poured sugar ornaments

If you have isomalt it will melt clear. It would only turn amber if you got it too hot when melting. You can buy it online. Regular sugar will melt an amber color.

For molds you MUST use high heat only molds, because it will melt anything plastic. Melt molds work great, lightly coated with pan spray.

The clear isomalt sticks melt perfectly clear and are very easy to melt and use :) 

Isomalt is easy to get clear.  Granulated sugar is impossible to have "clear as glass" due to remaining impurities.

  Cook the isomalt up to 360-350ish [farhenheit] over a 1hr period.  Also, using distilled water helps.  Isomalt is made using catalyst of nickel/alluminum and can combine with minerals in your water (especially if it is hard water).

 Simply put, cook a while with clean water and pots.

I like to add a touch of water before cooking my isomalt which seems to helps as well.  It does not matter how much water you use as it evaporates away. (i do not like the pre-cooked sticks as they are temperamental in my experience.)

You don't need to cook it for that long, just long enough to get it to the right temperature. I only cook it to 340 degrees, and if you use distilled water that does make it stay more clear. Don't stir it with a wooden spoon,that can make it react. I did a video on how to cook isomalt on youtube, it's a little long but I mention tips that came to mind while I was cooking it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIeypSY2xM0