Donita

The colorful print envelope in the background looks especially pretty. The little bag looks very special. Great idea!!!!!! Donita

Hi Ducky......I looked at the thrift store for some velvet dresses, but I guess they were sold during the holidays (smile)....so I wanted to photograph this candle in a box.....without ruining my clothes....so I just used push pins and stuck a jersey skirt of mine in a box......this is the first picture....I didn't experiment or it could have been better but I have other candles to work on today. This is for a member of CT.....so if you are checking the board today....here is your candle. I will mail it probably tomorrow. I did scent it with Voodoo Vanilla. Just because I like it. Donita

I use a straight paraffin (no additives) but I do add stearic acid. About 3% works well for me. I also use UV inhibitors in all of my candles so they don't fade. Some colors fade more quickly than others. Donita

Shocking the candle from hot to cold it was causes it to crackle. Just about any wax that I have tried works. I usually use a straight paraffin with some stearic. I had to experiment for 4 years (not all the time....just once in awhile) before I got the wax to do what I wanted it to do. It's also a good way to fix a candle that doesn't come out looking just fabulous. I gave a box full to my niece for Christmas and at the airport they had to examine them .....I guess a candle could look like a fuse for a bomb or something. Anyway....they all loved the look. My candles were a hit with security....lol.....Donita

Ducky is right. I have always poured my chunk votives hot. Probably around 180 to 190.....you don't want the wax chunks to melt but if you pour hot and slowly it fills the spaces and comes out smooth. Use a little vybar 103 and you won't get a rustic look bur more smooth. We are always experimenting and learning.........I still don't know S---! Donita

Very nice work. And I like the flowers and the light box. And Sharyl......this is a candle forum board....why did you expect marbles??????? Are you getting enough sleep .....lol.......Love you dearly.....sleep..... sleep....sleep.... I love the candles. Guess I should try some again. Once in awhile they come out great....other times....I need practice...or maybe sleep (smile) Donita

The light looks great, but is still looks wonderful unlit!!!!!!!! Donita

Well now......aren't you starting the New Year off right. Great job and I agree with Ducky.....nice arrangement. Donita

Sabrina.....I love your white light box too. I think my new year's resolution will be to make a black one and a white one. Your pictures and candles are beautiful. Big Sister, Donita

Good to know about velvet....or fake velvet lol.......when I had a photo area set up in Virginia I used black felt. If I used a diffuser fabric over the lights, then I could control the glare off of the felt. Some days were just better than others. I would love to have a place to do a photo shoot and be consistent. Next time at the thrift store I will look for a black velvet dress or cape or whatever looks like will work. Donita

I think they look fabulous just the way they are. The white really shows off the other colors. Great job and thanks for sharing. I love the colors. Donita

Randy....it means that you make a candle and burn it. If it doesn't look like it is burning correctly....then you have to examine what you did. I am sorry to tell you that you may be testing for months to get a great burring candle. If you aren't selling them and just want to give them to friends and family.....then they can be your "testers".....we who sell for profit have to test all of the different waxes and additives for what applications we want to use. A candle is not just a "candle"......there is so much to learn. But don't be discouraged......make a candle.....light it ......if is looks good and burns all the way down the way you think it should then you are fine.....but...probably you will see some problems....that is why Candletech is here....experiment and learn. There is so much information here in the archives that if you can't learn something that will help you then you can't type ....lol.......jump in and have some fun.......I hope.....(smile) Donita

You are on your way to fantastic pillars/rustics. Your technique is very good. You will work out the "bugs" and won't get dents anymore. Just keep an eye on the wax and be sure to keep the "poke" holes open. Very pretty candle. Donita

Oh....you did a great job!!!!!!!!! When you tilt the mold....just tilt it a little and you won't get the pac man look. Just a little tilting will give you a very nice effect. Keep up the good work. Donita

Karen, you are so right. Many years ago, Jeff at Pourette, told me the same things. It's all in the tongue lol.......... And.....Pam...you are right. I have dozens of candles on the island counter in the kitchen.....just waiting. The storm is coming closer. I just heard that 80,000 people have power out and that isn't a lot but it is widespread. Trees are coming down all over the place. My sister in law called this morning driving across the bay bridge in San Francisco and pieces of metal were flying past her. I just came down to my studio to get my lighter. I took a shower because we will probably lose power during this storm. I like hot water. I have four pitchers of wax upstairs ready to experiment with some little candles.....it never stops with me.....even during a blizzard here I am making candles. (smile)......All of my experiment candles were very helpful in Virginia during power outages. I could light the whole house up. The power company asked me how come I had power and no one around me did. I smiled. lol With fifty candles burning.......there was plenty of light. Donita

I'm not even that concerned with rustics and mottles because most of my candles are chunks. However, I do make rustics and mottles.. When I used CBL 141 for the chunks and the overpour was 4045 or 4045H.....3% stearic.....#2 SB.....I had just about the perfect burn. I didn't scent the chunks and I don't use a lot of FO. Maybe around 3 - 4%....that's it. But I still need to learn to work with this wax because I can pick it up and not pay shipping. That's a great motivation. Years ago when I used gloss poly my candles were always smoking. When I stopped using it the smoking went away too. I guess I can go back to the clear crystals and see how it works with this wax. I have about 10 lbs of the darn stuff. Thanks everyone for your input. I think I need to start from square one. Every wax is different. As you can see in the picture the cream colored candle is burning completely different and the only differences are two kinds of FO's and a little vybar in the opaque wax along with stearic. The red one is just stearic. It is burning terribly. Well....at least I know how to keep a candle burning and that is a good thing because we have 4 storms coming right now and a blizzard and high winds. I have my lanterns ready....land lines ready....candles all over the counters and a box of batteries....and just in case we have power but no satelite....I got 5 movies from the store. But......the power will probably go out and I will be the only house in the neighborhood with light. The guy at the store today told me that if the power goes out, I should take a box down to the main street and sell them (smile)..... Donita

I was getting ready to throw out my 1/2 gallon milk container.....then remembered that I just saw Martha Stewart put a vodka bottle in one....pack greens and berries around the bottle....fill it up about 2/3 with water and freeze it. You then have very chilled and pretty vokda......then I remembered the very first candles I made were with my mother in the 50's. We used quart size milk cartons and did the ice cube candles. We made wicks from string and whipped wax and spread some on the candles and sprinkled them with glitter. They were colored with red and green color crayons. Not the best burning candles, but they did burn..... I think I should make an ice cube candle in honor of my wonderful mother. My parents bought me any craft supply that I wanted. Bless their hearts. There were five girls and you can just imagine all of the stuff in our house. We all sewed too. Donita

I have never used it....guess it is time. I like to have more than pretty good luck. I want my candles to be consistently good. I don't think that is asking too much. After 13 years of this I still don't know S---!!!!!!! lol, Donita

Pam.....I will be very interested to see what the polybost does. It is just this wax that I am having a hard time with. When I used 4045 and 4045H I had no problem and was using about 3% stearic. They burned perfectly....well most of the time (smile).....The girl that works at Cierra Candles said that she gets a great burn with 1274 and 0/2 wick. Maybe the polybost will firm up my candle. Thanks for the idea. Donita

Pam....I love the red ones. Well....the green ones are pretty cool too. And Pam is right....check out Judyvega's candles. Everyone seem to have a favorite way to hold the molds too. There are people who have special wooden device to tilt the molds (I should have one by now)....but I use damp sand in a cat box. People use beans, rice etc. Or I have just propped them up with strips of wood. You are on the the right tract for a rustic.....now you just need to step out of the box and see how beautiful you can make them. (or in some cases as we all know....how ugly (smile)...) Donita

Heheheheheh Hi Manolis. Happy New Year. Your stuff is wonderful. Donita

I know what you mean........but just be sure to stay away from the lions. This Sacramento story is horrible. Makes you think about going to zoos. I lived across the freeway from the zoo in Fresno growing up. I could hear the lions and tigers in the morning when they were being fed. We had peacocks on our fence all of the time. I am so lucky to have grown up with a park and zoo across the street. It encouraged the creativity in me. I will never forget the wisteria covered arch way......and I fished with safety pins in the little ponds. I have always loved nature and have learned to incorporate it in my art. I think I need to do something with lily pads and candles. Wonder what I will dream up tonight as I sleep. I am sure it will be fun. Donita

J......maybe you should visit a Zoo. Those aren't moose.....they are reindeer and I was trying to give my candles a little holiday decoration. It was my special find last year at the thrift store and I paid $1.00 for it. It is wood so I can't make a candle out of it so I just put it next to my candles.....(smile)....Happy 2008!!!!!!!!Donita

I need to make one. I like the look. Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!! Hugs, Donita

Julile......don't get me started. Now I have to go out to the garbage and dig out the juice can.......thanks a lot!!!!! (smile) Donita However......I did buy 6 antique darling jello molds at the thrift store for 25 cents each and they will make some cute small candles. When I use jello molds I pour the wax in and when I unmold them I drill a hole for the wick so I don't have to have a hole in the mold. Someday I may decide that I will never use them for Jello and just make them into candle molds. I haven't made Jello for years. Donita