Donita

I have been trying all day....and on Saturday to get a good picture.....almost but not great....this is driving me nuts....I have searched this board and tried all kinds of tips.....I just don't know what I am doing wrong. I have tried ice cubes, cold cloths, scewers, wooden spoons, taped together scewers, etc. even different molds. Cut out pictures, whole pictures, and now I am waiting for a hummingbird and a Monticello candle to cool.....bet they don't work either. I finally took one and dipped it into overdip wax and it looks ok, but that isn't what I am going for. I came across this website where "Judy" says that she has a patent pending technique for embedding photos.....is that for real...you mean someone has actually found a way to make this work? I am so determined to learn this....I was awake at 5 this morning going over and over what I was going to do....I just can't get the photo smooth.....now I am thinking.....maybe I have paper that is too good.....it is good quality that we requested when we had a photo place do pictures for me when I was gluing them on. Hmmmmmmmmmm maybe thinner would be better....anyway here is the link to "Judy" custom candles and a picture of the failure that I over dipped. Donita (the one who almost has no hair left LOL)

http://www.customdesignedcandles.com/

To make a very tiny fracture....I also tried using the stuff you clean computer keyborads with....it "freezes" the surface and makes very very tiny cracks. I only did it once.....a chemist told me about that. I know what you are talking about, but what I do isn't exactly that same way....there are waxes that crackle but I have no idea where to get them....I tried for years to come up with one that I liked....The way I do it works for me. I do it over chunks...my daughter has done it on plain pillars. No additives usually will give you better crackle effect. Donita

http://donitahoyer.com/

Ok...it worked yesterday. I heated my wax and BEFORE it cooled....added my FO....then the color.....poured cool in three layers and lo and behold when I unmolded it today....it was fine. Thanks again for the tips. Donita

Shannon....I am going to try to post one of your pictures from my computer....here goes.

Oh yeah....that must have taken some time to do all of those cool layers. I like it.

Oh I think that looks very nice. Whenever my daughter and decide to create a new look, it doesn' t always sell...what is wrong with people....so many of them think that a candle should just be plain. I love your creative spin.

Well Scented.....we just can't all be as smart as you. LOL.....somedays I am just brain dead. My husband who knows NOTHING about candlemaking said he thought that my wax wasn't hot enough to bind the oils.....just made sense to him for some reason.....I will give it a try again....maybe.....today I want to try to embed a picture again....ick.....I don't have high hopes....but I have been reading some interesting posts.

I agree....they are all good, but the marble is my fav.....looks like stone.

Love the idea...and the lace mottling looks great. As far as contrast...you can see that everyone has their own opinion.....some like it black and some don't...so whatever you like is right....I think that the leather and lace idea is a good one....I want to do that.

Oh yes....Holy Cow....those are great. They are very lucky people. You certainly have it down....I still have only tried once and it didn't work....you inspire me.

Call Jeff at Pourette....they have made many molds for me.

Welcome! All of the people on this board have soooooooo much time on their hands that we just post and read and post and read and post.....you get the picture......LOL But it is fun and educational and we are obsessed.

thanks everyone....this all makes sense.....all of it....I think I added the FO's when the wax was too cool.....poked relief holes too soon.....and all the rest. I am going to wait a week or so to compose myself and let my brain heal...then try again...I don't need the mottle so I am going to use a little less FO and see how it goes....I was using 3 different FO's in each candle....2 different batches with different oils....so I see that I was having beginers luck....cause I made a whole bunch that turned out fine. And I do know about vanilla...ick...I have to mix and mix and then don't pour the last of the pitcher. Wonder why they have to make it that way....everyone complains about vanilla. I also have trouble with English Mulberry....it just won't blend either. Thanks again. Donita

I guess I had beginners luck making my first layered rustics...they were all fine. Now the last two batches are a mess. When I unmolded them, I noticed a dark spot on the top of the candle...I pressed it and FO came squirting out all over the place......it has happened with two different batches...using 3 kinds of FO's in each candle....I almost always use 1 oz per lb and added steric and vybar 343. My question is: because the wax is so cool when pouring rustics does it not bind with the FO's as well. I poured the same wax for a regular mottled candle and it was fine. This just happened with the layered rustics.??????? So today I thought I will just make my chunkies rustic and not "crackle" them to make them shinny. I feel like screaming.

Central Virginia here.....it just cooled off today to the mid 80's. It has been 100 and the heat index even higher and so humid that you can see the air...ick. We had a cold front come in last night with scarey lightning driving back with my daughter from Wholefoods....I made candles in the morning when it was cooler. Took the rest of the day off. I have a little A/C unit we bought at Sam's in my studio (the main A/C unit blew it's compressor) we are working with 5 wall and window units and it is almost ok....almost....until it keeps tripping the circuit breaker. I have found that by heating my wax in my large Weck canner and pouring my chunkies, I just poke relief holes and then turn off the heat and refill the next day. I am not keeping and pots of water going on the stove. I made 22 candles in an hour yesterday. (already had the chunks and most of the molds were wicked)....but that really kept the heat out of the house. We have fans in all of the rooms too. I really hate hot weather....I really hate cold weather....I like the upper 70's to low 80' s with no humidity....is that really asking for too much?

Wellllllllllllll I love your candles......I gave up on embeds.....those are cool.

As far as posting pictures.....have you scrolled down to where it says attach files? I think you may be able to post more than one...didn't Alan say something about this new format? I haven't tried it....but just post two in a row if you have to. I guess...I am no expert. Donita

Lost your touch? I think you are fishing for a compliment....That is a beautiful candle....and Asian Sandalwood.......love love love love it. Make some more. Donita

They are cute and would make great ornaments to hang on a tree.

I want my own! Then you will be jealous. I am going to look for something way cool too.....hee hee hee

pretty cane....but how did it burn with hurricane wax as a pour over....don't you find it too hard? I guess if you want it to tunnell, then it would be fine. I have played around so much I guess if it does what you want....then it is right.....I like the lit cane......I am going to try to master that one. So far I always glue things on the outside.....I just haven't had the patience to embed a photo....got to do that....Donita

I use mine on hurricanes too....bought them at Jo Anns Fabrics (they were fairies)

Here I go again.....I have made thousands of hurricanes.....I use plastic buckets from Lowes (bought pretty pastels) and had DH cut them down a little. I used to use old 5 gallon buckets cut down so I could reach into them. I also buy lead weights that are like ropes about a foot long and they bend around the bottom to hold it down...if you are using a mold without a bottom (foot) then I just fold them in half and put them across the top....also have stolen a set of wrenches from DH to use just in case....for little candles that need a water bath I just wrap them into circles and put them on top of 3" molds. Now for the color question......I have had customers order burgandy, hunter and black.....so you just never know....of course they don't "glow" much...but they do have a flame and give off a little light. I do all colors in my usual line.....if you want, check out my website and you can see some colors that I do that I have been selling for years.....don't know why.....but they throw money at me and I say "thank you".....(smile) Donita

http://donitahoyer.com/

Nope.....they will eventually melt on the sides.....even if you are burning them yourself.....a little extra draft in the room might cause the wick to blow to one side and melt it (ask me how I know).....I don't think it is worth the time and money to experiment with something that won't "really" work. You can add clear crystals (fisher trop) to the wax and it will harden it without making it opaque, and if you fill up the center to about an 1 1/2 from the top and use only a plastic tea lite sitting on some kind of pad then you can get away with it. But why? Buy a higher mp wax and be done with it.....you can use your lower mp wax for yourself to experiment with, but as I said, be ready for it to melt if you forget about it. My sone and his girlfriend once let a large oval hurricane burn overnight.....luckily I made it correctly....wasn't damages a bit and either were they......good luck... and I do use higt mp wax but if the diameter is a small one, I still fill mine up with wax.....the 5" or 6" are the only ones I feel a little safer with....people still don't understand the word CENTER TEA LIGHT (and keep it centered)...hee hee hee......Donita

yeah...me too....Ducky....I thought that was my fav........funny girl.....

Right now it is so hot that "Fresh Mountain Air" sounds good to me.

Glad you are ok....it happened to me ONCE.....I keep my overdip wax in an old stainless steel champagne bucket....perfect size....and melt in a DB.....well ..one day it exploded. I found that if I start the heat a little cooler and COVER the pot it doesn't happen. I heard an explosion of sorts today in my big Weck canner, but I had the heavy lid on so no harm was done....I had left about 2 inches of wax in the bottom and then put more slabs on top of that. When people think that they can just go an make candles because "it must be a fun hobby".....I want to choke them.....we all have to work so hard and learn so much. I once met a woman in Idaho who bought some candles from me. She said she used to be a candlemaker and had a business but wouldn't make candles anymore. She came home from work, put on her wax, direct heat....changed her clothes and the next thing she knew her house was on fire, burned down and she was severly burned.....scarey....she was only out of the room for a short period of time, but wax is flamable. Please be careful. I am the OLD ONE on the board.....so I can act like a mother.