Donita

Well Robert.....being the obsessed candle person that I am, I woke up this morning and the first thing I thought about were your beautiful chunk candles. Since I have been using up scrap wax I would like to try your idea this week.....but I still am not clear on what and why you did things. You put in colored chunks then said you started with some clear wax to fill the voids then use a votive on a rod and melt colors as you go. Why? You have colored chunks. Do you pour clear and then a color then clear then a color etc? I love the jewel tones you have. Without additives I get those. From the picture I don't see a lot of color added or I couldn't see the chunks as well as I do.......does this even make sense to you? (smile)......what kinds of candles do you usually make. We don't know you yet! Donita

Now I can see the picture. Very nice and of course she liked it. Who wouldn't? .....Donita

Nice colors and the layers look great. Donita

Since we have way too much snow I have been playing with wax. It's all over my clothes. I posted a picture of the plastic insert that I shaped into a heart from a Crystal Lite container a week or so ago. I decided to give it a try. I used old rose petals that I had pressed two years ago. The cane on the right used the heart shaped insert. I made tiny chunks to hold them in place. Then poured in my wax. After unmolding it I found that the rose petals were so close to the mold that they didn't get any wax in front of them.........so I had to overdip it. The second one, the one on the left I used a small round insert. I had to use a few more chips to fill the voids and I used long tweezers and dipped the rose petals into wax and put them on waxed paper. Put that in the freezer then carefully popped them off. Then inserted them into the mold. Worked fine, except if you look closely you can see that I forgot to pre wax the little rose leaves......still learning (smile).....these are for my relatives for Valentine's Day. They should be in the mail today. I have to brave it and go out in the snow.....inches and inches are expected today. Just great!!!!!!:rolleyes2 Donita

Thanks everyone. I think my sister will like it especially since it's FREE. She became so accustomed to getting candles from me when I lived in Virginia. I was always giving her boxes of unsellable candles or testers. Now she hinted that she is burning the last of the 4 small candles that I sent her for Christmas. I taught her how to make candles but she is lazy.:rolleyes2 She admits it. My other friend, Susan, who is now a member of CT or (Craft Server...smile)....has been making lots of candles....and soap. Donita

Those are very beautiful and your photography is wonderful. I think they must smell fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Donita

There are different kinds of micro waxes. What purpose are you using it for? There are soft ones and hard ones. I by my micro 180 hard from Candlewic. Donita

Very cool. I love the bright colors. How fun is that. Jojo has started something. I'll bet they look gorgeous when they are lit. I've got to give it a try......you can be very creative with colors and design. Donita

I wish my studio were that organized. I am ashamed. I'd better get to work tomorrow and do some work. I think you will enjoy having a separate place to make candles and now your soup and coffee won't taste like China Rain...lol.....Donita

I have been trying to play around with scrap wax that I have around. This is for my sister. It has several fo's that seem to blend together. Not my problem....she asked for it.... lol......I forgot about this mold that I bought last year. I really like it. I have some more scrap wax projects going today. I enjoy not throwing out any wax unless absolutely necessary Donita

I wouldn't use 1343 for hurricanes nor would I use stearic. I only use hurricane wax, or a melt point between 155 and 160 with 1/2 oz micro 180 added per pound. That's it. Sharyl and I have worked this out. It has a lot to do with the wax and additive, but the temperatures are very important. I pour the wax into the mold. Let it cool to 190.....then insert the pre waxed picture.....water bath at 80 degrees. Then don't unmold the candle until the next day. Sharyl mentioned on another thread about turning the mold upside down. She is right. If you have done everything correctly.....the candle should just fall out of the mold overnight. If you have to pull it out then you very likely will get scrape marks on the surface. Donita ps....evey now and then I spray my hurricane molds with a silicone mold release and clean it out completely. I don't use it all of the time. Always use non sticking cooking spary.

Very pretty!!!!!!!! You never know how another person will burn your candle. Sometimes I don't know how I am burning a candle (smile).....Donita

They look great....the pictures are fine. Very pretty candles. Donita

I love the salt and pepper candles. As a matter of fact......they do belong on a dinning table....cute. Donita

I originally bought my torch because Jeff at Pourette told me they use them to "smoke" the seam on a candle. I didn't like the way it looked. You have to do it very fast. I just decided that if I didn't want a seam then to use the aluminum molds not the tin. However, you can use the torch to make creme brulee....it caramelizes sugar very well.....Opps...shouldn't have said that....making candles isn't fattening....making creme brulee is. :rolleyes2 Donita

Nice candles. The colors are very pretty. Donita

I think you should do a search on the board. I make electric candles but not the grubbys. Janet from creativegemsmolds does. Just type in the search space......electric candles and you will find some information. Check out Janet's website too. She has someone helping her now. Donita I just checked her website and it has changed. Do a search on CT for electric candles and you will see what she and others have done. I just sent her an email and maybe she can help.

Sharyl......that is just fantastic. :yay: And Jojo did a great job of teaching. I would love to see others work. I did something like this several years ago but instead of my micro torch, which is wonderful by the way, I have a reducer on my heat gun that directs a smaller amount of hot air than without it. I always use it for everything. However......I need to get a refill for my torch. I hadn't even thought of using it because my daughter and I were working with the gun. Sharyl....you just get better and better. Hugs, Donita Kudos to you too Jojo!!! :yay:

Thanks Sharyl for helping this NB out. I do use tealights..... and votives only in a large hurricane. Like 6" diameter. The votives in a glass get hot and the plastic votives cups melt. If a person only burns it for a couple of hours everything goes well....but if you forget and leave it for a long time.....things can really heat up. I have switched to using fuel cells at out restaurant. They do not get hot and you just toss them out when you are finished with them....no mess in a votive glass to deal with. I don't know where you can just buy a few. We buy them by the case. I guess the thing here will be for you to experiment and see what you like. I am a huge fan of Candlewic's waxes. The 5055 is a must for my hurricanes....I am using an IGI wax now since I moved and it is ok. The micro 180 is another must. It keeps little bubbles from forming and makes the wax less brittle. I can't work without it. I have little bendable lead weights that I wrap around the bottom of the mold. However I have used large wrenches on top of the mold. If you use an insert in a mold the wrenches aren't very good. That's when it works best to wrap the bottom with lead or some heavy chain. Hope this helps and good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!! Donita

Woo Hoo....Donita (smile)

http://www.1000uses.com/search.php?page=16&location=21 Here is a link I got from my pressed flower group. Members are using it to seal pressed flower pictures but wow.....who knew there were so many uses. I am buying some tomorrow. Donita

Garf is right too. I would first put it in the freezer. Overnight. If that doesn't work then try melting it. I don't see anyway to save the candle.....maybe....miracles do happen. When I have had to melt a candle out of a mold, I put it upright on a cookie sheet and heat it on a very very low temperature. As soon as it starts to melt you can take it out with pot holders and pour it out. You don't have to wait for the entire candle to melt. Good luck. Donita

Mark.....I bought one from Pourette about 12 years ago and tried it and didn't like it at all. I have made thousands and thousands of hurricane candles and my favorite way is to take four Bounty paper towels and fold it into a pot holder size and get it wet. Make two of these. Use these to lift the mold into the water bath. Make sure you have a large enough water bath container so it is east to get it in. I have mostly used 5 gallon buckets, cut down so I don't have to reach way in. I tried gloves and they just get wax all over them. The Bounty are strong and I could use the same two "pot holders" for dozens of candles.......re wet the next day and they were still good. Good luck with your cane. Donita

I think they would melt apart. Donita

Your candles are just gourgeous.......Donita