The Easter Bunny, Santa Claus and Wendy Mullen

Imagine a life where a business trip involves going to France and Germany and perusing chocolate shops and antique stores!  It really is true that if you follow your dreams you never know where they may lead.   I can't even tell you how many times I've been on the website  http://victorianchocolatemolds.com/ . I've admired the molds for sale, looked at every link to artists who use the molds for chalkware, paper mache-- even chocolate!  But I never knew the person behind the site.  Wendy Kolar-Mullen is the author of 3 books, two on chocolate molds and one on candy containers.  She is a collector and businesswoman, wife and mother to 5 children.   I wanted to know when she came across her first mold and somehow turned it into such a unique and intriguing business.  In her words-"I first started collecting 22 years ago. I was decorating cakes and in a cake supply store in San Jose--looked up on the top shelf and saw my first chocolate molds!

Immediately-I loved them..asked the owner--he said if you ever see one buy it--they are very hard to find especially here on the West Coast!

This was before ebay of course

So, I scoured flea markets, antique stores--called every store in the phone book. At that time few people knew what they were--they could only identify the heavy duty cast iron cake molds--very frustrating!

After a year of searching, I was at my local antiques barn in the country and there I saw a hinged group of 4 bunnies on the wall--$45 about lost my mind!! Still have the mold and love it!

I started finding more and then with ebay -made a friend and - we bought a large collection from Belgium--I had so many unique molds I started photographing them and decided to write my first book. Then of course I had more info and more photos and did the second book--the third book was on Antique Candy Containers-- inspired by beautiful plaster type molds used to make the containers--

I had the good fortune to meet the Great Great Granddaughter of mold maker Anton Reiche and learned so much about the mold making process and history from her--she showed me around Dresden, Germany where the Anton Reiche factory once operated --it was very special. I also collect the chocolate mold catalogues and have done much research and identfication of the molds that way.

Chocolate Molds are magic...they are amazing...so versatile--I am still as thrilled by molds today as I was 22 years ago! My favorite are German Bunnies and Santa's--

I have used my molds for chalkware, papier mache, soap, candles and of course chocolate--most of the time however, they are on display!!"

  I've included pictures of two of her favorite molds, a gentleman rabbit and a very unique Santa holding a child.  The last photo is of her latest book on antique candy containers. It's full of beautiful pictures that are just inspiring to me.  I'd like to drop everything I'm doing and learn how to make these.  But it's more than just pretty pictures, there's also a history of the largest manufacturers and the artisans who decorated them.  There are even photos of a house made of the discarded molds used in place of bricks.

Her two books on chocolate molds are absolutely indispensable not just to the collector of molds, but to those who make paper mache or chalkware Santas and Easter rabbits.  Which mold is rare, how much is this worth, what does the number imprinted on the side mean?  All these are answered in her books, The Complete Guide to Chocolate Molds and Collector's Guide to Chocolate Molds.  
   And I'll be returning again and again to her site looking for that special Santa or bunny and perhaps your interest is piqued enough that you will be there too.
                                               

How to Make a Chalkware Santa

                                                                                     I still remember the very first piece of chalkware I poured.  I had obtained a couple of molds, some plaster of Paris and a little spare time.  I clamped the molds, mixed the plaster according to instructions and poured.  How easy is this!  It's like pouring Jell-O in a mold!  15 minutes later I open the molds--my chalkware Santas look like Swiss cheese--full of holes.  I was so discouraged I put the molds away for a year or so.

Now 100's if not 1000's of chalkware pieces later I have a little confidence.

What you'll need:

Metal or plastic mold with open bottom, Plaster of Paris or art plaster, Cheap plastic or rubber mixing bowl, Cold water, Spring clamps, Sanding pad and knife

Don't count on the little clips that may come with your mold to hold up to plaster.  Get some spring type clamps from the hardware store.  Use more that you think you'll need.  You can use 2 oversize ones to stand your mold upside down or place it in florist foam or packing peanuts, anything to keep it standing straight when full of plaster.

Fill a large flexible plastic or rubber bowl with some cold water , (keeps the plaster from setting too quickly).  Just estimate the amount of water based on the molds you have ready.  Just start with one or two until you get experience.
 Gently shake some plaster into the water, as it keeps absorbing keep adding plaster. At some point you'll see the plaster (roughly a 2 parts plaster 1 part water ratio though I never measure) peeking up from the surface.

I wear a disposable lightweight rubber glove to mix. Just start squishing the plaster around, squeezing out lumps and making it uniform. Do this carefully to not create air bubbles It should be the consistency of a thick milkshake. If not add a little more cold water or a little more plaster. You only have about 20 minutes total before your plaster sets so work quickly. With practice this will become easy. If your plaster is too thin your casting will be weak, if too thick it will be difficult to pour. You're shooting for as thick as you can mix it and still pour.
Slowly pour the plaster (I dip a plastic measuring cup in the mix) into the mold, not in the center, just carefully to one side.  Keep tapping the mold while pouring if you can.  This will release any air bubbles.  Make sure your mold is perfectly upright and bring any sort of straight-edge across the bottom to level it.  Now just sit back for about 15 minutes. 
The plaster will heat up and expand a bit.  When it starts cooling down it's ready to unmold.  Take off all the clamps and carefully pull the mold off.  There will be seams along the edge.  It's best to take a little knife (a woodworker's curved carving knife works well) and shave off all the seams.  If there are tiny air bubbles here and there you can fill them with ready mixed spackle.  Large voids are almost impossible and that's why careful mixing and pouring are so important.  It keeps you from tearing your hair out when you're unmolding.
For clean-up let the plaster dry in the bowl and flex it out when dry.  Have a five gallong bucket ready full of water and clean the molds and clips in it.   Don't put any of this water down your drain.  Just let the clean-up bucket sit and the plaster will eventually sink to the bottom and dry.  You'll be able to pour off the clean water and the find the hardened plaster at the bottom.
Let your casting dry.  Take a sanding sponge and smooth all the seams until they're no longer visible.  Level off the bottom by firmly drawing it across a sheet of sanding paper on a work surface.   Now you're ready to paint.  But that's a story for another day.
In the photos are  some molds and finished and partially finished chalkware.  Last photo is a St. Nicholas with lots of hand painting and embellishments.