Everything we make is made from epoxy resin. This is a plastic that we purchase from a chemical manufacturer in its two-part liquid form. We mix the two parts together which starts a chemical reaction. This chemical reaction causes the epoxy resin to heat up and eventually cool down. While the resin is just mixed, the coloring agents (alcohol ink, mica powder, glitter, paint, etc.) are added and the resin is poured flat on a table. As the epoxy resin cools it begins to harden. At some point, the semi-hardened resin sheet can be picked up and draped a form to create the bowls, vases or trays seen in the gallery. Once the bowls have hardened, their edges are sanded and the edges are painted. Then there is an additional resting period until everything is fully cured. From the first pour to the final rest takes about 4 weeks.
Our bowls, while a beautiful piece of art, can also be used as functional serving pieces in your home. Epoxy resin is sensitive to heat, so using your bowl for cold items like salad, popcorn or ice is best. We usually say to stay away from mashed potatoes or soup.
We actually started the business because we were using the bowls to chill wine during parties
and thought everyone would want to do the same (the picture is from one of the first parties with a bowl as wine holder).
While we use a food safe (BPA-free) epoxy resin and fully cure the bowls, remember the edges are painted with a metallic paint. So, don't lick the edges!
Yes! All of our vases and bowls can hold water making them a perfect base for you to create a beautiful flower arrangement in.
We like to use a frog (that spiky thing florists put in the bottom of a vase to hold flowers in place) or decorator glass beads when we put arrangements in the vases. This helps weight the vases so that the weight of the flowers do not tip the vases over.
Our trays are made from the same food safe (BPA-free) epoxy resin as our bowls and vases. This means you can use them as serving trays - think how beautiful crackers, cheese or a cake would look displayed on a beautiful tray! Remember epoxy resin is a kind of plastic, so don't use a sharp knife to cut on the trays as the knife will scratch the surface. Also, epoxy resin is sensitive to heat, so do not put them on the stove, in the oven or in the dishwasher. And, the edge has real metal in the painted edge so they are not microwave safe.
Our trays can also be used as wall hangings. Just let us know what direction you want them to hang and we will attach the wall hanger to the back. Unfortunately, because of the heat sensitivity of epoxy resin, we do not recommend hanging the trays outside.
Taking care of our bowls is easy! Epoxy resin is sensitive to heat so do not put the item in the dishwasher, microwave, on the stove or outside for extended periods of time (fine for the party but bring it in when the party's over!). We use a food safe (BPA-free) epoxy resin so you can use these as serving issues. To clean these pieces of art, use tap water and dish soap. Do not scrub the painted edge as the metal paint can be scrubbed off (just like grandmother's fancy china). You can towel or air dry them. You can also use these to hold water or ice, in addition to food.
We use an epoxy resin with a high quality light blocker, so it should not yellow. Our clear colors are achieved using alcohol ink. Alcohol ink is sensitive to fading from UV exposure over time. The UV blocker in the epoxy resin will resist this but if you will be placing your item in a place with direct, strong sunlight some fading may occur. This will take years, though.
We use high quality coloring agents - sometimes when resin appears to yellow it is actually the coloring agent used changing within the resin. After more than 10 years working with resin, we only use high quality paint to achieve our white waves and effects, so there should be no yellowing of the white. We also use high quality mica powders that are the same quality as used in commercial paints and they will not change colors.
It is easy to repaint the gold or silver paint on the edge of your bowl, vase or tray. Just fill out the contact form and we will send you a current link to the right paint to fix the issue.
Yes, we are always interested in discussing your inquiry. However, we are a one-woman artist studio so production is limited. Our retail prices range from $20 to $500 and our items are most suited for high end gift shops or galleries. Please fill out the contact for with your information and we will contact you to discuss the details.
Yes, we can create larger custom orders for weddings, celebrations and events. Lead time is a minimum of 4 weeks and can be longer depending on the volume requested. Please fill out the contact form with your request and we will contact you to discuss your request.
Yes, Jennifer, our artist, has been with working with epoxy resin for 10 years. In that time, she's tried to do just about everything you can imagine with resin. She began working with resin by creating jewelry from wallpaper sample books. Like all resin artists, she's tried molded items and just seeing what can be made from resin. After lots of playing around and trying different brands of resin, she finally found her medium making the bowls she specializes in now. That doesn't mean she doesn't try other things all the time and you can always reach out and ask if she is willing to create the kind of item you're interested in.
As of summer 2025, Whimsy by the Sea has an active Facebook (Whimsy by the Sea) and Instagram (@whimsybythesea) account. Current images are posted there. Updated show schedules and booth locations are also posted there.