My name is Desiree Seijnaeve , I have been hobbying with epoxy resin for half a year now . It started with letter keychains. I liked it so much that I started making more and bigger projects. The possibilities are endless, which allows me to make different creations. For all materials I recommend ItsOkay , they have good quality molds, epoxy resin, dried flowers... basically everything you need. Your order will be delivered super fast so you can get started on your craft project right away.
I started making happy stones about 2.5 years ago. These are stones that you paint with acrylic paint (e.g. Amsterdam acrylic paint) and/or acrylic paint markers (e.g. Art Owl Nederland), and finish to make them shine beautifully and protect the painting.
Once the stones are ready I place them in visible places, to give other people a moment of happiness. The finder can keep the stone, put it somewhere else or give it to someone.
On the back of the stone you will usually find more information about the maker, usually there is a Facebook group or Instagram name on it. A message with a photo of your found stone is so easy to send to the maker and very nice to share.
You can look for stones to paint yourself, in the forest or along the water. You can make them yourself by pouring liquid concrete into a stone mold. There are also sites/shops/garden centers where you can buy suitable stones (especially beach pebbles and Santorini stones).
I get my inspiration from everywhere, tutorials from other happy stone makers, Pinterest, Google etc. What I make at that moment depends on where I'm going to put them and what my target group (children or adults) or theme (holidays etc) is. I paint everything by hand myself, but if you're not that good at drawing, you can also trace a design with carbon paper and then print the image on your stone.
I finish my stones with UV Resin from ItsOkay, this gives your painting a very nice glossy finish, much better than varnish or lacquer for example. I advise against nail polish because it can start to flake because moisture gets underneath and it can turn yellow over time.
- Painted stones (Beach pebble, Santorini stone etc)
- UV Resin from itsOkay
- UV LED Lamp or direct sunlight
- Gloves
- Silicone brush
The UV Epoxy resin is a liquid substance that becomes a kind of hard plastic by hardening. This gives your stone an ultimate and beautiful protective layer. This type of epoxy resin dries by sunlight. After applying a layer, you can let the stone dry outside or inside under a UV lamp.
For the first stone, a grey beach pebble with cute cat painting, I evenly distributed the UV Resin over the stone. The bottle with spout makes pouring the UV Resin very easy. Then you spread it evenly. Of course with gloves on and do not work in a room with a lot of sunlight. Then your UV Resin will harden too quickly. After the UV epoxy resin is evenly distributed, I put it under the UV lamp for a few minutes. When it has hardened, I put the stone in direct sunlight for a few hours.
For this example I have finished a white Santorini stone with Liberation Day theme with UV Resin . For this stone I used a silicone brush. That works fine for me and works a bit neater. After the epoxy resin is evenly distributed I put this stone under the UV lamp for a few minutes. When it has hardened I put the stone in direct sunlight for a few hours.
I find both methods (gloves/brush) pleasant to work with. So it's a matter of seeing what you find most pleasant to work with. I also recommend covering both sides with UV Resin . By completely sealing the stone, no moisture will get underneath.
A processed stone with UV Resin epoxy needs longer drying time than just the UV lamp. This is logical, because the UV light from the lamp cannot pass through the stone like with a silicone mold for example. Let it dry for a few more hours in daylight and your stone will have a perfect shiny finish.
I wish you a lot of fun painting and varnishing your happy stones and I am very curious if I will ever find one of your stones!
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