TxSioux

I don't know if this will help, but Krylon makes a UV Resistant Acrylic Spray. It's not too much of a pain to spray the label page down before you use them. If you have a Hobby Lobby you can buy it w/ the 40% off coupon & save a bit. It's in the artist area w/ canvas & brushes. I think I've also seen it at Wal-Mart.

Susan.

No, several different suppliers & all are in the higher price range. Don't get me wrong, they smell & sell great, so I'm sure it's just me. There's just something about a lot of them that has a sameness to me. I also think this when I smell other finished candles. I guess I'm just not a floral person. BTW, Darbla -- if you're ever ordering from BC, try the Voodoo Love. I rename it Yellow Rose of Tx, cause it smells dead on. Gives me a massive headache, but sells like crazy!

Susan.

I definitely found temp & humidity to play a huge factor for pure soy. I'm not sure how long you plan to store your candles, but time will also change the appearance of your once perfect candle. Soy seems to 'grow' or swell w/ age. I pulled out some candles that were about 6 mos old & the wick was almost covered by the swelling of the wax.

Susan.

I called Fil-Tec after another thread talked about these wicks & the rep offered a sample pack at no cost. He asked where I'm located & said he'd include a list of suppliers. If Fil-Tec doesn't have a list of suppliers on their site, I'd suggest calling to make sure you're getting info that works best for you.

Susan.

That wax is so nice & everything looks great -- wonderful pics!

Susan.

I'm generally pretty good at picking out the notes of most fo's, but a recent serious run of testing has left me stumped by florals. I can pick up very subtle differences, but for the most part, I've found: Jasmine smells like Hyacinth ... that smells like Gardenia ... that smells like Bluebonnet ... that smells like French Market ...

Here's what I'm left with:

1) I'm not a fan of the florals & woof, all these suckers throw off the charts.

2) For some reason, I do love Plumeria, like Juniper Breeze, can live w/ Freesia, but hate Rose & Lavender. At least all of these have an individual scent that stands apart from the others.

3) Everything else just smells like some kind of combined nasal attack of the mutant flowers!

Am I just receptor deficient w/ florals, or does anyone else notice this universal scent w/ many florals??

Susan.

GL has posted a memo explaining wax prices are going to fluctuate & I'm sure I saw one from Doneen @ BCN, which I'd think would go for BCS also. I'll have to check sites again.

Susan.

I don't think there's a 'correct' answer to this. We're all using a different combo of wax/wicks/additives/fo ratios/containers & it all factors into the final results. When I used pure soy & zinc wicks there were several fo's that I either had to wick up, or would flat drown out even w/ a 62-52 zinc, which is the largest zinc I know of. Now that I've switched to GL 70/30 wax, I've not come across any fo's (so far) I've had to wick up. Also, I've found very few really seasoned & talented candle makers complain about too many issues w/ wicking up. Some would even say that wicking problems are nothing more than not having a good combo of wax/additives/wicks & any quality fo will work once you've found that Holy Grail!

Lots of people say they have to wick up on vanilla & citrus fo's. I found most blueberry fo's to be a wicking nightmare ... need to revisit those w/ this wax. More than anything, use quality products & take REALLY good notes!

Susan.

Thanks yall -- as much as I love the idea of using this (for drawer sachets) the cost & availability has pulled me back into reality. What I have is already quite unique, so I'm going to stop trying to reinvent the wheel ... for now! <grin> Handmade paper is just beautiful, but the LAST thing in the world I need is another time intensive process. Again, thanks for the help.

Susan.

My wax has only gone up $2.00 per case (so far!). I have enough 'play' room in my pricing that this doesn't throw my numbers off. I may take advantage of everyone expecting price increases right now, so I'm not caught in a tight spot w/ all the expected problems of wax pricing & shipping. Also, I'm seriously cutting out a lot of suppliers that I used to just order from on a whim & keeping my purchases as close to home as possible.

Susan.

I'm certainly not an expert here, but from what I can find, a candle is considered 100% vegan if: they do not contain petroleum, animal products, synthetic fragrances, fixatives, or chemical glosses.

Susan.

I want to know who sells that soy 'w/ virtually no frosting' - LOL. You're really just going to have to read a whole lot & test to see what gives you the results you're looking to achieve. For a starting point -- I'd suggest 70/30, you'll get the best of both worlds & it's a very easy wax to get instant positive results.

Susan.

Does anyone know where to find this by the roll in a selection of colors? I'm looking for the kind that can be torn & leave a ragged edge. I got really lucky a long time ago & bought some on deep discount at Hobby Lobby. I just figured out a use for it, but can't find it anywhere & no longer have labels on the rolls I have. By the sheet is too expensive, so really need rolls.

Susan.

My 1st thought was candles in coconut shells. BC sells the coconut shells. I would go w/ plumeria scent, it's the Hawaiian flower used for leis, & it throws like crazy.

Susan.

Shame to have such wonderful fo's & a nice website, but no business sense. I was seriously wanting to place an order, but I just don't have the energy to waste on that kind of endless frustration. If she would have just posted a short apology & saved all the excuses ...

Susan.

I also suggest Cajun. I have some dyes from them that are 5 yrs old. Other than some being a bit thicker, they work every bit as well. I have to put the thicker ones in hot water to use them, but I'd say that kind of shelf life is pretty amazing. I didn't care for the JBN, just cause they're a thin consistency & it takes way too many drops to get the darker colors. They are designed to work w/ soy though, & dark colors are a pipe dream for pure soy.

Susan.

I love cats, but ... have you smelled cat's breath!?! LOL Puppies Breath makes me think of rubbing a puppy's tummy -- there aren't too many things better than a sweet, soft puppy tummy!! I also love the smell & touch of a baby's head. I see that TC now offers price matching. They never offer sample packs, so I'm going to see if I can get a deal & give this fo a try.

Susan.

How about this: I still have about 50 1 & 2oz testers lined up & am trying to make myself do nothing but get those damn things poured into wax. I've gone through a 63lb box of wax doing little more than pouring up testers! This only leads to the real problem of actually buying all the fo's that test out well!! Thankfully, my husband *thinks* I make the best candles in the world & doesn't seems to mind that we've lost 1/2 of a very large kitchen & a whole bedroom!! Plus, I can't walk through any store without trying to figure out how to use 'regular' items as a 'candle' item! I'm so broke -- I'll be trying to make candles while I'm living in a van down by the river. (SNL viewers will appreciate that visual)

Susan.

Sure, a mass merchandiser doesn't 'talk' to their customers, but when operating on a volume as large as Wal-Mart it doesn't make much of an impact when a customer just walks away in disgust. As a small crafter, you're going out of business really quickly if you operate like a corporate pig. I was in advertising for 7 yrs & I think I understand what you're implying -- the 'we'll cross that bridge when we get to it' mentality? Well, it's really hard to track down lost customers. As a rule, people don't tell you what upsets them or why they don't plan to buy from you any longer ... they just walk away & tell everyone else why they're upset. It's far better to address an upcoming issue & look good, than zap everyone w/ no explanation & look bad. Don't you want to know why your supplier has raised prices & don't you feel better if it's an economic push they're forced to pass on? I do & I'd appreciate knowing a price hike is looming, so I can plan my purchases & not get caught one step behind. That leaves me feeling like I got screwed & moving on to another supplier ... even if they're charging the same price. Consumers have the power to destroy any business -- even Wal-Mart. But, hey, I'm sure a lot of us are willing to pick up any customers you make mad!

Susan.

It looks like soy waxes are going to be a real guessing game this yr. I've seen posts from several suppliers saying that soy wax prices are going to be based on a sliding commodity scale. That means pricing will fluctuate daily w/ the stock market closing price for soybeans & you'll never know where the price is going to be from purchase to purchase. I would expect a LOT of small candlemakers to drop soy this yr -- it's a bugger to work w/ & will be very hard to justify fluctuating costs to the public. I've just gotten through the testing phase of 70/30 & will definitely consider 50/50 if the cost gets too crazy. I *think* we'll see a LOT more people trying to buy as close to home as possible (to cut shipping charges) & altering the products they offer. I've never hosted a 'group buy' before, but I'm thinking about it, as prices rise. My husband works for FedEx & we can ship any package, any size, any weight for a flat $3.00 -- & I'm within driving distance of all the Dallas suppliers.

Susan.

LOL -- congrats to Yankee for taking lemons & making lemonade! Since they can't figure out how to get a candle to burn clean, they now remarket w/ an outer layer that isn't intended to burn. They are pretty -- looking forward to see how they look after they've been burned.

Susan.

Thanks, none of those were listed on any of the frag finder sites. Yall are the best!

Susan.

I need this scent for a very close friend & all I've been able to find is at Wellington. The reviews of Wellington are not the best, so I'm less than eager to roll the dice for a $28. fo. Has anyone seen this dupe anywhere else?

Susan.

Here's a link to Fragrance Oil Finder for Sandalwood Vanilla http://www.fragranceoilfinder.com/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=sandalwood+vanilla&osCsid=a2fd8cf49fef9dea77e1894a24160ef8

Susan.

I'd try to get rid of it w/o going through shipping. My 1st thoughts are offering the product for a fundraiser at intro-level rock bottom pricing & hope it generates future business ... or Craigslist, to keep things more local & again, try to drum up future business. Try to turn those lemons into lemonade, girl!

Susan.