Continuing on from yesterday's adventures

I really enjoyed making those luminaries yesterday, I was so pleased how they looked and at the response that I received from those who'd seen them.  I was really looking forward to lighting them up and seeing how they glowed.  But I was ultimately horribly disappointed as when I lit them up they revealed the horror inside, tons of air bubbles in the wax, yikes!!!

So disappointing.  So today I decided to have another go at making them, but this time adding PE22 to the mix and seeing if giving the wax a bit more rigidity would solve my problems and keep those air pockets from forming.

Dealing with PE22 is a tricky business, and I was very nervous about using it for the first time.  Main reason being that my double boiler set-up cannot get this additive hot enough to melt down, so I have to set it on direct heat - scary.  Here's the advice I received from a knowledgeable chandler on the Craft Forum (you know who you are! thanks ! ).  Please take GREAT care in using this additive! I used about 2% for my mixture.

"It needs to get to just a little higher than your wax can get in a double boiler setup (I.e. just over 100c).

Add it to a smallish amount of your paraffin (about. 150 to 200ml and heat over a direct heat. Three things are very important whilst you're doing this.

1) Don't add any dye to the wax before or during this stage. The heat will get so high it will cause the dye to discolour. And also you don't want anything to hinder your view of the PE22 beads as you'll be wanting to get that wax off the direct heat the very second the beads have melted.

2) Don't have anything else on the go at the same time. Heating wax on a direct heat can be dangerous as it can very quickly reach its flashpoint so the last thing you need is a distraction mid way through melting your PE22.
3) Stir the wax continuously until the PE22 has fully melted. This will stop you being distracted by other things! "

I managed to get through this process without fumbling it, but boy I panicked seeing that temperature getting so high! Managed to get it under control and added the mixture to the rest of my wax. Then proceeded to follow my method that I wrote here.

I think I've come to the conclusion I need a bigger pot for these, or I'm also toying with the idea of making these similar to a hurricane mold and getting a suitable bowl of the right size and shape as my dipping abilities still need a lot of work lol  

Sadly no embeds this time round, I'm out of the few dried & pressed flowers I had, so just plain green from the leftover wax I had from the previous batch of luminaries.

More to come, watch this space!