"Seconds" Grace Our Front Porch

Unlike the cobbler's children who always went barefoot, we make enough ice lanterns to have rejects to grace our front porch on a regular basis. This one was so big that when I tried to carry it by myself into the basement to fix a slight irregularity on the bottom, I dropped it and it landed hard in the stone sink. Now lanterns this big don't tend to break, but they do get a big ding on impact. (A ding on a big ice lantern looks like a ding on a windshield.)

Because it has a ding on one side, I really can't sell it or give it away, so it becomes a "second" and I can put it on MY front steps!

Contact me with questions, suggestions or to send me photos of your ice lantern creations!

Tying a Balloon can be Challenging

For years my husband has helped me make my Globe Ice Lanterns. For the first 19 years, he was the kind soul who who carried the larger filled and tied balloons outside to freeze. But the benevolence ended when asked to complete the whole process. He never admitted it until later, but he did not like tying the balloons. I understood--it can be tiring and somewhat painful after the 10th or 20th balloon. So when he discovered that he could securely clip a balloon closed with a little clip, the tide turned. Now, I will admit, that he makes more lanterns than I do. The forecast reads a dip in temperature and he rubs his hands together with glee. Downstairs he goes and balloon after balloon is brought outside ready for freezing.

So you see, the "Easy-Close Clips" that we sell with out kits (and separately) should really be called the "Magic Clips", as they are truly the secret behind my husband's new found passion for Globe Ice Lantern creation.

Contact me with questions, suggestions or to send me photos of your ice lantern creations!

Why do we sell freezing bases with our kits?

Earlier this year, a woman from Australia just recently sent me this question via my website, and this morning I was given a graphic reminder. When I went out to check to see if any balloons were ready to be opened, I noticed that one of our Ultra-large balloons that I had put out to freeze on our larger ring base, did not get the under liner of plastic.* It developed a slow leak during the night.** What I found was a completely empty large globe with a reasonable crust but it was filled with dirt. Why? The dirt, or anything found under the balloon, can get sucked up inside the lantern and become frozen into the lantern. This is one area where I don't like to think laterally-- I DON'T like dirt in my lanterns.

So the answer is to have a protective layer between the balloon and the ground - we use our freezing bases that protect, shape and keep the balloons from rolling around.

* We don't currently sell the Ultra-Large Freezing Bases with plastic under liners as they are still under development.
** When the balloons are stretched to make larger lanterns, the rubber is weakened and can rupture during the freezing process. This is especially true during warmer temperatures and/or when placed in the sun to freeze. The freeze/thaw that ensues can prove too much for the balloon's integrity.


Contact me with questions, suggestions or to send me photos of your ice lantern creations!

Solar Power

Given that the sun has the ability to stop time--in ice lantern freezing time, that is--consider when to put out your filled balloons. If it is going to be around 10° overnight and my goal is to make medium-sized ice lanterns (about the size of a basketball), I will put them out during the day so the water in the balloons gets a "cold boost". The water inside will not get cold enough to freeze, but the water is cooled down significantly so when the sun goes down and the temperature drops, night time freezing speeds up, so in the morning, they MIGHT be ready to open.

Smaller lanterns freeze faster, so if I am making small lanterns (approx. soccer ball) during 10° or less, I put out when I go to bed with the idea that I will check when I wake up. If the temperature is warmer, I will put out earlier in the day (maybe right after work) and check when I wake up the next day.

The ways that I check to see if the balloons are ready to open?

#1: I push on the balloon*--can it support me pushing with most of my weight? Don't attempt this with low quality balloons (I sell top quality, heavyweight balloons) as their rubber is less likely to be able to handle the rough treatment.
*In a future post, will talk about what you can do when the ice crust cracks - it's a good thing!

If yes, then #2: I carefully cut the top off one of the balloons to have a look inside.

Then #3: If the balloon retains its shape when popped and you want to leave it longer, go for it. But, once the balloon is cut or popped, a slow leak can develop. Again, if you think laterally, a slow leak can make the lantern freeze in interesting ways. It could develop a layered look. It could develop an interesting Jack Frosty look. It all depends on how cold it is and where it placed--sun or shade.

It is like opening a present--you don't know what you will find!

Enjoy the mystery and the glow . . .

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Turn Lemons into Lemonade

"Relax." I say this over and over to people who are deciding whether to try to make ice lanterns of any nature--globe, bucket or whatever. Even a total "failure" can be beautiful. If you put out 10 buckets or balloons and they all froze solid - maybe arrange them in a circle or a pile, put a candle in a glass container to protect it from the wind (if needed) and watch the ice light up. It is like the icicle lanterns we used to make as kids when insulation was not as advanced as it is today:
#1 break off as many intact icicles as you can,
#2 arrange them pointed end up in a circle in the snow (tightly or overlapping),
#3 put a candle in a glass jar to protect from snow and wind,
#4 light the candle and watch the light play in those beautiful natural forms!

The same is true of chunks of what you think might be unusable ice. Think laterally. Don't throw away your "rejects". Try and use them another way.

Then, the next time you put out your balloons (or buckets) don't let it freeze for as long, and then you will have what you were aiming for -- an ice lantern where a natural cavity in a form of ice can hold a candle!

So RELAX, a flame captured in ice in any form is beautiful in a dark night.

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Globe Ice Lanterns For Sale!

I will be at the FAIR School Art Fair & Pancake Breakfast in Crystal, MN tomorrow from 8:30 am - 3 pm. Here is a link with directions: http://www.wmep.k12.mn.us/fair/general.html#direct

I will be selling both Globe Ice Lantern Kits and Finished Globes. It sounds like they have a great group of artists coming. I am really looking forward to talking about one of my greatest passions - Globe Ice Lanterns!

UPDATE on my current balloon crop:
I checked the balloons I put out on Wednesday night and while they would be usable at this thickness, I am going to wait . . . for how long, you ask? Daytime slows down the freezing process significantly. It could go all day and not freeze much and then boom an hour or two after the sun goes down and they could be frozen solid. I will open one smaller one around 5pm and make my decision based on what it looks like.

I had one balloon rupture in the middle of the night last night and the water drained away. While disappointed that it did not last to be very thick, it develop these amazing Jack Frost-like freezing patterns in the ice - I will be using this for something - maybe nightlight in my daughter's room tonight . . . gorgeous!

Wait as long as you dare!

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The Real Ice Lantern Season Begins in Minneapolis

I know I am not normal. If I were like most of the people in Minneapolis, I would be thrilled at the mild temperatures. But come November, I have ice lanterns on the brain. These warm days are like torture. When will it get cold?!

Well, my apologies to everyone else, but Mother Nature has heard of my pain and has decided to help out. The temperatures in the Minneapolis area will be dipping below freezing for the next few days! We will even have the bonus of the sun hiding behind the clouds--how sweet of him to stay away for just a few days so we can put out a crop of ice lanterns in the backyard to "cook".

I say, "cook" because there is a certain similarity to putting a roast in the oven. Given a certain temp and the size of the roast, it needs to be "cooked" for a certain amount of time. The same is true for ice lanterns.

In the kits that we sell, the recipe I offer begins with a standard of 20 degrees and 12-16 hours as the initial freezing time. (This is based on the small bases that make Globe Ice Lanterns that are about the size of a soccer ball.) If it is colder or smaller than the standard, freeze it for less time. If it is warmer or bigger, freeze it longer.

It is a good idea to remember that learning to create globe ice lanterns is like learning a new craft. As a beginning knitter will often need to rip out a few stitches, if an ice lantern is not thick enough the first time you try it, let it freeze a little longer next time. Likewise, if it froze solid, check it a little earlier next time. Because this is not a set mold with a set size, each ice lantern will be different. And with most things that require a little bit of effort, the pay off is usually worth it!

So, now that the weather is somewhat colder, I find my walks through hardware and grocery stores take a little longer. The shape of a plastic container will stop me in my tracks as I ponder how it might look given a second life as an ice lantern. Sometimes I buy a product, just to see how it freezes. Of course, I use or consume the contents, and then based on the success of the test, determine how much of that product I could really use. I mean, how many jumbo packs of Twizzlers from Costco is really a good idea to have around the house.

Last night we put out about 50 ice globes ranging in sizes from 9 lbs of water (soccer ball-sized) to 50 lbs (beachball-sized). Another 20 at the 22 lbs (Basketball-sized) went out this morning. Given that we are due for several days of non-sunny, below freezing temps, we should be able to harvest a nice crop of Globe Ice Lanterns in the next few days.

Cheers!

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