Kimberly

Here is a pic of one of my soaps wrapped and labeled. I use the Dans Bands and luv em!

I have used the chemistry Store colors also and they work great, especially in the bath bombs. If I color my scrubs, I usually use Micas. Yes I am an avid mica fan!!!

I have the FCS cutter and I have pulled soap out of the mold and cut it in less than 24hrs. In my experience, as lond as the soap is hard enough to come out of the mold...it is hard enough to cut with the FCS cutter.

ok...just reread your post. You will be having soaps shipped in, in log form?? Then I say you may have a little trouble with the wire cutter. If I was cutting soap that had been cured for a bit...then I would try this type of cutter...http://creeksidesoaps.com/supplies/soap-cutter.htm

I'm getting ready to make this replacing the Hemp butter with Mango Butter. I was wondering if this would make a good After Sun moisturizer? Thanks

LOL...I know this is a little late for input. But Shea is WONDERFUL for sunburns. My Godson is very fair skinned and he swears by this stuff as it is the only thing that gave him relief when he was in boot camp.

Ya know.. I was told to dissolve it first and never have.. Maybe that is my issue here. LOL

I will try the touch of blue . Thanks a bunch Julie

Take your mica and add a bit of oil to it ...stir...then add the raw soap. Mixes much more evenly. I mainly use micas and have never had a problem with pinks....BLUES...now that is another issue...lol

I've been in her basement, and she's right, it IS a little scary, but so damn interesting!! (I love old houses.)

Kimberly, I kept several boxes of wax on my covered porch last Dec. and they were fine. I put a tarp under, and over them.

Thanks Lady! I will be able to keep my room as my room this fundraiser!!! Well, partially, I still have to store Jars there. But I was thinking of stacking them in the front entrance to the upstairs Apartments....what do ya think?

Can you cover it w/a tarp or something so that moisture hopefully won't get in the boxes? That's the only downside I see, but then again I've never done it - surely someone who has done it will chime in for you Also, hth do you use up that much wax in two weeks? You must be pouring 24/7!

It is a covered porch. And Yes, I was thinking of putting a tarp over the wax.

I use every case of it in 2 weeks. I am not the only one pouring though. mystical_angel, ginkay, tlc26 always come and help.And a good friend of mine stops by usually after he gets out of work and helps us wick jars and carries heavy stuff...lol We poured over 4500 candles last yr and was done a few days early!

And, yes, I do have a besement but I live in a 1860 Victorian house...so the basement is really a cellar as it has dirt floors and I DO NOT go down there! I look downstairs and I see the walls bleed as all I see is Amityville horror!...LOL

I have been in this biz a while now but things are changing here in my house and I need some input.

A lot of you know I do HUGE Fundraisers every yr. I get 40-50 cases of wax at a time. (I use J50) Usually I store the wax and Jars in my bedroom (It is a HUGE room). I have become a workout freak and now have all my workout equipment in my bedroom. ....now to my question....will it hurt to store the wax out on my porch? Once the wax is delivered it is used up within 2 weeks. You also have to remember I live in NY and my Fundraiser is the first of November which usually equals COLD weather.

What do ya think??

awwwwwwwww man, wish I had seen this earlier. I am only like 4 hrs away.

I have the FCS Hobby cutter and I love it! If Paul would have been makin these a yr or so ago I might have tried his. However, I really need to look at his molds....Anyone have one that can give me the measurements of te finished soap??

Thanks everyone! I am using Peacock Colors (Liquid) and I was about to give up on them, but these ones turned out great! Finally a blue that doesnt morph.

Oh, and the one who wanted to know where I got the Arch Med...pm me...maybe I can hook ya up.

The BC site says that Purely Herbal soaps with no problems....WRONG! Everytime I soap it I have to beat it into submission!..thats half the fun:D

Good job!!!

Been busy restocking lately. Also, trying out a few new oils to see if I want to add them to my line.

1st pic is Archepalago Mediterranean (IFT) and Black Raspberry Vanilla (Peak).

2nd pic....Blackberry Musk (BnL), Margarita (NG), Green CLover & ALoe (Peak)

All these oils soap awesome! The GC&A is a quick mover but was no match for the Kitchen Aid Stick Blender!!

Very nice job Top!

I LOVE green! What type of colorant are you using??

Has anyone soaped it?

Tab!!!!!!!! great work! Did ya use the Patch FO from Tristate?? Hands down my best seller!

Well, let me tell ya, I cant do M&P to save my life! I tried it several times and they always looked hideous.

I never thought I would ever make CP soap. I resisted for about a yr or so then one day, with the help of cindym (on speaker phone) and Lizzy (email) I jumped in and did it. Now I love it. Still rarely use it...but love doing it. ....YES! I use soap, I just dont like bar soap:p

Is there a reason you dont want to do CP? To me it is cheaper than M&P...although you can use just about and FO and be way more creative with M&P. C'mon...give it a try. MUCH better than REBATCHING!

OK...I am with ya now. Sounds like it would work for what you do.

Let us know

Grumpy...ya lost me...lol

Are ya talkin like a turk n surf or a turkey roaster? I guess what I am not understanding is why do you need something with a heat element. Do you do HP?

I have had a Kitchen Aide Stick Blender for about 2 yrs now and have never used it because it is a bit bigger than my normal one. I used it all weekend and let me tell ya this puppy has some power!!!!

One of the soaps I make for a customer here on the board takes FOREVER and a day to trace...not with this bad boy! I turned it up to 9 and it was at med trace in about a min. I also used it on a FO that is known to rice on me.....No chinese tonight baby! I think I am in love! If I could only train it to take out the trash and do my laundry, I would be the happiest woman on the earth!

For those of you who work with the type of FO's I mentioned, this Stick Blender is a MUST!!!

I use a rubber mallet too. I dot have any problems with my soaps cracking. I think the trick is letting the bar get hard enough...but not too hard. Geverally, I cut my soap...leave it laying on the counter...then go back the next day and stamp it. So far, this has been working for me.

I use Lemongrass & Orange FO, a tad bit of orange and lemon EO's and Corn meal in mine...sells like crazy.

I have used plastic display boxes before as a log mold. I had to pull the sides away but the soap came out nice. Maybe try rubbing the mold with glycerine as it will not sopanify.

I have used mine to fill Malibu tubes before with THICK lotions, creams or scrubs. Works AWESOME!!!

Good Question! I for one have sat on my hands many times to keep from typing to a newbie about selling too soon. The reason most people are so gung ho on selling candles too soon is the fact that 1. there is a flame and 2. if you put a substandard product out there, it gives us all a bad name! Some people on here have spent THOUSANDS of dollars testing...then someone who thinks this is a get rich quick business comes on here, asks a million questions, and ~poof~ all of a sudden they are in business? WTF?

Now on to the soap "double standard". Soap is soap. It either soponifies or it doesnt...if there is no zap, ya got soap. I personally, never use my soap because I cant stand bar soap...I have a thing about slimy soap...eeeeeeew.lol I made my first batch of soap about 2 1/2yrs ago and I didnt add it to my line until a yr ago. But again, someone comes here, asks a million questions about soap and ~poof~ they are in the soaping biz....WTF?

I can understand you commenting on the double standard between soap and candles....it bugs me too. But hey, I am a known bitch on this board....so that should be nothing new...