There are many different types of resins you can choose from if you are looking for a crafter or trying out your own hand at the craft.
ALL require safety gear, no matter what the package, or your artist claims. Be sure to use a well-ventilated area with the proper eye, face, and skin protection.
There are MANY different types of resins, but I’m only going to talk about a couple. (Ones I have the most personal experience with.)
Epoxy resin. This is what I use for almost all of my crafting, though I use various brands for different looks and reactions as they all work a little differently and hold up differently. I use jewelry-grade resin for my jewelry crafting and sealing. Pros to epoxy resin are that it’s pretty easy to use and can do a great deal of work with it. Cons is that it isn’t very heat or scratch resistant to extreme temps and can yellow with time and improper care. Does release curing gasses for up to 30 days after cure out.
**Even food-grade resins are only for incidental use only, this doesn’t mean the food should be eaten directly from the resin, it means, the food, such as a cupcake can be used with it because it has a wrapper between the two. DO NOT use resin items for direct contact with food or use with any amount of heat.
UV resin. This is what a lot of crafters use because it is a quick and easy product that you don’t have to wait nearly 14 to 24 hours to be done. This requires UV light to work and is also relatively easy to use. Pros it’s fast and rewarding to see your pieces right away. Cons, it’s not as long-lasting as some crafters would like you to believe. It yellows quickly and is only really made to last for a year or two. It’s made for trinkets and other repairs, not sentimental crafting. It can become brittle and break, it is not recommended for thick castings and is not recommended for a sealer/protectant. AND it can continue to leech toxins for long after it is cured.
Polyresin. This is an extensive list of resin types. I’ve only worked with one poly resin and ended up throwing it away because it was awful. Pros are that it cures quickly and hard. Cons are that is incredibly potent, so you need to use a ventilation tent or outside applications. It is also more difficult to cure resin depending on what you are adding to it and what climate you live in. It also yellows very fast. Leeches toxins for months after cure out, and easily cracks when it gets cold.
You can obviously find a lot more detailed information about the types of resins and why which one should be used with a quick google search.
My top choice for my keepsake work is hands down, the epoxy resin in 2 parts. I have pieces over 8 years old that are yet to show signs of aging resin. Choose your brand wisely.
2 part epoxy is stronger and much better of an option to use for many reasons. The crafters who are using UV for keepsakes are not using what's best for their pieces/clients. A lot of them are using UV merely for the fact that it cures fast and gives instant gratification as well as a way to pump out orders. While I agree, waiting 14 to 24 hours in between pours is a drag, it's really best. It isn't a long-term epoxy nor jewelry grade to be crafting keepsakes with and IMO pretty irresponsible.
All resin/epoxy is bound to change over time. Like most plastics, they can absorb colors and oxidize over time. It's up to each crafter to find which holds up best with time and which holds up best with the method of preservation they are using. Different chemicals react differently in each epoxy.
Happy crafting.!
Not all preservation methods are created equal Pt 1.
Let's real talk for a minute.
When you buy, let's say, honey from a beekeeper, are you expecting all raw honey in the bottle you purchased? Or are you okay with it being "honey syrup" made mostly with high fructose corn syrup/dyes and only a fraction of real honey? - THAT is the difference between some breastmilk jewelry methods.
While your artist doesn't owe you their method in detail, they can, and should give you an idea of what does or doesn't go into their processes. Can they add their solvents to water and still have a clear or at least transparent "pure" result? You can ask them to do this and if they won’t that should be a RED FLAG. Do they use more of their solvents than your milk? Do they evaporate off most of the milk you sent? - Have you ever boiled breastmilk? It evaporates quickly and almost entirely. Try it. Some artists seemed to have found a loophole to use tints. The package doesn’t state it has pigments, no powder maker is going to admit that to you, so the crafter who purchased it can “white lie” by telling you no tints because they have NO idea. Common sense tells us that just because something doesn’t say it is a tint, it can still impact the color of something, meaning it ACTS like a tint. Don’t let your artist fool you with loopholes and white lies. A strawberry doesn’t call itself a tint either, but it can be used as a dye, just as those powders are doing to what VERY little is left of your milk.
Then we get into chemicals used. If your crafter doesn’t have their own method they have NO idea what they are using in your piece.
My method is a proprietary "wet method" which means your milk is not evaporated off or dried out before it is put into resin. The milk is still in a "wet" form when it is preserved, stabilized, and then cast into your milk gem. NOTHING that contains pigments or tints are added to your milk. My method is your milk with two clear solvents working with the fats in YOUR milk and that's it. (Please note again, "wet" does not mean it hasn't been preserved and prepared to go into the resin.)
My biggest goal when setting out to create my own method was to make sure to keep the method authentic and genuine to MY milk, not a filler. Once your pieces cure-out they are a more natural milk color. Goal achieved for what I wanted in my method. My method is absolutely not for everyone, but I find honesty and integrity in my work very important. As a mother who breastfed all 4 of her children, I only make what I would personally want. I didn't want to cherish a piece made with filler powder and perhaps only traces of my milk. I'd have been devastated to spend hundreds of dollars on a piece only to find out it was packed with a filler or evaporated off.
I worked a really long time, completely on my own, like a mad Scientist for a method. This is where my heart is at. I wasn’t given a method to run with, like most other artists out there. I built my business and waited before selling to be sure my method held up. It’s frustrating to see so many artists already opened up and STILL looking for a new method.- You get your method working THEN start your business and so many have done it the opposite way. DO your research on your artist and their method.
Ask your artist to mix the powder or solvents with water and you can see the impact of their preservation will have on your milk. Ask your artist questions. . you’re allowed.
Top reasons I stand behind my method.
1. Pieces do not rot
2. It contains more of your milk than anything else added(other than resin, of course)
3. I don't evaporate off your milk in the process, at all.
4. There is no powder base or solvents that act as tints or filler.
5. More of a natural color upon cure-out, which happens with the fats in YOUR milk. That means, it is unique to you.
6. No hazardous chemicals used to preserve. Everything in my process is food grade- Like, I could literally feed it to my child and not need to run to the ER. - Some crafters don't even know what the powder they are using contains, which is also a really scary fact. Others use chemicals known to cause cancer, respiratory problems, hormonal imbalances, etc. I KNOW what I am working with because I made it. The most dangerous chemical in my process is the resin itself and I can’t do much to change that. I do work with a food grade resin and not a poly resin
7. I can also make pieces that stay bright white too, the difference is you have to ask me to have a tint added. It isn't added as the base preservation, like the powder method, which for all the ones who outsource the powder know, all it is, is tint. We don't know and they can’t tell you either because they have no idea.
8. Having sourced all of my own preservation materials I can keep my prices affordable.
That being said, if you see a crafter making theirs with powder and you love that piece, buy it. You are still going to love it. It doesn't make it any less of a piece, but you as a consumer should be allowed to be enough aware to make the choice. And your crafter shouldn't conceal that. My main point here is lack of honesty and the amount of milk that actually goes into that method. So many artists want to sweep it under the rug for their own gain.
I will be doing an in-depth video and blog post about this soon. AND I recently got my hands on some of the preservation dust, so I am going to show you HOW much it changes water. I knew it would, but I was even shocked at HOW much. Not sure how anyone can use this method and not question the integrity behind it. I’m also seeing a few of the artists complain of skin reactions. This could be from a number of things, like resin, curing lamps, or mmmmmm maybe the powder they are using?? Food for thought?
While there are several ways to make breastmilk jewelry, they are NOT all created equal. Someone, somewhere has to raise a little awareness instead of following the herd. Being a leader means taking a stand when no one else will, even when it means not everyone likes what you have to say. Hopefully, this will widen some eyes instead of starting a war. If you don’t like me merely for the things I have to say about this process, maybe you should rethink WHY you don’t like me or what I have to say.
Preserved breastmilk ready to go into the resin for a piece of jewelry. (Small amount as I was only making a small gem.)
Cured out breastmilk pearl (roughly 5 years old) with the breastmilk it was cast from. They are soooooo alike it makes me giddy.
Beard oil!
In the coming months, I have some really cool things headed your way. NOT only for the ladies but also for the fellas in your life.
While our snarky beard oil might not be for everyone, it goes back to a time when we could still joke about things without taking ourselves and everything else too seriously. I will have a few scents for those who would like to tame it back a bit, but overall, they are made to turn heads. Beard oil is everywhere, our scents and names were made to be attention-grabbing.
Proving there is Breastmilk in your jewelry
Ok, for the first real content blog on the page, today I am going to cover the newest “fad” in breastmilk jewelry. Testing to see if milk is really in your piece.
I am in a few groups for DNA artists and it's usually a battle to get anyone to understand where you are coming from when trying to chat about certain methods unless you agree with them. -Anyway, people are against my outlook on the powder method and it stirred the theoretical pot. In that whirlwind, I was also removed from a group and another artists started to claim she could tell what pieces have milk or tints. - I just felt compelled to test her claim. I’d happily send her a piece in exchange for one of hers.- I’m that confident in my own method.
I decided to set out the very next day with my own trial on her experiment because I can’t call it junk or deem it worthy if I have no first-hand knowledge with it. I like Science and am always up for a good challenge and experiment to take part in. This is how we learn and how we improve.
**** Before I go on further I am going to say this, PLEASE DO NOT EVER DO THIS IN YOUR HOME- IN YOUR OVEN-AROUND YOUR KIDS AND PETS-EVER! EVER! I am using a craft oven in my open garage and also am using PPE as this is a NASTY, NASTY, dangerous thing to be doing. (And quite irresponsible of the artist to tell people to do in their homes, not giving any sort of disclaimer and saying it is up to the client to know.) Sorry, but most people who don’t work with resin likely wouldn’t know any better. - That’s why disclaimers are put on all types of things; to be informative. Any DNA artist knows most people have 0 knowledge how dangerous it could be via that guidance.) Don’t do it!****
If you find the tik toc video, they look to be using a standard oven and does not seem to tell viewers how dangerous it is. That video should have been started 100% with a disclaimer, not only for the fumes, but also the pans and oven you are told to use. BIG NO! You HAVE to care about your clients and just others in general. This could literally KILL people with severe asthma or certain sensitive pets, like birds and reptiles. I am here to tell you DO NOT DO THIS EXPERIMENT! If you must see, please ask your artist to do it for you via a video or images. - If you cannot trust your artist beyond that you probably shouldn't be ordering from them. Truthfully, if you tell me you need an extra gem, at no charge- to bake, it's unlikely I am going to give you one. I only give extra pieces when I have extra pour, it's not always typical. What you do with any extra is your business, but I don't advise wasting it on something like this when I have already done it.
So, why am I posting this? Because a lot of the artists/groups want to censor what is out there. IT IS ALREADY OUT THERE SO TALK ABOUT IT! SCREAM ABOUT HOW TO DO IT SAFELY! OR WHY NOT TO AT ALL! DON’T CENSOR IT AND PUT IT UNDER THE RUG! Censoring doesn’t make it vanish, it only keeps information that would have been useful and safe at bay. Good thing for me I have my own platform and an IQ enough to know that it is already public. I will take it upon myself to make sure it is posted how to do so properly. - The method is out there, so it may as well be talked about for what it is AND for how to properly do it, right? It's only going to gain popularity. - This was not the first artist to have a similar claim, just the first one to take it public. Better to have GOOD, ACCURATE info about it than sweeping it under the rug like some would prefer to do. I was happy a handful of other artists did reach out via messenger in support of both the baking method being brought to light AND my points with the powder methods. You don’t have to fully agree with someone to have a discussion. Open minds create the future.
Again, do NOT do this without ALL precautions as it could cause severe allergic reactions for weeks or months at a time.
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Ok, here's the deal. Another artist released a method to prove or discredit other artists milk purity (or use) of milk in their jewelry. I felt compelled to try it as she had just removed me from her group for speaking up about the powder method. My factual information was censored and I was removed. I don’t feel quite as offended knowing that seems to be a common trend over disagreements. A lot of the artists don't think my wet method is even possible, though I assure you, with the right Science, it is. :)
With this “proof” method, you supposedly can bake your breastmilk pieces in a oven, at high temps for a few minutes and then you have your result. If your pieces brown, there is milk. If they stay white they were packed with filler and or tints.
For my first attempt at trialing this method it DID work for my preservation method. My raw breastmilk pieces turned brown and the decoy tinted piece stayed fairly white. With that said, the piece with 0% milk did change a tiny bit, but was more of a marbled look, not a uniform brown, like the others. Also, the pieces made with shimmer and or flecks didn't get AS brown as the raw milk pieces. If nothing else, this further proves my points about the powder method NOT being so tried and true (“pure”) after all. - IT IS MOSTLY FILLER and DOES have tints. I would ADORE to see some trials of this done with the famous dusts/powders. - I have a hunch that's why my post was removed. No one wants this gaining traction, not just for health risk, but for being afraid of their own methods stacking up. Maybe that’s my opinion, but it seems fishy to me.
Bottom line, I am willing to do what I can to prove my method contains milk because it does and I feel it is one of the most pure methods out there right now. I do what I can, when I can, but I don't recommend trying this on your own. If you want to see it, have your artist show you. They SHOULD be willing to as they can do it once and document their results. One and done and counter top ovens are a dime a dozen at a thrift shop or marketplace.
There are still flaws with this method proving or discrediting other artists. Too many variables go into why it does or doesn't work with methods. I'd love to see some other artists (properly protected) doing their preservation method with baking. We definitely need more artists to take part before it could be deemed 100% a way to tell. Because how do we know it would work with every method or add-in? What about age of the piece? If the piece is sealed?(which all of my set gems are, the ones I baked were not as they weren't set.) SO many things could go into why a piece does or doesn’t change. I’d like to see a controlled experiment with a bunch of artists trading pieces to trial to keep it fair and non-bias.
All in all, the take away from this is. …. . It is VERY dangerous and still too new of a method to prove or discredit if it is a “tried and true” way to tell.
Please do not message me asking for the link to the video or to the powders/dusts. A simple google search has the worlds end at your finger tips.
I will do a few more tests, just to get a better understanding, and will definitely try to do so during the day/with my pro camera so the images will be better as well.
Stay safe!
The following images are from my first attempt at the method. I used my phone to photograph in my dark kitchen.
Top pearl is the decoy tinted piece. Cluster of gems: Two raw milk gems, core bead with colostrum, gems under are with shimmer and other with shimmer and opal flecks. Small gem in the right corner: opal flecks.
Why I call my DNA add-ins Elements and NOT Inclusions.
When I started my journey into making keepsake jewelry, I knew I wanted to be different. I noticed almost every single DNA artist calling their client’s custom add-ins “inclusions.” When speaking about jewelry, especially precious materials, you don’t want to call them inclusions as that means imperfections. (I’m sure I’ve slipped up here and there because that’s what everyone else has referred to them as and it gets drilled in, but I always mean to refer to them as elements.)
Our wording has always been elements because we are one with earth, air, fire, water; thus, custom elements. Having done my own research into jewelry, etc, I realized this was a flaw in how most were wording it. Your customs are not imperfections!!!!!
First Blog Post
I thought it would be fun to put a little section on the site to post things without bombarding my facebook page with random chatter. This way, if people want to read the random thoughts or what’s new in the world of DNA jewelry they can choose to take a look.
This will be a little blog about breastmilk and DNA jewelry in general. Random thoughts, things about preservation, sales, and maybe a bit of real life mixed in because I’m human and have little humans. Moms tend to relate to one another and we could all use a little real life.
I find it important to be as up front and honest with my clients as I can be, therefore, having my own platform where I am not censored by another artist’s rules is helpful for getting my thoughts across.
I will definitely be doing some posts about certain methods, my method, other fads or otherwise dealing with DNA art that I find important to chat about.
Who knows, maybe I will start doing some more lives in the group!
Your artist,
Kate