Association of Lifecasters International

Congratulations to me, my application for acceptance in to the "Association of Lifecasters International" has been accepted.  Being this is a free membership, it probably shouldn't feel as good as it does to be accepted, but it does....LoL - I'm such a fool. 

This is one step closer to credibility, this business owner is part of an "association".  YAY.  Now to get some pieces done & on display here is the next and more time consuming step.  We have a first piece in the works, the sculpture (yes  i called it a sculpture as i did some sculpting to it). As mentioned in the introductory post, I molded with alginate a pregnant belly and cast using CastRite gypsum plaster. Used thick hair conditioner to repair the mold in some places, filled in and reshaped a few areas of the cast after pulling it out and finding some unattractive depressions. Waited a week, then wet-sanded and shaped using grit paper. Now waiting for a full 2 weeks to pass before finishing with some art work and presenting.

I read somewhere that gypsum plaster needs a full 2 weeks to harden before finishing, not sure how true this is but figured being my first one, probably better safe then sorry.

Here is a sneak peak of the progress so far....



An Adventure into Entrepreneurship

This venture was born out of a general frustration of re-entering the workplace from my 2nd Maternity leave.  Though I loved my former job (well its still current as i have 2 weeks left before my last day), it just wasn't the same coming back this time.  I felt like i lost my credibility and they really didn't know what to do with my skills or just stopped appreciating them, either way i was basically UN-officially demoted and informed that i should spend the next year letting the "tough girl" out and re-prove myself to re-earn my position. After some heated thought and simmering down reflection i decided, i don't want to fight for something that i already earned and don't really enjoy doing anyway.  I've already come too far away from my "credible" engineering profession for comfort in that environment anyway. So my husband suggested I get into "Belly casting" doing plaster molds as keepsakes for pregnant women.  We did one for myself in my last pregnancy and got many compliments on it, so i did some research and got inspired! 

In order for this to work i had to figure out what would set me apart and why some expecting mother would want to pay me to do a casting for her, instead of buying herself a $25 kit to do it herself at home?  The answer came in the form of high-definition.  The ability to capture minute detail and exceptional smoothness would be the key - tied in with a high level of creativity in finishing.  Dusting off some of my old manufacturing engineering experience i started to research plaster molding and uncovered the art form of LIFE CASTING.  Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding! Light bulb lit - i can do more than just pregnant bellies, this could be be torsos and hands, and baby feet. Creating molds using professional grade materials and techniques to achieve high-quality body sculptures.  I even found a class to take that will teach me techniques and certify me.  Who needs a boring old Sales Engineer job when i could endeavor into an exciting art form that will not only be a great creative outlet on my own time but will also allow me to utilize my engineering expertise.

So decision made - I'm starting my own small business.  Right now I'm in the learning phase, did my first mold this past Sunday for a willing pregnant friend.  We created a mold of her bust & belly using alginate and cast using gypsum plaster. Though there were definitely some learning experiences in that endeavor, i have to say it wasn't too bad for a 1st time ever try.  Later this week i will be working on the shaping, smoothing & finishing of that cast and will post progress as I go.