Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Beeswax Collage Questions

Hey Everyone!

I've had lots of requests for the instructions on making the canvas beeswax collage. I am trying to finish up a couple chapters for my next deadline but I will try and get them written up for you by this weekend. I promise it's really easy and WAY fun once you get started!!

I wanted to answer a couple of the questions right now though....

Is it messy?

No, not really...well, now let me correct myself, it's as messy as you want it to be - LOL!! If you're careful you won't have any mess at all. If you're not well then yes, you can make a huge mess out of it but it's all fixable so no worries!

What tools do I use?

First and foremost I use a melt pot with a project pan. The project pan is a must because once you get wax in it you'll have it forever. It's just always there no matter how much you clean.

Next I use a heat gun/embossing gun. It helps prolong the working time when you're adding embellishments or other goodies to your collage.

Old paint brush is a must! I have a couple I keep for just this purpose. I keep one for white wax, one for natural. I made some green wax once and still have that brush as well. Some people say you have to throw the brushes away but I keep mine and they work fine even after 4-5 years!

How long does it take for the wax to dry?

It's almost instantaneous! The wax has a very short open time where you can manipulate it so you need to work quickly or use a heat gun to keep the wax melted on your project.

Do you coat it with anything after you're done?

Yes, I like to use Perfect Pearls Pigment Powder over the entire piece when I'm finished. I then buff the wax. These two steps add great shimmer and shine to the collage. If you want a more muted look, I've heard people use cornstarch to remove the sticky but I don't know what it actually looks like when you're finished. I've only ever used PP's.

Hope this helps for now :)

I promise to post more this weekend!

3 comments:

  1. Thanks Roni for answering those questions!

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  2. Thanks Roni, I look forward to the instructions and can't wait to try one.
    Hugs for Downunder
    Caryl

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  3. Wonderful helpful hints! Thank you!

    To remove wax from almost anything, just pop messy waxed item, like the project pot, into your freezer. After 15 minutes or so (possibly needing longer), remove from freezer and wax should pop right out. Sometimes I need to use the tip of a knife to get it going. This method works wonders with glass or metal candle containers, tiles, etc.
    Just make sure that the item won't crack from being frozen.
    I hope this helps,
    tracyw

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Thanks for your thoughts and comments!