are not exposed to open flame. I really like that idea. So, I've also invested in some silicone molds normally used for candy making and have made some melts in various scents. I need to exercise patience, though. Sometimes I take the melts out of the molds too early and they break. I let them get solid, but I need to let them sit longer.

So, my collection of candle/melts scents is growing. So is my collection of molds. I've also invested in color chips for wax. Tried a few and they look pretty decent. Something else I may have to invest in more.

It's only been roughly a month since I started experimenting and by the time the craft fair gets here, I'm going to be totally set! I am really excited!