craftgrrl | Questions: Of Sculpy, Resin, Horns and Ears...

Alright, I need some advice from all you crafty types. The topic for today is twofold (perhaps even trifold). That is to say, I need to ask about two different things that are, at least to my uses, related. XD So even if you can't help on the first part, you might be able to help me on the second! Anyway.

I am working with a small business to make and sell costume-styled horns. They are kind of like those horns most people associate with Renniasance Festivals, tied on with a little string. Mine, however, are fastened to the head differently, and are hand made, and come in different styles. But that isn't the point, really. My business partner with respect to these horns has requested that I make a perfect pair of each style of horns I produce. She wishes to make a mold of these horns, so that I can resin cast my horns from this point forward.

I work in Sculpy. Not the sturdier Super Sculpy, but regular 'ol white Sculpy. She will be making a cast of my end result, I am assuming out of a silicone substance. She knows more about the casting than I do. But I have to ask, will she be able to make a mold with my sculpy creations? Will said pieces be destroyed in the mold-making process? I know nothing of such things.

Secondly, I started designing a new piece this weekend. I am uncertain if it will work for my purposes, but I am proud of what I have come up with thusfar. Per my partner's request, I am trying to make it as perfect as possible. This meant sanding the finished piece so that it was smooth (and in a shape I preferred). Unfortunately, being a new and difficult piece, this took me quite some time. I was sanding for approximately an hour and a half last night. Just as I was almost finished, and working pickily upon a joint that didn't please me, I realized that I was paying the piece a bit too much attention. I noticed a hairline crack in the clay at the juncture I was focusing on.

I've already invested about five hours in this piece, now. It was difficult to work on, and I do not wish to start over if I do not have to. After all, I still have to make it a mate! It is relatively large, being more antler than my usual horns (thus why I'm not certain if it will work for my purposes, but that's neither here nor there). Is there some way for me to mend this crack so that the piece is salvagable? It would have to be mended in a way that does not add bulk to the piece, and it has to be something that can be cast by my business partner (if Sculpy can be cast at all).

I need suggestions, and I'm rather desperate. The piece has a jewelry wire armature, but it is extremely minimal and more for form than function. The piece supports its own weight, standing on its own, and the crack does not worsen when leaving it in this position. However, I am worried about the strain put on the crack when cast. I am also worried about the silicone seeping into this crack, and making the resulting mold useless casting purposes. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Finally, and this is more of an opinion thing than an actually crafting question, how many of you think that a deer-antler style headpiece would actually sell? I know that my horns have been rather popular at conventions, with most styles selling out on the first day. I have never tried something this large, or this unique, however. Do you think people would wear them, if they were well made?

On the same note, what do you think the reaction will be to horns cast in resin rather than individually hand-made and painted with clay? We plan to use different resin solutions to create different textures, mixing in colorings and other things (glitter, small items) when appropriate to give the resin a different appearance. This will mean that the horns will last longer, be lighter (am I right that resin is lighter than Sculpy?), and be resistant to the peeling and scuffing/scratching that my hand painted pieces currently have problems with. Do you think this is a step in the right direction, or am I moving too far from my individually hand-crafted roots, and making the product lose it's appeal?

I should still be able to do customs, though not on-site like I used to. I should be able to have more versatility as to what I can provide (transparency, glitter, imbedded items). I don't know if my prices will stay the same or not. I know nothing about resin casting. How expensive is resin? I would want to work in batches, having the resin made and mixing the colors/items/etc in individually as I work. Is that even possible? It would seem to me that I would have to cast a horn, wait for the resin to cure, and then cast another horn. So I probably can't mix all my resin at once. The whole idea has me of two minds, and I don't know if it will be more or less efficient, more or less cost effective. I'd like to keep my costs low, and overall most of my pieces require very little clay. I would assume this would mean they would also require very little resin. Is it possible to make such small amounts of resin at a time? Ugh. I probably should've asked all these questions sooner. I'll shut up now. I'm rambling.

Thank you in advance to anyone that has any advice/recommendations/suggestions/etc. I want to hear as much as I can from as many people as possible, even if it's just "I'd buy something like that" or "I wish people would make ________." I like being able to cater to as many people as possible, and I know my tastes aren't always the same as most other people's.

I don't have any pictures of finished horns, but I do have a picture someone drew for me once of some of my various horn- and ear-styles and some color/paint styles/designs I offered at the time. Thank you again!