22 Things to Create with Gel du Soleil Resin - Part 2

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22 Things to Create with Gel du Soleil Resin – Part 2

This is part 2 in our series about exploring ultraviolet resin. Recently I spent a week exploring the possibilities of Gel du Soleil, a resin that cures in 20 minutes when exposed to ultraviolet light. I was curious if the jewelry making mediums that I teach with, such as gilding flakes, mica powders, molds, organics, texture and resin colorants, could be incorporated into this quick curing resin! In this “Mucking About with Becky” series of 22 Things to Create with Gel du Soleil Resin, I hope you will be curious and inspired to create!

ND Resin Vs Gel Du Soleil Let's Get Started! Shop Supplies

Nunn Design 2-Part Resin vs Gel du Soleil UV Resin

Before we start, I’d love for you to be clear on what the differences are between Nunn Design 2-Part Resin and Gel du Soleil. These two resins both have their pros and cons and it isn’t an either/or choice when I’m designing. I often use both resins, depending on the technique. You can read all about these two resin we offer on the Nunn Design Blog, but let me highlight the reasons WHY I think that Gel du Soleil is such a great resin option to explore.

There is no mixing of this resin because the catalyst is ultraviolet light. When the Gel du Soleil is exposed, with an ultra violet lamp or natural sunlight, the resin will cure and be hard to the touch within 20 minutes.
It is available in two sizes, allowing you to test it!
The ultraviolet lamp is very inexpensive and has replacement bulbs you can purchase.
No waste.
You have as much time as you need as long as you keep the resin out of ultraviolet light.
It can be colorized with translucent dyes.
It is easy to create intricate pieces that have multiple layers.
This is worth repeating: Cures in 20 minutes!!!

Let’s Get Started!

Here is the second part of this multiple part series covering the 22 Things to Create with Gel du Soleil Resin.

You can access the other posts in this series on our website.

7. Create Mosaics!

I’m excited to explore this technique further, but you must admit that for a first piece out of the gate, this is pretty cool. To create this look, I used glass and crystal beads, thinking that the ultraviolet light of the lamp would pass through the glass and cure the resin. I’m not sure if that was why the resin cured or if it was because I laid the Gel du Soleil down within the bezel and applied the beads within sections, curing rows as I went along. Watch the video to learn more on how I did this.

Watch the video to see more!

8. Colorize with Mica Powders

I love the look of colorized Nunn Design 2-Part Resin and was hopeful that it would cure within Gel du Soleil. Mica is a mineral that is ground down to a fine powder. Only a small amount of mica powder is needed to provide an interesting color. In these samples, I only added a small amount into the Gel du Soleil and had great results. I was curious if the Gel would cure if I added a lot of mica powder, creating a very dark opaque color. It did not cure. So the trick is to keep the colors lighter or translucent.

Watch the video to see more!

9. Add Mica Flakes

All of the pieces created with mica flakes, even the dark colors and gold, cured when the Gel du Soleil was exposed to ultraviolet light. Enough light must be passing though the mica, or maybe it was that I was placing the resin down into the base in layers, curing in between. I’m not sure exactly why this works, but it did.

Watch the video to see more!

10. Add Gems!

I picked up these little polished gems when my kids were little and we were out in the 110 degree weather digging for fossils. (My husband is a geologist, so many of our family road trips involved being fried in the hot sun, digging!) Again, the stones were translucent, allowing the light to pass through and the pieces to cure.

Watch the video to see more!

11. Colorize with Metal Powders

I have written a blog post about exploring with pure metal powders and Nunn Design 2-Part Resin, I really like the look and was eager to see if it could work with Gel du Soleil. It did work, but this technique will need to be pushed a little farther to really understand why (watch the video). This example really shows the beauty of creating multiple layers within resin, a technique that takes a lot of time with 2-part resin.

Watch the video to see more!

12. Incorporate Brass Stampings

It is super easy and fast to add a brass stamping to create a duotone look or add some visual interest.

Watch the video to see more!

13. Texturize!

This was a technique that I explored with Nunn Design 2-Part Resin and had a hard time remembering to pull the resin off the Clay Squisher pad in time, resulting in a couple wrecked resin incrusted pads. With this technique using Gel du Soleil, I had no issues. It was fast, easy and I love the look!

Watch the video to see more!