PhoenixFyre

Love them!!!

Just started testing a mix of 4633 and 4786. I've worked with them both separately and liked them but they each had a con that I was hoping to eliminate by mixing them together. I will definitely let you all know how the testing goes. Testing a Premier 755 and a Premier 760 against an HTP 83 in 11 oz tumblers.

I know! It's so true. I am always yelling at my wicks, "So-and-so said you work for them, so why don't you work for me?!" Some days I just think all wicks hate me, lol. I'm sure this is true. It just makes my butt twitch whenever I see or hear people put paraffin down because of soot. I feel like it's a personal mission to defend paraffin by making the best candles I can with the least amount of soot left on the jar, lol. So far the Premiers are burning nicely. Can't wait to see how they burn the rest of the way down.

Same thing with me -- have a bunch of Premier wicks just sitting here and realized I have never tried them out in my paraffin. Tried them in palm once and didn't like it, so they've been sitting in the back of my wick box unloved. For some reason I have remained stubbornly loyal to HTP wicks but have never been able to make a paraffin candle with HTPs without getting soot. So I've been branching out and testing other wicks lately, Premiers being one of them. I'll let you know how the testing goes.

My feelings echo Belinda's on the dyes. Tried the dye chips at first and had problems with them leaving specks of colors through my melts and candles. Went ahead and tried the liquid dyes and was also turned off by them not having droppers or some way of controlling the amount of dye better and found them messy to deal with. Have decided to stay with Peak's and Candlescience's dyes. I'd be interested to hear reviews on the fragrances, though.

Heck yeah, Puma! And I'm throwing in the dancing baby because "I can't stop this feeling!"

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I know, Becky. Don't remind me of all the choices! I've promised myself to go slow...yeah, we'll see how long that lasts, lol. Candybee..you're killing me! I'm laughing so hard right now. You should have seen me making just this first batch. I was so tickled once it hit trace and was hoping the whole time that it wouldn't mess up on me. Discoloration and soap on a stick -- bring it on! Ha-ha. The first time it happens, I'm gonna post it and you'll remind me that you told me so.

Thanks again, everyone. It really is an awesome process...watching all those materials transform into something amazing. And who doesn't love bubbles! Feeling warm and fuzzy over here.

I already did. I cut off a little piece of one of the end pieces and tried it today. I just couldn't help myself, but boy was I excited when I saw bubbles!

Thank you! I know...that's my husband's worry, my addiction to this. He's watched me these last several months researching and watching videos and just shakes his head and laughs.

You all are so awesome! I started with ingredients I was at least a little familiar with, so I did coconut oil, shea, olive oil, and castor oil. I did add fragrance but no color, so it certainly doesn't look fancy, lol. I tried doing the process that TallTayl has mentioned, using the lye to melt the butters and oils, and it worked perfectly. It did crack down the middle on top during gel, so I uncovered it and tried to fix it by spritzing with alcohol and pressing gently on the crack. Unmolded yesterday and cut it and now just waiting for the cure to be done. I am excited about being able to use homemade soap instead of store bought. Before jumping into this, I bought some handmade soap from some local people to try out and I absolutely loved it. I'm feeling giddy to have two hobbies that I'm loving so much!

Yes, my craftserver pals, as of this past weekend I jumped into the soap-making world and made my first batch of CP soap. Woot-woot! I've been glowing since Sunday, mostly because I now have a batch under my belt and have relieved myself of the "lye" jitters, lol. I just wanted to say a huge thank you to all of you. I've said it before, but it can't be said enough. You are all so generous in sharing your experiences and knowledge, and it has made getting into hobbies like these all the more enjoyable (and safe, lol). This site helped me so much when I began my journey with candles a year ago, and now it has helped me with making my first soap. Can't wait until I have some beautiful soap creations to share with all of you!

Lol, OldGlory. Too funny. When I first opened the bottle of vetiver, I said to myself, "Really? People like this?" Now that I've burned it, it has a little more of a grass aroma to it, but I think this particular one will be for blends if I decide to keep using it at all. Patchouli is one I'm scared to try. I used to work with a lady who always wore patchouli to work, and it smelled like bug spray to me, lol. I would love to try sandalwood, amber, and so many others...I just don't know what they should smell like. When funds allow, I'm going to splurge and try some of these from different suppliers and see what I can discover. Thanks!

Thanks for this. I heard someone else describe it as wet wood, which is actually a smell I like, and have heard many times about a wood aroma, which is why I was surprised with the one I have because I don't smell anything resembling wood at all. Interesting about the nutty aroma. I didn't pick up on that with this one, but I wonder what I will discover from others that I buy. Thanks for the input!

Thank you all! All the input is definitely helpful. I do plan to play with it a bit and try a couple others for comparison. Oh, Candybee, if only this had smelled like that! Amazing description and I would LOVE to smell something like you described. As I continue to smell the vetiver I have, it's changed from dirt to smelling like old wet grass that got buried in dirt. Lol. I guess that would qualify as earthy!

Awesome, TallTayl. Thanks so much for this. Definitely not picking up any hint of leather or old paper (I LOVE the smell of old books and old paper). I have been considering getting a cedar or a redwood FO just because I'm curious as to what they are like, so perhaps I'll save this vetiver and try it out with those and then I'll get a few other vetivers from other suppliers and compare them. I know I asked if this was a popular scent, but this is all really just for me, lol. I'm having so much fun exploring all these fragrances because there is so much I didn't realize existed. Learning to make candles has really taken me out of my little sheltered world of citrus- and fruit-scented candles that I clung to and has me wanting to try everything out there!

So I've been trying to branch out in the fragrance department. Problem is...I have no clue what some of these FOs are supposed to smell like, lol. One I recently purchased was vetiver from Indigo. I got it because I've heard other people say they really love it and thought I would try it out. To my nose, it just smells like dirt. Can someone offer advice? Is this what it's supposed to smell like? Is vetiver popular as a stand-alone or is it usually blended with something else? Out of the bottle it smelled like dirt, just dirt. Once I got it in paraffin, it still smells like dirt but there is something else there too...not sure what, something resembling grass is the closest I could describe it. As a side note...how did you all learn what flowers and herbs and such should smell like? Would buying essential oils -- aside from being expensive -- help in learning different scents? Are there any sites or forums you could direct me to that could help me learn more? I understand we all smell things in different ways. I'm just hoping for general guidance. I remember a while ago buying absinthe FO from three different suppliers. Thanks to someone's description on this forum of absinthe and that anise has a black licorice smell to it, it helped me choose between the two FOs. Thanks you all! Have a terrific weekend!

I am in a few of them, too -- Candle Making by Candle Makers, Wicks & Suds, Candle and Soapmakers Corner, and a few others. Maybe I'm a little partial to this forum because I discovered it first before I joined the FB groups, but I find myself coming here when I want my questions answered or want honest opinions more than any other place. Whenever I see someone in the FB groups giving good counsel and advice, I always wonder if they are a member of this forum as well.

Thank you so much, Steve! Good grief...I can't believe I didn't think about the fact that the wax could still draw up from underneath the tab if it's not secure. Seems like such an obvious thing to watch for now that you mentioned it and one more thing I'll add to my checklist to watch. I might get tabs with taller necks to allow for a better "safety net" of wax at the bottom because I feel like the ones I have right now are too short. Safety is definitely my number one concern, so I appreciate all the advice and expertise you all have to offer. I know you all must feel like broken records sometimes, but I hope you know how much novices like myself appreciate it. This forum is the only place I have found so far where I find I can get sound advice from people who have experience and know what they're talking about. So a big thanks to all of you!

Thank you so much, OldGlory. What you said perfectly sums up how I feel also, and that's exactly the experience I'd like to be able to give people...something that was definitely worth it, something I can pour my heart into, and something that reminds people how awesome handmade items can be. I guess I worry that there's always something that needs to be improved. Like in my pics above, there was some soot left on the jar and wax residue. So now I'm wondering how can I improve so there's no soot and no wax, lol. Perhaps I've just gone to one extreme because I have seen a lot of people at the other end of it -- diving into this craft one week and then the next week already selling items at a craft fair or taking on wholesale accounts and then panicking when something goes wrong. I don't want to be like that. I want to be confident that I am giving people (even my testers, lol) something that is awesome and will be worth it. Thanks again for your input and for watching my progress!

After months of many, many, many candle tests and failures, I finally had a couple of candles that I was happy with all the way down to the end of their burn. But as I was sitting there looking at the jars after the candles were done, I started to wonder what really defines a successful candle? I realize the answer to that is very subjective. Everyone will have an opinion. I guess I'm wondering more in terms of a general guideline for success, and then more specifically, for a successful burn. I attached a couple of pics of two "successes" I had, but I'm wondering if those of you who are more seasoned would think they were. One was a Coconut Lime Verbena candle, 4633 wax, HTP wick. The other was sparkle light palm, Vanilla Voodoo, and an Ultra core wick. CTs were nice on both, HTs were great. Both had a little film of wax left on the sides of the container, a little wick debris in the bottom, and both left a slight film of soot at the top of the jar (which didn't occur until the final couple of tests burns when the flame was further down in the container). During both tests, neither wick was trimmed at all. Neither jar got too hot for touching during testing until the very last test burns for the palm wax one. Flames were always good height, maybe even a little small at times for the HTP. I guess I'm just wondering...is this the kind of result we should be aiming for with a candle? Should the jar have been cleaner with no residue? Is it possible to get a candle that leaves absolutely no soot behind or mushroom debris? What do your more experienced eyes watch for that mine aren't seeing? Any of you who sell your candles and/or are extremely confident in your candles, your input/advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, everyone!

I think the problem has been solved! I gave the containers a quick blast with the heat gun right before pouring and poured at 188-190 range for both of these, and so far I see no lines! Did the vanilla-colored one yesterday and the blue one today, and so far things look awesome for both. Thanks again for all the help, Steve and Candybee. Y'all rock!

Thanks, Steve. I thought it was weird too that it happens in the same area on every candle. I will definitely try your suggestion. I believe the hottest I poured any of them was 178, right around there, so I'll try pouring hotter. The shrinkage was definitely more noticeable with the hottest pour, but no matter what temp I tried, I still had the lines. I may look back at my notes and pictures to see which candle it was that I poured the hottest and compare the lines with the cooler ones. I know they all had them, but I'm wondering if they were all to the same extent now that you suggested pouring hotter. I'll try it out and see how it goes. If the worst I have to do is heat gun the top, then I'll be fine with that, lol. As long as the lines go away. Thank you all so much!

Thanks for the clarification. Just got a delivery of more wax yesterday and my FOs came in today, so I'll probably be testing more tomorrow or the next day. I will definitely watch my pouring and see what I can do about keeping the jar at a uniform temp as it cools. Hopefully I'll be more successful this next go around. I'll post pics of my next attempt as soon as I get them done. Thanks again, Candybee!

Thanks so much for the advice, Candybee. I'm glad you confirmed it's the not wax. I didn't think it was, but it's nice to have it confirmed. Now I'm trying to recall if my pouring was jerky. I think I poured pretty smoothly into the jars. I've always tried to pour fast but not too fast, but maybe my fast isn't fast enough, so I'll be more conscious of it next time. As far as the surface on which I place my jars, the two in the picture I poured with the jars sitting on a small baking rack on top of my table. However, I'm drawing a blank on whether or not I used the baking rack every time. So is it that the rack is allowing too much air to circulate around the bottom, cooling it quicker? And pouring with the jars on a cookie sheet or something similar would retain some of the heat at the bottom and allow for the candle to cool more uniformly? Did I understand that correctly? Thanks so much for this. You have given me more to look for and be conscious of. I really appreciate it!