Why my Resin Jewellery Makes the Best Presents for Mother’s Day

/ Lifestyle / 25 Comments

When I decided to start my plumbing blog, The Plumbette, I had grand ideas of upcycling old tapware and turning them into jewellery. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it, but I looked at different ways of setting flat washers into bangles through the use of resin.

I did a google search on resin jewellery making classes and booked myself in. I loved the class and enjoyed a new creative outlet. I started making my own bangles and rings as the course included products and materials to make my own jewellery at home.

I got to work and enjoyed the process of mixing colours to create a different variety of bangles in many shades. Once a bangle or ring was made, I’d get Jacob to trim off the edges and sand them down for me. I still find making jewellery fun, but these days rarely have time to enjoy my hobby.

square resin bangles

Just some of the square bangles I have made and sold

What was a hobby turned in a mini side business as family and friends requested I make some jewellery for them and so I started to make items to sell on Made It. It was a lot of fun and I loved when I got a sale.

These days, I have my excess stock sitting in my market box ready to take to a market should I ever feel the need to sell my jewellery.

square resin jewellery

What it looks like wearing 3 bangles stacked together

With Mother’s Day coming up, I thought now would be the perfect time to sell the stock that I didn’t get round to selling.

With the increase of cheap jewellery outlets like Colette Hayman and fashion stores offering their own collection, sometimes it can be hard to charge a lot for my handmade jewellery. It’s sadly an issue all artists face when creating a product. I’ve always sold my resin jewellery well under what I should charge to meet the market. It can take a couple of hours to make each piece and some bangles require a curing time of 24 hours before they are ready to be taken out of the mould and sanded back.

Any excess resin I usually pour into fondant moulds which I then turn into earrings.

The way to determine if a resin product has been handmade is to find a white dot on the piece and bubbles. This is proof that the resin has been poured into a mould and hasn’t been mass manufactured.

I love all the pieces I make and enjoy when I get told that the item is going to someone as a gift.

Mother’s Day is the perfect time to purchase a handmade item for mum. You may even make a sneaky purchase for yourself as a way to celebrate the good job you’ve done over the past year.

Either way, I’m sharing all my pieces below hoping that they can find new owners and I hope to eventually experiment with my craft and make more fun pieces. I find the process very therapeutic.

If you would like to purchase anything in the collages below, leave a comment with which letter or number you would like. Postage is $8.65 and each piece can be gift wrapped if you’d like. I also combine postage if traveling to the one destination. These can only be shipped within Australia.

Once you’ve chosen your pieces I will send an invoice through paypal where you can have the option to pay with your credit card.

Pineapple Stud Earrings with stainless steel backs – $10 each

pineapple earrings

Rose Stud Earrings with stainless steel backs – $10 each

rose resin earrings

Chrysanthemum Stud Earrings with stainless steel backs – $10 each

chrysanthemum earrings

Rings – One Size Fits All – $10 each

resin rings

Square Bangles – inner diameter 6.7cm – $18 each or 3 for $45

square bangles

Hexagonal Round Bangles – inner diameter of 7cm – $20 each or 3 for $50.

hexagonal round bangles

Oval Bangles – widest inner diameter is 7.5cm  $20 each

oval resin bangles

Do you have a hobby that you’ve turned into a side business? Ever wanted to learn how to make your own resin jewellery?

Blue, Black & White – A Winning Combination for Autumn 2016

/ Fashion / 8 Comments

Last Friday night I held an essential oil class at my house and invited a few friends over. As each friend rocked up, we all noticed we were wearing nearly the exact same outfit. I couldn’t believe the similarities. What are the chances of everyone rocking up with the same outfit? My mum offered to take our picture as proof that we all dressed alike on the night.

blue black and white a winning combo

Such a strange thing to happen, yet proof that the classic blue/chambray shirt, white tee and black jean combo is a colour trio that is popular this season and is suitable for smart-casual occasions.

Denim and chambray shirts and dresses seem to be everywhere at the moment. Nikki from Styling You shared 7 ways to wear a denim shirt this season which has put this style of shirt on my to buy list when money is available.

A dark denim dress is also on my list as well as a new pair of indigo skinny jeans as my jeans from last year are too big and are sagging in the wrong places.

Speaking of Nikki and denim dresses, I attended the Katies VIP Night where Nikki shared tips on what to add to our winter wardrobes. Denim dresses and shirts are the pieces to add as they can be worn now and layered when the weather turns cool – if it will ever turn cool in Brisbane!

Nikki Styling You and Katies 2016
Of course, Nikki warned we shouldn’t buy anything unless we’d gone through our wardrobe to check what we already owned.

Nikki Styling You Katies Event

I haven’t done a stocktake on my winter wardrobe because I’m still living in my summer clothes. Who knows when the weather will change so I can start to wear some layers.

Despite going to the event with not a clue on what I needed to buy (and resorting to not buy too much like last time), I ended up buying a black longline cardigan and scarf. You can never have too many scarves and the one I bought is unlike any that I own. I also know that I will get a lot of wear out of the black cardigan. As a result of my purchases I ended up getting a ¾ sleeve tee for free. It really pays to attend a styling event because you get armed with information to help you make good fashion choices for the coming season and usually the sales on the night mean the money spent is minimal. I had a $20 voucher that I received last time I attended Nikki’s event which I used and my purchases came to $44. Winning!

what I got from katies

What I got from Katies from left to right: Textured Stripe Scarf $24.95, Black Ribbed Longline Cardigan $59.95, 3/4 Sleeve Ribbed Top $19.95

This weekend, I will be going through my wardrobe again. I’ve found that since walking Esther to school, my shape is changing – I’m getting my waist back and the front belly is s-l-o-w-l-y starting to disappear.

It’s been harder to lose weight after having Phoebe. I’m an emotional eater. If the day is going pear shaped because I’m breaking up fights or getting frustrated with toddler behavior, I head to the pantry and eat chocolate.

It’s all in the mindset and being organized with my food, but I get a bit lazy with my food choices. At least I’m not putting weight on…

What have you bought lately? Do you need new jeans? What do you do to manage your weight through winter?

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this post. Should you choose to purchase an item, I will receive a small commission at not extra cost to you.

Chambray Shirt Dress – The Denim That Won’t Make You Sweat

/ Fashion / 4 Comments

Today’s outfit is gifted. Not gifted from a shop or brand, but gifted from my mum on a recent shop to Blue Illusion.

My mum is a huge fan of Blue Illusion and we can never go to Garden City Shopping Centre or the airport without visiting a Blue Illusion store.

I never say no to a window shop because I love how the store is always styled and occasionally I will really like something and my mum will offer to buy it for me for my Birthday. Which is in July.

On a recent shopping trip a couple of months ago, I saw this Chambray Shirt Dress and knew it would be the perfect dress to wear in autumn and during our mild winters layered with a scarf and sleeveless duster.

Blue Illusion Chambray Dress

Blue Illusion Chambray Shirt Dress on sale $84.99

I took the dress down to Sydney recently and wore it with a stripe scarf from Sussan and my silver Sophie shoes from Frankie 4 Footware. I forgot to get a picture of my outfit, but here it is relived for today’s post.

chambray shirt dress

chambray shirt dress

In true VIP fashion, when my mum bought the dress, if she spent an extra $50, she would get a voucher for the next time she shopped. So I was chastised to find something for $50 so my mum could get her voucher. I found a scarf.

Not typically a scarf I would have bought straight away from the rack, it was the best that was available. Sadly, the scarf brought us $2 short so a hand cream was added to the sale. Crisis diverted, I got a new outfit and mum got her voucher. It was a successful shop.

gifted blue illusion dress styled by bec

All styles of denim and chambray have been trending over summer and longer sleeved versions of dresses and shirts have arrived for autumn and winter. This chambray dress is on sale, and I’ve found some other styles online to accommodate all budgets.

chambray shirt dressesTop Left hand corner going clockwise: ASOS Somedays Lovin Undercover Indigo Chambray Dress $57, Eleni Elasticised Shirt Dress $49.98, Mix Apparel Chambray Popover Dress $29, Elm Indigo Shift Dress $129

When was the last time you were gifted clothes? Added any chambray to your wardrobe lately? Seems I’m addicted to it because I’ve written about it here, here and here.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this post. Should you choose to purchase an item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

 

5 Neck Accessories You Should Try This Autumn 2016

/ Fashion / 27 Comments

The way I view fashion has started to change this year. I’ve always been attracted to bright and unusual patterns throughout all seasons of the year, but after taking an outfit photo consistently each day since Phoebe’s birth for #everydaystyle, I’ve noticed which outfits I feel happiest in and suit me really well. Wearing neutrals and classic outfits make me feel the most comfortable and stylish in. It means my winter wardrobe has been viewed in a new and different light.

Anyway, one classic outfit that I love is the simple white shirt, with skinny jeans and ankle boots. It’s the easiest trans-seasonal outfit to put together, and it’s a classic that everyone should own. But how do you make it your own without feeling like you blend in the crowd? Here’s where accessories come into play and I’m going to share 5 neck accessories you should adopt this season.

neck accessories

1. The Hair Tie Head Band. I bought my one and only headband hair tie from Behr & Co who no longer make these hair ties, but you can find them on Etsy or Top Knot Girl. You need to a buy a band that can be tied at the ends, not an infinity style headband. I wore mine as a neck tie on Easter Sunday with my white shirt. They way to tie it is to simply cross it over – as if you’re tying a shoe lace. Let the ends drape down casually.

Hair Tie neck accessory

 

hair tie neck accessory

2. The Neck Tie. My husband is overflowing with ties that he doesn’t always wear. If you want an edgy look, raid your partner’s wardrobe and tie it loosely around your neck. They same tying principle as the hair tie above.

necktie

3. The Scarf. One of my favourite ways to dress up a classic outfit. The best scarves to use are the soft, long length, drape type scarves. Wear it loosely, or tie it in a loose knot and leave the knot dangle near your chest.

scarf with white shirt

4. Layered necklaces. It pays to have a good accessory collection to create this look – and make sure your layered necklaces don’t weigh a tonne because you will have a sore neck afterwards. Whether you choose delicate jewellery or bright beads, the bolder the better.

layered necklace look

5. Bow Tie. This is a punk style look so it may not be for everyone, but this look is guaranteed to help you stand out from the crowd. The bow tie is usually kept for special occasions and rarely gets worn. You can change that by wearing it with a classic white shirt.

bow tie neck accessory

Which neckties will you be trying this Autumn?

Treat Yourself This Easter With Some Winter Wardrobe Updates

/ Fashion / 17 Comments

Easter is another one of my favourite times of year where I indulge in my favourite food: Chocolate.

I find the Easter egg chocolate is moreish than a block of chocolate, even though the block of chocolate is better value. First world problems I know.

Each Easter, before Jacob and I had children, we would head to Toowoomba and go to  Easterfest – a Christian music festival. On the Saturday, we would head to the main shopping centre in Toowoomba and I would buy a few essential items for my autumn/winter wardrobe.

Easter can be a great time to stock up on some much needed items for your wardrobe. Today I thought I’d share some pieces you might like to think about investing in if you want treat yourself this Easter with some winter wardrobe updates.

easter fashion updates 2016

The long sleeve swing dress. Like the t-shirt dress, I know that a long sleeve dress will get a lot of wear and will be an easy outfit to chuck on during those mornings I need to get dressed quickly – which is usually every morning. This stripe style is currently on my radar.

The duster vest. I’ve already got one of these in my wardrobe – my mum kindly paid off a layby I had sitting at Sussan, but this is a great layering piece that will dress up a long sleeve dress or simple jeans and long sleeve shirt outfit.

Wine and Navy. These two colours are going to be popular this season. They are rich hues that can be paired back with denim and black jeans and leggings.

 

All types of denim and chambray. Denim jackets and chambray shirts and dresses are still trending in the cooler months. These pieces don’t offer a lot of warmth in winter but they can be layered and work well for warmer climates like QLD where the cool temperatures can be quite mild by the middle of the day.

 

Are there any fashion items you have your eye on for this winter?

I’m linking up with Essentially Jess.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links on this post. Should you choose to purchase an item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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