What is wrong with my resin jewelry pieces?

So you have mixed and poured your resin mix into molds and you even took the time to embed some objects. You use the tweezers to rearrange some of the decals in the resin and step back to admire your hard work. All done right? Wrong. Something that most people so not know is that working with resin is actually pretty tricky. Its not rocket science, but it does require some finesse. So why should you really have to wait the suggested 24 hours for your resin to set and to pop our your pieces? Here are 2 BIG problems you will encounter due to your impatience...trust me, I speak from personal impatient experience!

1.) Piece will not pop out of tray (this should happen easily)
2.) Piece is still tacky or sticky to the touch once removed and will be ruined

Here are some possible explanations for when your resin pieces come out "less then perfect"

• Resin is sticky or tacky- You most likely did not measure properly or mix the 2 part system (when using epoxy resin) completely
  

• Embedded decal changes color or becomes translucent- You most likely failed to seal (I suggest Mod Podge) prior to embedding.

• There are tons of tiny bubbles- This is a temperature problem and the resin was too cold when mixed.

• You are not able to get the pieces out of mold- Many molds need to be treated with release spray (I spray some on all my molds regardless) or the resin has not been able to cure long enough.

• There are bubbles under the embedded item- Make sure to brush the item with resin prior to embedding and use tweezers or a toothpick to gently push out any bubbles from under the piece.

These problems are easy to fix for the most part, and they happen to everyone at least once when working with resin.

Resin Chica Tip: When waiting out your 24 hours for resin to cure, make sure to place molds on a surface that is flat and even, and use large tupperware containers to place upside down over the molds to prevent anything from falling in the resin and becoming permanent. Dust would not be very pretty in resin.

Resin Chica