Alexandra Arnold needed something to take her mind off juggling two kids during the pandemic.
“With homeschooling there was just no break, especially with my youngest who wanted all the attention,” she said.
“It got hard really quickly, I couldn’t concentrate on one child.”
To get a bit more me-time, the 38-year-old started experimenting with resin jewellery.
Happy with the results and enjoying her new creative outlet, Alexandra started Panda Bear Bijoux from the end of her dining room table.
Making jewellery
Alexandra makes jewellery and accessories out of resin from her home in Oldmeldrum, creating everything from earrings to pendants to cufflinks and even magnets.
She has learnt a lot in a short period of time, refining her skills and experimenting with new techniques.
“The first bits I did, I look back at the pictures and can’t believe someone bought it,” she said.
“It’s a learning curve of what works and what doesn’t, a lot of it ends up in the bin or I give it to my daughters.”
Alexandra did some jewellery making when she was a teen but hadn’t experimented with resin before. Being a creative person, she was happy to find something she could channel this energy into.
The process
Each piece of jewellery is made through the same process, with Alexandra mixing up colours and materials to ensure each is unique and special.
She said: “I put a layer of the clear resin in a mould so it’s shiny on top, then I put things in it like crystals or charms or dried flowers from my garden.
“Then I seal them with more resin and glitter or metal leaf embellishments. It sets under a UV lamp then within a few minutes I’ve got something.”
Some people also use epoxy resin to make jewellery and bigger items, but this is too timely a method for Alexandra.
“I don’t have the time or the patience for that, I need to know if something has worked immediately,” she said.
Coming up with ideas
When thinking about what to make, if she is not working on a commission, Alexandra is always full of ideas.
“There are some days I sit down and I have no idea what to do, but most days I have an idea and I just try to put it into resin,” she said.
“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but usually it does or it just needs refining a bit. I take inspiration from outdoors and flowers, I’ve also done a few pendants with local sand in them and beach scenes.”
Her in-laws recently fetched her some sand from Newburgh beach so she could make a pair of perfect pendants for two friends, complete with a little seal on each.
Focusing on Panda Bear Bijoux
Alexandra sells her jewellery at local craft fairs and through her Etsy store.
While she said there are lots of people working with resin, everyone’s work is so different it doesn’t matter: “I haven’t seen anything like mine, I’ve been to craft fairs where there was someone else doing it and people bought from both of us because we were doing completely different things.”
Alexandra used to work in Debenhams but stopped because she struggled with depression and a sporadic shift pattern.
Panda Bear Bijoux is now her sole focus along with being a mum. She said: “I was out of work for a few years then had my kids, but now that they’re at school and nursery I have more time.
“The idea of getting a 9-5 fills me with dread.”
Alexandra’s husband and daughters, who are eight and four, are supportive of the new venture.
The quirky business name is inspired by her youngest’s love of pandas and the two fluffy teddies she can’t sleep without.
Special Panda Bear Bijoux commissions
Due to the nature of the resin Alexandra uses and the fact she adds embellishments by hand, each piece of jewellery is slightly different.
Despite this, there are popular designs she uses time and time again, like one with a thistle which she says is particularly popular up north.
Some of her most memorable commissions have involved making commemorative pieces for those dealing with a loss.
“I did a set of pendants for someone who had lost their dog which had a bit of its fur in them,” she explained.
“I’ve also made cufflinks which contained ash for someone’s husband. Those are the kind of pieces where it’s such an honour to be trusted with something so important.”
Alexandra is always open to working with customers on commissions and helping bring their vision to life.
For more information about Panda Bear Bijoux, or to order a commission, check out Alexandra’s Etsy, Instagram and Facebook.
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