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Will you ship to locations outside the U.S.?
We are discontinuing shipment of our items listed on eBay to locations outside the U.S. If you are interested in anything we carry, please email us at Sales @ Seasons-Creations.com to request information about how you can place an order with us.
Are the images you show for the Wax Seal Stamps reversed?
Yes! We want you to be able to see what the design will look like on a completed wax seal, so we flip the picture. The actual seal stamp design is a reverse of what you see in the picture; the picture shows what the design will look like on your completed Wax Seal!
What is the difference between Faux and Traditional Sealing Wax?
Traditional Sealing Wax has a wick; the wick is lit to melt the wax, which you drip down onto your paper or envelope. You then impress a seal stamp into your puddle of Sealing Wax. Traditional Sealing Wax is brittle, and will not usually survive mailing without cracking and/or breaking. The manufacturer recommends that if you are going to mail something with a real wax seal on it, then you’ll want to mail it inside some type of padded mailer to protect it. We carry approximately 40 different colors of Traditional Sealing Wax in stock.
Faux Sealing Wax is actually a form of plastic. It is very flexible, therefore will not crack or break under most circumstances, even when mailed. Faux Sealing Wax (mini size) is dispensed by using a mini glue gun, or you can also use a heat tool to melt it. It is recommended that you use Clear Ink when you make Faux Wax Seals, because the Faux Wax has a tendency to stick in the crevices of your seal stamp. The Clear Ink allows the seal stamp to easily release out of the Faux Wax. If you are making a large number of seals (such as on wedding invitations), using clear ink will make the seal-making process go much more quickly! We currently have over 40 colors of Faux Wax in stock for immediate shipment.
With either type of sealing wax, if you will be putting these on envelopes, the Post Office recommends that you make these seals no more than 1/8" thick. Even if you pay to have your envelopes "hand-canceled", that is no guarantee that they still won’t be put through the sorting machinery at a postal facility. (Per our local post office, about 99% of all envelopes that are mailed go through the sorting machinery, even when someone has paid to have them hand-canceled.)
Can I use a candle or other type of flame to melt Faux Sealing Wax?
Definitely NOT! Faux Sealing Wax is a type of plastic material; it would be like setting a soda bottle on fire - very smoky and smelly, and it would turn into a sooty black blob!
How many seals can I get from a stick of wax (Faux, Traditional or Glue Gun Sealing Wax)?
One stick of mini Faux Sealing Wax will make 5-8 seals if you're using one of our standard Round Seal Stamps. It all depends on how thick, and how much of a border you're making around the outside of the Seal Stamp. We always estimate very conservatively at 5 seals per stick if you're using a round seal. Remember, if you're using an Oval or Square Seal Stamp, you'll get fewer seals from each stick because you'll need more Faux Wax for the larger seals. You may get a few more if you're using one of our Mini seals.
One stick of the Jumbo (1/2" diameter) Faux Sealing Wax will make 12-15 seals - again, a lot depends on the size of your seal, how thick you make the seal, and your own technique!
One stick of Traditional Sealing Wax will make 10-12 impressions if you're using one of the Round Seal Stamps. (You'll get fewer seals if you use a larger Seal Stamp, maybe more if you're using a Mini seal.)
One stick of Glue Gun Sealing Wax should make 12-15 impressions if you're using one of the standard Round Seal Stamps. Again, you'll probably get fewer seals if you use an oval or square stamp, and possibly more if you're using a Mini seal.
What is Glue Gun Sealing Wax?
Glue Gun Sealing Wax is a type of sealing wax for very fast and easy authentic-looking Wax Seals! It is dispensed using a Low-Temperature Full-Size (NOT Mini) glue gun. The manufacturer has added a Flex Agent to make the sealing wax less brittle, so you'll be able to send a seal through the mail without cracking/breaking. (We highly recommend using a Low-Temperature glue gun, not a High-Temperature one. High-Temperature makes the wax very thin when dispensed, whereas the Low-Temperature gun makes it dispense at a nice consistency, and you don't have to wait a long time for the wax to cool off before impressing your Seal Stamp.)
This type of wax is much more flexible than traditional sealing wax, and can be mailed without cracking/breaking. It is good to use when you really want to use real sealing wax for your project, but need a way of making seals faster than the old-fashioned way of lighting the wick and dripping the wax onto your paper. Be aware, even though this is real sealing wax, that it has a slightly different texture than traditional sealing wax because of the Flex Agent additive (it feels more flexible/plastic-like, and less brittle).
If you want to highlight the design on your Faux Wax Seal, be sure to purchase the type that is recommended for Faux Sealing Wax (not the smaller ink pads marked "pigment ink"). Please note - Glue Gun Wax doesn't adhere well to glossy paper, so if you're using glossy paper or envelopes, you may want to use Faux Sealing Wax instead.
How do I make a seal using Faux Sealing Wax? (Instructions below are for Mini-size sticks; for Jumbo sticks, the process is similar, using a full-size instead of Mini glue gun.)
IMPORTANT: Read instructions for your Glue Gun carefully before inserting your Faux Sealing Wax and starting to make your seals.
1. Insert one Faux Wax Stik into the back of your MINI glue gun (both low and high temperature glue guns will work - we highly recommend low-temperature ones, so that you don't have to let your Faux Wax cool as long before impressing your seal).
2. Squeeze a small amount of Faux Sealing Wax onto a glue pad or a smooth heat-resistant surface (i.e. glazed ceramic tile). Amount dispensed should be slightly larger than the diameter of your seal stamp, in order to form a small border around the design. If using one of our Round Design Seals, you'll need to squeeze the trigger 2 - 3 times for mini faux wax sticks; just one time for the jumbo-size sticks. If using one of our Oval Design Seals, you'll want to try 3-4 squeezes for mini sticks; and again, just one for the jumbo-size sticks. Take care not to get air bubbles in your Faux Wax. (As you gain experience in the seal-making process, you'll more easily be able to judge how much Faux Sealing Wax to dispense for various sizes of Seal Stamps.)
3. Let puddle of Faux Sealing Wax cool for 10-20 seconds for a low-temperature gun, 20-30 seconds for a high-temperature gun. DO NOT TOUCH the puddle of Faux Sealing Wax or your glue gun during any part of this process - temperatures can reach up to 400 F!
4. While waiting for Faux Sealing Wax puddle to cool, moisten your Seal using Clear Embossing Ink. This allows your Seal Stamp to more easily release from the Faux Sealing Wax. HINT: You only need to press your Seal VERY LIGHTLY into the clear ink - a little goes a long way! If you put a lot of Clear Ink on your seal before pressing into the Faux Wax, the excess remains on the top of your seal, and looks like a clear coating of something (like vaseline). If you find this happening, you definitely put too much clear ink onto your seal. Just lightly press your seal stamp onto the clear ink pad, then brush it across the top to remove any excess ink.
5. GENTLY press your seal stamp into the Faux Wax - DO NOT press all the way down. (You will end up with an extremely thin, transparent seal if you do.)
6. Allow Faux Wax to cool (with stamp still pressed into it). Once cool, carefully "peel" the stamp out of the Faux Wax. You'll need to experiment a little with cooling time - you may be able to peel the stamp away fairly quickly, but if you find that it wants to stick in the Faux Wax, leave the seal impressed in it until the Wax has firmly set. (Your "cooling time" is directly related to how long you let the puddle of Faux Sealing Wax cool in step 3 above.)
7. Once totally cool, you can affix your Faux Wax Seal to your project by dispensing a tiny amount of melted Faux Wax onto the back of your finished seal. You can also use double-sided tape, as long as you're not putting the seal onto an envelope which will be mailed.
NOTE: Seals can be made directly onto your project if the item is heat-resistant (i.e. envelopes, cards, scrapbook pages). Be sure to test on an inconspicuous place or on a scrap to insure that the melted Faux Wax coming out of your glue gun will not damage your project.
8. Even though these Seals are much more durable than traditional wax seals, you may not want to place them on the outside of an envelope that is going to be mailed. If sealing wedding invitations, consider placing the seal on the inner envelope to avoid the seal getting caught in any post office machinery. Even when you pay for hand-cancellation of envelopes, the post office won't guarantee that your envelopes won't go through the sorting machines - per my local post office, approximately 95% of envelopes are sorted that way (hand-cancelled or not!). If the seal will be on the outside of an envelope that is going to be mailed, make sure that your seal is only about 1/8" thick (which is easy to do, if you've followed the above directions).
9. Please note - since Faux Sealing Wax is a type of plastic, it CANNOT be melted using a candle or any type of flame. It can ONLY be melted with a GLUE GUN!
The technique for using Jumbo Faux Sealing Wax sticks is the same; the number of trigger squeezes will vary depending on your glue gun and your personal technique!
How do I use your special Highlighting Paste with Faux Sealing Wax?
Highlighting Paste is beautiful when used on Faux Wax Seals. You simply put a tiny amount of the highlighting paste on your fintertip, then brush it over whatever portion of your Seal you want highlighted - you may wish to do the outer border, the inside raised impression, etc. Highlighting paste will permanently adhere to your Faux Wax Seal, and adds a very elegant contrast!
Note - Be sure to test the highlight paste on one seal, to make sure you get the effect you want, and to make sure it adheres well to the wax. Formulations on the waxes vary even within one color, so be sure experiment with it to insure it will adhere well before highlighting all your seals!
Are there alternatives to using Clear Ink for Faux Wax Seals?
Yes, there are several. You can chill your seal in the freezer before impressing it into the Faux Wax. You can also dip it into cold water, or hold against an ice cube or ice pack to chill it. Be sure to shake/wipe off any moisture on your seal before impressing into the Faux Wax.
The reason we highly recommend the clear ink is that you can make multiple seals fairly quickly if you use the clear ink, whereas you have to allow quite a bit more time if you decide to chill your seal. The seal has to be pretty well-chilled before pressing it into the Faux Wax, so you have to allow time between seals for it to be re-chilled. If you're making seals on several hundred wedding invitations, the waiting time would be extensive!
Faux Wax Seals - Tips/Tricks
1. You may find it helpful to use several glue guns when using different colors of Faux Sealing Wax. It may take several sticks of the new color before the old color is "flushed" out of the glue gun. You can also run one or two of our color-flush sticks through your glue gun to flush out the old color.
2. A very interesting effect can be created by using one color of Faux Wax right after the other - you can get some pretty swirled designs in the Faux Wax!
3. If you are using any of the Glitter colors of Faux Sealing Wax, you may want to consider using a separate glue gun for them. The Glitter flecks stay inside a glue gun for a long time, and will mix in with any solid colors of Faux Wax that you use afterwards. Many of us who create lots of seals think it is easier to keep a separate glue gun just for the Glitter colors!
4. If you're using Sparkling or Glitter Faux Wax, you'll want to make sure you have a very simple seal design. Glitter somewhat "hides" the design, and a very intricate design won't show up on the top of the seal because of the reflections of the glitter. A good example of a simple design is the Heart with Arrow seal - this seal works wonderfully with Red Glitter Faux Sealing Wax.
5. Rubber stamps can also be used to make Faux Wax Seals. Be careful to only press the rubber portion of the stamp into the hot Faux Sealing Wax - any foam underneath the rubber can melt if it is exposed to high heat. Clear Ink also works very well with a rubber stamp, to keep it from sticking in the Faux Wax.
6. Items other than metal or rubber stamps can be used to create Faux Wax Seals - including buttons, signet rings, ceramic items, charms, and odds and ends you find around the house!
How do I make a wax seal using Traditional Sealing Wax (the kind with a wick)?
Traditional Sealing Wax has a wick for easy use. It may help to have a candle nearby to assist with lighting or relighting your stick.
1. If you haven't made seals from real sealing wax before, it is recommended that you trace an outline of your seal lightly with a pencil on your envelope - it is easier for you to see where to place the wax.
2. Moisten your Seal (can be done with a wet sponge, rubbing a touch of oil on it, using our Clear Ink, or by lightly pressing onto a Pigment Ink Pads). Make sure that you get some moisture in the crevices of the seal, so that your sealing wax doesn't stick inside them.
3. Light the wick of your sealing wax stick.
4. Hold the stick at a 45° angle, about 2-3" above the envelope, and drip the wax starting with the outer edge of your traced seal; drip until you have filled the shape. (You can adjust the angle of the wax stick to adjust the speed of the wax drops).
5. Blow out the wick; take the bottom of the stick and blend the wax in a circular fashion. This creates a nice edge and removes any carbon that may drip from the wick.
6. Take your moistened seal and insert in the hot wax. If you're using one of the Metallic Colors, wait 2-3 seconds before impressing your seal, because the Metallics tend to burner hotter and need a few seconds to cool. If you're using a regular solid color, you can immediately press your seal into the wax. Press firmly, briefly hold in the wax, and then pull up (only hold your seal in the hot wax for 1-2 seconds).
How do I use Pigment Ink with Traditional Sealing Wax?
Before impressing your Seal into your melted Sealing Wax, lightly press the seal into your Pigment Ink Pad. Once lightly coated with the Ink, press it into your melted Sealing Wax, hold it in for a few seconds, then remove it from your seal. The pigment ink adheres to the Sealing Wax (Traditional only!), and gives a very elegant two-tone effect to your seals.
Please note that Pigment Ink WILL NOT adhere to Faux Wax, since Faux Wax is a non-porous material. It will smear and rub off your Faux Wax Seals. Use our specially-formulated Metallic Inks with the Faux Wax - the process is just like using pigment ink, and the ink adheres quite well to Faux Sealing Wax!
Why can't I use Gold or Silver Pigment Ink on my Faux Wax Seals?
Because Faux Sealing Wax is non-porous, it will not "absorb" the pigment ink. The ink sits on top of the Faux Wax without bonding to it, and will smear and/or rub off if touched. It can be very messy! If you want a Gold or Silver or Copper Metallic highlight on your Faux Wax Seals, use our special Highlighting Paste, found under "Accessories". It is specially formulated and will adhere to Faux Sealing Wax.
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