First Orbs - flower and leaves

Well I tried lol, quite a few bubbles after the over dip.

wow they are really wicked:yay:

well done :)

hiya

thanks. Going to scour charity shops tomorrow for something to make bigger ones in, I'm hooked lol

:highfive: Ooooooh, pretty! Good job.

Those are really nice. You did a nice job...

Wow, those are amazing especially for your first try- you seem to be a natural candle maker- perhaps an innate talent.

where in the u.k did you get your pressed flowers from? I have been going to make some of these but havent yet because i havent been able to find any flowers, tried pressing my own, but they all shrivled and discoloured.

Great job!

I got them from Hobbycraft. Nearly £4 a packet though!!

I may have just bought a load more of ebay, depends if you're going to grass me up to hubby lmao

Got another 'large' balloon out now, gonna fill it to see how big a pot I need before I go out searching tomorrow.

Can't leave them alone now!

£4 a packet wow- i think i will read up on how to dry my own- and hopefully they will turn out better. Dont really want to spend a lot on them when i am only testing. Probably will not turn out as well as yours. I nicked my mums old pressure cooker- something like this would work- try your local second hand market- that were i stocked up on pans for melting wax.

Did you do repeated dips to make the orb or did you just hold it in the wax for so long- as i have read you can do it both ways?

Hey wick, just found this website looks a bit cheaper, you can get a mixed pack of 25 pressed flowers and leaves for £1.50 or buy them single for 4-6p each. Plus free postage when you spend over £5 http://www.devonpressedflowers.freeserve.co.uk

May just have to order some to have a go- you have inspired me

Those look awesome! Nice job!

Sandy~WI

Wow,They look great!

They look pretty good to me, I have just given orbs a try for the first time and yes they are addictive. Haven't tried decorating them in any way yet but I think ill give it a try.

Great work, keep it up

Mandy

I think they are great.

Nice first try:highfive: ....gotta get back to the orbs:rolleyes2

Victoria....check this out. I have already talked to Wick about this. Joanna Sheen belongs to my flower guild. She has a great craft store in the UK and is an expert on pressing flowers. She also sells them. She has a great sense of humor. She said that when she has thick flowers to press....she puts them in a press on the floor and stands on them for awhile....(smile)....here is one link to some of her things. There are pressed flowers there and I am sure you can find her book too. I have it. She does a lot of pressing with the microwave. Hope this helps. Donita

http://www.joannasheen.freeserve.co.uk/craftsupplies.htm

Here is a link to Savon Crafts. There is an article for making a PADDED flower press. This is a good way to start pressing. I use these and also have huge presses. But the little ones can be used in a microwave too. Cheers. Donita

http://www.save-on-crafts.com/howtomakyour.html

Thanks for the links Donita- i think i will order some from that first website- and i will have to order your tutorial on orbs to get me started.

What type of pressed flowers do you think are best for putting on orbs?

Flat flowers are easier to start with....like pansies, cosmos and leaves. I take carnation petals apart and press them and use them as little spots of interest in a design or build a flower out of them. They hold color very well. Rose leaves hold color fairly well. All green leaves will turn gold or brown over time. Some do it rather quickly. Rabbit's Foot Fern is a good one. It presses very well in books. The rose leaves can be done in books too. To keep them green longer I use gel medium from the art store. Mix a little Hauser Green paint into the gel....just a little and brush it on the dried and pressed leaves. It keeps the green color. If you just use paint it looks painted....the gel is clear and so it doesn't look fake. You can use other colors too on flowers. Blue flowers are hard to use....they turn brown rapidly...wild violets don't work either. Purple and yellow pansies are wonderful. Roses are tricky but can be done....but that is another story. It is amazing what can be done with flowers. Have you looked at my birds? They are made of flower petals. Time consuming but fun to do when I have time. I am attaching a few pictures that my friend did with flowers. She is amazing. She sells pressed flowers too. www.pressed-flowers.com Her name is Kate Chu.

Donita

oh wow, Donita, your friend is very talented. I just love the one in the middle with the fairy lady. Beautiful work

You did a fantastic job

Those look Very Nice Wick-n-Wax. You're off to a great start..

Now about your other thread where you mentioned "Dad's wood carving chisels" for some reason the thought of a chisel on a wax orb give me a scary feeling..

For more information on pressed flowers check out Kate's website:

http://www.pressed-flowers.com/

She is an engineer at Boeing and dances the tango with her husband who also teaches the Argentine Tango. One busy lady. She gives flower pressing classes in person and on line. She sold some candle for me at last year Orange County fair. We trade flowers too.

The Silk Road collection was inspired a couple of years ago after her trip to China.

I have sold thousands of candles with flowers on them. I can paint flowers too, but it is so easy now for me to press flowers and arrange them myself. And people like real flowers. I have a bunch of wild bright yellow flowers growing in the lot next door....I had no idea. They just started blooming and I am going to start picking and pressing and putting them on light colored beeswax orbs for the restaurant. Real Tahoe flowers. They are beautiful. I haven't seen yellow wild roses before. We have pink and white one but yellow....how lucky did I get?????????? Donita

Those are pretty!

Irena

I never thought to ask, but you know when you use flowers on a solid candle, like a pillar, can you burn the candle?

Or, does it have to be an everlasting?

OOOOOOOOH! Beautiful work! Now I know what orbs are. I am surprised the heat of the wax doesn't melt the balloon. Great Work! Thank you for sharing.