Melty Things and a Cupcake Book amongst the Honeysuckles?

What do melty things and cupcakes have in common. Well, it you talk to one of my friends her fav melty things are marshmallows and hot chocolate, bless you Terri. My fav melty things are beeswax and encaustic wax. Yesterday, one of you asked what I use to melt my wax in? You can use either a small crockpot or a Ranger Melting Pot. I prefer the Ranger because it does melt the wax quickly and you have a temp control on the top. You don't want your beeswax smoking! This is a mantra of Claudine's.

You can also buy extra trays for melting other stuff like Utee. I leave my wax in the melting pot and then just plug it in and I am always ready to wax again. I also use the same brush, yes it does harden with the wax on it - but it will also then melt so you can use it over and over and over again. The Clover Quilting Iron is a fav of mine for working with the wax - it is small and easy to use. However, once again you need to clean it while using it so it doesn't smoke. I have a special rag with me that I use for this - it is an old sheet I cut up! For larger items, Claudine recommends an inexpensive travel iron (no holes in the bottom) that you can pick up from places like Target.

Claudine will tell you to be sure you are using BeesWax..... which you can find in the candle section at Michaels. BeesWax comes in varying shades from white to yellow. Candlewax won't work. Like I said yesterday, Claudine's beeswax collage DVD is one of the best I have seen on collaging with wax. Next time I pull out the waxing I will do a more detailed "step-by-step" on laying down tissue paper, ironing it out, and applying images and buttons - my way.

I'm going to change the subject here and jump to cupcakes. Part of Larcy's Xmas gift was Martha Stewart's Cupcakes book ... I saw one at Michaels but it was damaged. (yes, I did a cupcake theme for her)....

I have waited since Xmas for them to get more of these books in. Have they? No. Finally last week I found a manager and asked if they were waiting for some sucker to buy the damaged book before they replaced it? He said, would you like me to order you one? I said no. He said wanna make a deal? I said yes. He said how much? I told him and I got the book which was nonrefundable and mine for ever and ever. (Remember this part since he held the book in his hands and did not give it to me....)

Surprise, had I known how damaged the spine was - that was not necessarily visible (got worse once home as I opened it and opened it and opened it again) ... I would have offered him less. But so goes the deal. So today after deciding "gluing" would not fix that spine - I tore the book apart. And grabbed my trusty RubiCoil binder machine.

The RubiCoil is a binding machine that will punch holes and let you bind books using different sizes and colors of coils. I have it and the Bind-It-All. Depending on what I am going to be putting together, I use both frequently. The RubiCoil will not punch through chip board like the Bind-It-All but each has its own + and -.

Another little tidbit on the RubiCoil is to make sure you have the "guide" screwed in place so there is no "moving" around since it will change where your punched holes are going to be. This is really important and sometimes I forget. I have really learned this machine by the "oh opps" method. I cried a lot in the beginning and at times hated it.... oh the drama....

Well, Martha got bound.... the book that is....

And you know - Martha needed some ribbons.....

Merry Christmas, Larcy! LOL.... She might as well send Oliver over to fetch it, don't you think?! I've got a cold and I'm being whinny again....... OK, I'm gonna go for hot chocolate!