Thursday, May 11, 2023

Resin Safety - Can I Use Resin When I'm Pregnant?

I get asked a lot of questions about resin safety. One question that pops up from time to time is: "Can I work with resin if I'm pregnant?" I want to start out by saying I'm not a medical expert, so I'm not qualified to give advice. But with 16+ years of resin experience, I can HELP YOU FIND the information you need to make an informed decision . Resin is made of chemicals that can be hazardous if not used properly. Even with resins that have little or no odour, there are still potential risks to be aware of. There is the chance of inhaling fumes as well as getting resin on your skin. Whether you're pregnant or not, whenever you use resin, you need the following:  gloves to keep sticky resin off your skin (resin is a skin sensitiser and can cause skin irritation ) good ventilation so you don't breathe in fumes protective eyewear, in case of splashes protective clothing to keep drips and spills from both your skin and your clothes Safety with resin is a se...
Thursday, April 20, 2023

How to Resin the Eco-Friendly Way - Easy Ways to Help Minimise Waste

Green is the new black! 🌎 As we become more aware of our carbon footprint, it's worth looking at how we practice our resin craft, not just for Earth Day, but every day. In recent times, I've made a number of changes to help reduce waste in my studio. Many of the changes were easy to make. Some of them even saved money! It all started when I ran out of graduated measuring cups and couldn't get any in a hurry. There was nothing for it; I had to clean the cups I was using so I could mix more resin. It turned out to be so easy.  See how to do that here . I raided the trash bag in my studio for some used cups (and was horrified at how many there were!). I soon discovered that once the resin had cured, it doesn't stick to the type of plastic these cups are made from. They were so EASY to clean that it became my standard practice!  I didn't originally do this to be planet-friendly, but when I saw how many cups were in my trash bag, I realised I needed to reduce the waste...
Friday, March 10, 2023

3 Easy Ways to Measure a 2:1 Ratio Resin

Measuring resin can be challenging! Have you ever struggled to get the right amounts of resin and hardener? It's not so hard with a 1:1 ratio. But it's not so easy when your resin is a 2:1 ratio... or a 3:1 ratio. That's when it can be CONFUSING! You probably know that if you get the measurements wrong, (or you don't mix thoroughly, or your room is too cold) you end up with resin that doesn't cure properly... it stays soft and bendy. Or worse, it stays sticky. And it ruins your whole project! If this sounds like you, then you need an easy-to-understand method to work out how much of each part to pour out. And I've got 3 methods for you to choose from! But first, a little about ratios and what they actually mean.  Your bottles of resin and hardener are marked with a ratio that's used to measure out the right amount of each part. It's different for every brand but most commonly, you'll find 1:1 and 2:1 r...