pdevine

Nice to meet another NC member:yay: What part of NC are you in? Good for you, $98 is more than nothing and you are getting recognition. Portia

Where do you find the metalic foil? TIA Portia

I have had to add 10 drops/ lb to achieve the desired color I was wanting, but you will definitely have to adjust your wicking. HTH Portia

Candleman, I love the idea of metalic wrap, but labeling looks like it might be a problem that way. I had thought about the cello bags. I would like to package them that way, but I would love to find something so that I could package like 4 or 6 in a package also. I was thinking maybe like the 4pk votive containers or something. I'm still tossing this idea around. Thanks to all for the advice/suggestions. Portia

Are you trying to achieve a "true red" or something like Apple Cinnamon? I have found that if you add black or brown to it, it takes the "pink" out of it and you have to keep adding red. Let us know what you are trying to achieve and maybe we can help. Portia BTW, I just made up some "Apple Cinnamon" containers using Joy wax and I added equal parts red and burgundy and so much black.

I use that same bottle and a 3 1/16" x 1 5/6" label works perfect. I have a plenty of them if you'd like to try them. HTH Portia

Any raves on who has the best (gel save) carrot cake, banana nut bread and orange juice cake oils? Every sample that I have gotten of banana nut bread didn't smell ANYTHING like the real thing to me. Just wondering too if anyone had tried Rustic Escentuals oil in these flavors? TIA Portia

I have started to dabble into B&B products and bath bombs have been tested to death and I'm finally satisfied with the results of the recipe I'm using. Now that I have that down pat, I have NO idea as to how I want to package them. I am using the meatballer to make them, the regular sized one and the smaller one. I am thinking of packaging 1 large bomb and then maybe package several in one of those galvanized tubs. I just haven't seen many different way to package them, so I'm at a lost here. Any suggestions from you "Bombers",,,,,,? LOL TIA Portia

www.cudge.net carries the glass t-lite holders. You do have to order a case of them, but the case price is the best I've found. HTH Portia

I would love to find a good place also. I've just finished up compiling mine and it is 4 pages, which ends up with an 8 page catalog. Sorry I couldn't help. Portia

North, I've never ordered from BCS. HTH Portia

Bittercreek carries them. I'm needing some myself. HTH Portia

NG carries it if I'm not mistaken.......HTH Portia

Blueberry Cobbler Apple Cinnamon Christmas Thyme Nag Champa Oh, I could go on forever,,,,,,HTH Portia

Some people use glossy labels, hangtags, kraft labels, etc. Just depends on your style and what you are looking for. I use alot of hangtags and the round glossy labels for my line. HTH Portia

Thank you all so much for the insight and advice. I have beat myself to death over this idea and I think that I have come to the conclusion to give myself 6 months. We have a well known amusemart park that was REALLY big to tourists up here, it was up for sale for a # of years, but it sat for a few years due to ledigatation issues and has been bought out and going to reopen in May 2007. Dolly Parton even made an offer on it, but it was refused by the owner. Well, this place is within 1/2 block of the place that I was referring to renting and also a ski resort that draws in ALOT of people/tourists during the winter months. You also have to pass by them (and the place I wanted to rent) to get to another major attraction site and gambling casino which is ALWAYS packed. Yes, I sooooooo badly want to jump on the site, but I think I will give myself time to get more prepared, stocked up and ready to take the jump, before I jump off the cliff. My DH even told me that he would help me out for the first couple of months til I could get established, but after then we might have to barter,,,,LOL (he is also self-employed and does GREAT) So, I am in the meantime going to make up as much stock as I have supplies for, check into other things and within the 6 months period, then I will search. If this place is already rented (which with the theme park opening up, IT WILL BE) then I will just search elsewhere. I guess I try to live by the statement that my mama always told me "hind site is 20/20". So, I guess for the next 6 months that my house will be wall to wall with boxes of stock, ready to go:cry2: but no where to go just yet. Thank you all so much and sorry for the rambling on.

Ok, I have been making candles since 2002 and am FINALLY starting to look into opening a retail shop. I have found 3 spaces that I could rent and am scared to death to jump on them. 2 of them are in a prime location and is roughly 1200-1300 sf each. One of them the rent is $700/month and the other is $600/month. Then the other place isn't in such a great location, 800 sf and is $600/month. I primarly make candles and am starting to dabble in B&B products, everything B&B is still in the testing phase. Grant you, we live in a large tourist town and the one place @ $600/month couldn't be located in a better location. There are 4 other little established shops in this same location, so I wouldn't be the only one in the little center. This would be a fantastic opportunity for me, but I am scared TO DEATH that I wouldn't sell enough to make the rent, let alone the other added expenses per month. I know my products are excellent products and I offer a wide variety of candles, etc., but $600/month just sounds like a hell of alot of candles to sell, just to make the rent. I have been pondering on the idea of opening a retail spot for about 2 years now and just haven't been able to find the right location, but this one is PERFECT. Am I just having a fear of the unknown or did you all go through these nervous jitters before taking that plunge? If I don't soon get it out of the house, it's going to run us out. I'm in the situation that my daughter will be moving out once she graduates HS this year (she's moving 300 miles away) and I would love to have it out of the house and become established before she moves. I have owned my own business before (Antiques and refinishing), but it was on our property and I lived right behind it. Being 100% obligated isn't an issue and long hard hours isn't an issue at all. I'm just scared of that $600/month rent, etc. Can anyone who is already established in retail give me some feedback on your experiences? BTW, this place used to be a Kountry Kitchen, so it's got plenty of display room and could also be set up so that I could close off a section of it and do my pouring there when I wanted to. I was thinking of something like a cubical area w/stove, counters, etc. Ughhhhhhhhhh, decisions, decisions,,,,LOL Please any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated. TIA Portia Edited to add: There isn't anyone else around here that owns a candle store either, but ALOT of gift shops. I would be the only candle, etc store within 30 miles and it's Yankmee @ the mall.

I am using (finishing up) a case that I purchased a couple months ago and YES it has changed. It appears to me as if this versus the older version has either more paraffin in it or more additives and less soy. I have also noticed that I have to wick down on most of my scents compared to the older version. I myself prefer the older version, they should have left it alone. It wasn't broke, so they shouldn't try to fix it. I have ALWAYS gotten the sink hole around the wick in my 8oz sq masons and 16 oz masons, even with the older version. So, this isn't anything new for me. I have a couple #'s of 4627 that someone gave me and I'm gonna give it a shot and compare the two waxes and see which one gives me the best results. UGHHHHHHHH more darn testing, the life of a candlemaker. Portia

Those look really good. OMG, not something else for me to try,,,,,LOL JMHO, if I were going to use the cheesecloth, I think it would look better if you were to tea-dye it to also give it the "old" look. Portia

I too need to join this club:yay: But I can't believe it, I made a batch of bombs Friday just to see how durn bad they would turn out. It was raining outside and my windows were open, we had some pretty tough storms while I was mixing them up. I took someone's advice from here and did my mixing in a ziploc bag instead of a bowl. I ended up with the most PERFECT looking bombs. No bubbling, they didn't flatten out and they didn't rise, they are too stinking perfect. Bet it won't happen this way again. Once I molded them, I sat them in my cold oven over night to dry. I'm not sure if mixing them in the ziploc bag was the key or what, but I will surely be mixing them in the ziploc again. Now if I could just get this darn loaf candle wicked right. Portia

IMHO,,,,,,,it's called 3 words,,,,,,,,LAZY and FIRE HAZARD! You can't put a wick in a pan of wax, burn it and get the CORRECT burn times, rate of FMP and scent throw. An open pan of wax ISN'T going to burn at the same rate as an 8oz square or smooth mason is. Nor is it going to give you the same results as a votive would. I can't believe someone would consider this a form of testing:mad: JMHO,,,,,Portia

Try dipping your picture in hot wax and letting it cool before you insert it into the hurricane. Then hold the picture in place with bamboo skewers while taking a piece of ice to the outside of the mold and rubbing the air bubbles out with the skewer. Then take it directly to your water bath. HTH Portia

Welcome to the board! I use Joy wax for ALL my containers and love it. The only containers that I get a sink hole with are my 8 oz sq masons and 16 oz smooth masons. Simply take the heat gun to it or top it off. You can use a glass measuring cup to pour your wax. Joy cleans up very easily, so if you get any on the container you can simply take a paper towel and wipe it right off. You might as well go ahead and sign up for CMA, because you WILL definitely be needing it once you have finished pouring that starter kit. aka "Candle Makers Anonoymous" Welcome new member! HTH Portia

I tried to send you a PM, but it says that either you can't accept or you have chosen not to receive PM's. Portia

I pour mine roughly 1/2 way between the top of the cavity and the brim. I have been using a votive/container blend, but am not liking it due to the fact that I have to do a repour. Didn't take notes last year when I made them "PERFECT" and can't remember what I used. HTH Portia