CUTS/SLITS/SEAMS:
On intricate deep molds I wish there were an easy way to demold, but... it depends upon the strength in your hands and thumbs. On intricate molds I try to put cuts on the inside of the mold where I know issues may occur, such as the animal ears, feet and wings. If the cuts/slits are not there or if they are there and you still are having a problem, then the cuts need to be made larger, because the strength in your hands is not pulling the silicone back enough to allow the finished product to pull free from the cuts inside the mold.
You can take a Utility (razor) knife or sharp scissors or even a sharp knife, and start tweaking the area that is at issue.
Slits/cuts DO NOT HURT THE MOLD. You can even cut all the way down a mold if you wish, rubber bands hold the mold together without leaking hot product. Large molds will come with slits, you could not demold your product without the slits.
Ears and noses and wings usually need TWEAKING.
And make sure you pull the silicone away from your item that is in the mold when you start to demold. Do this until you can actually see way deep into the mold as you pull the silicone away from your piece. This looses the silicone from the rest of your item and makes demolding those ears easier.
You can also trim off excess silicone from the top of the mold if you are having a problem with a shallow mold. I like to leave a thin "skin" around the cavity because it "holds" the hot product in the mold so it does not overflow. You can take a Utility Knife/scissors and make slits/cuts through the top silicone (in several places). When you demold, the silicone will part at the cuts and this aids in the release of your finished product.
Again, it all depends upon the strength in your hands and thumbs and YOUR demolding style. What is easy for some is hard for others and practice with silicone demolding does give you added insight in how you may need to tweak the mold for your use.
WICKING:
Here are 2 ways to wick a candle from a Penguin Love Silicone Mold:
1. For small candles (such as floaters) you can wick the candle after it has been taken from the mold. Using a hot round object, such as a wick pin, nail, or knitting needle create the hole for your wick. Be careful on this procedure as the hot object can cause you injury if you are not careful.
2. Insert a small sharp object directly through the bottom of the mold (from the inside of the mold to be sure the hole is centered). Some people use wick pins, nails, knitting needles. Anything that is small and sharp will usually do the trick. Silicone is a tight rubber and the small hole (if round) will usually seal itself without leaking wax. DON’T use a knife, it is flat (not round) and can start a tear in the silicone. Which over time, could be enlarged with use and leak wax.
Once the hole is made, you can use a Large Eyed upholstery needle(s) (they are sharp and have large eyes for threading your candle wick) or some people use a small household wire, bent in half to pull the wick through the hole.
Thread your wick in the instrument and pull through the hole in the bottom of the mold. The silicone will close tightly around the hole of the wick so you should not have any leaking of wax. Leave a wick tail extending beyond the outer shell of the mold. Attach a wick bar to the wick and place the bar on top of the mold. If you don't have a wick bar, I have found that using those plastic clips used to close potato chip bags is PERFECT to hold the wick because the bag clip sets across the opening of the mold and holds the wick in place. (Be sure the wick is centered and pulled tight to hold the wick centered) Once your candle is dry, remove from the mold, pulling the excess wick through the hole in the mold and cut the trailing wick.
NOTE...if you are making a number of these candles, leave the wick trailing in the mold (already through the hole in the mold) it will save you from having to do this process all over again.