Another New Hobby!

I've started another new hobby. Making soy candles! (dum de de daaa!) It's not as difficult as I thought it might be. Probably because there's very little chemistry involved, unlike soap. Which, by the way, has cured and is in the process of being tested by friends and family members alike. My feedback is thus: nice, light clean fragrance, good lather, soft and creamy, but perhaps the lather could last longer. Any soap makers out there have any tips for a longer lasting lather? This is all after one or two uses, so I recommended using the little tester bars all up and getting back to me. Anywho, about candles. I purchased my materials from Candle Science, and it got to me the very next day! I was amazed, and gratified to be able to start my new adventure without delay. I should have delayed, however. I have a hot glue gun currently in residence at my mother's house, and the little video tutorial I watched suggested using it to glue the wicks down. Instead of waiting for the hot glue gun to arrive in the mail, I just used regular glue. Note to self: glue encased between two non-porous layers will not dry. Hot glue, of course, would not have had to dry. It would have hardened. So, I melted my wax, added the dye chips and fragrance, stirred thoroughly, and poured it into my prepared candle tins. Immediately, wicks started bobbing to the surface. So, I poured the wax back out, put it in a pan of hot water to stay melted, and held the wicks in place until the residue cooled and solidified and held them in place for me. Then I poured more wax in, and the residue melted, and the wicks once again popped up. Urghh!Eventually I got it to work, by pouring a little wax in at a time, but I haven't made any candles since. I am dutifully waiting for my hot glue gun to arrive in the mail, having learned my lesson about patience. At least for this project. Incidentally, I love soy candles because they are eco-friendly and burn clean! No sooty marks on the ceiling above the candles!

Craft Show

Well, I've signed up to be a vendor at a local craft show. My very first! I love going to these things, wandering around, seeing what everyone is making and getting ideas for my own new projects. There was one recently in town, at which a couple of my friends had booths. One of them told me I should be a vendor, so here I am! It's a festival at a nearby town, and it's not until October. Which means, I'm going to be a busy bee, making ornaments like crazy to stock up for this thing. Actually, it's probably good for me, because it will give me focus, something to work towards. Otherwise, I have a tendency to flit from project to project like a bee from flower to flower. I currently have seven paintings I can also take, and a couple of drawings. My mind is abuzz with ideas about booth layout and presentation, like a bee...you get the idea. I don't even have a canopy. Or a folding table. Or any sort of packaging. Or anything to use for a display. Good thing I have a whole month to prepare! On a separate note, it is now September 1st, which means I can officially decorate for fall till my happy heart's content!

making ornaments

Well, it's that time of year again. The time of year when I break out the jeans, even though it's still too hot, just because I want it to be fall. I love everything about autumn; the cooler weather, the colors, the savory food, the mystery and spookiness. Last year, shortly after this time, I was so enamored of fall that I began making ornaments mimicking all the beautiful, jewel bright leaves that were plastered against the ground. Now, I'm at it again, and I thought I'd share the process. I use Sculpey clay, primarily because it's so readily available. I roll it out thin, cut out some leaves with my X-acto knife, bake them in the oven, paint them, and then gloss them. Usually I watch something on Dan's computer while I'm at it, because it's just too quiet otherwise. And my computer blows up like a jet engine every time I try to do anything more complicated than play solitaire. Here are some pictures!

my messy tray of stuff

fresh out of the oven

finished!