tealfrank

NO KIDDING!!! Plus shipping on top of that!!! Too rich for my blood.

Good to see that they are finally up and running! I see that they are carrying a new Calsoy CB4. Does anyone know anything about this wax? http://cierracandles.com/

The new site is up and running. No CB3 for me and Holly They carry CB4...does anyone use the CB4?

Excellent info! So, Luminarias. no problem with their labels fading? Do you have lots of color on your labels? This has just been such a problem for me. I don't really want to pay pro printing prices, but I'm horrified when I see one of my candles three months later and the label has "turned". If I knew how to solve the problem myself, I would continue to print my own.

My hero as usual, Holly.

I've had it "up to here" with battling label fade on my candles. I've tried every label, spray, and ink combo (ink jet, not laser however) and if the light doesn't get 'em, the heat from the candle does. Does anyone here have their labels custom/professionally printed? Who do you use? Are you satisfied with the results? My labels are very color intensive (photos) and when they fade it's VERY obvious. Thanks for your help.

] Hi Spa. Just to clarify, are you talking about the 444 being rough/cracked/frosting/poor scent throw? Well that's good to know!! Thanks!

Hi kids! Just checking in. Have been busy busy. Yes, it just recently occurred to me that I am very set on having the candle retain a fairly smooth top after burning. The CB3 is great for that! I've seen other soys that look like cauliflower after they have been burned and I do not like it. So, the 444 is semi-rough after burning, what about the Ecosoya CB135? How does it look after a burn? Thanks everybody for the GREAT info. Like Holly, I HATE to have to change waxes but knowing what to expect [from some of the other waxes] takes a little of the sting out. T.

Thanks to all of you for the help! I really appreciate it. I now have multiple places to check. That's why I love this board!

They're 8 oz square jars with that heavy 'lip" around the jar. LOVE 'EM but don't know where to find them. Thanks for your help!

Hi there! Looking for some feedback. Due to the fact that my local Calsoy CB3 supplier has gone out of business, I may need to change waxes. I can get the CB3 at Swans Washington, but with shipping it's pretty expensive (do you know of another West Coast supplier?). Calwax said they'd sell it to me directly but it's over three bucks a pound! So, I might have to switch to the GW444 as it's still obtainable at a do-able price (at least for the moment) and there's a supplier in a state fairly close to me. The big questions is, does anyone know how the two compare? Have you used both? I've spent three years getting to know the Calsoy CB3 so I'm REALLY BUMMED! I hate the thought of starting over. Any insight you can provide will really help ease my troubled mind. Tina

They have cut their hours waaaay back so order-processing is taking longer. I know this from multiple trips down there only to find that they were closed in the middle of the day! Last I checked, they were open 8a (or 9a, can't remember for sure) - 3p on Mondays (pacific time), and 8a to Noon the rest of the week. There is a recording about it when you call their phone number.

Suds, I soooooo would have canceled and reordered but I've got a big show next weekend and don't have time to mess around. I need the stuff too badly to make "her" mad at the last minute and me end up with nothing so I just "ate it" which IS NOT my usual style!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has an opinion about the quality of their CS. I try to keep my mouth shut when I don't have any thing nice to say, but these guys PI$$ED me off the other day and I need to vent! I could see the writing on the wall [that they were closing]...too many weird things were going on. I've been buying from them for almost three years so I knew something was up. I placed a big order one day before they announced that they were closing. I hadn't even picked it up yet when they posted the announcement (I'm within driving distance of Cierra). I have spent a lot of money with these people, so I felt justified in sending an email asking for a sales price adjustment/credit of $28 for the large order I had yet to pick up but that was now on sale. I received the RUDEST reply denying my request. I couldn't believe it. It poisoned my whole day. The girl that seems to be running the admin side of things is as unpleasant in person as she is on email. Anyway, I'm very very sorry to see them go because I could get my stuff next day and no shipping charges, but I won't miss the attitude. It always makes me very sad to see local business go under. I just hope their departure doesn't put me out of business.

Hello there. This is a very long conversation but I'm very short on time, so I'll get hit some highlights. I'm VERY environmentally conscious and I'm the mother of two children with sensory issues...not autistic, but very sensory sensitive. My oldest was on the very withdrawn side of the scale. Although he has a brilliant mind, he got overwhelmed so easily that he was constantly "shut down" mentally and emotionally. Very sensitive to light, smell, crowds, being touched, and the worst [low] esteem that I've just about ever seen in a human being . It was terrible. It was all I could do to get that boy through school. Unfortunately, we didn't know anything about sensory issues back then and didn't get him the help he really could have used. He's 20 years old now, well adjusted, and on his own. My three year old is on the POLAR opposite side of the scale. That boy is non-stop wild. He needs the extreme physical stimulation to organize his head. Obsessive chewing. Very high emotion. Needs all his toys to be in groups. Lots of hand wringing/gestures. But again, a brilliant mind. We thought for awhile that he may be autistic because at 18 months he "lost his words", as well as some other things. Fortunately, he's not autistic, just very sensory. Two years and counting of speech therapy, OT, early intervention programs, special ed, and pre-K have made a world of difference. He's still very wild but has come a long way. All that said, I make soy, EO candles! Regarding "natural", IMO nothing is natural any more! Most soy is now being grown in Brazil on illegally cleared rain-forest land. Heartbreaking. Hopefully, the wax company you choose has joined the agreement to obtain soy from non-illegally cleared fields. Lots of info on the 'net on this subject. Also, consider using a food-grade soy wax for more purity. Lavender is a great EO. Not too low in flash point, can be obtained semi-reasonably priced, very powerful from a medicinal and aromatherapy standpoint. Same with ylang ylang as well as geranium. Mix a lower flashpoint oil (IE lavender which is around 160) with a higher flashpoint oil like ylang ylang which is around 180-190. Mix all three! There are endless combos out there. Used in proper proportions, each of these three oils are superb for anxiety, stress, depression, etc. I put a couple of drops of lavender EO in my little one's bath to calm him (too much though has the opposite effect, it becomes stimulating! Same with many of the "calming" eo's. Moderation is key!) A couple hours on the essential oil websites will provide a wealth of info. I wouldn't even mess with the dried herb thing. Besides being a pain, if you accidentally leave some herbs in the wax, it could start a fire. I burn candles CONSTANTLY and have not noticed an adverse reaction from my child (from a behavior/emotional standpoint). I can't say that it "helps" for sure, who knows, but it doesn't seem to aggravate his issues. Each child is different however, so I can only speak for myself. In fact, my little one loves to smell all my candles. It makes him happy. Every day, we go through the, "Can I smell all the candles?" routine...the unlit ones, of course! That's all I have time for right now! Wishing you lots and lots of good luck! Tina

I appreciate the offer, thanks! I don't know what size I need though. Any ideas/suggestions? I'll be double wicking a 16 oz apothecary, almost 4 inches in diameter. May I inquire as to why you didn't like them? I ordered some samples today from BCN but it will be a while before I know what I need....if they will work for me at all!

Hello! Does anyone know if there is a west-coast supplier of pre-tabbed hemp wicks? I know that NG and BCN have them, but the shipping charge is more than the cost of the wicks. It more than doubles the price. I've searched and searched the 'net and haven't found anything on this side of the planet. Thanks in advance for your help.

Hello! Does anyone know if there is a west-coast supplier of pre-tabbed hemp wicks? I know that NG and BCN have them, but the shipping charge is more than the cost of the wicks. It more than doubles the price. I've searched and searched the 'net and haven't found anything on this side of the planet. Thanks in advance for your help.

You've made my day, thank you. I have spent so much time doubting myself that's it's really hurt my business. I need to quit stressing and JUST DO IT.

That's very kind of you, thanks! I do have/and have tried RRD 50's and 55's, double wicked though, not single. The RRD's I have all leave a lot of black stuff in my wax. Do you have this problem? I've read other threads that mention this as well. No mushrooming really, just black stuff. I get it even worse with HTP's. It ruins my un-dyed candles. Maybe because they're over-wicked. I dunno. It's these things that keep me awake at night!

Yes, I read that thread as it was happening. Lots of good info/data. I haven't tried CDN's, but I can't get CD's to work worth a crap in this wax with the FO's/dye's that I've used so far. I'm going to stick with this wax because the candle supply house is only a few miles away...no shipping! I'll check out the CDN's and see what happens. Thanks again.

Thanks Henry. I'm with you, I HATE hot jars! It's just not safe. I do have these double wicked but still ended up with that bit of wax on the glass. I want to WIN this battle! Soy will not defeat me.

16 oz apothecary 4" at widest point.

Stella, Thanks for your feedback! I never touched the sides. I didn't fool with them at all other than trim wick and light. I varied the burns. Always at least four hours, sometimes up to ten. I wanted to vary it as a customer would. 2 LX 20's in each jar.