Manor House candle making

Thursday was a sad day as it was our last day at The Manor House Hotel.  We only had two classes, though we also sneaked in 2 sessions of silk painting and a massage.  The first class was candle making.  There were two techniques, the first of which was dipping, which is why they had this great set up.  A big table with vats set into it holding wax of different colours, and cold water for setting the layers.

We took an ordinarly taper candle and dipped it in clear wax for 30 seconds to soften everything up.  Then we dipped in a colour, then cold water, wipe the water off and repeat for a total of 6 dips per colour.  It was good fun.

This candle had a layer of each colour, then I went back and dipped again, but didn't submerge the candle all the way, just enough to leave a band of each colour at the top.  It came out really dull and mottled which was a disappointment as the waxes were so vibrant.

I had to cut the bottom off and you can see the layers of colour better here.

I had a go at carving for my second dipped candle.  Again a rainbow of dips, then carved with a knife and twisted.

Hmmm, not brilliant.  We only had an hour for this class and the room wasn't left open for us afterwards which was a shame (health and safety I assume), as I'd have liked to try much more carving but I just didn't have time.

The second technique was container candles.  I've done that before of course, but wanted to try a technique she showed us where she made decals from wax poured onto the table top.  I cut the wax with biscuit cutters and stuck the warm decals to the glass.  

After a short while in the fridge, it was time to fill up the glass.  I chose yellow.  And made a right mess!  Luckily it can be cleaned up easily when it's set.  I put it in the fridge and we collected them the next day when it was nice and set.

Unfortunately wax dips as it sets so there is a dip in the top.  If we'd have had a longer class, I could have remedied that, but there just wasn't time to leave it an hour then top it up.

The next post is the last one for the Manor House Hotel and it's about glass painting.

My first time carving candles and making wax decals, so I'm linking up to Something New for 2014

  

Light up

Morning.  Before we get to the subject matter of this morning's post, a small note on my dental health.  Following the "episode" at the emergency dentist, the antibiotics worked their magic and all was good.  Until Thursday when I went back to have the root removed.  I don't know if you remember the last time I underwent this procedure, I had a tooth taken out a couple of months ago but she couldn't get it all.  I was in agony for 10 days after.  I was taking my almost-morphine strength migraine tablets for the pain.  As you can probably understand, I was dreading Thursday's visit.

It was fine!  OK, so the three anaesthetics hurt a bit, and there was pressure when she took the root out.  I was waiting with dread for the anaesthetic to wear off as that's when the pain kicked in last time, and it did again.  A little bit.  I took 2 paracetamols and all was good!  I've had the odd paracetamol since and I've been doing salt baths (in my mouth, certainly not on my skin) since.

She told me I wasn't allowed to smoke for 24 hours afterwards so I did what any hardened addict would do, I stuck on 3 nicotine patches.  Friday morning my arms swelled up and were itchy, bright red and hot.  I could feel my back and legs going the same way and, bizarrely, my chin.  Off with the patches, yep, something else I'm allergic to! 

So, where was I before I started waffling about nicotine patch allergies?  Candles!  I made some.  I think you gathered that.

Back in the summer, I experimented with candle making.  I loved the cupcake I made so much, I made some more.  Quite a few more.  I'd bought some cheap silicone cases for baking and they were perfect for use with the wax.

I attempted to make brown by mixing various colours, but it didn't work!  I thought that was odd as in the past whenever I've tried to mix colours I've only made brown.  I bought some brown dye and got to work.  The cream is made by whisking the partially set wax.  Great fun but very messy.

I tried the ombre candles again as they went down a storm in the summer.  I couldn't seem to get it right.  These green ones are scented with Blueberry Cheesecake, the cupcakes with Gingerbread on the base and Cherry Coated Chocolate on the cream!

My photos are doing that annoying thing where all I can see is purple lines - I think these are blue?  They're also gingerbread.

These orange ones are Fresh Cut Flowers. 

I also had a go with a pillar candle mould I'd bought and these are the results.  Not great.  I don't know how to get a lovely shiny finish, I think I need to do some research.  I also plan to do a bit of engraving now I have a dremel... I'm thinking thin layer of wax on the outside and engraving it to show the inner colour....

This might be a little green candle in a bucket.  I bought the buckets for 50p on sale at Hobby craft and think they make sweet candles.

I actually made the blue one as an ombre candle, before realising noone would ever see it! 

Just a quick reminder, the lovely Kerry is trying to set up a UK-based quilting magazine. She's currently looking for funding and you can help. If you're interested in this magazine coming to life, please go to her Indiegogo page and have a look how you can contribute. This can mean simply subscribing to one issue, 6 months or 12 months, or you could take out an advert. If you're skint, you can take out a 1 issue subscription for a fiver, or just blog about it.  If you own a shop, she's doing very reasonable advertising - grab a slice of the lucrative UK sewing/quilting market!

Candle making comp!

Good afternoon ladies!  I've got waxy business for you today.

I was contacted by Homecrafts Direct to ask if I wanted to take part in a competition.  They sent me some candle making goodies and I had to make a candle.  I, of course, agreed.  I've made some candles in the past, but nothing more than these basic teacup and glass candles. 

This is what I was sent:

A big bag of paraffin wax, some rods to hold the wicks, wicks and wick holders, orange and blue colouring and blue and green liquid wax pens.  I grabbed my votive moulds along with my candle-dedicated saucepans and off I went.

I really wanted to do something creative, but I was limited to use what I had on hand.  What I mainly found was grease proof paper and mugs.  Well, that could work.  I also had an empty spice container (empty after we emptied it!), an empty milk bottle and some paper cupcake cases I found in a cupboard.  Oh, and shells.  We have been to the beach after all!*

I whipped up several batches of wax and got pouring.  First up were the votives and the spice jar.  I went for an ombre effect, using three shades of blue. 

I really like how these turned out.  That back one has a layer of the liquid wax as the top was messy.  I couldn't get it very neat though!  The photo below is the spice jar.

 

I poured some wax in a bowl lid covered with grease proof paper.  I was hoping to cut shapes out and attach them to the candles with the liquid wax. 

I didn't manage to make a smooth enough candle so that didn't happen.  I used some of the larger shells I'd collected to make mini candles.  These ones worked out well, the mussel shells didn't!

More greaseproof paper got pressed into mugs and wax added.  I wanted to really experiment so played around with different colour intensities, adding new coloured wax to the existing at different points of the wax setting, adding big chunks of wax to semi-set or still liquid wax... 

I love the effect of where it's got into the folds of the greaseproof paper and then I've peeled them away.

I used a range of colours.  I had blue and orange and discovered that they made a lovely olive green.  Should I have known that?  I would have guessed at brown or maybe purple.

The one with the chunks in didn't work.  The wax got all round the layers of paper and we couldn't get it out of the mug!

The pens were tough.  I googled and I pinterested and found nothing to show me how I could use them creatively.  I wondered if I could make very thin candles by drawings with the pens, adding a wick and then drawings over them.  Nope!

In the end I used them to stick sea shells around a grease proof paper candle.

More wax went into the cake cases,

I had a hairy moment when I couldn't get it out of the glass I'd put it into to support it as it set!  I then melted some wax and didn't add colour. 

When it started to set I whisked it with a hand whisk and added it to the top - cream!  I LOVE this candle.  I'm going to make some more with more realistic colours and see about adding some decorations.

Oh, and the milk jug?  No, that didn't work either... nearly, but the handle fell off!  I basically poured the wax, uncoloured, into the milk bottle, put it in the fridge to set and then got Mr CA to cut it out.  I do quite like the effect!

I've entered these into the Homecrafts Direct competition, they will show all the entries on their blog so please keep your eyes peeled for the post and say something nice!!  Incidentally, this online shop has LOADS of craft stuff for all kinds of crafts, if you're in the UK and interested in different crafts, check them out.

*I am aware I haven't mentioned going to the beach... stay tuned and I'll fill you in.  Don't worry, I won't be posting boring holiday snaps!

Christmas Countdown - December

So once again I've been joining in with Allie's Christmas Through The Year - the final installment!

Want to see my roundup of what I've made?

1 - 6: Teacup candles

7-8: 2 sets of wax tarts for burners

9: Cross stitch cushion

10: Table runner

11: Wine Bottle Cosy

12-13: Wash bags

14-19: Spa Kits

Which actually adds up to more than 19 presents, because the spa kit itself is a bag and contains:

20-25: Spa slippers

26-31: Eye mask

32-37: Crocheted wash cloth

38-47: Homemade soap

48-57: Home made bath bombs

And there's more!!  In the photographless category we have:

58-63: Glass candles

64-70: Birdfeeders

Not a bad effort!  I've still got some work to do, but I've still got a few days (including two full days where I don't have to go to work).  My list of things to make is:

1. Finish off the 6 glass candles I've made (just topping up around the wick)

2. Sew up the glasses cases

3. Crochet 3 x scrubbies

4: Crochet 1 x washcloth

5: Crochet 1 x keyboard duster

6: Crochet Yoda ami

7: Crochet ami pig

8: Finish the bird feeders

9: Assemble cookies in jars

10: Assemble the reinbeer

Numbers 6 and 7 can be left off if I run out of time, so I'm feeling pretty confident that Christmas will be ready!

teacup candles - lant

I have just spent about an hour battling with my printer.  I've got one of those scanner/printer/copier all in one jobbies.  There's a gift bag I want to make in one of my magazines but it involves increasing the pattern by 140%.  I can't get my printer to do it!  The scanner wont do it, the photocopier wont do it and the printer just doesn't give me the option!  I may have to throw it against a wall...

Anyway, on to the main event.  This certainly isn't a new idea, but it's my first adult attempt at candle making.  I'm hooked!  I'll be adding this to my LANT list. 

I've been furiously scouring the charity shops for teacups, but only came up with these four, plus a set of four 1980's expresso cups.

I love that one at the front on the right.  They're all scented, a mixture of Fresh Cut Flowers, Blueberry Cheese Cake and Chocolate Covered Cherries.  Not all in the same candle of course!

I had a bit of an accident with these two!  I made a bit of a murky colour when filling the top up, beneath the first inch or so is a lovely green!  I also got the wax all over the wicks.  I'm going to scrape the wicks off and then colour the top with the gold wax pen I bought.

These two were more of a success.  I'd bought a candle making kit which ran out after the first 3 candles so bought a load more wax on the internet, and I bought far too much!  I had a go with the two moulds included in the set.  One is still in the mould as I can't get it out!  This other one was a disaster...

Note that it has no wick!!  I'll melt it down and try again.  I also bought a couple of votive moulds to make some more candles as I have so much wax, but the shop forgot to put in the wick sustainers I orders to that will have to wait.  I have a burner so I made some melts for it and for any friends that might like then.  I used a silicone muffin mould I bought for a pound.  Bargain.

I was going to post the other day about TAST, but for some reason my work has blocked Photobucket (but not Facebook?!?) so I can't see my posts properly from work.  What a pain in the arse.   

Anyway, I've taken the plunge and I'm joining in with Sharon B's TAST challenge.   For those of you that don't know Sharon's blog PinTangle, it's a year long stitching challenge - Take a Stitch Tuesday - where we learn and practice a new embroidery stitch each week.  My embroidery needs some serious work so I'm hoping this will help, and that I can keep up!  Come and join up if you fancy a go.