Hi everyone, my name is Natasha and I run a small resin business called Nats Hobbycraft.
I’m 46 years old, my background is in retail. I started working in retail when I was 13 years old and I worked my way over the years from a simple Saturday morning cashier to an Operations Manager which I was extremely proud to have achieved.
However in January 2021 I was diagnosed with Fibromialga, I carried on working for as long as possible but with the pain came depression and anxiety, and eventually working full time was no longer an option. It hit me really hard and I felt like my life was over. I was at home alone and in pain, but then I saw an ad on Facebook about resin and I thought I would like to do that.
I brought my first resin kit in March 2021 to use as a hobby. At first I thought I could just make gifts for family and have something to occupy my time, but I was hooked from the first thing I made, even though it was horrendous! I made alphabet keyrings and was so impatient I attempted to de-mold after 6 hours! Major fail.
I learnt my lesson and started again, I got bubbles and amine blush, my items were not flat, I had ridges and well they were just awful, it was driving me insane until I joined the Craft Resin Community Facebook Page. Just from reading others posts I learnt what I was doing wrong. This is when I also started to use Craft Resin for my projects and I have never looked back it's the only resin I now use.
In May 2021 my daughter told me my creations were too good to be sat in a box and I should sell them. I really struggled as my anxiety was making me feel my items were nowhere near good enough to sell but she told me they were, so I set up an Etsy Page and a Facebook Page, but due to the issues I have with my health I was a nervous wreck!
When I sold my first item, I made it about 5 times constantly thinking it wasn't good enough. The customer loved it and the feedback was great, this made me feel amazing and knowing someone was walking around with something I made is just......well I just can't put into words how happy it makes me.
My daughter is a tattooist and is a lover of earrings she has every first pair I make with new moulds and even buys moulds for me of designs she likes, this is great advertising for me when her clients see them and ask where she brought them. The tattoo shop owner has allowed me to display things for sale in there too and straight away I sold earrings and keyrings. This boosted my confidence enough to start adding a more varied range of resin items, and I now make coaster sets, trays, trinket dishes, pyramids and bears.
My favourite makes have been Harry Potter style coasters and my first pyramid.
In October one of my daughters clients saw my creations in the shop and offered me a slot at a Christmas Market she was organising. I was so unsure whether I could put my items on display for all to see, I was full of so many emotions but I had so much support from my partner and my family that i thought why not lets do it.
My Mum made me business cards and a sign for my stall as I didn't have anything apart from stickers I had made to put on packaging. I didn't go overboard when setting up my items, again I saw another creator on the Craft Resin Community Page state how on her first market she crammed in everything but her next one she kept it smaller and sold more items. The feedback I got about my products was great and a real confidence boost.
I do make other items as I love trying different creative projects within my small business but my true love will always be working with resin.
I'm constantly trying out new techniques and I watch countless tutorials, I'm learning new things everyday and I love it. My work is still far from perfect but we are all our own worst critics.
When I'm sat creating my items everything else that's going on in my life with my health fades I get lost in making pretty items and experimenting with different colour combinations or patterns. It’s total escapism and at times pure bliss.
As I sit here writing this, I’m looking to the future and making and creating items for the year ahead, I have already informed the market organiser that this year I will do all 3 events.
Working with resin and setting up my small business has given me a sense or worth again and even on my darkest days creating gives me a break from my thoughts.
My advice to any new resin creators would be to start small, read the instructions, don't be too impatient like I was, and check out the amazing helpful posts on the community page, don't be afraid to ask questions because none of us bite and we all started the same way. Just get started and let your creativity out. Art is seen differently by everybody and there will always be someone who likes what you create.
I am not an ambassador for Craft Resin, nor have I been paid in any way for this blog. I just wanted to share my story with you all to hopefully inspire others to not give up, whatever life throws at you!
Natasha
