EPOXY RESIN VS POLYESTER RESIN

Many people get confused between epoxy resin and polyester resin. So here's a quick summary to set things right. 

Clarity

Epoxy resin gives better clarity compared to polyester resin. While epoxy resins are not crystal clear like water, they still have more clarity compared to the yellowish tinge found in polyester resins.

Scent

Polyester Resin has a very strong smell and is often hazardous to inhale in large amounts. Epoxy resin has almost no fumes or smell which makes it more pleasant for you to work with it. However, it is important to have proper ventilation while working with both epoxy resins and polyester resins.

Price

Due to its formulated requirements, epoxy resin is generally more expensive than polyester resin. There is a significant price difference between both of them and if you are into jewelry making and craft, it is a more popular ingredient to use because of its lower cost.

Health

Polyester resins are made from volatile organic compounds and styrene, an ingredient that is said to kill brain cells. Epoxy resin is a healthier option for you to choose and this is why it is the go-to material for jewelry makers. 

Hardness

And lastly, epoxy resin is harder than polyester resin and more resistant to wear, cracks, peeling, corrosion and damage resulting from environmental and chemical degradation. Polyester resin is more fragile and flexible which makes it easier for you to do casting and mold.

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WHAT IS TUNG OIL?

Tung oil, also known as China wood oil, has been traditionally used for at least 2500 years in wood finishing and wood waterproofing. 

Instead of using lacquer or chemical base varnish for your wood, tung oil provides protection the natural way.

In olden days, this oil was used by boat builders to make their boats waterproof. 

If you are working with wood craft, it is important to understand more about this oil.

How to use Tung Oil?

Start by applying tung oil using a soft cloth or brush and then thoroughly wipe it off. Check after 1 or 2 hours to see if any extra oil has beaded on the wood surface and wipe it off too.

When to use Tung Oil?

Tung oil is often used for aesthetic appeal. Use tung oil when you are looking to give your wood work a warm colour and a slightly golden darkened colour.

Benefits of Tung Oil

There are plenty of benefits for using tung oil. The list below only applies to pure 100% tung oil:

•       Waterproof or at the very least, it is highly water resistant

•       Can be used to harden softer wood such as wood from palm tree or coconut tree. 

•       Natural varnish and wood darkener
  
  

•       Flexible and protects the wood that expands and contract

•       Easy to apply and very forgiving during application

•       Easy to re-apply when the original finish becomes damaged or worn

•       Resistant to alcohol and acetone

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WHY USE EPOXY RESIN FOR JEWELRY MAKING?

Resins are an important jewelry making ingredient so picking your resin is essential. 

Resins are liquid plastics and they usually come in 2 parts - 1 part resin and 1 part hardener. Epoxy is a synthetic resin that dries clear, hard and strong. 

When both parts mix together in the correct ratio the chemical compounds begin to cure into a hard, clear and durable plastic. 

Epoxy Resin is easy to Use

When it comes to jewelry making, epoxy resin is highly recommended. 

You usually do not need a respirator mask while working on it because of its low toxicity level. However, safety precautions should still be followed. 

Epoxy Resin also mixes in easy enough combinations with one part epoxy resin and one part hardener or in some products like ours the mixing ration is 2 parts epoxy to 1 part hardener. 

Epoxy resin gives you the longest time to work on your jewelry project. The work time can sometimes stretch to about 20-40 minutes. 

On the other hand, Polyester resin is difficult to use and produces unpleasant fumes. However, Polyester resin is good while casting larger objects as Epoxy Resin tends to create a lot of heat during th curing process which may crack the piece. 

This is why epoxy resin is ideal for casting jewelry pieces. Jewelry parts like gems and crystals are small and easy to cast with Epoxy without creating too much heat during curing. 

Epoxy is also a self-levelling resin so it is ideal for making flat and crystal smooth glass surfaces. It is also a better choice for you to use in humid environments compared to other types of resins.

Because of its ease of use and its durability, epoxy resin is the best ingredient for you to use for jewelry making.

At Craftiviti, we have two different resins. You can find out more about them here...and here. 

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BENEFITS OF ST. JOHN'S WORTS CARRIER OIL

St John’s Wort Carrier oil is made with the buds of St John's Wort flowers. The flowers are yellow with star shaped petals. It grows in Europe, North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, and Eastern Asia. 

The plant requires a lot of sunshine to grow and it can reach up to 100cm tall. 

The flower gives off a soft, sweet and warm smell. However, St. John’s is not known for its perfume purposes. Mostly it is known for its healthful topical uses.

St. John’s Wort Carrier oil has great anti-inflammatory properties. This makes it a great carrier oil to use for:

•             Easing arthritis and your muscle pains

•             Moisturizes scaly and itchy skin

•             Soothes bug bites

•             Helps with stressed or broken skin

It also makes a soothing and moisturizing base for massage oils. You can apply generously on wherever the affliction lies. Just be sure not to expose your skin to the sun with this oil on. This oil also helps with bruised or reddened skin. Working as a de-stressor, it relaxes your skin.

St. John’s Wort Carrier oil is great at helping with stress-induced ailments of the skin, it also soothes and moisturizes your skin.

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PYROGRAPHY TOOLS AND TIPS

Pyrography is a craft to burn a design on a clean piece of wood. This activity is great if you like to draw since the two of them are very similar. 

You need a pyrography pen and a clean piece of wood to create your own piece.

You only need very little tools to start doing this. With many types of pens and woods in the market, it is important that you pick the correct ones. 

There are 3 types and they are wire-nib burners, laser cutters, and solid-point burners.

Wire-nib burners have regulated temperature controls and the nibs are interchangeable on some models. 

The solid-point burners work like soldering irons because they have a tip that is used to burn the wood. 

Laser cutters can scorch the wood instead of cutting it.

You should also be careful on the type of wood you choose. Never use treated wood as this wood is treated with special chemicals. 

You may also want to obtain some carbon paper. Carbon paper allows you to draw your desired design on it. You can then use it to trace the design onto the wood. Using Carbon paper also allows you to make duplicates of your piece.

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HISTORY OF CANDLE MAKING

Candle making has been around for a very long time and it dates back to Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire.

Ancient Egypt and the Romans

Tallow, which is cattle and sheep grease were used in candle making. The Egyptians used this for wax with Papyrus as the wick. Romans also used tallow but their candles were a bit more similar to ours. Flax, hemp and/or cotton were used as wick.

Early Asian Cultures

The Chinese used rice paper, a specific indigenous insect as well as plant seed in their candle making. In Japan, candles were made from tree nuts. Indians made wax from boiling fruit.

Image

Middle Ages

Beeswax began to be used in candle making. However, it was in short supply and only the wealthy could afford to burn it.

Colonial America

Settler women found that if berries from the bay-berry shrub were boiled it would give out a nice smell during burning. However, this took a lot of work and time .

18th Century America

The whaling industry took off during this time mostly because they needed oil to light street lamps and homes. Spermaceti wax was made from whales. This wax worked well but it didn’t smell too great.

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19th Century

Candle making machines came about during this period and new waxes were patented. The braided wick was also invented. This wick allowed the wax to burn evenly and the candle stayed lit longer. Halfway through the century, paraffin wax came on to the scene which not only made candles into mass consumer product, it was also a lot cheaper. 

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WHAT ARE CARRIER OILS?

Many people get confused between carrier oils and essential oils.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in their Vocabulary of Natural Materials (ISO/D1S9235.2) defines an essential oil as a product made by distillation with either water or steam or by mechanical processing of citrus rinds or by dry distillation of natural materials. Following the distillation, the essential oil is physically separated from the water phase.[1]

On the other hand, carrier oils also known as base oils are vegetable oils usually made from the fatty portion of a plant. They are also categorized as natural plant oils.

Types of Carrier Oils
Some of the more popular Carrier Oils that you can start to explore are:

• Sweet Almond Oil

• Avocado Oil

• Jojoba Oil

• Evening Primrose Oil

• Rosehip Oil

• Macadamia Oil

• Coconut Oil

• Argan Oil

• and many more.

Carrier oils of the cold pressed kind have a slight aroma depending on the plant. Refined carrier oils on the other hand have a neutral smell. One of the most notable difference between these cold pressed and refined, is that refined oils have a longer shelf life and is more stable of the two.
Carrier oils are suitable for moisturizing and great for maintaining a healthy skin and hair.

What Can You Do With Carrier Oils?
· Carrier Oils are used to dilute essential oils so that they can be safely applied to the skin

· Certain Carrier Oils like Jojoba Oil penetrates directly into the skin, scalp and hair shaft

. Most carrier oils can be used directly on skin as a deep moisturizer or massage oil

· Carrier Oils like Coconut Oil is great for making salves and hair masks

. Rosehip seed Oil make a great non-greasy facial oil and a favorite amongst the ladies

· Avocado Oil is great for making homemade hair serum due to its vitamins, fatty acids and proteins

· Castor Oil and Olive Oil are good choices of Carrier Oil for making lip balm as they leave a soft and glossy shine on your lips

. Carrier oils are used as a base for making soap. It is best to have good quality carrier oils to ensure the soaps you create can do wonders to your skin

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DIY HANDMADE CRAYONS

How to Make Non-toxic Crayons with Beeswax

Ever wanted to make your own handmade and healthy crayons? If you are a health conscious mum that worries about your kids chewing on waxy petroleum based crayons that are lying around the house, that worry is gone now with this DIY healthy crayon recipe below:

 Image from Instructables

The Recipe

•          Start by using equal weights of beeswax and soap (you can also use carnauba wax)
•          Use an inexpensive white bar soap to grate
•          Chop part of the beeswax in medium pieces
•          Pour the medium pieces of beeswax into a microwave safe container
•          Melt the soap and beeswax in the microwave or using a double boiler
•          Proceed carefully as the liquid will be very hot
•          It is important to watch the mixture closely so that it doesn’t boil and doesn’t add air bubbles to your healthy crayons
•         If you see air bubbles, let the mixture set for a few minutes and gently stir it to remove them
•          After the soap and beeswax are melted, mix the colours in carefully. Do not use liquid coloring as it won't mix with the wax. You can use powdered food coloring or natural ingredients like tumeric and cocoa powder
•          Add more colours if you want it to be more vibrant
•          Lightly grease the mold that you will be using

Image from Instructables

•          For molds, you can use ice cube trays, mini muffin pans, disposable mini paper cups or even make your own mold using foil paper
•          Pour the melted mixture into the mold and let it dry completely
•          Finally, remove the crayons from the mold and they are ready to be used

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POPULAR CANDLE SCENTS YOU COULD TRY

Most people buy candles to scent their homes. Scents help set you in the right mood. They can project a sense of coziness, warmth or even mystery depending on the mood and setting.

Some candle scents are more popular than others. In the scent library there are thousands of scents depending on what you like. Now, if you are making candles as gifts or for generic use, here are the top 5 most liked candle scents.  

 Vanilla Candle Scent

Things like cookies fall under this category and that leads you to think about mum’s baking. It is a comfortable place if you are to be surrounded by things like apple pie, ice cream, and on a popcorn movie night in home. 

Lemon Candle Scent

This scent is a throwback to your childhood memories - a reminder of pool parties, BBQ’s and lots of sugar. Lemon fragrance oils makes a great pick me up scent. Ideal for drowsy mornings or to keep the mood upbeat at dinner parties.

Coffee Candle Scent

Coffee is a well-loved scent. Coffee helps to keep you awake and it is something that is very useful in today’s hectic world. In fact every kitchen should have a coffee candle waiting to be burnt. Certainly adds atmosphere to any home. 

Lavender Candle Scent

This scent is relaxing and soothing to the mind and body. Lavender is known mostly for its calming effects. This is could something sought for after being on the go all day.

Rose Candle Scent

Imagine having rose petals sprinkled around the house. Rose sets the mood for a light and relaxing day. In fact most flower scents have this effect. It's the perfect scent to accompany a long luxurious bath. 

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HOW TO COLOUR SOAP NATURALLY

 There are many ways to colour your soap while keeping it natural. Here are few of the natural soap colouring ingredients.

Oxides or Micas

Oxides or micas comes in many different shades. A small bag of oxide or soap mica will colour a lot of soap. Adding too much of this ingredient may change the texture of your soap so it is best to do a small test batch. Important note about using this ingredient is that you will need to get it from a reputable supplier. Many micas and oxides in the market today contain minerals and chemicals that can be harmful to the skin. Always use micas or oxides that are labeled skinsafe. 

Clay

Clays are wonderful addition to soaps. Not only do they help detox the skin, they also provide deep cleansing. There is French green clay which turns the soap green, Rhassoul makes soap brown and Bentonite which is a light green. Rose clay turns your soap into purple or red colour and Red Kaolin makes the soap red. 

Seaweed Powder

Grind some dried seaweed into powder to give your soap a brown or green colour. However because this is a natural source it is very prone to fading.

Food

Food such as molasses can tint soaps. Berries and vegetables mashed can also be added to your soap. Oats provide wonderful cleansing scrub effect and will turn your soap into a milky white tint. Cocoa Powder, beetroot powder, spirulina and a host of other natural food powders can colour your soaps naturally. 

However, be careful when adding fresh fruits or vegetables to M&P soap bases as it will soften the soap and because there is a lack of preservative, these organic ingredients may spoil or shorten the shelf life of the soap. 

Coffee

You can use instant coffee powder or cold brewed ground coffee.  This soap will be dark brown and will also have a light scrubbing effect. You will notice a very faint scent of coffee. Add coffee fragrance oil for extra boost of scent. 

Activate carbon

Activated carbon is the ground up particles of natural charcoal. This product will turn any soap into a distinctive jet black block. The carbon also acts are wonderful deep skin cleanser and detox. Activated carbon soap has the ability to absorb pollutant and dirt from skin. 

When it comes to naturally coloring your soap, always note that the ingredients their colors will come out differently between CP process and M&P soap process. 

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WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH ONE BAR OF BEESWAX

Beeswax is produced by female worker honey bees. Beeswax is a clear liquid. When the air hits it, the wax hardens and becomes solid white. 

Most beeswax is yellow because the pollen has gotten into it. The first human use of beeswax goes back to ancient Egypt. They used the wax to cast statues. 

As time progressed, more uses of Beeswax were made available. In Roman times, it was used for skin care and food. 

The Roman Catholic Church popularized it for candles. However, it was in short supply and only the upper class could use it. Now, anyone can access this extremely versatile natural wax.

Since beeswax has been used for many generations, we have had a long time to figure out many uses for it. The most common ones are their usage in candles and balms.

Usage of Beeswax

Here are some of the things you can do with beeswax:

• ·         Lip balm
• ·         Wood polish
• ·         Body butter
• ·         Candles
• ·         Bookbinding thread
• ·         Moustache wax
• ·         Massage bars
• ·         A plastic wrap replacement
• ·         Sealing envelopes
• ·         Non-toxic crayons

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CRAFTI-PLASTIC - WHY EVERY HOUSEHOLD SHOULD KEEP A PACK OF THESE

Crafti-Plastic Thermoplastic beads are plastic molding pellets that are made out of lightweight polyester. Just heat the pellets in hot water and they can be molded with your hands to repair whatever that needs to be fixed.

You can use Crafti-Plastic for:

- Sculpting figurines and toys

- Repairs around the house

- Making jewelry parts

- Making simple one piece molds

- Making hard stamps

Making Household Repairs

These small Thermoplastic Beads are not only easy to use but they are also multipurpose. They are great for fixing furniture, cracked piping, repairing leaks and closure of holes, cracks or broken bits. One person even fixed a broken sandal with this versatile plastic. 

Best thing about Crafti-Plastic is this...

You can also reuse these thermoplastic beads. Once these thermoplastic beads are hardened, you can just heat up the plastic again in the same manner as before to reuse it. 

Finishing

They can also be painted over once they are dried.  You can make it appear as though the object you repaired was never broken. It can look consistent with the rest of the object. With Crafti-Plastic, you do not have to hire someone to fix your problem. By just purchasing a small bag of thermoplastic beads, you can fix it by yourself.

Thermoplastic beads are great for making permanent fixes around the house. All households should have some of these Thermoplastic Beads for repair purposes.

Watch this video for more info:

You can find thermoplastic beads in our shop here

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HOW TO GET RID OF BUBBLES IN EPOXY RESIN

When you are working with Epoxy resin, one major issue that you will face is the bubbles. Bubble can get in the way of your crystal clear casting. 

There are several ways for you to keep bubbles out of the resin and many ways to get out the bubbles after epoxy resin has been applied.

Keeping Bubbles Out Before Pouring

Don’t shake the bottle containing the resin or the hardener because it will only make things worse. One way for you to get rid of the bubbles is to turn each bottle slowly upside down and from side to side to mix the resins separately before pouring into your mixing cup. 

Mixing technique

Always stir your resin before mixing AB parts. After a thorough mixing, combine AB resin and catalyst into a bigger cup. Stir carefully without lifting your stirring stick out of the cup too much. Stir in a figure 8 motion to ensure you cover all areas. Make sure you scrap your stirring stick on all sides along the way. 

How to get Bubbles out Once Applied

Once you have poured the resin into a mold, you can always use a pin to drag the bubbles out of the resin. The bubbles will pop that way. Just wiggle the pin back and forth in the bubble until it comes to the surface and pops. Heat is also a way to get rid of bubbles. So always keep a heat gun handy. The heat will cause the bubbles to rise to the surface. 

So, if you run into the problem of having bubbles in your resin, these are several ways to get them out.

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