Spellkast

Ya know, I don't. That smell gives me the BIGGEST headache, and despite knowing it would probably be a good seller, I wouldn't be able to handle the migraine from it! Thanks though!!!

People are finicky, but I figured I'd bring my sample scents in case they're interested in a certain scent I carry; they can smell the sample candle and place an order. I'll have tons of business cards with my website on them and plenty of order forms. I've narrowed it down to 20 scents. What do you think of this mix?

Florals

Lilac

Lavender

Sweet Pea

Rose

Holiday

Pumpkin Pie

Candy Cane

Spiced Cranberry

Gingerbread

Baked Scents

Banana Nut Bread

Cinnabun

Sugar Cookie

Apple Pie

Vanilla Smoothie

Fruits

Cucumber Melon

Jamaica Me Crazy

Mango Papaya

Designer

Lovespell

Drakkar

Juniper Breeze

White Tea & Ginger

What do you think? Is this a good mix of scents? Do you think there's anything I should add/replace? Any advice is greatly appreciated, especially since I've never done this before! Thanks a bunch!

Oh no...not at all. It's very firm, just a LITTLE softer than BCN's base- hardly noticeable. It goes on real smooth- it might be good in pots as well because I'm using this base also for my lotion sticks. It's a great recipe. Give it a try..you can cut the recipe down pretty significantly if you have a good digital scale.

Lovespell, Blackberry Sage and Ocean are my votes- they are all great sellers for me (and I get them all from NG...They're fantastic!!!) HTH!!!

Thanks so much!!! I got all sorts of goodies!!!

Ok, I know this sounds weird, but I came across a site a LONG time ago that had a liquid candle dye sampler- maybe like 1/8 of an ounce of 6 or 7 different colors. I currently use reddi-glo chips, but I'd like to switch over to liquid, and I don't want to spend a hundred bucks of liquid dye to find out I hate it. Also, I make those little aroma bead air fresheners, and they can only be dyed using liquid oil-based dye. I don't want to buy whole ounces of dye just for my air fresheners, either. Can anyone help me? Has anyone else seen this out there, or am I losing my mind again? THANKS!!!!

Michelle

I LOVE it!!! You did a fantastic job! Very professional, and I think everyone will agree: I love the butterflies! I'm not even a big butterfly fan but they're fantastic. Now, do you know the women pictured? I don't know many beautiful people that I'd want on my website, so I'm thinking about hiring some Let us all know when you get all of your products up! I'd love to see the finished product- great job once again!

I test all my new scents in tealights. This way I can burn them and see how they'll throw in my wax (because we all know that sometimes, no matter how great a scent is, once it's in wax, it can just disappear) Sooooooo..I buy the same scent from at least 4 different suppliers, pour my container wax into the tealight, mix in a little over 1 mL of scent and then test them each in a different bedroom in the house. Whichever one knocks my socks off when I walk in the room, wins! Saves lots on wax, too!! HTH

I'm retarded...I didn't read the bottom- MY favorite scents are Jamaican Me Crazy, White Tea & Ginger, Lovespell, German Chocolate Cake and Sugar Cookie..oh, and gingerbread from JS..SO good! basically what my customer's favorites are as well! Sorry bout that...hope something I said helps you!!

Could you let us know what you carry in your line right now? This way we can maybe add to it- instead of possibly naming ones you're already carrying? I've noticed a spike in sales for trendy scents, such as lovespell, pink sugar, white tea & ginger, juniper breeze. I've just added these to my line and they sold out so quickly!! Seems like clean and fresh is the new thing! Also, steady sellers all year round for me are sugar cookie, lilac and jamaican me crazy. Hope that helps!!

Michelle

I don't really know what the going rate is, but I sell mine for 5 bucks...well, $4.99, but we won't tell everyone that that's really $5, ok? I think the prices people charge will vary from area to area, and whether they buy in bulk...ya know the drill. Just factor your cost to make it and multiply it by 3. At least that's what I heard time and time again from this board HTH!

Do you have a link? What do they sell there? God knows I'm always shelling out money- I'm sure I'll want something they've got!

My husband IS a lard

I used to just whip my shea as a solid, and then mix in my oils and such- but it was usually pretty hard, no matter how much I whipped it. So I started melting it. I just put it in the microwave for about a minute and watch it. Since it's a butter, it melts pretty easily. I wouldn't advise sticking it in the microwave for thirty minutes and leaving the room. Just keep an eye on it. And right now, I offer half of my candle scents in B&B products, including my shea butter. It's a neat idea to just make a signature scent just for your shea butter, but like you said, what if people don't like that scent, but like your whipped shea? Maybe you can make a signature scent JUST for the shea, but also offer other scents as well? Just a thought.

My shea butter is so incredibly greasy that people only need a real little tiny bit, so anything more than 2 oz. seems like TOO much. I use the two ounce jars, and this way they're reasonably priced, and since people only use a little bit at a time, it lasts them a while...but if you think it won't be enough, just order a couple (from say WSP) and choose which you like best!

Thanks so much! I just want to get my name out there, ya know? I figured I'd make room spray with all of my scents (since I have plenty of supplies for those) and then my sample candle scents in my carry box so that people can smell the other scents I offer, and just take orders from there- or even go on my soon to be wonderful website :) to order some!! But I always hear that you can't sell what you don't bring- so I'm just worried I won't have enough! Thanks for your honest opinion...it made me feel much better!

Michelle

Ok, so thanks to PrairieAnnie, I have decided to try doing a craft show. My only problem is this: I only keep on hand what I need (about 10 of each jar, containers, 50 lbs. of wax, 4 oz. of scent..yada yada yada) When someone places an order that goes above and beyond what I have in stock, I just place an order with the company I buy my stuff from. Now...my problem is this: I carry a bunch of items in 50 different scents. I would have to shell out more than $1000 just in supplies to make one of everything I carry in every scent. Is it worth it? Or should I just pick my twenty top best scents and make those? And then maybe just bring my showcase of scents (what I bring to home parties) to let them smell the other scents I offer? I really don't want to spend more than $1000 making products I'm not sure will sell, ya know what I mean? I just want to get my name out there- Im having a website built- thanks again to prairie- and I'll have tons of brochures and business cards and order forms in case someone wants to order something I don't have on hand. What do you craft show veterans think? How did you all start out? HELP!!!! Thanks so very much for any advice you can give me!!!

Michelle

Thanks A Bunch!!!!

Awesome!!!

Lemme know how you like it!! I think it's pretty darn close to Bittercreeks..maybe a little softer, so I may up the beeswax a little and see how that turns out. But good luck- and I hope you love it! It'll save ya money- always a good thing!!!

Michelle

I tried looking the site up when it was posted about a while ago, and it kept giving me an error...I hope someone has the link around here. Anyway, what is this box thingy all about? You pay money, and then send some samples and then you get a box back full of other people's stuff? Is this correct? Is it just for fun, or does it generate sales? Either way, I'd love to join...someone, anyone...WHERE'S THE LINK?!

I've bought little key chain bears from walmart and dipped them. Most of them turned out great, but 2 out of around 100 split at the seams (perhaps the heat was too much to handle) They'd look cute- might as well try 'em!

So, I've been using the lip balm base from BCN, which I LOVE!!! But, despite its inexpensiveness, I'm always trying to save a buck and have tried to make lip balm from scratch. I've tried a couple of recipes and I finally found one I like as much -if not MORE- than BCN'S!!! It goes on smooth, and seems to be helping my chapped lips more because I think it stays on longer than BCN's (maybe that's because I eat it off within five minutes.) Anyway, here it is, and if anyone tries it, let me know how you like it!!!

4 oz. beeswax

4 oz. coconut oil

1 oz. shea butter

3 oz. cocoa butter

4 oz. sweet almond oil (or 8 oz. if you don't use fractionated coconut oil)

4 oz. coconut oil (fractionated)

Melt everything in the microwave (or however you wish) and add your flavor oil and you're done!! This makes roughly 80 lip balm tubes worth of lip balm, so I made 1/4 of this to make 20 lip balms. I used MMS's buttercream at 6 mL, and it tastes wonderful! I hope all of you BCN addicts try this!!!

Michelle

Thanks guys! Tried it out in my recipe tonight and it's awesome..despite it's very unexpected form

Your products and set up are GORGEOUS! Just so elegant!!! Good job, I hope you made out like a bandit...may I ask how you advertised for it? I was thinking about doing an open house before christmas and renting out a hall for it, but I wasn't sure how to go about the advertising aspect of it. Great job!!!

This is my first cocoa butter experience! I ordered some from AGE, and it is solid as a rock..it's more like cocoa rock than cocoa butter..even if I try smushing it with my hand, nothing! Is it supposed to be like this, or did I get a bad batch or something? Thanks!!!

Michelle