Judette

I agree with everyone else. If it is containers that interest you, then order a starter kit. Then read up on the supplies that came with the kit. If it came with J223 or with some sort of soy or any other container wax, then read up on the wick suggestions. More than likely the kit will come with some wicks that are pretty close to working. Pretty much nothing was more satisfying to me than when I created my first good burning, good smelling candle. BTW, I started with pillars, probably the most difficult. Good luck and be prepared for your bank account to dwindle. This is probably the most addicting, most frustrating, yet most rewarding, venture I have ever done. AND most expensive. Keep us posted.

Also - are you sure you used the same % vybar as usual? I have found that when I tried to bump the vybar % up a little I got a rippled look.

I tend to burn melts with a tea-light holder. Partly, because that is what the local area effers to the consumer and partly because I like the Ronco idea that I can light it 'and forget it' because the tea-light will burn only till consumed. I agree that most consumers want the most bang for the buck. I asked this very ? a couple of months ago of how long the scent should last. I do load the FO with use of vybar in straight parafin also. However, I have found that some I have to cut back on because I then end up with the OOB smell of the FO. With some scents that is fine, but with others it is simply not the scent I want. If I were to utilize some scents by their OOB properties, they would still be sitting on the shelf. I had some testers that stated that the melt was too strong. Which is what I had always believed to be the point of a melt. I have had to re-think and re-test several different scents. Sometimes the consumer does only want a hint of a scent in the room that the melt is being used. A melt in a bathroom compared to a melt in a great room can be totally two different results. I try to ask where the melt will be burned. Quite frankly I don't know why someone would burn a bakery scent in a bathroom but there are those that do. I am rambling a little but I hope you get the point. I do not use the same scent load for all melt scents.

I agree. It is promoting a starter kit. I think we all pretty much had only these very basic supplies to start with. I'm sure no one believes, even watching this video, that it is 3 minutes from beginning to end. My first candle I made was easy. Did it burn well? No. Did I need to try several different wicks? Yes. Etc. Etc.

I use approx. 9% on my tarts. I have found that if you get a tart too strong, it can be a nauseating smell. I had a customer tell me that my tart was too strong. It was too overpowering. You might have candlenose. The cold throw in the tart was fine. BUT, when heated it was too stong of a smell. We allwant our end product to have a stong throw but sometimes a little can go a long way.

First let me say I like to test with my wick adhered to the jar. I do not like the poke the hole routine because I want to test to the bottom of the jar. I have poured four 9 ounce hex jars, same FO, same dye - J223 wax. 1st- 51 zinc, 2nd-CD10, 3rd-LX18, & 4th-HTP83. Doing burn test. Now do I go with the best one burning with all factors - throw, mushrooming, soot, hang-up? Say the LX18 was the best in all factors but the flame was a little small - leaving a little hang-up. Do I then try an LX20?. OR should have I from the very beginning poured 3 different zinc wicks, 3 different CD wicks, 3 different LX wicks, and 3 different HTP wicks? I have found that with some FOs the zinc aren't worth a darn and vice versa. I know you are all going to say that is why we test. And I know that. I guess I am always thinking that maybe something still might have been a little bit better. Sorry so long.

I just received my Peaks order yesterday. The Vanilla Mint OOB is wonderful. I am testing it this weekend. Heavy vanilla with a subtle hint of mint. Hoping the mint undertones when mixed with wax are still there.

I use 4794 which is a votive blend. I add some J223 to it which is a container blend. I mix 12 ounces 4794 to 4 ounces J223. They pop right out of the clamshells. But with the combination of the two waxes it melts quite quickly in a tart burner. Hope this helps.

Same here. Some of my smaller jars I still use zinc. But the more I try the LX work for different applications the more I like it. Only use them for votives now. Edited: meant wick-I am up at 4am -another sleepless night.

I used this same jar last Cristmas for friends gifts. Also Used LX 28. I could get by with LX 26 with some lighter scents. It was a bear testing-because of the shape of the jar. Also agree to not fill too full. To wick properly top of jar will get too hot. I think this would happen by double wicking also. You might get a good burn in bottom half of jar by double wicking but it would probably benefit only the bottom third of the jar. This is a jar that mostly is just 'cute'. I never could get a total -to bottom- burn, without some hang-up.

One turned one yesterday, another turns one 11/08, and the other one is seven months old. Thanks for asking.

First of all it has been a very long and stressful week, so tonight I think I am going to sail away with Captain Morgan or maybe go to Margarittaville. Tomorrow-in the pm- planning on being on couch in am- it is finish tarts and votives. Maybe Sunday before all three of my grandaughters' Christenings I may dip a few bears.

I just test burned the same scent in a votive. An LX 10 worked best for me. If you have any in a sampler pack, give it a try. :highfive: Edited: Whoops! The Pink Sugar I tested needed LX12 It was the Calla Lily that was the LX10.

Don't forget the marathon burn like most ppl do. Ditto to what Sliver and others said about dye and FO. You might hit it right the first time. But even then I would try another wick or two just to be sure. Edited: Yes -keep good records. I wish I could count in the beginning how many times I questioned myself on whether I had tried a wick or not. and size and type. Wicking indeed can be a PITA. As you improve you will learn and can pretty much narrow the test to 2-3 wicks. Some fo's you will need to go up and some go down. But that all comes with time.

Also when I first did these I used just parafin. Now I mix half and half with soy flakes. Not so waxy and dandruffy.

I squeeze mine. I pose mine sitting up and even then it will have a puddle of wax settle on it's little butt and under it's little legs.

I have made a few 6x6 3 wick pillars. They are a big candle to test on. I finally after testing about five different wick, I had a good burn with good melt pool. I think I settled on a 36 ply. Even then I wasn't totally happy with it. I have never sold one because I never felt I had it wicked to a paying customers satisfaction. I may give it another try with CandleMan's suggestion of four wicks. If you are new to candlemaking I would perfect like a 3x3 or 3x4.5 first. Partly because the bigger candles use soooooo much wax to test. Just a thought. Good luck

I ordered from them once. About year and half ago. Bad experience. They received my order. Billed my credit card and then almost three months b4 I received shipment. I emailed and emailed. Would get answering machine when I called. Finally after about two months I received email that they had been involved in flood. That their warehouse had been flooded. I felt bad for them but I also felt a return phonecall would have put me more at ease. I did like 3 of the 5 oils I ordered though. Maybe CS is better now.

Very nice! That is how I do mine also. I like them to look like they are loaded with melting snow. Makes the cost of a 'free' product go up. But----they are so-o-o-o- purty. Also, about one out of every four I sprinkle with the irridescent (sp) cosmetic grade glitter. Yours are loverly.:highfive:

I wrap my one ounce tarts individually. I got the molds from WSP a couple of years ago. The reason I wrap individually is because I also do the three ounce clamshells. I am kind of low-key, so when I pour tarts/clamshells, I pour like 2-3 clamshells and 4-5 tarts. By packaging individually, people tend to purchase more of a variety of scents. Then they will purchase the larger clam when they decide on the ones they really like. I think I missed the clamshell co-op. I would have really liked to have gotten in on that. Maybe next time. Good luck.

Thanks :highfive: CandleMan

I guess I didn't ask the question correctly. I am aware how long a tart can be expected to produce scent. Differents FOs producing lighter or heavier scent. If your customer asks you how long will your tart produce scent, how do you answer them? Do you go into a big explanation of the oil, scent load, etc.? Can I just give them a simple answer. Average hour length. I know most of my tarts will give scent for at least 15-20 hours. Some longer. I had a customer state that on third tealight burn she just couldn't get a scent any more. I am not talking the third time she burned the same tealight. I am talking the third tealight. She sounded PO'd. Like I said I want to say what do you expect for $.75? :lipsrseal

How many hours should a tart put out an acceptable amount of scent? I have some customers that think they should be able to go through 3, 4, 5 tealights and still have scent. I have explained how tarts are not consumable like a candle. And the explanation that the wax is merely the vessel for the oil to be burned in a safe matter because of the concentration of the oil. FP, etc. Maybe someone can give me a good explanation to them to pass on. TIA I want to say to them "What do you want for $.75?' But I bite my tongue.

If you do not care whether you use soy or parafin. I would wait until the 4794 becomes available. I tried several votive waxes, including the granulated, before I tried the 4794. Love this wax! It also makes very nice tarts. I mostly do pillars, votives and tarts. So some one doesn't jump in - for four years. (I am not a newbie). I do some containers, but using J223. I don't quite understand. Are they cracks in the wax itself? Or does it look like the wax is not adhering to the jar-wetspots? As far as JS scents go- a lot are hit or miss. Peaks has very good scents, altho even then there are some I don't particularly care for. Scent is one of the most argumentive aspects in candlemaking. Some love some that others hate. Some work good for some even in the same application. ?Scent in J223 I do it -I love it. You do it -you hate it. Test and test.

Cleaning the work room and all molds on Saturday. My son's 25th B-Day is also Saturday. Going to his surprise bash. Then Sunday is gung - ho on tarts and votives. Trying some new scents that just came in.