Lunar Kitsune Art
Resin accessories, molds, and other cute stuff,
from my paws to yours!
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Caring for Resin Pieces:
Resin is an incredibly durable material. Your pieces should not break easily if they are dropped. Some chips may occur on thinner pieces, but otherwise resin is very strong and should last for many years.
However! My resin art pieces are not intended to be "played with" like toys. (Even if they are labeled as "art dolls" or "art toys".) You should keep them away from small children, as small parts can be considered a choking hazard.
Big, flat pieces of resin (such as my resin wall hangings) may warp over time, especially if left on an uneven surface in a warm area. To flatten out warped pieces, you can place a book or something heavy on top of them and leave it there for a few days. The piece should regain its original shape just fine.
Some of my resin wall hangings do not come with hanging hardware. This is probably because I think they can look good hung up either way! I recommend using command strips to hang them. That way you can decide which way you'd prefer to hang the piece, and switch it up later if desired!
For the most part, you don't want to hang your pieces in direct sunlight. The colors I use are not 100% UV resistant, so they will most likely fade if you leave them in the sun! Daily wear for jewelry pieces shouldn't affect the colors unless you work outdoors for long periods of time.
NOT FOOD SAFE! My resin pieces are not meant to be eaten from. However, you could still place candies on or inside a piece as long as they are still wrapped!
How to Use Resin Inserts:
HOW TO CUT THEM OUT:
Cut out the shapes carefully with a small pair of scissors or an X-Acto knife. With an X-Acto, you may have to make the cut several times so that it goes all the way through the plastic. Try not to pull the plastic to get it to separate; A clean cut only takes a bit more work and will ensure that nothing rips in the process.
Cut on top of something, such as a dedicated cutting mat or a piece of thick cardboard. Make sure your desk is stable and your surfaces clean.
It's recommended that you cut with the shiny side facing down, so that you don't accidentally nick the printed areas with your cutting utensil or fingernail. The foil coating may chip or scratch off if you mess with it too much. It's not meant to be very durable, because the ink doesn't adhere to the plastic sheeting as well as it would a piece of paper.
Have patience. I recommend only cutting out what you need at the moment, and leaving the rest on the sheet. That way you can store it easier and not be worried about losing your little flakes. If you do end up cutting them into flakes, store them in a little box or a plastic zip baggie for later. Try to store your inserts somewhere where they won't get too hot. (So basically just not near a window or anything.)
USING THEM IN RESIN ARTWORKS:
Because these inserts are printed on transparent plastic, the background should easily "blend in" with your resin. You can use as many as you want in one piece of resin artwork.
Make sure these inserts are 100% covered in resin in the finished piece, as the foil coating is very delicate without a laminating glaze and will easily scratch off if left exposed.
If you would be using these inserts as small "shaker bits", I reccommend coating at least the shiny side with a layer of resin.
Caring for Silicone Molds:
USING A MOLD RELEASE:
You should always coat the inside of your molds with a mold release before pouring resin into them. I recommend Smooth-On's Ease Release. You only need a light coat on the inside and you're good to go.
Some people say that silicone molds don't need a mold release. For the most part, silicone is a very durable material and can withstand some serious abuse. Despite this, resin can still fuse to silicone, and cause tearing when attempting to remove resin pieces. To save myself the hassle, I always use a mold release. It will ensure that my casts come out without a fuss, and keep my molds in good condition.
Do not attempt to remove your resin pieces from the molds until they are cured enough to withstand handling. Curing time depends on the brand/type of resin you use.
Silicone Mold Info:
All of my mold designs were either designed by me, or I have purchased rights to use the design. All of the molds I sell are handmade by me. Because of this, they may not be 100% perfect.
A-Grade molds may have small flaws on the outside of the mold that will not affect the final cast.
B-Grade molds may have flaws that can affect the final cast. This can include things such as bubbles or smudges in the mold. These flaws can be easily fixed.
Any mold that I consider truly unusable, I will not sell. I can recycle the silicone by cutting it up into small pieces and putting it in other projects!
Resin Art Tips:
BUBBLES, IN MY RESIN?
(It's more likely than you'd think.)
Some people recommend using a butane torch to pop bubbles in your resin, and some say it will make your resin fuse to the silicone. In my experience, this can depend on the brand of silicone, as well as the brand of resin. I have never had problems with my resin fusing to the type of silicone I use for my molds. However, I use my torch as sparingly as possible. Overusing the torch CAN damage the mold, as silicone is only heat resistant up to a certain degree.
A safer way to get bubbles out of your resin is to put the cup of resin down in a bowl of warm water. This will speed up the curing process for the resin, so if you are using a fast cure resin this probably won't be a good idea. Make sure none of the water touches the resin or gets in the cup, as it will ruin your piece!
Another thing you can do is to let your resin sit idle for a little while before pouring. I find that a lot of the bubbles (especially larger ones) will rise to the top on their own.