sudsnwicks

Florals tend to accelerate, that is probably why you had that happen to you. I haven't noticed any change in behavior of my FOs which are older.

Yes, some will light them and expect to be able to let it burn until the end. But then such people will also try to do it to other types of candles, so it isn't just a votive problem. There will also be others who light it for only a short amount of time, not long enough to get a full melt pool, so that the next burn could be problematic. I don't think there is any one particular mistake which occurs most often. You will see all types.

I've actually had people come back to my shop mad cause the candle only burnt for maybe an hour. I was so confused cause mine are 12-14 hour burners. After a few questions I found out the idiot had put it on a plate like a pillar candle.

I've had people do that too. What I don't understand is, once they see it isn't going to stand up on its own, why didn't they extinguish the flame immediately and transfer it into a container. That's what I would have done if I wasn't aware a votive wasn't a standalone candle.

Bernadette, you should test them in different ways to see how things can go wrong, so that if someone has a problem, you'll know what they're talking about.

Since we are kinda on the subject, out of state website sales we do not tax right? It just seems like lately I have been getting taxed, like from JCPenney etc. Just wondering what is going on with that.

It's because JCPenney has stores in several states. Each state where they have a store, they will charge sales tax. It's different for us where we are only in one place, so we only charge sales tax for that place.

Do you have a link to the scale you bought? It might be helpful to see the seller's description of its features.

Pixie, I do it in the summer when the solid oils are soft. It's okay to do it this way if you know your oils will melt for sure. But I couldn't do it in the winter because the oils would be too hard and the hot lye still wouldn't be enough to melt them.

I would wait and see if the burnt smell goes away. When the milk darkens in color, it is due to the sugars in it getting hot and giving off the smell. As the soap cures, the smell may go away. So I would not rebatch right away in case it turns out all right later. It doesn't look that bad to me - some of my soaps look like that too and they worked just fine in the shower.

Hi.. yeah it was turning more and more yellow and thickening while the lye was mixing in the milk. Is that normal?

If it's the first time using that particular FO, you should hand stir it instead of using your blender. Stirring by hand slows down the process, giving you more time to work with your soap mixture.

They look good! Where did you get the 2nd beer from? I think DH would like that flavor.

I won't use it besides the fact that I'm vegetarian I can't stand the smell. I've tried soaping it and I can always smell it in the soap. Even other soapers soap I immediately know there's lard in it before looking at the ingredients lol.

If you could get your MP base in larger quantities, you might also be able to cut down on the cost per bar that way.

Hi Susan,

Using lard will definitely slow things down. You could even try using lard only if you want plenty of time to work with. As for people's reactions to it, it will depend on who is using your soap - some people will like it, some won't, some people won't care what's in it as long as it smells good, you can't please everyone.

It's acceptable if the cost of the gas is less than what it would have cost to have it shipped.

At the craft fairs around here the vendors usually round to the nearest 0.25 e.g. 1.25. Although I've seen some jewelry items with prices like 14.95. But no 0.99 ending. If I were you I'd go with 3.00 so it is easier to add up their bills and make change.

They look good! I wouldn't have known it was a rebatch if you hadn't said so.

I think if I were you, I'd do it as a blog. This enables you to list your items without the restrictions of facebook, and also without having to actually have anything already made up for sale which is what etsy is for. It sounds like you're needing something to show what you could make up, rather than what is already made up.

Yes, you buy organic oils instead of regular oils. But the process is the same.

Yes I do sometimes color them. Here's an example:

It was colored the same way as a non-milk soap.

If you rebatched soap that was already cured, you can use it sooner, once it's firm and moisture has evaporated. If you rebatched soap which hadn't yet cured or was only partially cured, then you'll have to wait the usual cure time. You might like Alicia Grosso's book. It includes the various soap making techniques. You may be doing CP for now, but if you decide to venture into HP or MP later on, the book will already have instructions.

For 8-9 lbs I would just get it from Peak. They do give a price break when you buy 2 lbs or more. If you try to get a further discount from them it would be like a customer buying 10 candles and wanting a wholesale price.

How about putting your soaps where soaps are supposed to be (by the shower, sink, etc) without drawing attention to them. Unless you're distinguishing between your soap and the store soap, I doubt anyone would give it much thought when they pick it up to wash with.

Yes, often air gets incorporated into the mixture. It is sort of like when you buy a box of cereal and the product doesn't come all the way to the top of the box.

It sounds like settling might have occurred.

For small packages USPS will be more economical than UPS. To decide how to package it, try it out in both a bubble envelope and a box and weigh them to see how much they weigh. Then go to www.usps.com and click on "calculate postage" to see which container gives a better price.