pixie*dust Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Not only because they are such a pain in my rear to do in the first place, but mainly because I do them sooo badly. I made one yesterday, I forgot to strip off the coating on the wicks! Too many bubbles and now the white from the coating. Sooo, I popped it in the oven... thinking that by some miracle, the bubbles would disappear and maybe, just maybe the coating would sort of blend in. I forgot I had the candle in the oven... DH, comes down as I'am shrink wrapping some soaps... did you get that candle out of the oven... OMGolly!!! I forgot! Grab it out of the oven, looks wonderful and clear.. cept for the fish that are all sunk to the bottom.. so grab them out, wait for it to cool, get them back in finally.. today... still have the white thing going on.. and still too many bubbles (cause my 1 lil fish, I kept trying to insert and insert, when I thought the time was right, well not for him, he kept wanting to sink).Ughhhh, very frustrating! pix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo848 Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 they are frustrating, but i have found that by pouring hot over the back of a spoon, in layers, using UNWAXED dental floss to suspend fish that it does get better.good luck,cheryl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hank7fd Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 unwaxed dental floss, never would've thought.i use fishing line. gotta try your method!thanks for the tip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixie*dust Posted March 21, 2006 Author Share Posted March 21, 2006 Cheryl, I had heard of using fishing string and the dental floss. Though I must admit, I'm having a stoopid moment, if you tie the floss or string round the loop to get it stay attached to the fish, then once the gel has cooled, how will you be able to pull it out without pulling the fish up and out as well. I had even thought that if I attach the string to the fish with a dab of gel, then putting that in.. but then I was thinking the gel is going to still be warm, it will melt the string right off the fish.. then I'd be stuck yet again trying to place the fish in there.. Confused..lol I'ampix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CathyinME Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 I use the clear thread to suspend embeds. Just loop it thru & then I tape the thread t the outside of the glass. When the candle is set, just pull on one end of the thread! as for bubbles, put the candles in a sunny window. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo848 Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 i put the dental floss in a "U" shape and hang the fish by their side fins, and tape the floss to the side of the container as cathy does. then, just before the gel is completely set, i pull the floss out. but remember, i am pouring in layers also, so it is kind of a double set up............is that clear as mud?that is how i got my sharks to circle the treasure chest in one candle and the eagle mid flight in another......(www.picturetrail.com/candleheart48) i got the link fixed for those who had tried it unsuccessfully the last time i posted.hth,cheryl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pixie*dust Posted March 22, 2006 Author Share Posted March 22, 2006 Thanks Cheryle and Hank!After getting a PM on this... it smacked me in the head.. and of course I felt like a twit! Sometimes the answer is right in front of you and your brain just farts it away!pix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boogey2Shoes Posted March 23, 2006 Share Posted March 23, 2006 It sounds like you were having a really bad day. I am new to gel candlemaking to everytime I make one, I find I'm in for a real surprise (sometimes good, a lot of times not) Imagine my surprise when I looked at my candles and saw all this white stuff from the coated wicks. Back to the drawing board! I just read about self-trimming wicks - do you know anything about them. Oh- I put all my self-coated wicks in the oven to melt the wax -that'll teach em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesandwoodcrafts Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Gosh I have just the opposite problem. Seascapes are all I want to do. I love them. The first gel candle I did was just straight gel, colored, in a roly. Then the next one was a seascape and I never looked back.I know your pain on the bubbles though. Then again, bubbles make the light bounce and dance around. They can be a good thing. I remember your "toxic" lake candle jazzbo, that was neat. Julie aka jwoodcrafts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky_CO Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Hey Julie glad to see you out of lurkdom finally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesandwoodcrafts Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Hey Vickie! Well, when I first registered I used jwoodcrafts. Then for some reason I couldn't log in. Requesting my login info didn't seem to help. It wouldn't let me re-registered with jwoodcrafts, so I just went with candlesandwoodcrafts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicky_CO Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 I was wondering about the name change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
candlesandwoodcrafts Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 I really wish I could get "my" name to work again. I might keep trying and see if somehow I can get it to let me use it. I feel funny not being jwoodcrafts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tx twister Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 I do alot of seascapes. Try pouring in layers. Then as you're getting closer to the top, use a pr. of tongs (small ones something like a dentist would use, mine came with my serger) pick up a glass fish and heat it with your heat gun and then insert about half of the fish in the gel. Then pour your next layer and do same. Works great! (I make the tea light insert on the top.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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