SpaceGirl

Me too. I never measure temps anymore. And I think in terms of ratios - right now I use 1 oz of FO and 13 oz of wax. Don't ask me what the percent is because I don't care enymore (I knew but forgot because it really doesn't matter -- something like 7%). Sometimes I think that playing it a little fast and loose helps me compensate (and not freak out) when conditions do change and the wax behaves a little differently.

Yes this happens and is quite common. It's why most chandlers will not make wicking decisions based on the first burn alone. I've had some that look like they are anemic on that first burn but once it hits the second burn all is well and good. Why does this happen? Well, it's late and I'm off to bed, so this explanation could be total whack, but I tend to think it's because whatever wax my wick is primed with isn't the same as the wax I use in my candles, that it takes that first burn to burn that off and get a good foothold (and priming) from my wax. that's not a very good explanation, is it. :embarasse Someone rescue me from my own delusions!

I use a parasoy blend (I make my own) and I only use zinc wicks for tealights and one container that is really, really small (even ECO-1's were too much). I've always gotten the white snake/ash on them. I don't worry about it because the containers are so small and they are burned through in (relative) no time. *shrug* Your second pic of the blue candles look suspicious to me - you've got some funky interaction between the FO, color and wax going on. To test, I'd try that FO with no colorant and also try that colorant with a different FO and see if you get the same results. (I know, more testing, right??? argh) Good luck!

Fractionated Coconut Oil gets a big from me. Or dimethicone. I don't like too much cyclo as I think that's more drying.

Sorry upfront - I'm not sure if this answer is quite what you're looking for, but I'll give it a go.... Can you just add another oil and try to mix it in? If you're doing it cold (room temp) then I seriously doubt it will work. Most emulsions are formed at a higher temp or by high sheer mixing that forces the molecules to coexist when then don't want to otherwise. If you were just adding a really small amount (relative to the amount of existing lotion) then you could try it to get an idea of how the finished product might feel, but given time it may separate right back out. You can try to heat up the entire mixture and add your oil - you may have to add emulsifer depending on how much your original recipe called for (remember you are now affecting the percentages of all your ingredients by adding another oil). You will need to add some additional preservative as well, as most are compromised by heating above a certain temp - that will depend on the preservative you are using. Those two courses of action being said, if I were going to rebatch I would go with reheating, but also remember that if you like how your modified recipe turns out you are going to want to make it that way from scratch to test again and make sure you end up with the same result through a changed process. Sometimes the way you get to the end result matters, sometimes it doesn't. I'm of the opinion that two people could follow the same set of instructions, use the same ingredients but still get two different results just because of the way they go about the process -- the personalization aspect. I'm sure others may disagree, tho. If you are willing to experiment and learn (and realize that you could end up with some failures) - divide up your batch and try it both ways. See for yourself what results you get back... and let us know how it goes. Good luck!

Courtesan His Little Secret Desire

Wanted Sultry Dream Woman (longer than 7-8 letters, I know) La Femme Pour la Femme no creativity tonight, I'm afraid

Edging more towards the biz side all the time. Especially since I really hit into production mode this past weekend. My playtime is still there, but is mostly lmited to the bath and body stuff and through swaps where I feel like I can experiment some. My "play" with candles right now is testing new scents so I can flesh out my kind of scattered line. *sigh*

Every once in awhile i like some really fruity and juicy, like mango or raspberry. But usually I like something a little more musky/sultry and sexy. Perfumy to me has old-lady connotations. :rolleyes2 I currently only carry 4 scents for body sprays and they cross all of those areas (one is actually kind of perfumy) but I'm looking at branching out into about a dozen scents total across the range of scents.

I end up using a heat gun on almost all my candles (the exception is in the summer when it's really hot and things cool down slower on their own). This is not really that unusual... most substances expand when they are hot (take up more volume) so they contract back down when they cool. Sometimes the deaded wetspots occur, sometimes you get a little sinking around the wick. It's easy to make a candle, heck, stick a wick in a hole bunch of things and they'll burn. It's making a good, quality candle time and time again that's hard. Good luck to ya!

If you want cheap yet durable table coverings that go to the floor -- check out your local Bed Bath and Beyond (if you have one). I get all of my tablecloths from the clearance section and found oversized restaurant tablecloths there for under $20 each. They are white, so to provide a little "pop" I use a smaller colored tablecloth on top for accent. Works great and I retain some color flexibility with what I choose to lay on top.

very nice! Is that M&P? Sooooo smooth looking!

I stopped using cyclo in my lotions because I felt like it was drying things out instead of moisturizing. That could have been because of some other ingredients, tho. I'm sticking with cyclo for body sprays and perfumes. I've moved to dimethicone in my lotions, am slowly adding it in to all the new batches I make and I like it much more. I use a thicker version from Lotioncrafter.

I've used MMS's Raspberries and Creme and it was yummy! It was just a little too "young kid" for me.

Mary, I understand because it's not my nature to sell myself, either. I have learned a lot from my friend (she helps me with shows). I find that starting with a smile and a "Hi, how are you doing today?" is a great, non-threatening start. Make a little small talk. Ask if they are enjoying the show. Then move to the "are you looking for anything in particular" If they respond with something specific that's your opening. If they say they are just browsing, pick one product and share what you like about it. At my last show I had out a sample bottle of my cocoa butter lotion and encouraged people to try some. I almost sold out of every bit of that lotion -- once they tried it quite a few bought some. Get them involved, get them to sample something or smell something or try something, and smile the whole time. Bottom line, be friendly, be open and accessible. In a way you almost have to both distance yourself from the product and fuse yourself with it at the same time. Selling it is not selling you, but your time and effort and pride make it the awesome product that it is. I say all of that, but man sometimes it is really, really hard. Those are some of the tricks I use to get through it. Hope it helps you.

My hubby is my webmaster, web designer and all around tech guy! I could learn it, but he knows it already. He's also my assistant bottle filler and helps me package. Never complains when I go do a show, and even brings the kids by so they can see me "at work." I usually take my best friend to my shows, we catch up on gossip during the slow times. And we help each other by trading anti-social moments. LOL I wish everyonne AWESOME luck at their shows this year. I am only doing a couple so I hope that y'all rake in all the big bucks! I'll live vicariously through you.

We need a dropped jaw smiley. Those are absolutely fabulous! *faint*

Glad you got your stuff, bummer that some bags busted. Was the box beat up at all? trying to figure out if the PO played football with it -- I've never had a bag come open before.

I pour directly into the container. After I pour the wax I go back and wick them (or if my husband is helping me he follows behind my pour and wicks them for me). I use only the zinc cores for my tealights so they stay upright.

Thanks for the wishes of luck! The legal issues and liability issues are ones that I've been thinking about. We'll see where this goes. :smiley2:

... to buy into some retail space as a part of a multi-business venture. It's loosely being termed a co-op but only because it hasn't been decided what business structure to use. Essentially there is some retail space available in an area that is being targeted for urban revitalization in a town just north of where I live. The space has been sitting vacant for quite awhile and the landlord is willing to come way down on asking price because he doesn't want the space to continue to sit vacant. The City is doing a lot of work to help the area advertise and is putting in something like a market square almost right across the street. I had an initial meeting yesterday with the city's coordinator and a couple of other prospective vendors. Right now it's looking like it may be a mix of retail and service based. I am really excited by the opportunity to get into this from the ground up - I can't afford to open a retail location myself OR make enough stock to fill a store, so the thought of going into this as a group is pretty cool. There are still many details to work out and a lot of concerns/issues were expressed during the meeting, but I wanted to run tis past y'all and see if anyone had experience with a co-op or multi-vendor retail venture. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated -- I've been thinking over LOTS of details in my head, but could use the power of many minds to help make sure I don't get caught by surprise by something I didnn't consider.

I agree -- she has AWESOME stuff, I just wish I could get it to move in my area.... Great customer service, too.

I detest jally jars, like the apothecary style much, much better. I think that Fillmore carries a smaller apothecary? 5oz, maybe?

The recipe I used just called for olive oil, coconut oil (I used 76 degree), cocoa butter, KOH and water.

I'd ask for some basic guidance on if they'd like to go floral, spicy, vanilla-y, etc.... There's just too many variables otherwise.