Wednesday 28 November 2012

Sparkly Snowflake Candle

I'm sharing a non card project today.  I recently bought a Sizzix set of snowflake dies, the set has a snowflake shape, a large snowflake wreath shape and a plain circle frame.  I thought the snowflake wreath shape would be perfect to place around a pillar candle and I planned to make a few as gifts.  I was anxious to try my idea out - well, I was certainly anxious after trying it!  It was a nightmare getting the wreath to cut out, I was losing the will to draw breath by the time I managed to get a Whisper White shape out!  I really wanted a silver wreath but no way, no how, could I get any silver CS to cut out - even getting a Whisper White CS shape to cut was horrendous!  I know the tension on Big Shot machines varies and I do have problems cutting the more intricate dies with my machine.  Some of the Memory Box intricate shapes are a definite no-no for my machine.  I tried various sandwiches, used a Cuttlehug metal plate, shims, brand new cutting pads and wrestled with my Big Shot 'til my muscles hurt but it was SO tough getting a shape to cut.  With that, the time it took, the waste of CS plus the wear and tear on plates I won't be trying this particular die again!  I'm so disappointed as I love snowflakes and I really wanted to do lots with the snowflake wreath die - hey ho, at least the circle frame and snowflake shape cut out OK!  I'll pass the wreath die onto my friend Jan to see how she gets on with using it in her machine.  If Jan succeeds I'll ask her nicely if she can cut some shapes out for me if I give her the CS!

Anyway, I punched out a few silver mirror CS snowflakes, dotted them here and there on top of the white wreath, added rhinestones to the centres and laid the wreath on a plain glass candle plate. 


Then I set to work prettying up the pillar candle.  I die cut a snowflake from silver mirror CS and attached it to a strip of SU! Silver Glimmer Paper with a large rhinestone brad.  I then pushed the brad prongs into the candle to hold the sparkly strip in place while I taped the strip together at the back.  Here's the candle on the plate ready to be lit.  As the candle is large I'm hoping only the centre wax will melt and I won't get any wax drips down the sides - we'll have to wait and see! 


Supplies:
CS: SU! Whisper White & Silver Glimmer paper, silver mirror CS
Tools: Sizzix 'Frame, Snowflake' Framelits die set, snowflake punches
Embellishments & accessories: Dovecraft large rhinestone brad, SU! Rhinestone Jewels


Photobucket

2 comments:

Sue - said...

Try using some waxed paper between your die and card stock. It certainly makes cutting intricate dies out much easier on grand calibre. It might just work on the big shot as well. Its difficult to find in shops in UK so got mine off a certain auction site! Your candle looks lovely so it was worth the effort!!

Mynn xx said...

This is SUCH a fabulous gift idea, Ruth! LOVE it! :)

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