Sealing Wax

[xuan87]

that is perfect! nice!

[Shangas]

*Applause!!*

 

Very smart, Judy! A perfect seal!

 

*sobs*

 

I wish mine were that good.

[Rena]

Beautiful, Judy!

[Judybug]

Thanks for the compliments! I am so delighted to have some sealing wax success after having so many failures. I think I used more wax for this seal than I needed. You can see in the photo that it's kind of thick and I'm wondering how it will do in the mail. I going to try using less wax next time.

 

The down side to this success is that now I want to order sealing wax in all colors and more seals. But maybe I should hold off on any further purchases until I make more than one good seal.

 

Judybug

Edited May 19, 2010 by Judybug

[markc]

Thanks for the compliments! I am so delighted to have some sealing wax success after having so many failures. I think I used more wax for this seal than I needed. You can see in the photo that it's kind of thick and I'm wondering how it will do in the mail. I going to try using less wax next time.

 

The down side to this success is that now I want to order sealing wax in all colors and more seals. But maybe I should hold off on any further purchases until I make more than one good seal.

 

Judybug

 

The trick is to keep doing them! Once you get the feel for it, and all it takes is once, you will be fine. It looks to me like you did a spectacular job! About perfect.

 

I don't think I would use less wax, you have a great impression there. The only thing is that anything "attached" to an envelope is subject to destruction by the post office. (Come to think of it, anything you send through the USPS is subject to destruction. :/ ) The "supple" wax that Herbin sells, as well as the wax that Atelier Gargoyle makes/sells is intended to go through the USPS. I send sealed letters all the time and get good feedback on the seals health when it arrives. If you use the harder "traditional" wax, it will be very brittle and flake/break easily in the machines.

 

The other thing to consider is, if you add .20 to your postage and request hand canceling, the chances of the letter/seal arriving intact are increased.

 

Enjoy!

 

MarkC

[GouletPens]

An excellent seal! However, I can't stress enough the importance of not relying on perfection in your seals. I think part of the fun is experimentation in trying different techniques, mixing wax colors, etc. Much like handwriting, sometimes the flaws are what make them unique!

[Rena]

+1 to what Brian said.

[Judybug]

An excellent seal! However, I can't stress enough the importance of not relying on perfection in your seals. I think part of the fun is experimentation in trying different techniques, mixing wax colors, etc. Much like handwriting, sometimes the flaws are what make them unique!

 

Thanks, Brian! I needed to hear this. It will help me get over the stage fright about making another seal - which I hope to get around to doing today. You're right - it is, indeed, the little imperfections that add a certain amount of charm to hand made things. When I see other people's imperfections in their handiwork, I really do see the charm - the humanness - in it. I have a little more trouble seeing the charm in my own imperfections. Could ego have something to do with that? Nah, surely not . . .

 

Judybug

[professionaldilettante]

I've used a spoon, stolen from school's dining hall to melt wax in it. Held over a candle just far enough that the soot doesn't form on the back of the spoon, i find that I have much more control over the whole operation than using a candle or torch to melt the stick directly.

[rogerb]

IMO, a 'perfect' seal just wouldn't 'look right' ....it would look as if it had been bought 'ready-made' and stuck on!! What is a 'perfect seal' anyway? I think Judy's is as close as one wants to get.

Here's one I made with a signet ring and cheap wax ..the sort with a wick through the middle and very likely to look 'sooty'.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v693/rogerb40uk/RedSeal.jpg

Edited May 21, 2010 by rogerb

[GouletPens]

I have a couple of other wax seal vids that may be of interest:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm8YJHo_s4o

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvWSwxOhzgA

 

Even my son gets in on the action!

 

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qVJOiluU9_4/S-G-NV_rF4I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/1b23tnRMdNo/s400/IMG_1325.jpg

[GouletPens]

One more video for you (I maxed out the 'media allowance' for the last post!):

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnCkmiA6oSo

[Anne S. Gray]

I didn't know how to do it either until I met Ward and Linnea from Atelier Gargoyle at the NE Pen Show last year. They recommend a butane torch, not a butane lighter, for melting the wax.

 

Warm regards,

Lynne

 

I've "chatted" with Linnea via e-mail,she was very helpful.You might want to look into getting a hand held kitchen blowtorch.I have one that I use for browning meringues and creme brule, and now for melting sealing wax. It uses the same butane fuel that lighters use.

[Enai]

Success!

I'm no expert on seals, but that looks pretty nice to me. Well done!

 

 

I don't worry about getting soot in the wax — in fact I think it adds a beautiful dimension. But as Brian and others have said, try to keep the flame a little further from your wax if you want to avoid soot. I truly believe that any way it turns out, a wax seal on an envelope is cool. Here's how I do it. (Markc, I like the same seal that you use. )

 

Rena, I saw this video of yours a while back from a Pentrace link, and I thought it was a really nice video. I loved the lighting in the film.

[Rena]

Thank you, Enai.

[seanpooh]

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4431502948_3298297b1c.jpg

 

 

That is a really nice color wax you have Mark, what is the color?

Edited June 21, 2010 by seanpooh

[Edgar Allan Bo]

http://i27.tinypic.com/20a8c3t.jpg

[Rena]

whoa! Edgar Allen Bo, that is a seriously beautiful wax seal. Great embellishments too! Deep and sharp impression makes me think a high quality seal — LOVE the ship.

[Edgar Allan Bo]

whoa! Edgar Allen Bo, that is a seriously beautiful wax seal. Great embellishments too! Deep and sharp impression makes me think a high quality seal — LOVE the ship.

 

thanx, I love wax seals with old ships and this one is really beautiful - so many details, and it's just 23 mm / 0.9 inches wide!

Edited July 19, 2010 by Edgar Allan Bo

[youngdanf]

Seriously, I am in love with the seals both Edgar Allen Bo and Mark did. Where do you find seals like that? Most of the seals I find are basic letters.