What I Wish I Knew About Resin Before I Started Using It!

If I could tell myself,

1.  You are going to need containers. You'll need one for this, then one for that. One for the paints, one for the polish. The dollar store is your best friend.
2.  To sum it up, resin starts thick, heats up during the exothermic chemical reaction and becomes less viscous; then hardens as it cools.  But it's not done there.  Its still has to harden. hands off (usually an additional 48hrs)
3.   Resin is not forgiving.  Although experimenting is one of the best things about resin, it's is important not to be too hard on oneself.  With every mistake I made I think I grew to understand it a little better. I still make mistakes but I've gotten a little better at predicting outcomes (it's a little better, but it's the little things that count right?                      Which brings me to,                        
4. Don't be too hard on yourself.  Resin is multifarious, there are so many variables that go into the results of resin.  Even if you do everything exactly as prescribed things like humidity and room temperature or the errant eyelash can affect things like clarity. Speaking of which,
5. Lighting is essential! You need to be able to see any little bubbles, hairs, stray glitter, etc. Those little details become bigger problems later if the bubbles don't rise to the surface and they connect with other bubbles to form big, noticeable BUBBLES! 
6. Keep notes!  When something you make turns out really well and you want to reproduce it's easier to do so if you've got something like a hanging chalkboard that you've kept notes on. (additional note to self, dust on the fingers-dust in the resin!)
7. Yes! You CAN cast resin in hard plastic molds! It's so much fun to experiment with different types of molds and even casting in things that are not made to be molds!   Link to blog post for casting in plastic molds!
   http://resinationjewelry.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-secret-to-plastic-molds.html (opens to my blog tips for casting in hard plastic molds!
8.  The best tool for mixing and stirring? A fork! YES a fork!  It stirs it faster and better and if you are still stirring fairly carefully and slowly it mixes without bubbles!  
9. Resin is best done in very thin layers.  Sometimes, when I feel pressured working on something with the time constraints, I remind myself that overfill is most likely one of the leading causes of 90% of my failed projects.  In addition, there are instances where the bottom layer will remelt down a little bit due to the heat if it is not cured enough.  That can spell disaster for your project!  Additionally, bubbles are much easier to take care of and many make it to the surface and dissipate much easier in a thinner layer.
   We would love to hear any of your insider tricks and secrets!  Comment below and if you have a relevant blog post to share please feel free to do so!