Casting Resin

18 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment

by Amy Byrne in Blogging, Crafting Tags: , , ,

I pulled out my resin casting supplies to make some steampunk pins that I hope to sell. I decided to use the stinky stuff in the metal tin where you add a small amount of hardener instead of the odorless kind because it seems to set up better. I’m feeling a little loopy from the fumes!

When I cast resin I like to create three layers. The first is the basic layer on which the parts will rest. The second is poured after I lay down my pieces, and the last is to close it all in. The first and second layers are always clear, while I’ll sometimes color the third layer. Amber is my favorite third layer color for steampunk pieces.

I also tried out Dimensional Magic by Mod Podge. It seems to be similar to a resin product, only there’s no mixing, no smell, and it’s an easy applicator. I’m still waiting for it to harden. I didn’t read the directions thoroughly and shook it quite vigorously. Mistake! I had several air bubbles that were hard to get out (they wouldn’t pop with a pin).

The first few pictures are the steampunk pins I’m making. I love sifting through all of my spare watch parts to find the right pieces then matching those up with bits of wire. I’m also partial to the oval mold because I think it gives the finished piece a more classy look.

The last picture is the projects I’m making with the Dimensional Magic. I picked up the jewelry parts at Hobby Lobby, and they were quite inexpensive.

I again typed this post out only iPhone, which is quite handy. I don’t have to mess with uploading photos to my computer.

Works in Progress

17 Aug 2010 1 Comment

by Amy Byrne in Blogging, Embroidery Tags: , ,

With the Craft Assassins’ World Headquarters finally set up after the move, Todd and I decided we needed to get crafty and have a Stitchin’ Night. Here’s what we’re working on. The first picture is what I’m doing. I’m embroidering it on a white cotton cardigan. The second is Todd’s. He especially likes it because of the bartending look. This is also the first time I’ve written a complete blog post on my iPhone. It was okay except I list all the text on accident.

It’s Martini Time

06 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment

by Amy Byrne in Blogging, Night Out Tags: , ,

For the second year in a row, Mosaic held a fundraiser and martini competition.  This year they called it Mosaic at Midnight, and it was held Thursday, August 5th.  Todd competed last year and won Judges Choice Best Martini for his Chocolate Covered Raspberry with a Sprig of Mint Martini.  This year he entered an original creation called the Caramel Apple Explosion.  He made a sour apple martini, then took it up a notch by adding a caramel rim and sour apple Pop Rocks.  I helped Todd by adding the caramel and Pop Rocks.  He didn’t win this year, but his drink was fabulous, and a lot of people liked it.

Todd Before the Masses Hit

Todd and Amy

Linda with Todd's Martini

Mel and Gary with Todd's Martini

Caramel Apple Explosion

All of the Ingredients

Making Our House a Home

04 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment

by Amy Byrne in Blogging, Family, Gardening, Pets Tags: , , , , ,

One of the things I missed, upon first moving to our new place in Naperville, was my balcony at the Windsor.  Except for the noise from the traffic, it was an awesome outdoor space.  We had lots of plants, flower, herbs, lights, candles, and we were even trying our hand at growing a tomato plant.  At our new place we have a patio with a patch of dirt in the front where you can see that a bush was chopped down.  It wasn’t very inviting.  Until this past weekend when we got our hands dirty!

Embroidery and Tattoos

04 Aug 2010 4 Comments

by Amy Byrne in Blogging, Embroidery, Tattoo Tags: , , , ,

As a part of moving from Rockford to Naperville, Todd and I needed to get rid of a bunch of stuff.  One of the things we didn’t want to move was a sweet stereo system with Infinity speakers that had been my dad’s in the early 1990s.  In a barter system-like trade, my friend Ryein of Sacred Art Tattoos took it in exchange for giving me a new tattoo.  He was kind enough to also do a cover up tattoo on Todd of an awful tribal tattoo that he had.  Todd’s tattoo is in honor of his grandmother (the rose) and his profession.

Todd was so touched by Ryein’s generosity that he stitched up a shirt for him that all the guys and gal at Sacred Art now want.  Once we get settled in, Todd and I will be very busy stitching.  I’m getting my tattoo by Ryein when I’m back in Rockford on September 25th.  It’s going to be of a garden gnome pinup girl who’s doing embroidery.  I’m thinking about going “below the elbow” and getting it placed on my left inner forearm.  If society was a little kinder to we tattooed folks, there’d be no question that I’d do it.  I’m very conflicted about what to do.  An alternate spot would be the back of my right upper arm, but then it would be like I was hiding it.  I’m quite proud of my tattoos (except the stupid butterfly on my shoulder).

Last Call by Ryein Rawhoof

Sugar skull pattern found here.  Stitched on a Dickie’s work shirt we got at Meijer.

Goodbye Rockford, Hello Naperville!

27 Jul 2010 1 Comment

by Amy Byrne in Blogging, Night Out Tags: , ,

The Big Move is done. Todd, Karma, Mina, Zuzu, and I are official residents of Naperville, IL! My job at the library is better than I could have ever imagined. Everyone is so nice, and not in that, “You’re new, so we’re being nice to you” way. They are genuinely nice people.  The department I manage runs so smoothly, and, coming from where I did, it’s so refreshing to work with people who are solely interested in making things work.  And the technology! We’re using SharePoint and Office Communicator.  I had a video conference with the two other managers in my position who are located at other libraries via webcam today!  And what I think matters.  People ask my opinion, and it’s respected.  Todd was offered a job at the new Kuma’s that opened in Naperville a couple of weeks ago, but the owner has been a little slow in getting back to him. So, for now, I’m his Sugar Momma, and I’m happy to do so.  I want him to love whatever job he gets as much as I love mine.

Last Friday, July 23rd was our Going Away party at Kryptonite Bar.  It was a really great party, and we were happy that so many of our friends came out to wish us well.  Below are some pictures from that night!

Vegetarian Deer Head

22 Jun 2010 1 Comment

by Amy Byrne in Embroidery, Family, Gifts Tags: , , , , , , ,

For X-mas last year, I stitched what I like to call a, “Vegetarian Deer Head” for Todd’s Grandpa.  You see, Grandpa was a hunter who didn’t have any deer heads of his own hanging on the wall.  I thought I’d give him a gentler version of the traditional deer head by stitching one up onto some nice linen using Sublime Stitching’s Forest Friends patterns.  I then encased it in a shadow box I got at Michael’s.  Todd and I went down to Oregon last week (So I could visit the court house where I had to pay a speeding ticket – first one on my record in the 25 years I’ve been driving.  I’m usually a very good driver.), so we stopped off at his dad’s house (where Grandpa now lives) to drop off Todd’s Dad’s Father’s Day present, visit Mira (their adorable new dog), and get a picture of the deer head.  We got a side surprise because Uncle Don was there, so we visited with him, too.

Vegetarian Deer Head

Vegetarian Deer Head Close Up

Mira (Short for Miracle)

Todd and Mira

What We’re Working On

11 Jun 2010 1 Comment

by Amy Byrne in Blogging, Crafting, Summerfield Zoo Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Your Craft Assassins are hard at work making all kinds of crafty goodness!  Summerfield Zoo in Belvidere, IL, which you know we’re CRAZY about, checked out our website and really liked what they saw.  They asked if we’d make some stuff to sell in their gift shop, and we said, “Heck Yeah!”  Amy’s been hard at work casting resin to make bottle cap magnets that feature the animals at the Zoo.  Todd helped to spray paint the bottle caps he’s been collecting at work for a project just like this, then Amy re-sized and printed out pictures of the animals at Summerfield.  So far, we’re working with 26 different images!  After sealing the paper, she punched the pictures out using a 1″ hole punch, hot glued them inside the bottle caps, then poured resin inside.  Once the resin is dry, we’ll hot glue magnets to the back.  We’re not sure how we’ll package these, but we’ll probably put 5 or 6 together, and kids (and adults) can “collect” the whole set.  As we get pictures of more animals, we’ll be able to add more magnets.

Three Sets of 26 Magnets

Amy’s also been working on more steampunk resin pins, rings, necklaces.  Right now everything is cast in resin, and we’ll have to wait for it to harden before attaching them to pin backs, rings, and chains.  We were very excited to pick up a TON of watch parts and watch movements from Sim’s Jewelers and Pawnshop the other day.  We got all of this stuff for $22!

LOTS of Watch Parts

Here are the things we’re waiting to harden:

Colorful Resin

Steampunk in Resin

More Steampunk in Resin

We’re pretty discombobulated right now, and our apartment is a MESS!  Craft Assassins World Headquarters did not have enough room for all of these projects, so we had to move to the kitchen island, too.

Messy Desktop

Another thing Amy’s been working on are more Graffiti Rose Hair Clips.  While the red with black trim ones are pretty nice looking, she wanted to try some more colors.  Please note that I took these with my cheapo point and shoot camera instead of my fancy camera…the colors do not revel how awesome they are.  Once they’re finished, you’ll be able to see how cool they are!

Blues, Purples, and Pinks with Blue and Black Edging

Purples, Pinks, and Blues with Silver and Black Edging

Reds, Pinks, and Oranges with White and Black Edging

And last, but not least, I’m trying to make spray painting on glass work.  Todd’s mom Barb and step-dad Sam recently came for a visit from the Land of Yuengling (Pennsylvania).  You can’t buy Yuengling here, so when Barb and Sam visit, Todd gets a treat.  According to Todd, Yuengling is the BEST beer he has ever tasted.  So, this last visit they brought two cases.  Todd’s been drinking them and sharing them with friends, and the empty bottles have been put back into the cases.  I had a bright idea for a single flower vase.  I took some contact paper, cut out a squiggly shape, adhered it to the bottle, then spray painted.  Uh…didn’t work.  The paint ran.  So then I took my Crafty Chica white paint and painted two coats on, then spray painted.  It probably would have worked if I had waited long enough between coats, which I’ll do in the future.

Yuengling Vase

The picture makes it look good, but, believe me, it’s crummy.  I think my idea is solid, but I need to have more patience and let each coat of paint dry before moving on.

So, that’s what we’ve been up to!  After I post this I’m going to find line drawings of the animals that are at Summerfield Zoo so that Todd and I can stitch them onto tea towels.  As a reminder, Summerfield Zoo is open this Saturday and Sunday!

Todd Saved a Hawk!

11 Jun 2010 2 Comments

by Amy Byrne in Blogging Tags: , ,

Last night, Wednesday, June 9th, while tending bar at Kryptonite Bar in downtown Rockford, Todd was outside having a cigarette, talking with his customers when he saw a Red Tailed Hawk fly into a window of a building across the street and take a nose dive to the ground.  He watched as the hawk attempted to take flight but was unable to do so.  Like me, Todd is a BIG animal lover, and he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself if he didn’t do something.

Todd decided to take action and capture the hawk so that it wouldn’t get further injured.  A bar patron, Jim Canfield, gave him his button down shirt, and Todd followed the hawk for a bit before throwing the shirt over it and picking it up.  He then held the hawk in his arms for over an hour while he and another bar patron, Chris Johnson, called animal services and 911.  At about 2:25 am, a Winnebago County Animal Services worker came to get the hawk.  All this time, Todd cradled it in his arms as if it was our puppy, Zuzu.  The hawk didn’t make a peep the whole time Todd held it.  It was when Todd was in the process of getting the shirt off of the hawk and putting it into the cage the animal services worker brought that the hawk became unhappy and tried to bite his arm.

The animal control worker reported that he would take the hawk out to Rock Cut State Park to see if it was able to fly again.  If not, he would make sure it got to a hawk rehab center in the area.

Todd reported that this was a once in a lifetime experience, and he was in total awe the whole time that he was actually holding a Red Tailed Hawk in his arms.

Kudos most especially to Todd for having the wherewithal and courage to help a wild animal in need.  Thanks also go out to the people at Kryptonite who helped out, the 911 operator who told him who he needed to contact, and the Winnebago Animal Services worker who more than likely got out of his bed to help this wild animal in need.

Todd Henderson with the Red Tailed Hawk He Rescued

Sunday at Summerfield Zoo

07 Jun 2010 2 Comments

by Amy Byrne in Embroidery Tags: , , ,

Northern Illinois has a gem of a zoo hidden amongst the cornfields of Belvidere called Summerfield Farms and Zoo.  Since discovering it last year, Todd and I have tried not to miss a weekend that they’ve been open, and we sometimes go both Saturday and Sunday to visit with the animals.  Our favorites are the Vervet monkeys Peanut and Lily.  Last year a very kind volunteer at Summerfield named Sandy took pity on my love of monkeys (after seeing my chimpanzee tattoo), and took me over a couple of times to feed Peanut some dandelion leaves.

Summerfield Zoo is a not for profit organization. As a small zoo, they specialize in providing a personal and up close animal experience. Summerfield Zoo has been in operation since 1990. There are a variety of exotic animals, some of which I captured in pictures below. Here’s a short list of what you’ll see on your visit: Mountain Lions, a Zebra, Ring Tailed Lemurs (one just had a baby!), Reindeer (another baby!), Miniature Donkeys, award winning horses, Arctic Wolves, Giant Tortoises, Kinkajous, Coatimundi, Large Spotted Genets, Servals, Bobcats, Goats, Foxes, Wallabies, and more!

Here are pictures from this year and last year of the wonderful animals you can see at Sumerfield Zoo.

If you want to see some videos, you can go to our YouTube page.

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