The Saga Continues

This may be it - it isn't perfect, but I give up - this is the 15th pour and I've had it with trying for perfection. I'm getting in the boat with the Amish who make mistakes in their quilts on purpose because they believe it is an affront to God to think that any human can achieve perfection.

And the Metro Beekeepers Annual Honey contest, Auction and Picnic is this coming Sunday so time is running out.

I poured this in a glass dish lubricated with dishwashing detergent. I've tried PAM, dishwashing detergent, Crisco, and Silicone Spray. The latter had to be sprayed outdoors and could only be used in a metal pan. I was so afraid that the chemical smell would ruin the wax. That pour had divots in it but popped right out of the pan. Thus I'm up to POUR 15......grrrr.



It cooled well and popped out of the pan looking shiny and lovely. The glass pans work well for smooth sides, but it's hard to pop out of the pan without flexible sides. Looks perfect, right?



But no, right in the center of the top are these tiny marks from the dishwashing liquid pooling on the bottom of the pan or maybe, since this spot is in the location of where the first wax went into the pan, they are the result of the pan not being hot enough. Usually when I pour I have the pan sitting in another pan of boiling water. This time I poured and then put the water around the pan. Maybe this is where the wax cooled faster than the rest since it was first in the pan and then the hot water didn't remelt it. Who knows?

I have been polishing it with a knee high stocking like crazy. Here's the damaged part:



I have polished and polished and it's looking better. I also poured Pour 14 at the same time with some darker wax. It didn't come out well - looks great but has three bubble holes on the top - small ones but quite obvious. I may pour that wax again into the pan of #15 and see. If it's better than this one, I'll use it, but otherwise #15 enters the contest on Sunday.

There's a fabulous candle maker in our club - she makes candles that look like bundles of asparagus, pine cones, etc. and they all come out of the molds perfectly. I'm trying for second or third place with this small attempt below. I poured my extra wax into silicone cupcake holders that I had poked a hole in and inserted wicks. I think they turned out cute. I can only enter one of them but the one on the upper right is perfect, so it will enter to try for 2nd or 3rd place.