Stephanie Shields Full Time Carer and Resin Artist @_crownresin

Stephanie Shields Full Time Carer and Resin Artist @_crownresin - Craft Resin

Hi, my name is Stephanie, I’m 26 and I live in Essex! I have recently won the Craft Resin Talent Award which was a lovely surprise!

 

I came across Resin artwork on Instagram back in 2019 when I was travelling/working in Japan as a Bungy Jump Instructor with my boyfriend. I have always been creative and loved photography, but once I had finished my academic years, hobbies just disappeared and work life took over, I missed it, I wanted to create again. Once back in Essex at the end of 2019, I got my first resin starter kit for Christmas! I first created a bookmark and some keyrings, they.. were.. AWFUL! One end was thicker than the other, there were a million & one air bubbles, I was working on the wonky kitchen table.. I was just clueless about what the hell I was doing and thought ’Is this for me?’ 

 

 

I took a step back and started doing my research, watching YouTube videos, coming across the most amazing art and thinking ‘how the hell is that even possible!!’ I started buying some little bits here and there off amazon and continued to keep trying! At the start of Feb 2020, I got a new job as a recruitment agent, I then was made redundant in the March due to COVID. Luckily, I was furloughed for 2 months after and this allowed me to have time with resin again. I started creating some coasters and just learning, trying different styles and techniques. I felt a sense of therapy and focus when I worked with resin, I just felt that I found my peace with it and could really just relax and switch off from what was going on. I think I’d found my perfect down time. Along my journey of research, I came across @resinbyren instagram page, I was amazed by her work and I was instantly HOOKED! I became obsessed with her page, creations and just style! I thought, I want to be able to create like that and maybe one day create a small business just like Rengin, WHAT A DREAM! 

 

In the end, I couldn’t take much more of furlough, I was bored and I needed to work, so, I applied to be a carer! My mother has been in care since I was 9, so I thought, take the plunge, help people now when they need us more than ever. It’s a full on job and working through a pandemic, time hasn’t been my friend. It overtook my life and I was working from 7am until 10pm most evenings and not getting home until late to then just do it all again the next day. In the end, I had just pushed my resin to the back and it ended up getting dusty in a box, under my bed. 

 

Eventually, I just couldn’t keep up and I was exhausted. I have a condition I was born with called Bertolotti’s Syndrome which affects my lower back and some days is extremely painful, this was very hard when working these long hours. I have much more of a work/life balance now and eventually started doing the resin again. I continued making coasters and in the end, found some skills I didn’t know I had, along the way.  My friends and family kept pushing me to sell my products as I was creating and advancing my skillset. I started off with just selling to friends and family and getting feedback from them, they were so impressed! Back in March this year, 2 days before my birthday.. I launched my @_crown resin Instagram page! I put it off for SO LONG, I was just so nervous as there were incredible artist out there, but everyone starts somewhere right! I named my page after my name, Stephanie means ‘Crown’ in Greek. 

 

It started off slow, but it was really more of a hobby and blog of my artwork, journey and progress rather than a business at the time. I just didn’t have a lot of time (and still don’t) to focus on it being a full on business yet, due to being in full time work and getting 1 day off a week. 

 

 

Overtime, I became good friends with Ren from ResinByRen, she helped me SO much with advice of how to create these different styles, ways to use pigment and just learning all sorts of different skillsets. It was also nice seeing her evolve on her instagram too and see those followers just rocket! I was envious and inspired. Ren also introduced me to Craft Resin, I had tried SO many different resins in the past and to be honest, I just couldn’t find it, they just were so faffy and confusing! I’m not good at ratios, I like it simple and to the point and that’s EXACTLY why I loved Craft Resin when I first received it. It just makes sense. 

 

I am so pleased I came across the Craft Resin Facebook Community Group, I love seeing people on there that are from all different resin journeys from starting fresh out the box to experienced members. It’s such an ideal place to go for questions and advice with like minded people! I love the fact Craft Resin give back to their artist with the Talent Awards whether your new or experienced, I was absolutely gobsmacked when I had won the 4L Resin F R E E from just posting a project!! What a reward that is! I can’t wait to create more!

 

I eventually would love to build a website and really put my all into creating a business, the dream would be to go full time, but at the moment things are steady which are working for me. I had to move all my stuff (us resin artist don’t do shopping lightly!) to my old bedroom at my aunties house as I was just taking over the house! I eventually set up a little studio in their which allowed me to be more free, work FLAT and really excel myself. I love that I can see progression in my art work and have absolutely fallen in LOVE with resin! I have recently set up an Etsy which was scary, but I’m learning still and it’s not a race, these things take time and for me, I just happy to be creating and learning again! 

 

Happy Creating!

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