Andrea's Review	Cathy's Review	Lynn Anne's Review	Eli's Review

Review by Andrea

I had not heard of Dorland's Wax Medium before the start of this review. I felt some research was in order, so I ventured to the Jacquard website for more information. There is a tremendous amount of great product descriptions, projects and information about all of their products. I immediately printed out the Dorland's Wax Medium page.

The 4 ounce jar of the translucent wax and resin compound had a slight mineral spirits smell to it and the color was similar to skim milk, but the consistency was a creamy wax. There are many uses of this medium making it extremely useful to the crafter. Any of the Jacquard Pearl Ex or paint products can be mixed with Dorland's Wax Medium and maintain their true color. The product is a high quality protective coating for any project you have that needs sealing or true resilency to potential damage from any element. It will not yellow or turn brown with age. It can be used over photos, to finish wood frames, to coat artwork or actual be mixed with paints during the creation process. It is extremely versatile!

I wanted to try something relatively simple for my first project, so I created a chipboard title using letter stickers and cardboard. I applied Dorland's Wax Medium straight out of the container to the large rectangular block first. I then added some Pearl Ex to the medium in a paint tray and applied it with a brush to the individual letters. It gave the effect that I was looking for - tinted color and sealing of the cardboard block. I used a paper towel to buff all of the pieces. They had a smooth, soft feel to them. Here is the finished product:

Products used:
Paper (Die Cuts With A View and National Cardstock)
Dorland's Wax Medium (Jacquard)
Pearl Ex (Jacquard, Duo Red-Blue and Super Russet)
Vellum (Stampin' Up!)
Letter Stickers (Creative Memories and PM Designs)
Fiber (Great Balls of Fiber)
Brads (Joann's)
Rub-on (Making Memories)
Chipboard Letters (my own creation)
Photo and Recipe (Williams-Sonoma)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Glue Runner and A Fine Line...)

I wanted to try heating the wax medium for my next project. A July 4th card came to mind and I thought a mixed Pearl Ex background would work really well. I picked up some Dorland's Wax Medium directly out of the container with a palette knife and dipped it in Pearl Ex. I applied this combination to the paper and smoothed it across like I was spreading frosting on a cake. I did this with 3 different colors. I used my embossing heat tool and the whole mixture melted and blended almost immediately. Since I had used a little too much wax medium, I put a piece of plain cardstock directly on top and heated the mixture again through the paper this time. The wax medium melted again. I quickly twisted the top paper so that the colored wax medium would transfer to the new piece of cardstock. I pulled it away and applied more Pearl Ex, heated then blotted the extra wax away. I stamped the image onto the background, reheated then buffed the whole area again. The completed card is shown next.

Products used:
Paper (Stampin' Up!)
Dorland's Wax Medium (Jacquard)
Pearl Ex (Jacquard, True Blue, Red Russet and MacroPearl)
Stamp (Stampin' Up!)
Ink (Tsukineko Versamark and Brilliance Graphite Black)
Brads (Joann's)
Fabric (unknown)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Glue Runner)

I have more projects in mind that I would like to try with Dorland's Wax Medium. I think that this product is more suited to the advanced crafter or artist since it is not completely clear on how to use it right away. As I have used the medium, more uses have become evident for my crafting purposes. I plan on keeping this product in my stash for those projects that need its special protective properties and powerful blending abilities as a medium. If you love paints and Pearl Ex, you should give this product a try!

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Review by Cathy

Dorland's Wax Medium is a product by Jacquard that is a translucent compound made from waxes and resin to be used with paint and paint products. The mixed compound has a similar texture to oil paint and has a terrific three dimensional look. A little coloring such as Lumiere paint, Jacquards powders, UTEE, Embossing Powders, or glitter can be combined or used separately with Dorland Wax. I heat set all of my creations but the wax compounds can be used "cold" and will dry faster than oil paint.

I did notice two warnings on the side of the container. One states that the compound is poison, so keep it away from children. The second warning concerns using the Dorland's Wax Medium in a well ventilated area.

I was extremely impressed with how easy it is to use the Dorland's Wax Medium to create wonderfully rich textured projects. I started with a small amount of Dorland's Wax Medium spooned out (with a plastic spoon) onto a paper plate. An artist's palette would also work well.

I experimented with adding color. At first, I applied the Dorland's Wax Medium to a Making Memories Stencil Letter K. I then sprinkled the wax topping with UTEE and added drops of Lumiere Paint to the mixture. Next, I heat set the compound with my heat gun. The result is a thick, antiqued gold finished monogram.

Products used:
Dorland's Wax Medium;
Ranger: UTEE Gold;
Jacquard: Lumiere Paint- Halo Blue/Gold;
Jacquard: Lumiere Paint-Pearl Violet;
Making Memories: Monogram Letters;
Fibers by the Yard: Black; and
Prism Paper: Purple.

My next creation is a Thank You Card. I started with Dorland's Wax Medium on Prism Card stock, I added the UTEE and the Lumiere Paint and heat set the compound with my heat gun. The background is dark brown Prism Card stock. The result is a very bumpy, slightly waxy feeling textured background.

Products used:
Dorland's Wax Medium;
Stamp Craft: Leaf Stamp;
Hero Arts: Thank You Stamp;
Tsukineko: Stazon Black Ink;
Jacquard: Lumiere Paint- Sugar Copper and Pearl Ex Reinker- Gold Red;
Fibers By The Yard: Black Collection;
Ranger: UTEE; and
Prism Paper: Dark Brown and Pumpkin.

The Birthday Card is decorated with images stamped directly on top of the Dorland Wax melted compound. I started with Purple Prism Cardstock, I mixed the Halo Blue and Gold Lumiere Paint with Gold Lumiere Paint and then applied it to Purple Prism Paper with a sponge brush. I heat set the mixture with my heat gun. After it dried, I stamped it with Stazon Black Ink.

Products used:
Dorland's Wax Medium;
Jacquard: Lumiere Paint- Halo Blue Gold and Gold;
Great Balls Of Fiber - Gold Fiber Collection;
Tsukineko: Stazon (Black ink);
My Sentiments Exactly: Acrylic Alphabet Stamps;
and Birthday Acrylic Stamp Set;
Prism Paper- Evergreen and Deep Purple.

The layout below has a few accents created with Dorland Wax Medium. To make the flowers, letters and picture mat I used a combination of Dorland's Wax Medium, Lumiere Paint and Embossing Tinsel.

Products used:
Dorland's Wax Medium;
Jacquard: Lumiere Paint- Pearl Violet and Halo Blue Gold;
Personal Stamp Exchange: Sapphire Embossing Tinsel;
Prism Cardstock: Powder Blue and Purple;
Junkitz: Collectionz Paperz( Friends Floral);
Scrapworks: Hugz;
and Pop dots unknown.

The Dorland's Wax Medium was an easy product to work with. I enjoyed experimenting with the different combinations of paints and embossing powders to create one-of-a-kind accents. The compounds created with the Dorland's Wax Medium can be applied to many surfaces. I recommend the Wax Medium with UTEE, Embossing Tinsel and Lumiere Paints. Decorated Paper can be stamped, punched, cut and easily used for scrapbooking. I especially loved the cards I made with the Dorland's Wax Medium. The texture is extremely impressive. If you are an adventurous crafter or an advanced stamper, Dorland's Wax Medium is a product that you will enjoy using. I give a very high recommendation for this product.

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Review by Lynn Anne

Dorland’s Wax Medium is made of wax mixed with resin and other ingredients to create what looks like a particularly spreadable wax. In the container, it appears to be milky white in color, but when used on a project it shows clear in most applications. There appear to be two main uses for Dorland’s Wax. It can be applied as-is to anything from antique furniture to a photograph as a finish, protecting the piece from water and other damage once it has ‘cured’ (dried out and hardened). It can also be used as an artist’s medium, to be mixed with powdered pigments or paints and applied as a colorant on projects.

On the following project, I used Dorland’s Wax Medium in two ways. First, I tempered it (worked it to soften it), then I added Pearl Ex pigments. I rubbed the mixture directly onto the slate. There is something deliciously tactile about rubbing something with the texture of Dorland’s Wax into a project. The sky, lighthouse and clouds were colored using the pigmented medium. When the other paints had dried, I rubbed some of the wax medium over the entire project to coat it. I allowed it to dry out for several days, and the project ended up having a beautiful, barely-there sheen to it. My favorite part of finishing pieces with wax medium is that the wax has a mild, almost unnoticeable scent, unlike the noxious odors of the finishing sprays I commonly use.

Products used:
Pearl Ex Pigments by Jacquard
Gum Arabic by Jacquard
Dorland's Wax by Jacquard
Paint by Making Memories (In Bloom collection)

My favorite technique for using Dorland’s Wax Medium I discovered just by playing around. I coated a sheet of cardstock with wax medium, then sprinkled Pearl Ex pigments over the sheet and began to rub them into the wax with my fingers, adding more wax medium as needed. It felt like fingerpainting, only slicker. I got different effects by rubbing in different colors of pigment here and there, and found that if I didn’t rub in the pigment, it stuck to the medium ‘as is’, leaving bursts of color throughout the piece.

The outer mat on the piece below was created using this method over a sheet of white cardstock.

Products used:
Pearl Ex pigments by Jacquard
Gum Arabic powder by Jacquard
Dorland’s Wax Medium by Jacquard
Paper by Die Cuts With a view
Cardstock by Making Memories

I also tried this technique over black cardstock, and the effect really wowed me. I rubbed in several colors of Pearl Ex pigments, sprinkled a couple more on top, then added a sprinkle of Art Glitter as well. Using the heat gun I keep for embossing, I ran the heat over the entire page. The wax melted into itself, blending the colors a little more and smoothed out the texture, then cooled quickly to a hard finish. Beautiful! I finished this background by spraying some of Krylon’s black webbing spray over it in a random pattern.

Products used:
Cardstock by The Paper Company
Gum Arabic powder by Jacquard
Pearl Ex Pigments by Jacquard
Dorland’s Wax Medium by Jacquard
"Cherish" definition stamp by Stampin’ Up!
Ink by Ranger (Perfect Pen ­ brush tip)
Clear embossing powder by Judi Kins

Dorland’s Wax Medium does take a little more time to use, since it has to either be heat set or dried for several days after application. I like how it worked with the Pearl Ex pigments, especially over the dark cardstock, and how it blended colors so beautifully when heated. I especially like that it can be used to protect photos and other items for longer life, without having the strong, lingering odor of most finishing products. It’s something new and different for me, and I’m looking forward to playing with it more on future projects.

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Review by Eli

Dorland’s Wax Medium by Jacquard

Even though I had taken several art classes in college, (I know, it was a few years ago) I did not have any knowledge of Dorland’s Wax Medium. Jacquard sent us this product to see how we could incorporate it into the scrapbooking world.

The medium, itself, comes in three sizes and I received a 4 oz. jar of smooth waxy paste. It took on the consistency of thin mashed potatoes but was smooth to the touch and definitely had a wet, “waxy” feel to it.

Before I used it, I did some studying. I read the information on their website, “Googled” it and asked a neighbor who is an art teacher. I did my research and still didn’t understand how this would truly apply to scrapbooking. But I was going to give it my all to figure it out.

I began by experimenting with the Medium as a resist. I covered a stamp with the medium, impressed it onto a sheet of cardstock and used several different media over the top. You can see the results here. From top to bottom and left to right, I used the following techniques:

1) Chalk over medium
2) Alone as if a watermark
3) Lumiere paints over medium
4) Platinum UTEE applied over medium
5) Twinkling H2O’s over medium

As I was researching and thinking about projects, the knowledge that the wax helped to seal out “dirt, air and moisture,” and, “when fully dry… is resistant to heat and abrasion” inspired me. I had purchased an unfinished wooden box purse and I thought it needed that kind of TLC. I mean, who doesn’t bang their purse into things, drop it on the floor when you get home or leave it in a steaming hot car. It sounded like a good fit

I used the “Cold Wax” method by mixing paints with the Wax Medium. I brushed it on like “normal.” It did have a slightly different feel, with a slightly rougher texture, as opposed to working with just paint. If I was still working with it as it began to dry, it seemed to get flakey. I found that using small amounts on the brush at one time worked to keep the color moving. Here is the “before” photo of the purse and the “in progress” of my mixed colors with the beginning of the lid. (Note: I did take off the hinges and handle.) Another hint…I found that layering or building up the color was important for this project.

Altered Wooden Purse
Supplies:
Dorland’s Wax Medium (Jacquard)
Lumiere Pearl Blue, Pearl Turquoise, Metallic Russet, Pearl White acrylic metallic paints (Jacquard)
Gems (JoAnn's)
Others: cording, mini screwdriver
A Fine Line, fine tip liquid glue (Adhesive Tech)

While I was working on a Magic Mesh review, I wondered if I mixed the medium with paint and painted over a strip of mesh, would it leave a textured strip. So I gave it a try. If I had painted with just a metallic paint, it would have run under the mesh and the texture would have disappeared but the medium acted as an agent to “hold” the paint in place. I was hoping for a “patina” look. It was not quite what I got but I still like it. Here is the result.

Shaffer Cellars
Supplies:
Dorland’s Wax Medium (Jacquard)
Lumiere Metallic Olive and Sunset Gold paints (Jacquard)
Brown textured cardstock (Bazzill)
Title font (Papyrus)
Text Font (Centaur)
Ultra-fine Embossing Powder (Stampendous)
Cream Vellum (Neenah)
Metal rod with finials (K & Company)
Brads (JoAnn)
Other: Green vellum, tan cardstock, evergreen cardstock, grape embellishment

Finally, I went back to some of the first techniques I tried and worked on them some more. I came up with a better technique to create a resist for a stamped image. I first dabbed the wax medium onto a heart stamp. With my paper ready, I heated the medium on the stamp with my heat gun. Once melted, I quickly stamped the image onto paper. It tried several times before I felt like I had just the right amount of medium.

After the image cooled, I quickly warmed the wax on the paper, deepening the image color. I trimmed around the image and wet the entire paper to prepare it for painting with Twinkling H20’s.

This technique became the one I enjoyed the most. I do wish that the contrast between the melted wax image and the paint was greater…have to work on that one.

Thoughts and Prayers card
Supplies:
Dorland’s Wax Medium (Jacquard)
Pink speckle paper (Provo Craft)
Double sided yellow swirl paper (Chatterbox)
Heart and Journaling stamps (Hero Arts)
Tattered Rose distress ink (Ranger)
Black Cherry, Pink Cloud and Chestnut Brown Twinkling H2O's (LuminArte)
Lavender dot ribbon (Offray)
Other: Purple pen, Lavender stitched paper, Heat gun
Permanent glue runner (Adhesive Tech)

In conclusion, I tried to open my artistic mind and get it around this product but it just didn’t happen. I really think it is a high end artist product and I can’t at this time, recommend it for the scrapbooker. If you are curious, though, I found the 4 ounce size on the internet from $4.99 to $7.99 and that’s not bad for a little experimentation.

For more information visit Jacquard Products.