GoldieMN

Some oils will melt the plastic in some diffusers. So it could be the diffuser you have to be concerned about. GoldieMN

Not sure how long you have been feeling this way, but this time of year can be depressing for many. I would hate to see you give up and lose your customer base only to realize you still love making candles. If it were me (and this is REALLY hard for me to get moving on), I would clean up, rearrange, etc. my candle/craft room so I can get excited about starting up again without thinking about the mess. Not saying you have a mess; I usually do! Take part of the day to find different ideas, as others have suggested, for jars, labels, different things to make from wax like tarts, aroma beads, clam shells if you aren't making those now. I don't know if you have been dealing with all the soy problems this past year, but it almost made me give up on making candles. I spent so much time trying to get my jars to work. My saving grace was making clam shells. I absolutely love the amber color of a just-poured clam shell, and there is no problem with the hot throw as there is/was with the 464 in jars. Actually thinking this through, I am going to start testing my ounce oil samples by making single clam shells. Please keep us informed. Sometimes just talking this through with a friend helps. And there are so many friends in the candle-making boat here who will throw suggestions out to help you get through this whether you stay with the candles, take a break, or move on to something else. Take care, GoldieMN

Love the black one. The sunflower becomes a signature design for the line while the scent names will stand out on the black. Great job, as usual! GoldieMN

If you do a search on this forum for "wet spots", you will see there are hundreds of responses indicating it is normal. And even if your soy candle looks like it has no wet spots, it will probably develop them sometime down the road. Others will pop in and respond, I'm sure. Just don't fret! And remember, "a family that makes candles together, stays together." GoldieMN

This was probably mentioned already, but "If you don't make soap or cosmetics and don't want to add it to your product line, then you don't qualify for membership in the HSCG and will need to look elsewhere for product liability insurance." (https://www.soapguild.org/insurance/insurance-faq.php). GoldieMN

I get where you are coming from @Candlesinflorida! Even with the chart, I sometimes start questioning then get out paper/pen/calculator and start figuring, refiguring, . . . lol! GoldieMN

Attached file GoldieMN

@NaughtyNancy I love the look of those candles! GoldieMN

Nutmeg Ginger, Iced Lemon Biscotti, Christmas Tree all favorites. GoldieMN

This is really stinky. How many fragrance oil suppliers have told us about this? GoldieMN

First of all, a number of us contacted retailers asking if people complained about problems with soy wax and most were told they had not heard this from anyone else. So you can't go by that. It would be interesting to know if you and @Christian8191 had wax from the same batch (marked on the boxes). Second, if you are not going to sell the jars, I would put some in a low temp oven, let them slowly melt, and let the water evaporate from the wax. Once cooled, see if the problem is still there or if they can be used. They don't need a two-week cure again (from what I've been told on this forum). Nature's Garden states "If you do get water in your wax, or you notice water in wax; put your turkey roaster on the low setting and keep it uncovered. This will allow the water to evaporate out. When wax is made into slabs, the manufacturer uses water to cool the wax. Sometimes, water can get trapped in the wax as it cools, and this creates water pockets. The water will evaporate; just keep an eye on the wax." If you are only having problems with a couple of fragrances, you could put "coming soon" or "sold out" as you suggested on those candles on your website. GoldieMN

Yes, this is what OnLineLabels recommends. Everything I read says you will have that problem with laser labels. Maybe try a different inkjet label? GoldieMN

I just got a sample package from Sheetlabels.com. They included a number of printed labels in addition to the kraft label sample I requested. They will send up to three samples for free. If you send a request, I would ask for samples of clear labels they have made. GoldieMN

IF anyone is looking for essential oils that can be used around cats, check out http://www.animaleo.info/. These oils have been thoroughly tests on animals by the vet who makes them. Just something to research. GoldieMN

I know others use them all the time so I don't want to give them a bad rap. It was brand new, probably used it a little less than a year. Never used metal in it to stir; only a wood paint stick. GoldieMN

Yes, in the bottom along the outer edge. I use a medium-size roaster now with an enamel pan. I first switched to a Presto pot which eventually started shedding little black flakes in the wax. Sigh. . . Did I mention I've made lots of mistakes? lol So now I melt in the roaster to about 180, pour required amount of wax into pour pots, heat to 183 on an electric hot plate, add oil, stir for 3 minutes, and so on. GoldieMN

And, believe me, a few of us were pulling our hair out when soy changed this past year. I'm still testing a couple of my favorite fragrance oils to get a decent hot throw. Sad to say, I am "satisfied" with the throw, but it isn't what it use to be even though I've gone down a few sizes in wicks. I'm using 464 in pint jars; Premier wicks or Cds. Hang in there is what I'm saying. GoldieMN

I wasn't getting water in the wax either. A tiny pinhole had developed in my pour pot which led to water getting into my wax. I noticed the wax in my jars looked different. Then I noticed wax in the pot of water as the hole got a little bigger, I guess. GoldieMN

First off, OMG!!! I LOVE YOUR LOGO/NAME/LABELS!!! Second, I'm not as knowledgeable as many experts on this forum, I've just made all kinds of mistakes and learned by them. Thoughts: I had water getting into my wax when I melted wax in a pour pot placed in a pan of water. Are you melting in this way? Also, you mentioned "popping" when heating the wax. Could you hear it sizzling or popping? If this was happening before adding oil, I would think you have eliminated everything but the wax as the problem. Third, do you have a new box of wax, dated differently from this one? I would start testing with a different box of wax while you figure out if you can save these other jars. That way if it was that box of wax, you have a head start on your next batch of jars. Fourth, learn from my biggest problem, write every single thing down as you test. GoldieMN

Here are a couple: http://www.craftserver.com/topic/108723-old-book-smell/?tab=comments#comment-1019205 http://www.craftserver.com/topic/110133-just-ordered-these-unusual-scents/?page=2&tab=comments#comment-1035230 GoldieMN

Is it happening at home as well? All fragrances? GoldieMN

@lisabeth13 I will try the hair dryer. GoldieMN

I bought that Aztec Orange Clove and then realized it is made from essential oils. Since it says it fades in soap, I'm thinking it isn't for candles. Also, description doesn't mention how it performs in wax. So I'm not going to waste the wax to test it. What do you think? GoldieMN

So strange as I have poured hundreds of clamshells and never had this happen before. It is only a handful, two different scents. . .but trying to figure out "why now?" before I pour more. GoldieMN

Interesting topic as I was hoping to find an orange/clove oil for 464 soy candles as well. GoldieMN