In the early 2000's someone gifted me a candle in the shape of a pinecone, it was large, and unbeknownst to me, coated in a thick layer of acrylic paint. Shortly after lighting, it caught fire, the entire thing.
Are you sure that was a pinecone candle and not a firestarter? because I live in the Pacific Northwest and that is absolutely how I make fire starters, and I use a wick because otherwise pinecones are rather hard to set on fire with a lighter
Another reason to avoid resin, many of the makers are unaware that they are exposing themselves to lung damage. Not everyone is properly educating themselves on the risks of breathing the fumes. It is an unfortunate situation with people unwittingly putting themselves at risk.
Yep, and overexposure can also cause a permanent allergy to most types of plastic, as you can imagine in our current world where plastic is everywhere that’s a nightmare to deal with.
You have to be careful about breathing in the resin shavings and dust too, it could cause "crab" in your lungs (my comment got deleted for mentioning the condition that rymes with the star sign)
Literally what I have been telling my friend who makes large, thick UV resin items in her bedroom with her single tiny window open. I hake small keychains out of epoxy resin (I take old trading cards, mainly Pokemon at the moment, and turn them into keychains) and have dedicated a separate room just for that. Large window kept open while working with a fan placed inside to suck air out faster, wear a mask with a vent on it, keep door shut with towel under to help block airflow into the rest of the house, all for less than an ounce of resin to cure for 24 hours. I've been very vocal to her about taking better care of herself when doing this but cause "she doesn't mind the smell" (????) she'll be fine. You would think that after one of her products EXPLODED because she didn't cure it properly that would be her wake up call to make look into resin crafting a bit more.
I completely agree about resins and plastics! But often crystals can also have an impact on the environment: mining can lead to habitat destruction, deforestation and soil erosion, dust pollution, contamination of waterways... not to mention dodgy human rights issues resulting from industrialised mining. I've really considered my "need" for crystals since I learned about all of these things.
100% agreed. I'm a big fan of going directly to importers and talking to those touting ethical sourcing. It is really problematical though - you are completely correct.
If rockhounding is legal in your area it's a lot of fun to get into and of course much more ethical. I don't actually practice (algorithm summoned me lol) but i imagine there's a case for rocks and minerals natural to your area having special properties too. I've learned so much about mineralogy since I started, it's very rewarding. If you live near the coast or a river those are great hunting grounds
The last time I had a table at a pagan craft fair, I sold sets of sugar cubes decorated with runes. I made sure to use all organic ingredients, and people loved the idea of "infusing" their tea with a rune as a meditation or spell.
Oh, I like that idea a lot. Did you wear gloves when you made the runes? See I have an over active imagination so I'm picturing you sitting at the table with a long haired cat lying across the top of the table while you pet her between runes, scratch your face, your hair, your ear and all of the sudden I'm throwing up a little in the back of my throat.
Uh, no gloves. There were no pets in that house. I did wash my hands very well and had my hair braided back. I treated it the same way as when I decorate cookies-so using clean kitchen bowls, cookie sheets, piping bags, etc. you know. Not industrial kitchen standards, but healthy home kitchen standards.
Resin is also the cheap, mass-producable version of lovely glasswork. Just a decade ago, if you saw something lovely suspended in something clear, it was glass!
Yes exactly glass is brilliant, it’s almost endlessly recyclable ( even on a small scale, I know lots of bead makers who melt glass bottles and jars to make beads!!)
@@GrumpyOldCroneFalse. It would have been resin, but it would have been mass produced and so of much better quality. Melting glass to be able to place anything in takes very hot temperatures (more than 1000°c, and would burn anything you try to put in it that is flammable (think roses, think beetles and bugs) either things were placed in a glass bubble (think Victorian hair lockets), or they were placed in glass containers with a liquid preservative (this specimen jars, or the modern, bees in hand sanitizer liquid)
That’s why resin especially annoys me personally, I have some lovely glasswork I’ve bought from a small business, and they’re gorgeous. Much prettier than any resin piece I could get, I even have a necklace with a moth wing suspended within the glass. It’s beautiful. It saddens me that so many people go and buy cheap resin rather than supporting glasswork stores, or will learn how to create resin pieces over glasswork. Resin just doesn’t have the charm that glasswork has imo.
Absolutely with you on resin. When I see beautiful, natural crystals and flowers etc trapped in resin!!! Anything plastic should be avoided where possible.
Glad I'm not alone on this. I honestly thought people would get really angry with me about it, and that the resin crafters would be gathering the flaming torches and pitch forks...
Preach sister! The whole point of being grounded in nature is to support nature. Resin can be pretty, but natural materials are beautiful and fun to make art with.
Grumpy middle aged almost Crone Crafter. I spin, crochet, nit, do bead craft, jewelry, have has a custom leather crafting business since 2011 and am getting into wood working. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to (visiting OR vending) a fair and don't buy anything since it's all cheap over seas imports or plastic. I really prefer hand made at this point in my life and as a small business owner I value others times put into *making* something.
Fellow multi-crafter!!!! Also: my husband is a leather worker, and that's our side hustle... I'm doing a show tomorrow and suspect a certain amount of plastic tat. Sad :-(
Multi crafter here too (in the US, if that matters), and what I can't stand (besides the resin) is the "laser cut"/I can vomit out a million of 'em thing-a-ma-bobs! I, too, want Hand-made things/alter tools. It's not a Hand-made thing just because you touched the wood and stuck it under the laser cutter. Come on! 🤨
@@teebee9735 totally - and why are they running craft stalls/shops when they *don't actually enjoy making things*😭 because that kind of thing isn't craft, it's a production line
"It's plastic!" Instant sub! Thank you for saying what I've been saying for years. (I get yelled at a lot by dumb people who think that their "relaxation" justifies destroying the planet. It doesn't. This is a hill I'm willing to fall on.)
I got into resin craft for a while. I got a lot of satisfaction from creating patterns and demoulding. But I did not like the toxic resin fumes or realising that I was creating plastic tat. I switched to plaster of Paris moulding. I have also looked into eco resin- but I can’t find details of exactly what it is. But then I got into crochet…
Crochet is the dark path. I bloody love crochet. All those opportunities to buy hand spun yarn (and then stash it where Mr Grumpy Old Crone will never find it.....)
I retired a couple years ago and now spend all day, every day learning archaic and ancestral crafts using natural materials. I can’t imagine a more satisfying life.
Giving Time to your craft is in itself an offering ritual I love it. its personal and unique to the creator, Amazon is good for superficial things, but special things like this should be yours.
So, I watched this video from you last week. I’m a resin artist and I tried so hard to come up with a reason to justify my working with resin still to combat what you said, and I couldn’t come up with anything. You’re right. It’s wrong. I’ve gotten a non-toxic, water based epoxy alternative that should be coming in today, and hopefully, I can get back to making fun pens that are safer for our world 💙 thank you for calling my ass out!
sadly, things still need to be sealed-I make re-fillable sparkly pens (that I’m hoping get used until they fall apart😅) and being able to make them without releasing all those VOCs from epoxy is a step in the right direction. If I can find a way to seal them without a polyurethane, I’d be golden, but alas-crystalac is the only water-based, eco-friendly sealer I can find!
So sorry, but that’s still plastic. Epoxy resin does not bio-degrade. Using water instead of a solvent, does make it less bad for you, as the craft person using it, it does not make it any less bad for the environment.
If you want to transition away from resin altogether, maybe you could do something with glass or clay/porcelain. There’s a lot of options for crafting that are more earth friendly. But I understand if it’s your income it can’t just be dropped immediately.
Ha! New subscriber here. I was a designer for a large Giftware Manufacturer in the ‘90’s and early ‘00’s. I created the images and designed various lines which were sent to the “orient” to be made into stuff that people collected, set out onto their shelves - or purchased and given to folks they professed to care about…. It was all molded ceramic. The advent of RESIN was thrilling. The ability to capture tiny details which had been previously lost in the relatively goopy ceramic moulds - was a delight. But At the end of the day - it was a chunk of plastic, and slowly but surely the collectors disappeared. The company which had been in business since the early 1940’s - waned, fizzled, and went out like a soggy firecracker. I suppose there is a lesson here - but I’m not sure what that might be. Crap is crap. We don’t need 98% of the things we own - and SCHTOPP buying / making / selling MORE.
You're spot on with the candles - to add it is actually illegal to sell candles with flammable material added to it in the UK. They certainly cannot get product liability insurance to cover such a candle. How these makers get away with it is mind boggling - though most are not insured anyway - and will only find out how in the wrong they are when they burn someone's house down and the customer sues them. Edited to add: What annoys me about candle "crafters" is their use of containers - This is just melting and pouring like the resin "art". Almost all those containers are thrown away after use. Making a pillar candle is harder as it requires some actual skill, and is so much better for the environment.
I suspect there's a lot of stuff sold at various markets and fairs that doesn't meet health and safety regulations. You might want to think twice before buying foodstuffs... What is also increasingly common is people reselling stuff that's been made in some third world country. Dare I say it, that annoys me. There's a time and a place for that - assuming the stuff has been ethically sourced in the first place. I am a little conflicted on the question of small, independent people producing stuff that doesn't meet health and safety regulations. The obvious argument is that, as a customer, I want the goods I buy to meet the standards that are mandated by the legislation in my country. If, after that, I want more, I have to do some research and/or I can lobby my representatives to change the rules to give me added protection or make it more likely that the goods I buy have been ethically produced or whatever it is that I want. There are (at least) a couple of counter-arguments. Some regulations relating to making and selling things are outdated, or they are designed to protect big manufacturers, rather than the consumer. The second argument is that it is really hard to get a foot onto even the first rung of the ladder of prosperity these days and requirements for insurance and health and safety regulations can make that even harder. That is, regulation _can_ end up blocking opportunities for some of the more disadvantaged people in the community.
i’m so sick of all the resin on etsy too. i, like you, thought it was kinda neat at first, but now i can’t stand seeing it everywhere. its just more overpriced, overproduced, uncreative plastic shite that we don’t need more of in the world. all i can think about is how most of it is going to end up in landfills within 10 years and leach a bunch of poison into the soil and groundwater
When I went to university (Canada, 1990s) I lived on campus in a townhouse. We had a ton of power outages. So being clever, we filled a metal pie tin with melted wax and put 10-15 improvised wicks into it - bits of string, twisted up paper towel, etc. The next time the hydro went out, we lit all the wicks and delighted in how bright and cheerful it was. Until there was a loud CRACK, and we discovered a pie tin full of flaming wax gets hot enough to make the veneer on your cheap student kitchen table explode.
I think this was the right part of pagan TH-cam for me. When you said "resin" in a "handicraft" video my first thought was "myrrh" because plastic doesn't sound very...witchy. Since I am also someone who thinks that if you have the audacity to CHARGE A FEE for a reading you'd better have your cards memorized....because I can read my booklet for free.
As a Tarot Reader myself i 100% agree with you! When a sitter is paying for reading you don't not pull out the guide book you should know your deck! When i get a new deck i always read the guide book first then see how the deck works😊 i always tell my beautiful souls who im reading for its a new deck "let's see how this baby works" anyways enough of me going on "brilliant video my lovely. X
Oh, I love that phrase for a new deck! I'm a LWB reader, too. And I usually have a deck or two by my chair, so I will riffle and shuffle cards whilst reading or watching a film. I find that helps me get acquainted with a new deck, too.
Big same. I only pull out the guide book when I have a specific type of stubborn person who barely wants to even hear me and I feel like they will think about it more if they read it. But I've started keeping a book with my own notes on each card for such occasions
I absolutely agree, I have a horrible memory, so despite doing tarot for ten years, I haven't been able to memorise them yet, due to that, I only do free readings for fun and to improve my skills, but I'd never charge for a reading due to my inability to memorise them! The only time I've ever 'charged' is asking my friends to buy my a drink if I'm doing a reading for them!
I feel like this is unfair to people who struggle with learning disabilities. If a person is a talented reader but still needs a little help it shouldn't be held against them. Also sometimes a card is baffling and looking at the book can help guide one's intuition.
@@mysticmoth1111 I have leaning difficulties myself" But have leaned along the way! I teach tarot as well some need more guidance then another! You don't not get out a guide book then the client is paying you on a professional level 😊
I totally agree on the overuse of resin and just how much JUNK people make with it! It’s one thing to use resin in small amounts and make something high quality, but they’re not even high quality. I think resin has SOME application (making earrings for example, as well as other very small items which imo aren’t as bad as the GIANT TRAYS and fake crystals and the like) Resin has no place in witchcraft and it’s so sad seeing every witchy event flooded with cheap imported carved stones and resin trays
Exactly this. I traded an event at the weekend, and the stall next to mine was FILLED with resin and imported carved crystals. It makes me both sad AND angry.
Resin looked really fun to make, but i remember after looking into it, it just seemed like manufacturing tomorrow's garbage. I've moved on to other crafts, but i realize i still have a ways to go. My current project is using acrylic yarn, but perhaps once I've used what i already have, in the future, I'll look into using more organic materials instead. The biggest issue is accessability, which can be challenging. I always feel more connected to my crafts when I'm using materials that would otherwise be trash -- making collages from old papers/magazines/junk mail can be pretty creatively fulfilling.
Acrylic generally doesn't feel good, the wool and other natural fibers are more expensive. I highly recommend getting into handspinning so that you can buy the fiber make the yarn exactly as you want it and then knit or crochet so that you get 2 uses of the same purchase.
I think I might have found my new favorite channel. Please continue your rants against plastics and overconsumption especially in circles and communities that are "supposedly" more environmentally conscious
There's wonderful candles sold at the local Renaissance festival where i used to live that were full-on wax sculptures with a recessed candle inside, we had one with a giant volcano with dragons peeking out of caves on the side and the wick was deep in the heart of the volcano. Works the same way a jack-o-lantern does, with the small candle enclosed inside a cavernous space, but the whole thing is one piece of well-crafted wax.
I love crocheting. with real wool, the outcome is so lovely. I love finding it in charity shops (new!) and often there are a whole set of skeins. I rarely buy new because of the cost. Also my sister makes strips of rag (cotton) and crochets with that! Is great!
I'm not pagan, but I'm often grumpy, old, and a crone. *fistbumps* Not sure how I stumbled across this vid, but yes, going to watch more! The world needs more Granny Weatherwax. (okay, we're not as grumpy as that, but you get what I mean.)
when I have seen those sort of candles with crystals and little mushrooms and what have you in the top, they usually say to take the things out before you burn it. which...kind of defeats the purpose. I've given a couple as gifts but those people don't want to burn them, just use them as decor. they're really not for burning, are they, if you have to take everything that makes it pretty out first.
"I love setting fire to things" reminded me of a conversation w my brother: he had told a friend it was too long since he'd seen fire. The friend said "we had a fire at my party last month" and my brother said "exactly, a month is way too long". 😂 When we were kids we were burning things constantly (safely for the most part).
Agree on the resin. I had a blast with it during Covid lockdowns, but then found my kid sanding one of the pieces without a respirator on, had an absolute panic attack, and stopped doing it all together. Nope, not a safe activity! Also, anything that requires industrial ventilation & a respirator & goggles & gloves probably isn't the healthiest of hobbies. Most candles have coconut/palm, so I've given up on them. Don't set fire to resin without good ventilation & a respirator on. Just sayin. A few years ago I was commissioned to make a few suits of a Tarot deck, knew nothing about Tarot, and paid someone who did a consulting fee to help with the designs to make sure they could be read. Some other artists on the project did not consult, and it has made the decks hard to read. They are fine for the card game, but not for the divination end of things. The lesson here: preview your decks before buying. I loved working on the project, but am unlikely to do something like that again.
Greetings, frolicky young maid! Once, I too, was a frolicky young maid. Then I got a bad hip, and started grunting when I stood up, and talking to plants. I'm doomed now... Enjoy your frolicking whilst you can!
This video randomly appeared on my homepage, and this is honestly such a refreshing take! Seeing so many pagan creators try to push people to use and/or buy resin/other environmentally damaging products is so infuriating LOL.
I stopped using candles after a small fire started from embedded dry herbs, causing its pot to explode, not to mention all the wax waste that I had to scrape up and throw away. After that, I switched to parrafin lamps. They burn more powerfully than candles, but it's an enclosed flame, and there's something to be said of having more responsibility to keep the wick trimmed, the fount full, and burner clean. Of course, candles made of natural waxes are best magickally, but when most candles are made from solid parraffin, liquid parrafin makes negligible difference, and the safety of a well maintained lamp outweighs the risks of melted wax. It won't smell too much, either-something important for those of us sensitive to perfumes.
I found myself both laughing out loud and nodding sagely whilst watching this… my first time watching one of your vids. Instantly subscribed, thanks for the giggle and for the food for thought.
What a lovely rant. Resin does not resonate with me either. Folks need to educate themselves: whether they are crafting candles or reading cards. Ignorance is not always bliss. In fact it can be rather dangerous. I'm not a proper tarot reader. But I once went to a young friend's store & he had hired a reader. The 1st thing she did was 'fix' all of the reversed cards because she didn't know them yet. Grrr... Fellow grumpy old Crone here.
Lots of aha's, joy and thank you's here 😃. My son pointed out, when I shared your content with him, that it was like he heard me talking. We, me, the fam and my friend with fam visited a Midwinterfair last december (Netherlands). It was supposed to be a Renaissance - Fairy fair alternative for a Christmas market. Me and my friend were on expedition to find out wether our crafts might fit in there next year (2025) for a little shop. Lovely atmosphere, but, but, but... what we found were exactly all those itchy things you have mentioned. Cute 3D printed mushroom jewelry (not even Fimo clay) and flexible dragons, the raisin stuff, jewelry from plastic crystal beads, dyed chrystals and fethers, the plastic 'witchy' stuff to dress your house and yourself in, useless plastic look-a-like wood and metal must-haves for your altar, tons of dressed-up AliExpress and Action (not sure this shop exists in the UK) stuff 😭. Here and there an occasional real craftsperson with real stuff with real wood, ceramics, lether or metalwork. Maybe it was just us in the wrong place or having silly illusions in advance... Keep going, love your content ❤
As a candle maker, I have been looking into doing things like how soap makers do - that is, molds so the inclusions are the same substance. I haven’t had much affordable luck, so I just don’t use anything other than layered colours. It’s so very simple
Unrelated tangent, just felt like sharing: I do have a cloak, with a cowel and hood. It is hefty, no idea wether it's pleather or leather. I can clean it with a hose and thats all that matters. It's sage green, made in my own state. Used for keeping warm during the bitter cold. And Its sometimes filled with a smoky smell with memories of friends long since passed. Did i use it during practice? Yes, but it wasnt necessary. Mostly brought it out for Yule. It is the only one ill ever need. 💚
I wish YT comments allowed people to attached photographs, because that sounds amazing. I particularly love the fact that it smells of smoke and has loving memories. I find the smell of woodsmoke to be like an instant time machine. Takes me back 25 years in a heartbeat
(first time watcher) I was a tad worried when you mentioned political correctness at the beginning because I associate that with the far right and company. So I agreed with everything you said dreading the section about pagan pride market, and imagine my relief when I got to it, haha! brilliant video, I could not agree more, especially on the candles part. It's so dangerous and while I understand that setting the mood aesthetically can be an important part of certain practices, it's not worth destroying the environment or burning down your house for.
I'm now considering going to craft fairs and setting up a line in bespoke fire buckets. But then someone would come along and take the stall next to me with prettier buckets with rosebuds and tumblestones in the top of the sand.
You could take a fire blanket and decorate the surrounds too. We have always had a fire blanket in the kitchen. Of an era when chip pan fires were a thing. But it really does have an ugly red casing.
This is the first time you popped up as a suggestion for me and it's an instant subscribe! 🤣 There's something to be said for getting the things that annoy you off your chest and doing it while drinking wine- *chef's kiss!* Lol!!
Resin also yellows after awhile and it's starting to look dated. I've noticed that a lot of wood-turning and carpentry channels that used to do resin pours are getting away from it because they just don't look as good after awhile.
My son is a sculptor working mainly in wood, and whilst he has used resin for filling in divots and flaws in the grain on occasion, he has now started mixing sawdust with woodglue and filling with that. It doesn't look quite so fancy, but it feels more honest.
5:54 I feel the EXACT same way about resin witchcraft supplies; when I see resin pendulums or rune tiles or black mirrors, etc. it really grinds my gears and I’m not gonna lie, when I see that people have resin “tools” I automatically don’t take them as seriously as I would if their tools were made from natural materials.
Post scriptum: Sixth-generation musician, I also love crocheting, knitting, embroidery, counted cross-stitch, and am a fourth generation quiltmaker--and I stitch them by hand! None of that knock-off sewed on sewing machine crap that we sell to tourists here! Love your style of presentation, I'm hitting the subscribe button RIGHT NOW! Now, if only I could gas up my broom so I could come over and have a good visit over a cup of coffee or two! (Or, you with your glass of merlot and me with my medi-mari pipe . . . ) I bet we could come up with some creative solutions to the world's problems!
Resin is an interesting one, with a number of downside to know about, for sure. First of all, when crafters do it they NEED to know that it can give off toxic fumes and the process needs considerable attention to health safety measures to work well. It can cause serious and permanent bodily damage. Also it isn't the kind of indestructible or archival material people often treat it as in the uses they put it to - It WILL yellow at some point. This is a particular concern for fine artists who want it far a glossy finish on artwork. I believe there a video of a resin artist on youtube going into just how fast resin ages with the title "Resin's dirty secret" or some combination of those words. To be fair, you CAN plan for this in that some things -- preserved flowers and bugs and soon, may just have a different, and not necessarily a worse look as they yellow. Also, keep in mind that these thing tend not to be dishwasher safe or deal particularly well with constant sunlight or acids. I've been Irked to discover that bud earrings in resin are not a great product for me, because I tend to wear these earrings constantly and leave them immersed in alcohol to sterilize occasionally in-between long uses, which breaks down and softens the resin, destroying the product. For little hair clips, however, I'm more optimistic. More attention needs to be paid to how disintegrating resin products can be restored, repurposed or otherwise rejuvenated. The rule of all stuff is, try to find out what to do with it when it breaks in a significant way. Side note-- it's true that rock crystals won't break down like many other products, but they are also nearly impossible to buy while ensuring fair trade and reasonable environmental ethics in the many global locations they come from. The grumpy shopper truth is, there's no shopping without thinking unless you're shopping without caring.
The most environmental option is always going to be "buy as little as possible". I'm now at a point where much as I love the dopamine hit of buying new, pretty things, I just can't justify it. I make most of what I need now, with home sourced things wherever possible.
I’m not a proper witch at all and haven’t done more than lightly studying my astrological chart and messing with tarot cards here and there since I was a kid, but I’m a working artist and when you brought up the resin crafts I was hollering in agreement 🤣 I don’t think anything you said was uncalled for at all
Big problem with resin. If not done by professionals with a professional setup(Most craft fair shops don't have this set up) then resin is poisonous and extremely harmful o keep in your home. Symptoms of said poisoning can be difficulty breathing, eye pain, blindness, throat swelling, vomiting blood, blood in stool, chemical burns and more
Hello and so nice to see this. Someone on the Path, when I was being ‘vetted’, made me a lovely candle from a 6 sided mold. They did include a lot of cabochon cut bloodstones which were stuck to the outside of the candle and fell off when the wax softened. I lost a lot of them over the years but I still have the best one safely tucked away. Until you mentioned this, I’d forgotten but this was a lovely, safe way to add small stones. My altar is mostly stone, metal, glass on oak table and I use tea lights in colored holders. I have been ’burning’ these past 4 nights as during this time, because of our latitude, the Big Dipper comes down from the sky and ‘touches the land’ as the lower stars briefly dip below the horizon. I discussed my thoughts about this to a Navajo back in’11, saying I thought maybe this observed event marked the Kachinas returning to earth and he said ‘You think like us.’ It was a great compliment, never forgotten. Given that my internet failed last Friday, I asked that they help me out with that (Oct 30). I got back from using neighbors internet for important conference Halloween afternoon, did what ever, curiously tried out the tablet and….I’m back on line! This visual descent,travel and then ascent back into the sky will probably last a while longer….but ( and forgive me) my spoken invocation with spontaneous rhyme seems to have been extremely effective! I was back on-line by the evening of Oct 31. As for tarot, it seems that despite how the deck is designed, the key meanings will always be the same. For me the trick is to get the memory keys that are part of the symbolism off the card itself. Some decks speak to me more clearly than others. I used to read cards at our local fair for $1….people haven’t got a lot of money for this…and I thought it would be just a bit of fun for them. I do a 5 card lay-down taught to me by a very good astrologer/tarot reader friend, now passed. The page of cups came up in the reading & I told her she would meet a young man in the near future. She stopped by my table the next year, she had had a baby boy that year. I take the responsibility of reading very seriously but I don’t charge very often and then not very much. I do so enjoy your channel; it is great to hear what other members of the community are up to.
YESSS you're so right about polyester! It's so damn hard nowadays to find any clothes from natural fibers! Beautiful sparkly and silky materials are so much cheaper when made out of nylon and polyester, but are they really worth it? You can't even qwear them comfortably...
Years ago, I decided to make some dragons blood candles, using bees wax sheets and finely ground dragons blood. I sprinkled it on the sheet before rolling it tight around the wick. When I burned it, there were little sparks every few seconds. It smelled great, but, I realized that wasn't a great idea. Where I live, there are a lot of root workers, so it is hard to find a dressed candle that isn't loaded with bunches of dried herbs around here.
Found your channel through this vid. I cannot agree more. Consumerism infects EVERYTHING (we think we have to buy things to fit in or be apart of things). We prefer aesthetics over personal meaning. I almost got into acrylic resin (for dice and figure making) but realized… it’s just plastic… and I don’t want to make more plastic… PS simmer pots are underrated for people that don’t want to burn candles or incense all the time !!
You've hit the nail on the head there! I, too, looked at resin - specifically for dice making (been a roleplayer since I was 14), but do I need more dice? Do I really need a set for every character I play? (Obviously the answer is yes....) I decided against it. Bought myself a really lovely, heavy set of metal dice, which have since universally killed me in every setting I've used them. Ho hum!
I agree on all points!! I have a cheap polyester cloak I got a long time ago that I don’t wear. Growth is good! lol Your session on tarot readers is exactly why I don’t do tarot. I’m clairvoyant and the cards get in the way, so I just muck up the entire reading. Charge for ONLY what you’re really good at.
I’m not a Pagan, but two weekends ago, I went to a Pagan festival market in Nottingham and I know exactly what you mean about resin and the crystal candles! I in fact started at a place called the Dark Arts Market and in both places, there was tons of stuff like that. It did feel a bit repetitive. I admit that I bought a resin pendant from someone just because I was being polite, but I’ll never wear it and will likely give it away. Love your upload by the way! The TH-cam algorithm served me well today! I love your sense of humour! 😊 Edit: Ooooh, you went too! Ha ha! Sorry, I was part way through watching when I commented! 😅
The candles that bug me even more are long or taper candles rolled in herbs and dried flowers. Honest to gods, how people don't regularly turn everything within a 5 meter radius into an inferno using these instruments of destruction, I have no idea. They're literally just kindling.
I'm a Christian but I subscribe. I love the way you speak. I love your grumpyness. I could listen to you for hours. You got my husband laughing. Thank you for the great evening. I'm with you on the candles with the stuff stuck into them. And some candles with the scents blow up too
The resin thing really resonated with me. I practice a type of witchcraft that involves rot and decay. I'm also a craftsperson who makes handy crafts with found and recycled things. Part of my art is the want of reducing waste and part just being inspired by garbage. Anyway, I hate it when people put bones on resin or incorporate bones with resin. It's like, that bone is meant to break down, and now it probably can't. It's cool to use bone in your crafts, I do it all the time. You can make some cool stuff with bone and other natural materials. I also don't think resin crafting takes a whole lot of effort to learn and is easy to make look good, which is kind of a cheap aesthetic.
That's because the "artists" buy mass produced ready made moulds and make their dreary jewellery with it. Why would anyone want to wear plastic jewellery!?
You're amazing, glad to see more people thinking "hold on, if we're out here trying to be one with nature and its energy, why the fuck are we using plastic of all things?" which is a very good question. The tarot reader one is insane, like someone drawing birthday cards and charging 20 bucks while the art level is that of a 2-year-old child (Sidenote: I hate having to use acrylic yarn but I'm poor, forgive me lol)
Your story on the 3 card spread 😂 that's me 😂.... I don't charge, I only do it for friends and family , the cards found me years ago and I just dabble. I'm on the outside peeping in 😉 your a breath of fresh air in today's world✌️
I'm a big believer that there's nothing wrong in doing what you love in the way that makes you happy (as long as it's not a polyester cloak, because you WILL catch fire). Read your cards your way! My big argument is trying to charge people without having done any of the work that you are actually charging for!
Dear resin witches, if you are very attached to working with the hot and alchemical may I suggest fine jewelry forging. Table top forge , mini anvil and sweet tiny tools run about the same as a good resin set up, and while the 'consumable' crafting material is more expensive you can usually smelt them back down for reuse! Also you can actually get pretty far in a committed pot on the stove top and a conveniently flat stone, gold, silver and copper are soft enough a solid stone can handle the light hammering required, and their melt points are often low enough to be manipulated with a cheap soldering iron! and your in the kitchen where the water and ventilation are!
"In our nice polyester cloaks" 😂 uve got urself another subscriber straight away. I agree with u about the resin thing....I'm always thinking but yeah it doesn't degrade 😞 so many things that are sold don't align with this lifestyle coz of course capitalism and we are all living with it and are a part of it but I just wince at sum things (and yeah plastic is in all of our lives but it still isn't good) also ur like me, I just say it how it is and people don't like that coz they don't want to face things but the older I've gotten the more I just see through things. It doesn't necessarily mean ur grumpy, it means ur aware. We all like a good moan and I'm very glad I was suggested ur channel coz it's very refreshing to be quite honest! 😂 Also we live in a world full of scams and I don't think u should be charging money if u don't know wot ur doing so I'd personally avoid that too 😅 Alot of wot u talk about are issues that actually matter but some people would rather just bury their head in the sand 🤷♀️
@@GrumpyOldCrone: Atheist here - but I can get on board with you regarding polyester cloaks. In my not-so-humble opinion they should be spinning natural fibres and then using that spun yarn to make their cloaks. (The channel "The Crowing Hen" had a wonderful 3 part series on spinning, weaving and then sewing a cape.)
Currently binge watching your channel at the moment. I'm in absolute bits. You're naturally really funny. If you were a stand up comic, I'd pay to come and see you. 😂
11:06 I live about an hour away from the original Yankee Candle Shop.....Maybe I will Vlog it. You can spend a whole day or more just wondering through, smelling candles and seeing different themed displays and shops. The Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory is just down the road...awesome place to visit.😊😊😊
For candle makers, I have seen and brought candles with charms, stones etc dangling on the outside of the jar. That is a way to be different and make your candle prettier. It can be turned into jewelry, I have done this, or already put on a cord for jewelry when I got it. You get a keep sake and a candle, the candle is decorated and no fire risks.I actually got my last one at T.K Maxx, it was a pumpkin pendant on the outside of the candle, the brand was sterling something, and no the real second of the word was not something. LOL. I forget now, though. It had a delightful firewood scent. And the pumpkin pendant on the outside totally stood out and cought my attention. Now I do like candles with jewelry or crystals inside, but those the prize is at the bottom and wrapped in something that will not catch fire. Those are also fun but won't catch the eye at craft fairs as the prize is at the bottom of the candle. Wow I've left a few comments, lol. But that does help the vid show up more these days, so you're welcome. haha. I also love smelling candles and Starbucks. My sister andd i could totally hang with you and your daughter and enjoy a fun witchy time. We stock up on fall and winter scents, my husband and I, as those are our favorites. Then we can use them in the summer for cooling weather spells, lol. Bella L
My approach is - if my ancestors in 1600s did not have this as a home decor, then neither should I :)))) I have had my family member carve my rune set out of oak and gift it to me, inside a leather bag that the person hand stitched. I treasure both the set and the bag. In the past I have had people demand for me to use cards. I am often a seer and can see things without any cards :) But they did not believe me unless I looked at some cards. I always found this absolutely hilarious :)
I watched a lady resin an entire rock. Then later she said she made the rock.😳 When your channel popped up, I saw Grumpy and then looked again and saw Old Crone and said to myself, "YES"!!!! 💖
The resin art trend was big in like the 70s and 80s and I still see pieces from then floating around in secondhand shops. They age badly - many resins turn an awful brown with age.
Normally takes a while nosing around a channel before deciding yay or nay, but this video got you an instant subscriber. Thank you for sharing. My personal loathing/contempt for resin is not so much the plastics but the silicone moulds - that stuff will *never* biodegrade and I hate it. It's right up (down?) there in my opinion with ski boots and polystyrene cups.
First time tripping over your channel in my feed... enjoyable rant! Totally agree regarding resin. Its sold as a biodegradable natural material but is in fact, as you say, plastic! Love candles... yankee are heavenly... well some of them... I prefer the darker stronger aromas rather than the lighter cotton and candy sort, but thats just me. I bought a mackevie one which smelt of scottish heather (apparently) but it was wonderful, it did have bits of herb in it though but they didnt burn or anything, just sank to the bottom. Been lucky with candles... one went woomph and cracked the glass once.. I was very lucky that time, it was a well known supermarket branded one with a plastic(!) cover on the glass which held it all in place... could have been a different story without it. Tarot... I have a deck, not used it in years, but yes, even now I can still remember the main arcana, if I were to pay for a reading, I would expect the teller to be knowing what they are talking about! After all if they are reading from a book then they arent reading the cards! Keeping it grumpy x
Poor Hearth. I don't know what came over me. I've met relatively famous musicians without that reaction. My brother-in-law is actually mildly famous, too (in that I often see him in things on the telly). But this was a full on fan-girl scream. I'm actually quite embarrassed. I have zero control.
I legit just got chastised into choosing a different new craft hobby. I told my husband MONTHS ago that i wanted to make resin shit after an instagram binge...🤣 you're right, I AM clever enough to make things that aren't plastic and that don't harm the environment
Omg. I absolutely bought a crystal-drenched candle at a craft fair two years ago. It wasn't _super_ my jam, but the artist was a person of color hustling hard to make this small business work so I was like yeah alright sure I'l check one out. And I will admit that the *scent* of the candle was excellent, well-balanced and not artificial smelling, even when burning. But the very first time I burned it, the crystals at the top listed and sunk like old barges in a marsh so it looked terrible from there on out, not like a lush crystal garden at all. Also the sizing on it wasn't correct for the wick, so it ended up burning an ugly crater down the middle. The last straw was when--as you mentioned and I stupidly hadn't anticipated--one of the smaller crystals suddenly shattered in the heat while I was standing right next to it. After that I dumped the whole half-burned thing out.
I've done exactly the same thing - I really want to support the crafter for whatever reason, and end up buying something against my usual judgement. The sad thing is that it sounds like it could have been a much nicer and simpler product without all the "extras".
I have fond memories of the power cuts and when my children were little we would have the odd evening before payday playing board games and telling scary stories. Priceless stuff to do with a prices candle. Plastic witchcraft is hilarious and lucrative because those gonads will buy anything.
Haven't even watched more than a minute. I am excited for this. I have wanted to video something like this for ages but feel like you're going to do it so much better 😂 Edit as I'm watching Plastic is super dead. There's no soul in it, I don't know how to explain it better than that. Resin is also super dangerous if not cured properly. Sounds like candles and crochet alike both need guilds bringing back to regulate standards of sale and education of makers. As someone who has been reading tarot for two decades, that infuriates me. Apparently we need a Tarot guild too. I agree with these. Too many people get a hobby and immediately make it into a side hustle.
Hey, I'm a little late to this particular party, but let me just say that I've been practicing off and on for nearly 20 years, and your sass levels are a breath of fresh air.
The more time I spend watching random TH-cam channels, the more think I belong in the UK with the grumpy people rather than here in California with the passive aggressive fake happy people. ❤❤❤
I had a solid resin angel figure once that was designed to sit on a shelf, looking like a solid piece of ice. I enjoyed it and then put it in storage for a year. When I pulled it out again, it had turned yellow, exactly the shade of yellow ice that children are warned not to touch 😂
What's the male equivalent of a 'grumpy old crone'? Perhaps, 'grumpy old git'? I only ask because I'm definitely 'old', definitely 'grumpy' and definitely a 'git'. Resin? Don't get me started on resin! Since I retired from my less than glittering career as a teacher, attempting to impart small gobbets of knowledge to increasingly resistant adolescent students, I have been able to direct my efforts towards the things that bring me the greatest sense of fulfilment - my daughters and grandchildren, growing my food, walking in the woods and my love of all things wooden. I turn wooden bowls. I use timber that would otherwise be chipped or burned. I try to let the wood tell me how to work it and use the simplest finishes, basically shellac and beeswax. I love what I do, as I'm doing it for myself, and care little for what is 'fashionable'. Which brings me to . . . resin. Over the last few years, resin has become something of a touchstone when people are assessing the 'quality' or 'value' (both monetary and artistic) of turned pieces. It's looked on as being 'cutting edge', 'modern', 'innovative' etc., but has turned out to be just a fashion. Overused and over valued, in my very 'umble opinion. Emperor's new clothes. I had a flirtation with the idea, which lasted about 10 minutes, and decided that it offered very little and was probably expensive and rather messy. 'Less is more,' as they say and that definitely applies to . . . resin. I don't follow any systematic 'religion' or 'belief system', but am increasingly drawn to a closer connection with things that grow and endure and the opportunity they give us to take time to dream and reflect and recharge our creative instincts. In fact, much of my time in my allotment is spent sitting doing very little and just taking in my surroundings and breathing it all in. And, it's the same when I'm turning my bowls. Moments when a minute becomes almost infinitely long and unbelievably satisfying, because everything is in tune and the connection is there. No resin required!
You win the "Best TH-cam Comment of the Day" award. Because now I want to buy one of your bowls, and sit silently in nature for a bit. I had to give up my allotment due to a shoulder injury, and really miss it...
@@GrumpyOldCrone Thank you, you're very kind. A few of my bowls are off to Charleston in Sussex with my neighbour (one of the most accomplished basket makers in the UK) to see if anybody will buy them. Just the thought gives me the jitters, as the idea of them becoming a 'commodity' really makes me feel uneasy. I know! I'm an idiot . . . Sorry to hear that you're unable to continue with your allotment. I'm hope you've been able to find a spot somewhere, where you can have those moments that are so important. Take care and I shall be looking at your posts from now on.
New subscriber. Totally agree with you on resin. I’ve never been crazy about it. I only keep natural fibers and natural earth products in my home. I find them to be more free and there’s more open energy. You are so polite about your grumpiness. I love it!!! ❤
Ah. I've stumbled on one of those channels where being mad about things you have a rudimentary understanding of is your whole personality. Lovely. Have a good day.
Prop maker here, professional resin user. You need ventilation when working with resin, you need to wear a respirator and you need to change the filters or replace the whole thing. You need to wear gloves, you can develop an allergy to the resin you work with. My lecturer at university had a severe allergy she’d developed from a specific type of resin so we couldn’t have it in the workshop. Want to embed things in a candle? Make them also out of wax! Make your crystals out of wax. You can make flowers easily out of wax. I wanted to make a very complex candle to sell, I was going to sculpt it myself and make a mould so It would be completely unique but I’ve been stuck on trying to find a safe base for it to sit on. Because a lot of materials can explode with a hot candle sitting on them, including glass!
I have to admit that I am learning Tarot but with regard to the Combinations. I learned this from a TH-camr called Biddy Tarot. I have completed the 2 card combination and I am now on the 3 card combination. I am enjoying doing it this way. I am only reading for myself at the moment whilst I am learning. I am not sure I want to read for someone else at all as I just love doing a daily reading for myself. But I do agree with you Annie that it is stupid to charge money for a reading and then read out of a book. I have never heard of anything so ridiculous 🙄 😂 in my life.
Biddy Tarot is pretty good! I hope you are having fun with it? Reading for other people is a whole different jump, but when you are confident, I think it's a great thing to do.
If they have dangerous elements in their candles it makes me want to scream! There isn't an insurance company that will cover that and as a candle maker it takes a lot for me to not ask them about their insurance. They will just say people are supposed to remove those items. People do not read instructions. "Candles are an easy thing to make at home"- is the mindset of someone who hasn't been spending hours testing wicks, containers, and scents.
I had this conversation with a crafter at an event I was at last year, and he said that he'd LOVE to make candles, but the time and money necessary to do all the prototypes required for insurance meant that it wouldn't be profitable.
@@GrumpyOldCrone it isn't for the first few years- but that is most start up businesses that require testing. Some people think they can just mix a few things in their kitchen and get rich overnight
I am a total fire hazard witch. I found out the hard way that sand is flammable! 😂 Hearth mentioned that tarot reader. They bought the deck from her, asked her some questions and then walked away and started giving paid readings.
First... Sand is flammable? How is that a thing? It's used as a fire extinguisher? I've never had a problem, but will be very careful in future, thanks for the warning.... I didn't see Hearth's comment - that's wild. That's really not on.
@@julievanarends3702 I did not know that about sand, thank you for the safety information! I do sometimes say 'I'm not always great at understanding court cards, if this seems a bit mysterious let's come back to it in the context of everything else' when reading for friends, but I'm not charging them for it.
The Tarot part just had me screaming inside! Totally agree! I've seen something like that myself. People seem to be banalizing Tarot reading, as if you could just buy a deck with a little booklet that tells you the card meanings and call yourself a reader. Well, yes, you can read, but no better than a 2nd grader. I had a former friend who used to get a little tipsy, as you say, and start offering quick "to-go" one-card Tarot readings to our group on WhatsApp. She’d just grab her deck, shuffle a bit, and voilà! a card for whoever wanted to kid around with Tarot like it was some kind of game. She didn’t even have the nerve to pick up a book. Instead, she just sent a message that might as well have been typed by a monkey in her attic. And honestly, it rarely, if ever, had anything to do with the card she pulled.And I realize it is a thing, unfortunately, I’ve seen similar stuff happening a lot lately. Anyway, just a grumpy comment. Amazing video, by the way, and I totally support this kind of grumpiness. Speak your truth!
Oh good lord, some of the absolute tat you see at markets! There's definitely a difference between a hobby and actual a actual craft! Or no, you can definitely have a craft as a hobby. But all hobbies aren't crafts. My pet peve is buying a bag of blank wood key rings, toadstools, trolls or whatever, and painting squiggly messy acrylic cats and ladybirds on them. 🐞 🍄
Yeah, my issue with those glass jar candles is that crafters rarely use the wicks that are designed for containers. Container wicks are made of cotton twisted around thin wire - read METAL. It concentrates the heat close to the wick, instead of dispersing it into the glass. Regular cotton wicks that are used for pillar and taper candles disperse the heat and will cause the glass to explode. Ditto for small altoids tin candles - it heats up the metal container and can cause burns.
In the early 2000's someone gifted me a candle in the shape of a pinecone, it was large, and unbeknownst to me, coated in a thick layer of acrylic paint. Shortly after lighting, it caught fire, the entire thing.
OMG! That's terrifying! (and eminently believable.... I'm side-eyeing the dusty ornamental mushroom candles I own...)
Yikes
Are you sure that was a pinecone candle and not a firestarter? because I live in the Pacific Northwest and that is absolutely how I make fire starters, and I use a wick because otherwise pinecones are rather hard to set on fire with a lighter
@@playinglifeoneasy9226 Do you cover the pinecone in acrylic paint? Cool knowledge btw.
😂😂😮
Another reason to avoid resin, many of the makers are unaware that they are exposing themselves to lung damage. Not everyone is properly educating themselves on the risks of breathing the fumes. It is an unfortunate situation with people unwittingly putting themselves at risk.
Fumes and even resin shavings, particles can cause cancer in the lungs
Yep, and overexposure can also cause a permanent allergy to most types of plastic, as you can imagine in our current world where plastic is everywhere that’s a nightmare to deal with.
You'd think the smell alone would clue people in
You have to be careful about breathing in the resin shavings and dust too, it could cause "crab" in your lungs (my comment got deleted for mentioning the condition that rymes with the star sign)
Literally what I have been telling my friend who makes large, thick UV resin items in her bedroom with her single tiny window open. I hake small keychains out of epoxy resin (I take old trading cards, mainly Pokemon at the moment, and turn them into keychains) and have dedicated a separate room just for that. Large window kept open while working with a fan placed inside to suck air out faster, wear a mask with a vent on it, keep door shut with towel under to help block airflow into the rest of the house, all for less than an ounce of resin to cure for 24 hours. I've been very vocal to her about taking better care of herself when doing this but cause "she doesn't mind the smell" (????) she'll be fine. You would think that after one of her products EXPLODED because she didn't cure it properly that would be her wake up call to make look into resin crafting a bit more.
I completely agree about resins and plastics! But often crystals can also have an impact on the environment: mining can lead to habitat destruction, deforestation and soil erosion, dust pollution, contamination of waterways... not to mention dodgy human rights issues resulting from industrialised mining. I've really considered my "need" for crystals since I learned about all of these things.
Whenever you take or add anything to the environment it has an impact. The key is to reduce your footprint, it's impossible to obscure it completely.
100% agreed. I'm a big fan of going directly to importers and talking to those touting ethical sourcing. It is really problematical though - you are completely correct.
Glad to hear someone else pointing this out.I am so weary of the big push on crystals. ❤
If rockhounding is legal in your area it's a lot of fun to get into and of course much more ethical. I don't actually practice (algorithm summoned me lol) but i imagine there's a case for rocks and minerals natural to your area having special properties too. I've learned so much about mineralogy since I started, it's very rewarding. If you live near the coast or a river those are great hunting grounds
God its so refreshing to hear this. Crystal fetish pisses me off.
The last time I had a table at a pagan craft fair, I sold sets of sugar cubes decorated with runes. I made sure to use all organic ingredients, and people loved the idea of "infusing" their tea with a rune as a meditation or spell.
Oh, I like that idea a lot. Did you wear gloves when you made the runes? See I have an over active imagination so I'm picturing you sitting at the table with a long haired cat lying across the top of the table while you pet her between runes, scratch your face, your hair, your ear and all of the sudden I'm throwing up a little in the back of my throat.
Uh, no gloves. There were no pets in that house. I did wash my hands very well and had my hair braided back. I treated it the same way as when I decorate cookies-so using clean kitchen bowls, cookie sheets, piping bags, etc. you know. Not industrial kitchen standards, but healthy home kitchen standards.
@@Dracaspina Like I said, I have an overactive imagination.
I love this idea! Much better for the environment and actually useful
Resin is also the cheap, mass-producable version of lovely glasswork. Just a decade ago, if you saw something lovely suspended in something clear, it was glass!
I hadn't thought of that, but you are absolutely correct.
Nah it is less niche now but I remember stuff suspended in resin from at least 40 years ago
Yes exactly glass is brilliant, it’s almost endlessly recyclable ( even on a small scale, I know lots of bead makers who melt glass bottles and jars to make beads!!)
@@GrumpyOldCroneFalse. It would have been resin, but it would have been mass produced and so of much better quality. Melting glass to be able to place anything in takes very hot temperatures (more than 1000°c, and would burn anything you try to put in it that is flammable (think roses, think beetles and bugs) either things were placed in a glass bubble (think Victorian hair lockets), or they were placed in glass containers with a liquid preservative (this specimen jars, or the modern, bees in hand sanitizer liquid)
That’s why resin especially annoys me personally, I have some lovely glasswork I’ve bought from a small business, and they’re gorgeous. Much prettier than any resin piece I could get, I even have a necklace with a moth wing suspended within the glass. It’s beautiful. It saddens me that so many people go and buy cheap resin rather than supporting glasswork stores, or will learn how to create resin pieces over glasswork. Resin just doesn’t have the charm that glasswork has imo.
Absolutely with you on resin. When I see beautiful, natural crystals and flowers etc trapped in resin!!! Anything plastic should be avoided where possible.
Glad I'm not alone on this. I honestly thought people would get really angry with me about it, and that the resin crafters would be gathering the flaming torches and pitch forks...
AGREED
@@GrumpyOldCrone careful now, the anti resins will labelled far right!!😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂@@phoenixkali
@GrumpyOldCrone but... you drink Starbucks?!
Preach sister! The whole point of being grounded in nature is to support nature. Resin can be pretty, but natural materials are beautiful and fun to make art with.
100%!
"Sing rhyming spells in our nice polyester cloaks" This made me hit subscribe
Same
Me too!
Same. I love a good snarky grump session, and this made me know that I was watching a good one.
SAME
Immediate like and subscribe!
Grumpy middle aged almost Crone Crafter. I spin, crochet, nit, do bead craft, jewelry, have has a custom leather crafting business since 2011 and am getting into wood working.
I can't tell you how many times I've gone to (visiting OR vending) a fair and don't buy anything since it's all cheap over seas imports or plastic.
I really prefer hand made at this point in my life and as a small business owner I value others times put into *making* something.
*knit
Fellow multi-crafter!!!! Also: my husband is a leather worker, and that's our side hustle... I'm doing a show tomorrow and suspect a certain amount of plastic tat. Sad :-(
Multi crafter here too (in the US, if that matters), and what I can't stand (besides the resin) is the "laser cut"/I can vomit out a million of 'em thing-a-ma-bobs! I, too, want Hand-made things/alter tools. It's not a Hand-made thing just because you touched the wood and stuck it under the laser cutter. Come on! 🤨
@@teebee9735 I hate laser etched things. I do hand pyrography, and really value the human input into real things.
@@teebee9735 totally - and why are they running craft stalls/shops when they *don't actually enjoy making things*😭 because that kind of thing isn't craft, it's a production line
"It's plastic!" Instant sub! Thank you for saying what I've been saying for years. (I get yelled at a lot by dumb people who think that their "relaxation" justifies destroying the planet. It doesn't. This is a hill I'm willing to fall on.)
For real!!!!
I loved that part too❤❤😂
I got into resin craft for a while. I got a lot of satisfaction from creating patterns and demoulding. But I did not like the toxic resin fumes or realising that I was creating plastic tat. I switched to plaster of Paris moulding. I have also looked into eco resin- but I can’t find details of exactly what it is. But then I got into crochet…
Crochet is the dark path. I bloody love crochet. All those opportunities to buy hand spun yarn (and then stash it where Mr Grumpy Old Crone will never find it.....)
@ I am trying to clear out my mum’s stash before I buy any.
I cackled at "Odin didn't hang on Yggdrasil to give us the gift of resin and plastic, did he?" Congrats, you have a new subscriber!
Thankyou so much!
I retired a couple years ago and now spend all day, every day learning archaic and ancestral crafts using natural materials. I can’t imagine a more satisfying life.
I love this concept and comment from the bottom of my heart.
Giving Time to your craft is in itself an offering ritual I love it. its personal and unique to the creator, Amazon is good for superficial things, but special things like this should be yours.
So, I watched this video from you last week. I’m a resin artist and I tried so hard to come up with a reason to justify my working with resin still to combat what you said, and I couldn’t come up with anything. You’re right. It’s wrong. I’ve gotten a non-toxic, water based epoxy alternative that should be coming in today, and hopefully, I can get back to making fun pens that are safer for our world 💙 thank you for calling my ass out!
i don't mean to be rude but while water based epoxy is probably less harmful for the environment isn't it still plastic in the end?
sadly, things still need to be sealed-I make re-fillable sparkly pens (that I’m hoping get used until they fall apart😅) and being able to make them without releasing all those VOCs from epoxy is a step in the right direction. If I can find a way to seal them without a polyurethane, I’d be golden, but alas-crystalac is the only water-based, eco-friendly sealer I can find!
So sorry, but that’s still plastic. Epoxy resin does not bio-degrade.
Using water instead of a solvent, does make it less bad for you, as the craft person using it, it does not make it any less bad for the environment.
If you want to transition away from resin altogether, maybe you could do something with glass or clay/porcelain. There’s a lot of options for crafting that are more earth friendly. But I understand if it’s your income it can’t just be dropped immediately.
I saw a YT vid on making real wood and lacquer pens, Japanese style.
Ha! New subscriber here.
I was a designer for a large Giftware Manufacturer in the ‘90’s and early ‘00’s. I created the images and designed various lines which were sent to the “orient” to be made into stuff that people collected, set out onto their shelves - or purchased and given to folks they professed to care about….
It was all molded ceramic.
The advent of RESIN was thrilling. The ability to capture tiny details which had been previously lost in the relatively goopy ceramic moulds - was a delight.
But
At the end of the day - it was a chunk of plastic, and slowly but surely the collectors disappeared. The company which had been in business since the early 1940’s - waned, fizzled, and went out like a soggy firecracker.
I suppose there is a lesson here - but I’m not sure what that might be.
Crap is crap.
We don’t need 98% of the things we own - and SCHTOPP buying / making / selling MORE.
You're spot on with the candles - to add it is actually illegal to sell candles with flammable material added to it in the UK. They certainly cannot get product liability insurance to cover such a candle. How these makers get away with it is mind boggling - though most are not insured anyway - and will only find out how in the wrong they are when they burn someone's house down and the customer sues them.
Edited to add: What annoys me about candle "crafters" is their use of containers - This is just melting and pouring like the resin "art". Almost all those containers are thrown away after use.
Making a pillar candle is harder as it requires some actual skill, and is so much better for the environment.
I did not know it was illegal! That is very interesting. I do often wonder how many people have actual insurance....
I think most people don't realise that you need insurance, stickers to comply with guidelines, etc even for a little craft stall!
@@Julie-si3hiOr they just don’t care.
I suspect there's a lot of stuff sold at various markets and fairs that doesn't meet health and safety regulations. You might want to think twice before buying foodstuffs... What is also increasingly common is people reselling stuff that's been made in some third world country. Dare I say it, that annoys me. There's a time and a place for that - assuming the stuff has been ethically sourced in the first place.
I am a little conflicted on the question of small, independent people producing stuff that doesn't meet health and safety regulations. The obvious argument is that, as a customer, I want the goods I buy to meet the standards that are mandated by the legislation in my country. If, after that, I want more, I have to do some research and/or I can lobby my representatives to change the rules to give me added protection or make it more likely that the goods I buy have been ethically produced or whatever it is that I want.
There are (at least) a couple of counter-arguments. Some regulations relating to making and selling things are outdated, or they are designed to protect big manufacturers, rather than the consumer. The second argument is that it is really hard to get a foot onto even the first rung of the ladder of prosperity these days and requirements for insurance and health and safety regulations can make that even harder. That is, regulation _can_ end up blocking opportunities for some of the more disadvantaged people in the community.
Tools that help you navigate the earth must return to the earth.
Well said
i’m so sick of all the resin on etsy too. i, like you, thought it was kinda neat at first, but now i can’t stand seeing it everywhere. its just more overpriced, overproduced, uncreative plastic shite that we don’t need more of in the world. all i can think about is how most of it is going to end up in landfills within 10 years and leach a bunch of poison into the soil and groundwater
Exactly. All the moulds are the same, so where's the creativity?
When I went to university (Canada, 1990s) I lived on campus in a townhouse. We had a ton of power outages. So being clever, we filled a metal pie tin with melted wax and put 10-15 improvised wicks into it - bits of string, twisted up paper towel, etc. The next time the hydro went out, we lit all the wicks and delighted in how bright and cheerful it was.
Until there was a loud CRACK, and we discovered a pie tin full of flaming wax gets hot enough to make the veneer on your cheap student kitchen table explode.
I think this was the right part of pagan TH-cam for me. When you said "resin" in a "handicraft" video my first thought was "myrrh" because plastic doesn't sound very...witchy. Since I am also someone who thinks that if you have the audacity to CHARGE A FEE for a reading you'd better have your cards memorized....because I can read my booklet for free.
Preach!!!
Tipsy old crone == life goals
“I’m going to spend a half hour having a right ole winge..”
A woman after my heart 💗 😂
Spare a thought for the long suffering Mr Grumpy Old Crone, who lives with this all the time!
As a Tarot Reader myself i 100% agree with you! When a sitter is paying for reading you don't not pull out the guide book you should know your deck! When i get a new deck i always read the guide book first then see how the deck works😊 i always tell my beautiful souls who im reading for its a new deck "let's see how this baby works" anyways enough of me going on "brilliant video my lovely. X
Oh, I love that phrase for a new deck! I'm a LWB reader, too. And I usually have a deck or two by my chair, so I will riffle and shuffle cards whilst reading or watching a film. I find that helps me get acquainted with a new deck, too.
Big same. I only pull out the guide book when I have a specific type of stubborn person who barely wants to even hear me and I feel like they will think about it more if they read it. But I've started keeping a book with my own notes on each card for such occasions
I absolutely agree, I have a horrible memory, so despite doing tarot for ten years, I haven't been able to memorise them yet, due to that, I only do free readings for fun and to improve my skills, but I'd never charge for a reading due to my inability to memorise them! The only time I've ever 'charged' is asking my friends to buy my a drink if I'm doing a reading for them!
I feel like this is unfair to people who struggle with learning disabilities. If a person is a talented reader but still needs a little help it shouldn't be held against them.
Also sometimes a card is baffling and looking at the book can help guide one's intuition.
@@mysticmoth1111 I have leaning difficulties myself" But have leaned along the way! I teach tarot as well some need more guidance then another! You don't not get out a guide book then the client is paying you on a professional level 😊
You had me at ‘polyester cloaks’. Subscribed.
I totally agree on the overuse of resin and just how much JUNK people make with it! It’s one thing to use resin in small amounts and make something high quality, but they’re not even high quality.
I think resin has SOME application (making earrings for example, as well as other very small items which imo aren’t as bad as the GIANT TRAYS and fake crystals and the like)
Resin has no place in witchcraft and it’s so sad seeing every witchy event flooded with cheap imported carved stones and resin trays
Exactly this. I traded an event at the weekend, and the stall next to mine was FILLED with resin and imported carved crystals. It makes me both sad AND angry.
The TH-cam Gods have blessed me, thank you for your grumpiness.
I don't know much about Pagan handicrafts but your whole vibe is just what I need right now👍
Thankyou! I appear to be annoying some people, so this is very welcome!
Resin looked really fun to make, but i remember after looking into it, it just seemed like manufacturing tomorrow's garbage. I've moved on to other crafts, but i realize i still have a ways to go. My current project is using acrylic yarn, but perhaps once I've used what i already have, in the future, I'll look into using more organic materials instead. The biggest issue is accessability, which can be challenging.
I always feel more connected to my crafts when I'm using materials that would otherwise be trash -- making collages from old papers/magazines/junk mail can be pretty creatively fulfilling.
Acrylic generally doesn't feel good, the wool and other natural fibers are more expensive. I highly recommend getting into handspinning so that you can buy the fiber make the yarn exactly as you want it and then knit or crochet so that you get 2 uses of the same purchase.
I think I’ve heard of fiber artists tearing apart thrifted sweaters for wool-might be a good way to get started for cheap.
Look into plarn! It reuses recycled plastic :)
@eliezerswildlife thanks for the recommendation:)
I think I might have found my new favorite channel. Please continue your rants against plastics and overconsumption especially in circles and communities that are "supposedly" more environmentally conscious
There's no stopping me now! (I can only apologise)
There's wonderful candles sold at the local Renaissance festival where i used to live that were full-on wax sculptures with a recessed candle inside, we had one with a giant volcano with dragons peeking out of caves on the side and the wick was deep in the heart of the volcano. Works the same way a jack-o-lantern does, with the small candle enclosed inside a cavernous space, but the whole thing is one piece of well-crafted wax.
I love crocheting. with real wool, the outcome is so lovely. I love finding it in charity shops (new!) and often there are a whole set of skeins. I rarely buy new because of the cost. Also my sister makes strips of rag (cotton) and crochets with that! Is great!
I'm not pagan, but I'm often grumpy, old, and a crone. *fistbumps* Not sure how I stumbled across this vid, but yes, going to watch more! The world needs more Granny Weatherwax. (okay, we're not as grumpy as that, but you get what I mean.)
Yes! More Granny and Nanny in this world.❤
when I have seen those sort of candles with crystals and little mushrooms and what have you in the top, they usually say to take the things out before you burn it. which...kind of defeats the purpose. I've given a couple as gifts but those people don't want to burn them, just use them as decor. they're really not for burning, are they, if you have to take everything that makes it pretty out first.
Yup! I like to burn my candles.
"I love setting fire to things" reminded me of a conversation w my brother: he had told a friend it was too long since he'd seen fire. The friend said "we had a fire at my party last month" and my brother said "exactly, a month is way too long". 😂 When we were kids we were burning things constantly (safely for the most part).
I mean... he's right, isn't he?
😂 🔥 🪲
@@GrumpyOldCrone I completely agree 😆
Agree on the resin. I had a blast with it during Covid lockdowns, but then found my kid sanding one of the pieces without a respirator on, had an absolute panic attack, and stopped doing it all together. Nope, not a safe activity! Also, anything that requires industrial ventilation & a respirator & goggles & gloves probably isn't the healthiest of hobbies.
Most candles have coconut/palm, so I've given up on them.
Don't set fire to resin without good ventilation & a respirator on. Just sayin.
A few years ago I was commissioned to make a few suits of a Tarot deck, knew nothing about Tarot, and paid someone who did a consulting fee to help with the designs to make sure they could be read. Some other artists on the project did not consult, and it has made the decks hard to read. They are fine for the card game, but not for the divination end of things. The lesson here: preview your decks before buying. I loved working on the project, but am unlikely to do something like that again.
Yeah, I'm a frolicky young maid, and I still think everything you said is completely justified.
Greetings, frolicky young maid! Once, I too, was a frolicky young maid. Then I got a bad hip, and started grunting when I stood up, and talking to plants. I'm doomed now... Enjoy your frolicking whilst you can!
This video randomly appeared on my homepage, and this is honestly such a refreshing take! Seeing so many pagan creators try to push people to use and/or buy resin/other environmentally damaging products is so infuriating LOL.
I'm encouraged by how many people feel the same way.
I stopped using candles after a small fire started from embedded dry herbs, causing its pot to explode, not to mention all the wax waste that I had to scrape up and throw away.
After that, I switched to parrafin lamps. They burn more powerfully than candles, but it's an enclosed flame, and there's something to be said of having more responsibility to keep the wick trimmed, the fount full, and burner clean. Of course, candles made of natural waxes are best magickally, but when most candles are made from solid parraffin, liquid parrafin makes negligible difference, and the safety of a well maintained lamp outweighs the risks of melted wax. It won't smell too much, either-something important for those of us sensitive to perfumes.
I am of the opinion that plastics should only be used if NOTHING else can be used.
I found myself both laughing out loud and nodding sagely whilst watching this… my first time watching one of your vids. Instantly subscribed, thanks for the giggle and for the food for thought.
Thanks so much for the sub! Who knows, I might even make the next full length video whilst sober!
Same!
What a lovely rant.
Resin does not resonate with me either.
Folks need to educate themselves: whether they are crafting candles or reading cards. Ignorance is not always bliss. In fact it can be rather dangerous.
I'm not a proper tarot reader. But I once went to a young friend's store & he had hired a reader. The 1st thing she did was 'fix' all of the reversed cards because she didn't know them yet. Grrr...
Fellow grumpy old Crone here.
I've read professionally, and the noise I made when I got to "fixing" the reverse cards...😂
Lots of aha's, joy and thank you's here 😃. My son pointed out, when I shared your content with him, that it was like he heard me talking.
We, me, the fam and my friend with fam visited a Midwinterfair last december (Netherlands). It was supposed to be a Renaissance - Fairy fair alternative for a Christmas market.
Me and my friend were on expedition to find out wether our crafts might fit in there next year (2025) for a little shop.
Lovely atmosphere, but, but, but... what we found were exactly all those itchy things you have mentioned. Cute 3D printed mushroom jewelry (not even Fimo clay) and flexible dragons, the raisin stuff, jewelry from plastic crystal beads, dyed chrystals and fethers, the plastic 'witchy' stuff to dress your house and yourself in, useless plastic look-a-like wood and metal must-haves for your altar, tons of dressed-up AliExpress and Action (not sure this shop exists in the UK) stuff 😭.
Here and there an occasional real craftsperson with real stuff with real wood, ceramics, lether or metalwork.
Maybe it was just us in the wrong place or having silly illusions in advance...
Keep going, love your content ❤
As a candle maker, I have been looking into doing things like how soap makers do - that is, molds so the inclusions are the same substance. I haven’t had much affordable luck, so I just don’t use anything other than layered colours. It’s so very simple
Unrelated tangent, just felt like sharing:
I do have a cloak, with a cowel and hood. It is hefty, no idea wether it's pleather or leather. I can clean it with a hose and thats all that matters. It's sage green, made in my own state. Used for keeping warm during the bitter cold. And Its sometimes filled with a smoky smell with memories of friends long since passed. Did i use it during practice? Yes, but it wasnt necessary. Mostly brought it out for Yule. It is the only one ill ever need. 💚
I wish YT comments allowed people to attached photographs, because that sounds amazing. I particularly love the fact that it smells of smoke and has loving memories. I find the smell of woodsmoke to be like an instant time machine. Takes me back 25 years in a heartbeat
(first time watcher) I was a tad worried when you mentioned political correctness at the beginning because I associate that with the far right and company. So I agreed with everything you said dreading the section about pagan pride market, and imagine my relief when I got to it, haha! brilliant video, I could not agree more, especially on the candles part. It's so dangerous and while I understand that setting the mood aesthetically can be an important part of certain practices, it's not worth destroying the environment or burning down your house for.
thanks for this comment.. ❤
Omg me too lol. Are you also American? She seems very kind to me.
@@rickwrites2612 American, here too. In Mississippi. 😶
I'm now considering going to craft fairs and setting up a line in bespoke fire buckets. But then someone would come along and take the stall next to me with prettier buckets with rosebuds and tumblestones in the top of the sand.
That would probably actually sell 😂
I love you. This is all. BESPOKE FIREBUCKETS R US!!!!
You could take a fire blanket and decorate the surrounds too. We have always had a fire blanket in the kitchen. Of an era when chip pan fires were a thing. But it really does have an ugly red casing.
This is the first time you popped up as a suggestion for me and it's an instant subscribe! 🤣 There's something to be said for getting the things that annoy you off your chest and doing it while drinking wine- *chef's kiss!* Lol!!
Thankyou!!!! It's often a mug of strong tea (I'm all about that English stereotype!) but Sunday evenings are for a cheeky glass of wine....
Resin also yellows after awhile and it's starting to look dated. I've noticed that a lot of wood-turning and carpentry channels that used to do resin pours are getting away from it because they just don't look as good after awhile.
My son is a sculptor working mainly in wood, and whilst he has used resin for filling in divots and flaws in the grain on occasion, he has now started mixing sawdust with woodglue and filling with that. It doesn't look quite so fancy, but it feels more honest.
5:54 I feel the EXACT same way about resin witchcraft supplies; when I see resin pendulums or rune tiles or black mirrors, etc. it really grinds my gears and I’m not gonna lie, when I see that people have resin “tools” I automatically don’t take them as seriously as I would if their tools were made from natural materials.
Post scriptum: Sixth-generation musician, I also love crocheting, knitting, embroidery, counted cross-stitch, and am a fourth generation quiltmaker--and I stitch them by hand! None of that knock-off sewed on sewing machine crap that we sell to tourists here! Love your style of presentation, I'm hitting the subscribe button RIGHT NOW! Now, if only I could gas up my broom so I could come over and have a good visit over a cup of coffee or two! (Or, you with your glass of merlot and me with my medi-mari pipe . . . ) I bet we could come up with some creative solutions to the world's problems!
Resin is an interesting one, with a number of downside to know about, for sure. First of all, when crafters do it they NEED to know that it can give off toxic fumes and the process needs considerable attention to health safety measures to work well. It can cause serious and permanent bodily damage.
Also it isn't the kind of indestructible or archival material people often treat it as in the uses they put it to - It WILL yellow at some point. This is a particular concern for fine artists who want it far a glossy finish on artwork. I believe there a video of a resin artist on youtube going into just how fast resin ages with the title "Resin's dirty secret" or some combination of those words. To be fair, you CAN plan for this in that some things -- preserved flowers and bugs and soon, may just have a different, and not necessarily a worse look as they yellow. Also, keep in mind that these thing tend not to be dishwasher safe or deal particularly well with constant sunlight or acids. I've been Irked to discover that bud earrings in resin are not a great product for me, because I tend to wear these earrings constantly and leave them immersed in alcohol to sterilize occasionally in-between long uses, which breaks down and softens the resin, destroying the product. For little hair clips, however, I'm more optimistic. More attention needs to be paid to how disintegrating resin products can be restored, repurposed or otherwise rejuvenated. The rule of all stuff is, try to find out what to do with it when it breaks in a significant way.
Side note-- it's true that rock crystals won't break down like many other products, but they are also nearly impossible to buy while ensuring fair trade and reasonable environmental ethics in the many global locations they come from. The grumpy shopper truth is, there's no shopping without thinking unless you're shopping without caring.
The most environmental option is always going to be "buy as little as possible". I'm now at a point where much as I love the dopamine hit of buying new, pretty things, I just can't justify it. I make most of what I need now, with home sourced things wherever possible.
I’m not a proper witch at all and haven’t done more than lightly studying my astrological chart and messing with tarot cards here and there since I was a kid, but I’m a working artist and when you brought up the resin crafts I was hollering in agreement 🤣 I don’t think anything you said was uncalled for at all
Big problem with resin. If not done by professionals with a professional setup(Most craft fair shops don't have this set up) then resin is poisonous and extremely harmful o keep in your home. Symptoms of said poisoning can be difficulty breathing, eye pain, blindness, throat swelling, vomiting blood, blood in stool, chemical burns and more
Hello and so nice to see this. Someone on the Path, when I was being ‘vetted’, made me a lovely candle from a 6 sided mold. They did include a lot of cabochon cut bloodstones which were stuck to the outside of the candle and fell off when the wax softened. I lost a lot of them over the years but I still have the best one safely tucked away. Until you mentioned this, I’d forgotten but this was a lovely, safe way to add small stones. My altar is mostly stone, metal, glass on oak table and I use tea lights in colored holders. I have been ’burning’ these past 4 nights as during this time, because of our latitude, the Big Dipper comes down from the sky and ‘touches the land’ as the lower stars briefly dip below the horizon. I discussed my thoughts about this to a Navajo back in’11, saying I thought maybe this observed event marked the Kachinas returning to earth and he said ‘You think like us.’ It was a great compliment, never forgotten. Given that my internet failed last Friday, I asked that they help me out with that (Oct 30). I got back from using neighbors internet for important conference Halloween afternoon, did what ever, curiously tried out the tablet and….I’m back on line! This visual descent,travel and then ascent back into the sky will probably last a while longer….but ( and forgive me) my spoken invocation with spontaneous rhyme seems to have been extremely effective! I was back on-line by the evening of Oct 31. As for tarot, it seems that despite how the deck is designed, the key meanings will always be the same. For me the trick is to get the memory keys that are part of the symbolism off the card itself. Some decks speak to me more clearly than others. I used to read cards at our local fair for $1….people haven’t got a lot of money for this…and I thought it would be just a bit of fun for them. I do a 5 card lay-down taught to me by a very good astrologer/tarot reader friend, now passed. The page of cups came up in the reading & I told her she would meet a young man in the near future. She stopped by my table the next year, she had had a baby boy that year. I take the responsibility of reading very seriously but I don’t charge very often and then not very much. I do so enjoy your channel; it is great to hear what other members of the community are up to.
YESSS you're so right about polyester! It's so damn hard nowadays to find any clothes from natural fibers! Beautiful sparkly and silky materials are so much cheaper when made out of nylon and polyester, but are they really worth it? You can't even qwear them comfortably...
I just sweat madly in artificial fabrics. I make most of my own clothes these days apart from T-shirts, which I haven't yet weaned myself off of.
Years ago, I decided to make some dragons blood candles, using bees wax sheets and finely ground dragons blood. I sprinkled it on the sheet before rolling it tight around the wick.
When I burned it, there were little sparks every few seconds. It smelled great, but, I realized that wasn't a great idea.
Where I live, there are a lot of root workers, so it is hard to find a dressed candle that isn't loaded with bunches of dried herbs around here.
Found your channel through this vid. I cannot agree more.
Consumerism infects EVERYTHING (we think we have to buy things to fit in or be apart of things). We prefer aesthetics over personal meaning.
I almost got into acrylic resin (for dice and figure making) but realized… it’s just plastic… and I don’t want to make more plastic…
PS simmer pots are underrated for people that don’t want to burn candles or incense all the time !!
You've hit the nail on the head there! I, too, looked at resin - specifically for dice making (been a roleplayer since I was 14), but do I need more dice? Do I really need a set for every character I play? (Obviously the answer is yes....) I decided against it. Bought myself a really lovely, heavy set of metal dice, which have since universally killed me in every setting I've used them. Ho hum!
I agree on all points!! I have a cheap polyester cloak I got a long time ago that I don’t wear. Growth is good! lol Your session on tarot readers is exactly why I don’t do tarot. I’m clairvoyant and the cards get in the way, so I just muck up the entire reading. Charge for ONLY what you’re really good at.
I’m not a Pagan, but two weekends ago, I went to a Pagan festival market in Nottingham and I know exactly what you mean about resin and the crystal candles! I in fact started at a place called the Dark Arts Market and in both places, there was tons of stuff like that. It did feel a bit repetitive. I admit that I bought a resin pendant from someone just because I was being polite, but I’ll never wear it and will likely give it away.
Love your upload by the way! The TH-cam algorithm served me well today! I love your sense of humour! 😊
Edit: Ooooh, you went too! Ha ha! Sorry, I was part way through watching when I commented! 😅
You popped up in my feed, and I must say I absolutely adore you!!
Oh thank you!
The candles that bug me even more are long or taper candles rolled in herbs and dried flowers. Honest to gods, how people don't regularly turn everything within a 5 meter radius into an inferno using these instruments of destruction, I have no idea. They're literally just kindling.
EXACTLY THIS!!!! Do people not understand that this shit CATCHES FIRE??????
I'm a Christian but I subscribe. I love the way you speak. I love your grumpyness. I could listen to you for hours. You got my husband laughing. Thank you for the great evening. I'm with you on the candles with the stuff stuck into them. And some candles with the scents blow up too
You had me by 2:16.
And you just kept rising.
Crabby greybearded vintage '65 solitary.
New subscriber.
Hello! Crabby, greybearded vintage solitaries are MY FAVOURITE! Thankyou for subscribing
The resin thing really resonated with me. I practice a type of witchcraft that involves rot and decay. I'm also a craftsperson who makes handy crafts with found and recycled things. Part of my art is the want of reducing waste and part just being inspired by garbage.
Anyway, I hate it when people put bones on resin or incorporate bones with resin. It's like, that bone is meant to break down, and now it probably can't. It's cool to use bone in your crafts, I do it all the time. You can make some cool stuff with bone and other natural materials.
I also don't think resin crafting takes a whole lot of effort to learn and is easy to make look good, which is kind of a cheap aesthetic.
Resin items used to be rare, unique and interesting but now its absolutely everywhere and you just see the same tacky stuff produced en masse.
That's because the "artists" buy mass produced ready made moulds and make their dreary jewellery with it. Why would anyone want to wear plastic jewellery!?
You're amazing, glad to see more people thinking "hold on, if we're out here trying to be one with nature and its energy, why the fuck are we using plastic of all things?" which is a very good question.
The tarot reader one is insane, like someone drawing birthday cards and charging 20 bucks while the art level is that of a 2-year-old child
(Sidenote: I hate having to use acrylic yarn but I'm poor, forgive me lol)
Your story on the 3 card spread 😂 that's me 😂.... I don't charge, I only do it for friends and family , the cards found me years ago and I just dabble. I'm on the outside peeping in 😉 your a breath of fresh air in today's world✌️
I'm a big believer that there's nothing wrong in doing what you love in the way that makes you happy (as long as it's not a polyester cloak, because you WILL catch fire). Read your cards your way! My big argument is trying to charge people without having done any of the work that you are actually charging for!
The only time I’ve ever charged for readings has been at Psychic Fairs put on by our Pagan charity group
Dear resin witches, if you are very attached to working with the hot and alchemical may I suggest fine jewelry forging. Table top forge , mini anvil and sweet tiny tools run about the same as a good resin set up, and while the 'consumable' crafting material is more expensive you can usually smelt them back down for reuse! Also you can actually get pretty far in a committed pot on the stove top and a conveniently flat stone, gold, silver and copper are soft enough a solid stone can handle the light hammering required, and their melt points are often low enough to be manipulated with a cheap soldering iron! and your in the kitchen where the water and ventilation are!
"In our nice polyester cloaks" 😂 uve got urself another subscriber straight away. I agree with u about the resin thing....I'm always thinking but yeah it doesn't degrade 😞 so many things that are sold don't align with this lifestyle coz of course capitalism and we are all living with it and are a part of it but I just wince at sum things (and yeah plastic is in all of our lives but it still isn't good) also ur like me, I just say it how it is and people don't like that coz they don't want to face things but the older I've gotten the more I just see through things. It doesn't necessarily mean ur grumpy, it means ur aware. We all like a good moan and I'm very glad I was suggested ur channel coz it's very refreshing to be quite honest! 😂 Also we live in a world full of scams and I don't think u should be charging money if u don't know wot ur doing so I'd personally avoid that too 😅 Alot of wot u talk about are issues that actually matter but some people would rather just bury their head in the sand 🤷♀️
I may have had a right rant about bloody polyester cloaks in one of my first videos. I hate them sooooo much!
@@GrumpyOldCrone I added to my comment coz a lot of wot u said resonated so much!!!
@@GrumpyOldCrone: Atheist here - but I can get on board with you regarding polyester cloaks. In my not-so-humble opinion they should be spinning natural fibres and then using that spun yarn to make their cloaks. (The channel "The Crowing Hen" had a wonderful 3 part series on spinning, weaving and then sewing a cape.)
Currently binge watching your channel at the moment. I'm in absolute bits. You're naturally really funny. If you were a stand up comic, I'd pay to come and see you. 😂
11:06 I live about an hour away from the original Yankee Candle Shop.....Maybe I will Vlog it. You can spend a whole day or more just wondering through, smelling candles and seeing different themed displays and shops. The Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory is just down the road...awesome place to visit.😊😊😊
If you vlog, can you post a link here? Would love to see it!
@@GrumpyOldCroneWill Do!!!❤
For candle makers, I have seen and brought candles with charms, stones etc dangling on the outside of the jar. That is a way to be different and make your candle prettier. It can be turned into jewelry, I have done this, or already put on a cord for jewelry when I got it. You get a keep sake and a candle, the candle is decorated and no fire risks.I actually got my last one at T.K Maxx, it was a pumpkin pendant on the outside of the candle, the brand was sterling something, and no the real second of the word was not something. LOL. I forget now, though. It had a delightful firewood scent. And the pumpkin pendant on the outside totally stood out and cought my attention.
Now I do like candles with jewelry or crystals inside, but those the prize is at the bottom and wrapped in something that will not catch fire. Those are also fun but won't catch the eye at craft fairs as the prize is at the bottom of the candle.
Wow I've left a few comments, lol. But that does help the vid show up more these days, so you're welcome. haha.
I also love smelling candles and Starbucks. My sister andd i could totally hang with you and your daughter and enjoy a fun witchy time. We stock up on fall and winter scents, my husband and I, as those are our favorites. Then we can use them in the summer for cooling weather spells, lol.
Bella L
My approach is - if my ancestors in 1600s did not have this as a home decor, then neither should I :))))
I have had my family member carve my rune set out of oak and gift it to me, inside a leather bag that the person hand stitched. I treasure both the set and the bag.
In the past I have had people demand for me to use cards. I am often a seer and can see things without any cards :) But they did not believe me unless I looked at some cards. I always found this absolutely hilarious :)
I watched a lady resin an entire rock. Then later she said she made the rock.😳 When your channel popped up, I saw Grumpy and then looked again and saw Old Crone and said to myself, "YES"!!!! 💖
The resin art trend was big in like the 70s and 80s and I still see pieces from then floating around in secondhand shops. They age badly - many resins turn an awful brown with age.
I just found you and immediately subscribed after the first 30 seconds. I love you already 😆
Thankyou!!!! I should warn you that I am often sober too....
Normally takes a while nosing around a channel before deciding yay or nay, but this video got you an instant subscriber. Thank you for sharing.
My personal loathing/contempt for resin is not so much the plastics but the silicone moulds - that stuff will *never* biodegrade and I hate it. It's right up (down?) there in my opinion with ski boots and polystyrene cups.
First time tripping over your channel in my feed... enjoyable rant! Totally agree regarding resin. Its sold as a biodegradable natural material but is in fact, as you say, plastic! Love candles... yankee are heavenly... well some of them... I prefer the darker stronger aromas rather than the lighter cotton and candy sort, but thats just me. I bought a mackevie one which smelt of scottish heather (apparently) but it was wonderful, it did have bits of herb in it though but they didnt burn or anything, just sank to the bottom. Been lucky with candles... one went woomph and cracked the glass once.. I was very lucky that time, it was a well known supermarket branded one with a plastic(!) cover on the glass which held it all in place... could have been a different story without it.
Tarot... I have a deck, not used it in years, but yes, even now I can still remember the main arcana, if I were to pay for a reading, I would expect the teller to be knowing what they are talking about! After all if they are reading from a book then they arent reading the cards!
Keeping it grumpy x
Not gonna lie your shriek at The Hearthwitch was ADORABLE.
I am surprised it wasn’t “the doormat”that broke you 😂
Poor Hearth. I don't know what came over me. I've met relatively famous musicians without that reaction. My brother-in-law is actually mildly famous, too (in that I often see him in things on the telly). But this was a full on fan-girl scream. I'm actually quite embarrassed. I have zero control.
I legit just got chastised into choosing a different new craft hobby. I told my husband MONTHS ago that i wanted to make resin shit after an instagram binge...🤣 you're right, I AM clever enough to make things that aren't plastic and that don't harm the environment
You popped into my feed as a new channel, and within a minute, you made me laugh. A breath of fresh air😁
Thankyou very much!
Omg. I absolutely bought a crystal-drenched candle at a craft fair two years ago. It wasn't _super_ my jam, but the artist was a person of color hustling hard to make this small business work so I was like yeah alright sure I'l check one out. And I will admit that the *scent* of the candle was excellent, well-balanced and not artificial smelling, even when burning.
But the very first time I burned it, the crystals at the top listed and sunk like old barges in a marsh so it looked terrible from there on out, not like a lush crystal garden at all. Also the sizing on it wasn't correct for the wick, so it ended up burning an ugly crater down the middle. The last straw was when--as you mentioned and I stupidly hadn't anticipated--one of the smaller crystals suddenly shattered in the heat while I was standing right next to it. After that I dumped the whole half-burned thing out.
I've done exactly the same thing - I really want to support the crafter for whatever reason, and end up buying something against my usual judgement. The sad thing is that it sounds like it could have been a much nicer and simpler product without all the "extras".
I have fond memories of the power cuts and when my children were little we would have the odd evening before payday playing board games and telling scary stories. Priceless stuff to do with a prices candle. Plastic witchcraft is hilarious and lucrative because those gonads will buy anything.
Tipsy grumpy old crone....I"M SUBSCRIBED!
Welcome aboard!
Me too!
Indeed! That was part of what hooked me! 😂😊 Just being herself as we all should be
Haven't even watched more than a minute. I am excited for this. I have wanted to video something like this for ages but feel like you're going to do it so much better 😂
Edit as I'm watching
Plastic is super dead. There's no soul in it, I don't know how to explain it better than that. Resin is also super dangerous if not cured properly.
Sounds like candles and crochet alike both need guilds bringing back to regulate standards of sale and education of makers.
As someone who has been reading tarot for two decades, that infuriates me. Apparently we need a Tarot guild too.
I agree with these. Too many people get a hobby and immediately make it into a side hustle.
Hope you enjoy it!
Right? I’m sad nobody does anything for their own pleasure without opening an Etsy store
From one grumpy old crone to another... that was awesome and you've got yourself another subscriber! 😘
Greetings, new crone friend!
Hey, I'm a little late to this particular party, but let me just say that I've been practicing off and on for nearly 20 years, and your sass levels are a breath of fresh air.
The more time I spend watching random TH-cam channels, the more think I belong in the UK with the grumpy people rather than here in California with the passive aggressive fake happy people. ❤❤❤
I had a solid resin angel figure once that was designed to sit on a shelf, looking like a solid piece of ice. I enjoyed it and then put it in storage for a year. When I pulled it out again, it had turned yellow, exactly the shade of yellow ice that children are warned not to touch 😂
What's the male equivalent of a 'grumpy old crone'? Perhaps, 'grumpy old git'? I only ask because I'm definitely 'old', definitely 'grumpy' and definitely a 'git'. Resin? Don't get me started on resin! Since I retired from my less than glittering career as a teacher, attempting to impart small gobbets of knowledge to increasingly resistant adolescent students, I have been able to direct my efforts towards the things that bring me the greatest sense of fulfilment - my daughters and grandchildren, growing my food, walking in the woods and my love of all things wooden. I turn wooden bowls. I use timber that would otherwise be chipped or burned. I try to let the wood tell me how to work it and use the simplest finishes, basically shellac and beeswax. I love what I do, as I'm doing it for myself, and care little for what is 'fashionable'. Which brings me to . . . resin. Over the last few years, resin has become something of a touchstone when people are assessing the 'quality' or 'value' (both monetary and artistic) of turned pieces. It's looked on as being 'cutting edge', 'modern', 'innovative' etc., but has turned out to be just a fashion. Overused and over valued, in my very 'umble opinion. Emperor's new clothes. I had a flirtation with the idea, which lasted about 10 minutes, and decided that it offered very little and was probably expensive and rather messy. 'Less is more,' as they say and that definitely applies to . . . resin.
I don't follow any systematic 'religion' or 'belief system', but am increasingly drawn to a closer connection with things that grow and endure and the opportunity they give us to take time to dream and reflect and recharge our creative instincts. In fact, much of my time in my allotment is spent sitting doing very little and just taking in my surroundings and breathing it all in. And, it's the same when I'm turning my bowls. Moments when a minute becomes almost infinitely long and unbelievably satisfying, because everything is in tune and the connection is there. No resin required!
You win the "Best TH-cam Comment of the Day" award. Because now I want to buy one of your bowls, and sit silently in nature for a bit. I had to give up my allotment due to a shoulder injury, and really miss it...
@@GrumpyOldCrone Thank you, you're very kind. A few of my bowls are off to Charleston in Sussex with my neighbour (one of the most accomplished basket makers in the UK) to see if anybody will buy them. Just the thought gives me the jitters, as the idea of them becoming a 'commodity' really makes me feel uneasy. I know! I'm an idiot . . .
Sorry to hear that you're unable to continue with your allotment. I'm hope you've been able to find a spot somewhere, where you can have those moments that are so important. Take care and I shall be looking at your posts from now on.
Love Love Love what you say about RESIN. Already hooked me into your grumpiness.
New subscriber. Totally agree with you on resin. I’ve never been crazy about it. I only keep natural fibers and natural earth products in my home. I find them to be more free and there’s more open energy. You are so polite about your grumpiness. I love it!!! ❤
Ah. I've stumbled on one of those channels where being mad about things you have a rudimentary understanding of is your whole personality. Lovely. Have a good day.
The fact that I am grumpy, old and a crone is kind of right there in the channel title, right?
Prop maker here, professional resin user. You need ventilation when working with resin, you need to wear a respirator and you need to change the filters or replace the whole thing.
You need to wear gloves, you can develop an allergy to the resin you work with. My lecturer at university had a severe allergy she’d developed from a specific type of resin so we couldn’t have it in the workshop.
Want to embed things in a candle? Make them also out of wax! Make your crystals out of wax. You can make flowers easily out of wax.
I wanted to make a very complex candle to sell, I was going to sculpt it myself and make a mould so It would be completely unique but I’ve been stuck on trying to find a safe base for it to sit on. Because a lot of materials can explode with a hot candle sitting on them, including glass!
You are fabulous! Some days the algorithm gets it right and brings me amazing people like you!
I have to admit that I am learning Tarot but with regard to the Combinations. I learned this from a TH-camr called Biddy Tarot. I have completed the 2 card combination and I am now on the 3 card combination. I am enjoying doing it this way. I am only reading for myself at the moment whilst I am learning. I am not sure I want to read for someone else at all as I just love doing a daily reading for myself. But I do agree with you Annie that it is stupid to charge money for a reading and then read out of a book. I have never heard of anything so ridiculous 🙄 😂 in my life.
Biddy Tarot is pretty good! I hope you are having fun with it? Reading for other people is a whole different jump, but when you are confident, I think it's a great thing to do.
@@GrumpyOldCroneoh I've been using Biddy Tarot for a while and this endorsement was a bit of a relief haha!
If they have dangerous elements in their candles it makes me want to scream! There isn't an insurance company that will cover that and as a candle maker it takes a lot for me to not ask them about their insurance. They will just say people are supposed to remove those items. People do not read instructions. "Candles are an easy thing to make at home"- is the mindset of someone who hasn't been spending hours testing wicks, containers, and scents.
I had this conversation with a crafter at an event I was at last year, and he said that he'd LOVE to make candles, but the time and money necessary to do all the prototypes required for insurance meant that it wouldn't be profitable.
@@GrumpyOldCrone it isn't for the first few years- but that is most start up businesses that require testing. Some people think they can just mix a few things in their kitchen and get rich overnight
I am a total fire hazard witch. I found out the hard way that sand is flammable! 😂
Hearth mentioned that tarot reader. They bought the deck from her, asked her some questions and then walked away and started giving paid readings.
First... Sand is flammable? How is that a thing? It's used as a fire extinguisher? I've never had a problem, but will be very careful in future, thanks for the warning....
I didn't see Hearth's comment - that's wild. That's really not on.
Also, I'm totally stealing "Fire Hazard Witch". It's now officially the only label I like!
@@julievanarends3702 I did not know that about sand, thank you for the safety information!
I do sometimes say 'I'm not always great at understanding court cards, if this seems a bit mysterious let's come back to it in the context of everything else' when reading for friends, but I'm not charging them for it.
@@ankaretwells7618 I like what you write about court cards, that's a good way to also get a better interpretation of them.
@@GrumpyOldCrone 🤣🤣🤣
The Tarot part just had me screaming inside! Totally agree! I've seen something like that myself. People seem to be banalizing Tarot reading, as if you could just buy a deck with a little booklet that tells you the card meanings and call yourself a reader. Well, yes, you can read, but no better than a 2nd grader.
I had a former friend who used to get a little tipsy, as you say, and start offering quick "to-go" one-card Tarot readings to our group on WhatsApp. She’d just grab her deck, shuffle a bit, and voilà! a card for whoever wanted to kid around with Tarot like it was some kind of game. She didn’t even have the nerve to pick up a book. Instead, she just sent a message that might as well have been typed by a monkey in her attic. And honestly, it rarely, if ever, had anything to do with the card she pulled.And I realize it is a thing, unfortunately, I’ve seen similar stuff happening a lot lately.
Anyway, just a grumpy comment. Amazing video, by the way, and I totally support this kind of grumpiness. Speak your truth!
Oh good lord, some of the absolute tat you see at markets! There's definitely a difference between a hobby and actual a actual craft! Or no, you can definitely have a craft as a hobby. But all hobbies aren't crafts. My pet peve is buying a bag of blank wood key rings, toadstools, trolls or whatever, and painting squiggly messy acrylic cats and ladybirds on them. 🐞 🍄
Yeah, my issue with those glass jar candles is that crafters rarely use the wicks that are designed for containers. Container wicks are made of cotton twisted around thin wire - read METAL. It concentrates the heat close to the wick, instead of dispersing it into the glass. Regular cotton wicks that are used for pillar and taper candles disperse the heat and will cause the glass to explode. Ditto for small altoids tin candles - it heats up the metal container and can cause burns.