Resin Safety Precautions

This is not meant to scare you away from working with resin! Resin is a fun, versatile, and pretty much safe medium to work with when worked with right. 

When mixing/pouring resin

• Wear disposable gloves. Some people are highly allergic to resin and you probably don’t want to find out the hard way. If you get resin on your hands it is also hard to clean off and it just isn’t good for your skin.
• Work in a well ventilated/open room. If your room is small try opening a window, use a fan, ect ect Some brands of resin have stronger fumes than others. If possible try using a low fume brands (I have found EasyCast still has very strong fumes even though they advertise otherwise.) If you are not able to work in a well ventilated area or your resin has very strong fumes invest in a respirator. 
• Cover your work surface. Anything resin touches will be ruined. I don’t recommend newspaper because resin can leak through it and destroy the table underneath. Wax paper usually works pretty well. 
• Tie up long hair, don’t wear loose/baggy sleeves. Again, anything resin touches will be ruined. I recommend wearing clothes you don’t mind getting ruined when wearing resin. Wearing old aprons is also a good idea, especially when working with large amounts. 
• When you are done with pouring your resin put it up somewhere safe to dry, especially if you have kids/pets in the house. 

When sanding resin

• Wear a mask. Wear a mask. Wear a mask. Resin dust will ruin your sinuses and is just awful to have in your airways. 
• Wear safety goggles. It will keep resin dust out of your eyes and keep you safe if a piece slips out of your hands and comes flying towards you.
• Tie up loose hair, don’t wear loose jewelry, no loose sleeves ect. Basically you don’t want anything getting caught in those fast spinning sanders/buffers. 
• If possible work outside. If you cannot work outside please remember to go outside immediately afterwards and brush off all the dust on your clothes.

When glazing resin 

• Basically follow all the safety precautions for pouring resin. 
• Read the safety precautions for your glaze before use

Also anything used for resin is no longer safe to use with foods, don’t do that. Don’t reuse any molds with chocolate or any other foods. Buy a new mold. Any other tools you use with your resin, do not re-use with food. I don’t care if you cleaned it, it isn’t worth risking, the resin may have seeped into the mold/item. Just buy a new one. 

New Drippy Heart Bat Necklace

So I have always done my dripping heart bat necklaces with a colorful heart and a black bat in the center. Yesterday morning I woke up with a different suggestion from an anon. 

And here is the end result!

I really love how it turned out! I currently have a pink version setting right now. I think this version has more of a pastel goth feel to it. Thank you anon for the lovely sugestion!

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/rarasjewels

Personal Website: http://rarasjewels.weebly.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rarasjewels

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RarasJewels

Tumblr: http://rarasjewels.tumblr.com/

Hot Pink!

I have been working with mint for a little while now, so I decided it is time to start working with another color. A while back I had someone order a custom pair of wing clips in hot pink to match their outfit, but after that custom order I put the hot pink color aside and completely forgot about it. While cleaning I found it again and decided to experiment with using it. I used it to make some cabs for a phone case, but it wasn't until now that I decided to make regular jewelry with it too!

This is how the first batch turned out! I really like the color and I plan on making more items with the color during winter break. I don't know what color I will try out next, but I want to make sure I have a lot of hot pink items made before I try another color. Maybe neon purple would be fun!

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/rarasjewels

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rarasjewels

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RarasJewels

Tumblr: http://rarasjewels.tumblr.com/

Resin Care Tips

This applies to all resin jewelry, not just pieces I have made! If you own resin pieces from other shops these care tips should still apply.

1. Avoid submerging resin pieces in water. Your pieces will look newer longer if you take them off before swimming, showers, ect. Resin is water resistant, but not water proof. Water can damage resin over time, and it can also damage the jewelry findings. 
2. Avoid storing your jewelry pieces in direct sunshine. Repeated sun exposure can cause some resin pieces to yellow over time. This especially applies to pieces that are clear. Heat from direct sun exposure can also make larger/thinner pieces ‘loose’ and almost gummy like. This is not permanent and the piece will regain its normal hardness when cooled, but it is still not recommended.
3. Jewelry chain fall off? Ring base has become loose? No issues! Jewelry chain can easily be fixed up with some pliers. Almost every household has a pair, and if you don’t you can probably find them at the dollar store. For glued on pieces you probably won’t want to use super glue. While cheap, it is super messy. Instead opt to use E6000. E6000 can be found at most craft stores, but I have found that it is much cheaper at Walmart.. if your Walmart has a craft aisle. 
4. If you get a little something on your resin pieces no worry!  It can easily be cleaned off. NEVER. EVER. Use something abrasive to clean your pieces. Use a soft washcloth with somewhat warm soapy water to clean it off and then dry once it is clean. Try not to be forceful. It can leave scratched in your piece. Resin is strong and durable, but it isn’t worth risking! After the quick cleaning dry your piece off right away.
5. I have never tried this myself, but I hear that jewelry cleaning solutions can damage resin. If your chain needs some shining try using a metal cleaning cloth.

★~★Decoden!!★~★

New to Rara's Jewels; decoden items! ✿

Each piece is unique because the cabochons are handmade by me out of resin! You won't get decoden items quite like these anywhere else~

First up are some decoden compacts! These compacts are pretty big~ They are perfect to carry in your purse for "touch ups" during the day. Each compact is $10 and custom compacts are available upon request.

Available Here

Available Here

Next up are cases for the 3DS. Right now I only have cases for the standard 3DS, but cases made to fit the 3DS XL are available upon request. 3DS cases are $25 each.

Case has been sold - similar one can be made upon request

Available Here

And finally I have phone cases! I offer cases for all phone types. As long as there is a clear case available for your phone type I can make it a decoden case. Price varies and depends on the size of your phone. 

Available Here

If you have any questions or are looking for a custom decoden item please contact me via Etsy! Thank you for stopping by and have a great day~

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/rarasjewels

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rarasjewels

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RarasJewels

Tumblr: http://rarasjewels.tumblr.com/

Baby Axolotl Journey

Today I want to talk about my Axolotl, Dr. Shrunk. He is named after Shrunk from Animal Crossing~

I actually didn't know what animal Shrunk from Animal Crossing was for a very long time. I always thought his character was funny, but I didn't ever think to look up what animal he was. One day when browsing tumblr I was introduced to Axolotls (also known as water dragons) and I was instantly amazed. I read up on them. Learned how to care for them and everything. I was instantly disappointed because I found out that most pet stores don't sell them, but I continued to read on anyways. Thankfully after close to a month of research and searching I found a store that sold them. I saved up the money as soon as I could and got him. Because Dr. Shrunk is one of my favorite AC characters I thought it would be fitting that my axolotl was named after him.

Very image heavy after the cut.

Betta Care: What you need to start keeping bettas

When I first started out with my first betta, Tank, I was pretty clueless. I did some research, but not enough. Workers at the pet store weren't much help. (A general tip I can give is don't rely on your pet store for information, especially at a chain store. Although some of the workers are knowledgeable, many more are not given the proper training to teach others on betta care.) Thankfully I was able to learn lots of information through the #betta tag on tumblr. There are several people in the tag who have owned bettas for a long time who are willing to give out helpful info. I am thankful for them, because they have all taught me so much.

Today I am going to go over a brief list of what you need to set up your betta's aquarium. Please make sure to do lots of research before buying any pet; read more than just this blog post. Be sure that you have enough money and that you can make a commitment to taking care of these fish. Bettas live on the average of 2-4 years when properly taken care of. Will you still be able to take care of your bettas in a year or two down the road? Who will feed your fish if you go on an extended vacation? Do you have the time to do water changes weekly? Think about questions like these.

When first setting up for your betta I suggest you have around $150-$200 set aside. You may not need to use all of this money, but it is better to have more vs less. If you feel like you cannot spend that much money bettas may not be for you. Once you have everything for your tank set up you won't be spending nearly as much. After initial set up main expenses would be food (which will last you a while), replacement cartridges for your filter about once a month, buying water dechlorinator, replacing something if it breaks (such as the heater not working anymore), ect. Check under the read more for my suggested list of items you need, plus some pictures of my two boys.