Blue Resin Skull — Making Time to Make Something

There’s a blue epoxy resin skull sitting on my work surface right now. The colour is mine, mixed and poured. The eye sockets hold a metallic copper tone that catches the light differently every time I move it. It’s not finished. The surface still needs work, the photo doesn’t quite capture it the way I want, and I’m not sure when I’ll get back to the last steps. That’s fine.

I made it because I wanted to. Not for a market, not for a deadline, and not because anyone asked for a resin skull. Just because the idea was there and I had a stretch of time that wasn’t already claimed by something else. That small choice is what this piece is really about.

The practical side

Epoxy resin rewards patience more than speed. For a cast like this:

- Work in thin layers if you’re building color or inclusions. Thick pours trap heat and can yellow or crack.
- Colour thoroughly before you pour. Transparent dyes and mica powders behave differently; test a small batch so you know how the shade will look once it cures.
- Keep the workspace dust-free for at least the first few hours. Once the resin starts to gel, anything that lands on the surface stays there.
- Demold only when it’s fully hard. Flexing a soft cast is the fastest way to leave fingerprints or distort the shape.
- Finish work (sanding, polishing, additional pigment) can happen later. The skull doesn’t need to be perfect the day it comes out of the mold.

None of that is complicated, but it does require showing up when the resin is ready rather than when the calendar is convenient. The same is true of most handmade things.

Why the unfinished version still counts

A lot of creative work gets abandoned because it doesn’t look like the version in our heads. The blue skull is a good reminder that the value isn’t only in the polished final object. Part of the value is in the decision to mix the resin, pour it, and let it cure while the rest of life continues. That decision says the time belonged to me for a while.

Most days are full. Work, family, errands, and the general maintenance of living leave little leftover. The leftover is usually small — an hour after dinner, a quiet morning, a stretch when no one needs anything. Those fragments are easy to spend on scrolling or nothing in particular. They’re also the only time most of us will ever have for making something that exists only because we chose it.

The skull doesn’t solve anything large. It won’t organize a week or finish a project that actually needs finishing. It does prove that a person can still decide, on an ordinary day, to turn a material into a shape that didn’t exist before. That choice is small and it is also complete.

If you have a half-finished piece sitting somewhere — resin, wood, fabric, clay, or something else — it doesn’t have to be perfect to have already done its job. The job was to claim a bit of time and use it for yourself. The rest can wait until you have another small stretch.

That’s the part worth keeping.

Pumpkins After Dark at Canada Olympic Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

KassDays headed out to Pumpkins After Dark at WinSport’s Canada Olympic Park to see what the Calgary edition looked like this year. The result is a relaxed, self-paced evening walk that delivers more atmosphere than scare.

The pathway is lined with thousands of hand-carved pumpkins—some real, many durable synthetic pieces—shaped into larger scenes and smaller details by Canadian artists. Once the lights come on, the carvings glow from within and the whole route comes alive. You’ll pass classic Halloween figures, pop-culture nods, dinosaurs, dragons, and plenty of photo-friendly setups, including an oversized pumpkin throne that practically invites you to sit down. Music and lighting effects run alongside the displays, but the tone stays family-friendly: no jump scares, no aggressive actors, just a steady glow and the occasional live pumpkin-carving demonstration.

Most people take one to two hours to wander the roughly one-kilometre route at their own speed. Food trucks offer seasonal treats, adult drinks are available, and free parking makes the logistics simple. Tickets are sold by timed entry, so booking ahead is the safer move on busier nights. The event runs on select evenings from late September through October 31.

It turned out to be a solid, photogenic night out—creative enough to hold interest, calm enough for mixed-age groups, and easy to recommend as a low-stress Halloween stop. The full walk-through is up on the KassDays YouTube channel if you want a closer look before you go.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/ntSrhH1RBlA  

More info and tickets: calgary.pumpkinsafterdark.com

Wild Horses Near Forgetmenot Pond, Kananaskis Country

Last Wednesday I was out in the Forgetmenot Pond area of Kananaskis Country when I came across a small band of wild horses. They were grazing on the open slope above the gravel bar, with the forest and the big peaks of the range behind them.

The light was clear and the horses were relaxed—one dark one standing higher on the ridge, a couple of browns lower down working the grass. It was one of those quiet Alberta fall scenes: dry grass, a few yellowing shrubs, spruce in the background, and the mountains sitting clean against the sky. I had a few frames, but this one captured the layout best.

People sometimes assume a shot like this has been cleaned up or generated, but this is straight from the camera. The horses were there, the mountains were there, and the light happened to cooperate. I stayed back, watched for a few minutes, and moved on so they could keep grazing.

If you’re heading into that part of Kananaskis, keep an eye on the open slopes and meadows near the water. The horses use the area and are often more visible in the shoulder seasons when the grass is still decent and the trails are quieter.

Safe travels if you’re out that way.

Helen

How to Scavenge Deals at a Multi-Vendor Antique Store

How to Scavenge Deals at a Multi-Vendor Antique Store (All Through the House, Okotoks)

The above video will not go live until October 28th, 2026, I pegged the wrong video, my apologies. 

All Through the House in Okotoks is a classic multi-vendor and consignment setup: a warehouse with over fifty vendors plus additional consignees. That model is great for variety, but it changes how shopping and bargaining work compared to a single-owner shop.

Can you find deals?

Yes. Because so many different people are selling (vendors, consignors, and the house itself), inventory turns over and pricing is uneven. One booth might have a realistic price on uranium glass or a jukebox; another might be higher. The yard and salvage areas often hold better value on larger or rougher pieces. Walk every aisle and the outdoor area—the denser the store, the more likely something is underpriced or overlooked.

How pricing and bargaining usually work 

Individual vendors set their own prices. Staff or the manager can often answer questions, but they may not have authority to discount someone else’s item.  

Practical approach:  

- Ask politely if the price is firm, especially on larger items, multiples, or pieces that have been sitting.  

- Bundling (buying more than one thing from the same vendor) improves your chances.  

- Unique or highly desirable pieces (rare advertising, working jukeboxes, clean uranium glass) are less flexible.  

- Don’t be aggressive. Many consignors are private individuals who have set a number they want.

Quick tips for scavenging here

- Give yourself time. The aisles are packed.  

- Check tags carefully—some items are pure consignment, others belong to resident vendors.  

- Look in the yard and hardware/salvage areas as well as the main floor.  

- If you’re serious about something, ask whether the vendor is on-site that day.

The full walkthrough that shows the density and the range of finds is here: https://youtu.be/5M4A_xTzjVY  

Location: Bldg 185, 100 Stockton Avenue (behind the Okotoks Cinemas; enter off North Railway Street). Generally open 11–5 daily.

Take your time, be respectful, and you’ll usually walk out with something.

This cute little Chameleon is also for sale, $25 OBO, he is approximately 15cm long and 4 to 5 cm high; if interested drop us a line or two. We are located in Okotoks Alberta and can meet up at a local public place. 

This Resin Art piece is make with Epoxy Resin and most of the colour comes from Mica Powder, there is some dye in the resin as well, that is where you can see some pink highlights in the tail and limbs. One of a kind unique piece. 

How I Made a 15 cm Epoxy Resin Chameleon

Mica in the mold, a purchased silicone mold, and a small paint job on the eyes

This chameleon is cast epoxy resin, about 15 cm long and 4 to 5 cm high. Not a palm-sized trinket. It sits on a shelf like a small ornament, with a curled tail, a crest along the back, and enough weight that it does not feel like a toy.

I did not sculpt it. The shape comes from a purchased silicone mold. The colour is mica powder brushed into the mold before the resin went in, so the gold, copper, and pink(the pink you see is from colour I put into the resin)the gold/copper sits in the surface rather than being mixed through the whole pour. The eyes got a second pass with a brush and a different colour so the pupil and iris read clearly against the metallic body.
 

What you need

- A chameleon (or similar) silicone mold, large enough for a piece around 15 cm
- Epoxy resin and hardener, mixed to the maker’s ratio
- Mica powder in the colours you want (I used warm metallics: gold, copper) -resin dye red
- A soft brush for the powder, and a finer brush for the eyes
- Mixing cups, stir sticks, gloves, and a level surface
- Optional: a bit of acrylic or resin-safe paint for the eye detail
 

How to cast it

1. Clean the mold and set it on a level tray. Dust and fingerprints show up in a glossy cast.
2. Brush mica into the mold, working it into the crest, the feet, the tail spiral, and the eye sockets. Heavier powder in the recesses gives deeper colour. Lighter dust on the high points keeps the metallic shift. You do not need to coat every millimetre; bare spots still take on colour from resin that picks up loose powder as you pour.
3. Mix the epoxy exactly to the stated ratio. Stir slowly, scraping the sides and bottom, until the mix is even and most of the streaks are gone. A fast stir traps bubbles. Mix in any resin colour you choose, you will only see hints of it where the mica is thinner.
4. Pour in a thin stream, starting at the lowest part of the mold and letting the resin rise. Tap the mold gently, or run a toothpick along the toes and the crest, to release trapped air. For a piece this size, a single pour is usually enough if your resin’s working time allows it.
5. Cover it so dust cannot settle, and leave it to cure for the full time on the bottle. Do not demold early. A 15 cm cast holds heat as it cures, so keep it out of a hot windowsill.
6. Once it is fully hard, flex the silicone and ease the chameleon out. Trim any thin flash along the belly or the toes with a sharp blade.
7. Touch up the eyes. A small brush and a contrasting colour — I used a different mica tone, worked into the eye — makes the red pupil and the pale iris stand out from the gold body. Let that dry or cure before you handle it much.
8. If the surface is a little dull where you sanded a seam, a thin clear coat of the same epoxy brings the gloss back. Skip that if you like the cast finish as it is.

A few things that matter on a piece this size

Mica brushed into the mold gives a stronger colour shift than mica stirred into the cup, and you use less powder. The tradeoff is that the back of the cast, the side that was open, will be paler. On this chameleon that face is the belly, so it does not show when he is sitting.

Work with a window open or a fan pulling air away from you, and wear gloves. Epoxy is a skin sensitizer. Do not pour it near food, and do not sand the cured piece without a mask.

If your mold is two-part, clamp it before you pour and expect a seam to clean up. A one-piece mold like the one I used is simpler, as long as the undercuts (toes, tail curl, crest) are flexible enough to release.

The finished chameleon is a shelf piece: about the length of a hand, high enough that the eye sits well above the surface he rests on. The curled tail and the splayed front foot are what make the size read as a decoration rather than a charm.

How to Stop Running and Actually See What Is in Front of You

Fall is the easiest season to practice this. The colour does the advertising. You still have to stop.

I took the crow on a walk. Dead branches, blue sky, a spruce still green on the right, and one black bird sitting the limb like it had the afternoon booked. It was not doing anything useful. It was watching. That is the whole picture.

The other shot is older, near Okotoks. Aspen gone yellow, one white trunk standing out in front of the stand, grass already tired, sky flat and grey. Nothing rare. Just a stand of trees on a day when I was not in a hurry.

How to do the walk

1. Leave the house without a destination that has a closing time. A loop near home is enough. River path, coulee edge, the block with the old trees.
2. Put the phone in a pocket for the first ten minutes. If you open it at the trail-head, you will spend the walk looking for a post instead of a bird.
3. Walk slower than your normal pace. Not a stroll for show. Just slow enough that a branch moves and you notice.
4. Stop when something holds. The crow did. So did the white trunk against the yellow. You do not need a rare animal. A bird that stays put is enough.
5. Look at the edges, not only the subject. Bare limbs against sky. Green spruce next to dead wood. Yellow leaves with the grass already brown underneath. The picture is usually in the contrast.
6. Then take the photo, if you still want it. One or two. Not a burst. The crow will leave if you fuss.
7. Put the phone away again and finish the loop looking.

What you are Practising

Most days the walk is transport. Parking lot to errand, errand to car. Fall gives you a reason to break that. The leaves will not stay. The crow might not be on that limb tomorrow. Neither of those facts requires a scenic viewpoint or a full afternoon.

You are not trying to collect views. You are trying to arrive in the one you are already standing in.

Near Okotoks that can be a coulee, a shelterbelt, a path along the Sheep River, or the trees at the edge of a field. Go while the yellow is still on the aspen. Mornings are quieter. Late afternoon light sits longer on the trunks.

If you only have twenty minutes, take twenty minutes. Stop once. Look at whatever is actually there — a bird, a white trunk, the way the dead branches cut the sky.

That is the how-to. The rest is just walking.

Dragon in an Egg: Pour It, Paint It, Don’t Rush It

This little dragon is one of mine. Eco resin, a mold, and a lot of paint. He is sitting in a cracked blue egg with a white, speckled interior, gold horns and wing, green-blue scales, and that slightly surprised look you get when you have just hatched and the world is too bright.

People always ask if they can do this. Yes. Buy a mold, buy eco resin, buy paint, pour, demold, paint. That is the short version. The honest version is that the pour is the easy afternoon. The part that makes it look finished is everything after that.

What you need

- A dragon-in-egg silicone mold (the kind sold for resin or soap)
- Eco resin or another two-part casting resin meant for figurines (read the label; “eco” still needs gloves and air)
- Mixing cups, stir sticks, a kitchen scale if the resin is mixed by weight
- Gloves, and a window or fan
- Fine sandpaper (around 400–800 grit)
- Acrylic paints: blues, greens, gold, a bit of brown or black for shading
- A small brush set — one tiny detail brush matters more than a fancy kit
- Optional: metallic or iridescent paint, a clear satin or gloss sealer
- Patience you did not budget for

The pour

1. Read the resin instructions once, then again. Mix ratio is not a suggestion.
2. Work on a covered table. Wear gloves.
3. Mix only what the mold needs, plus a little extra. Stir slow so you do not beat in a cloud of bubbles.
4. Pour into the mold in a thin stream. Tap the mold on the table to walk bubbles up.
5. Let it cure the full time on the bottle. Overnight is common. Peeking early is how you fingerprint a half-set dragon.
6. Demold gently. If it fights you, wait longer.

You now have a pale casting. That is not the finished piece. That is the homework.

Clean-up and paint

Sand the seam lines and any rough spots. Wipe the dust off.

Paint in layers, not one heroic coat.

- Egg exterior: blues over the scale pattern, a lighter blue or grey in the recesses so the “shell” reads as shell.
- Egg interior: off-white or pale blue, then a speckle with a dry brush or a toothbrush flick.
- Dragon body: green and teal, darker in the folds, lighter on the snout, belly, and knuckles.
- Horns and wing: gold, then a tiny bit of brown in the grooves so it does not look like a sticker.
- Eyes: leave a highlight. A dead eye kills a cute dragon.

Let each layer dry. If a colour looks cheap, it usually needs another thin coat, not more paint in the brush.

Seal when you are done and the paint is fully dry. Satin is kinder than high gloss on a hatchling.

The part I will not pretend is quick

Mixing and pouring is an hour, plus cure time. Painting this one took far longer than the pour. I keep going until I am happy, and “happy” is a moving target. You will miss a seam. You will get gold on the snout. You will think it is finished, sleep on it, and add three more shadows in the morning.

That is the craft. The mold gets you the shape. You get the dragon.

If you try one, start with a small mold, mix less resin than you think, and paint slower than you want to. The egg will wait.