The use of sealing wax is not a new craft. It has in fact been used for centuries as a way to secure persnal mail by stamping a unique mark (signet ring) into melted wax. Supposedly, the recipient of the mail would be able to tell if the mail was interceped because the wax seal would be damaged. Today the use of wax seals is mostly for a decorative effect. HM Ben Franklin Craft stores sell both the wax pellets and stamping tools.
Like candy, there seem to be an endless supply of colorful, irridescent wax pellets availble today. I can't stop buying the wax pellets because each one has a different look when melted. I use a heat tool to melt the wax on a silicon mat or in a silicon mold. (If you have a strong heat gun, work slowly to get the wax melted so you don't blow the liquid wax around.) It's so much fun watching the pellets melt and blend then making an impression with a metal seal.
Like the explosion of wax pellet colors, sealing wax stamp designs have also multiplied drastically. You can buy stamps attached to handles or buy just the metal part and use one handle for many metal design heads that screw on, The new wave of metal stamp head designs is truly exciting and you're sure to find many that suit your needs.
New on the market to enhance your sealing wax stamping are silcon molds into which you can melt the wax pellets and impart a desired shape. (I'm not sure where I purchased this silicon mold...maybe HM BEn Franklin Crafts.) The two tools with the silicon tips are really useful for pushing the melting wax around. I used the gold and silver colorants on the cooled impressed wax designs. They help to highlight the details which often are hard to see. Both the tools and colorants were purchased in Japan but perhaps you can find them online or HM Ben Franklin will carry them in the future. I hope this post has helped to update you on the new things happening in an old fashioned craft medium. Rather than melting the wax on my crafts, I plan to glue my finished wax seals on envelopes and cards as decorations. I think they add a special personal touch which lets the recipient know that they are 'special' to me. YOU are special to me too!
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