I have only been turning for about 2 or 3 months now? When I first started turning I only did wood blanks. I have been enjoying it a lot. I just got into stabilizing and casting last week. A bit of a learning curve but not terrible if you research it.
Nice job, especially for a first effort. They’re nicely shaped with some pretty cool colors as well.
CA finishes take a bit to get good at but are worth the time to learn. You can always try spray lacquer too. I’ve even seen some spray lacquer onto their resin handles to avoid the time it takes to wetsand and buff to a high gloss, but I question how long it would last. There’s no substitute for getting a clean finishing cut and progressively wetsanding through the grits then buffing to get that professional looking shine, but don’t worry about nailing it right from the start, you’ll get good with some practice. Buy a 2x4, rip it down, and practice clean finishing cuts and a CA finish. If you can get a 2x4 smooth from the skew or gouge and nicely finished you’ll be able to do it on anything. It’s a cheap way to get good at proper tool technique as well. Keep it up, you’ve done real good for your first, or even 10th time.