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!