giedre11

For SOS, do you have to buy their highest grade oil for it to work well?

I think SFIC lathers the best...like gobs of shaving cream dripping from my scrubbie!

I shrink wrap my soaps after about a week of curing. Over time they continue to cure because the shrink wrap loosens a bit, but a zap with the heat gun gets it all tight again! I've had soaps sitting out in the garage that were exposed to the heat of summer and the cold of winter and still have scent. I do have a tendency to over scent my soaps and so they are usually much better after a year or so!

Sometimes I think that stick blender is just a bit too efficient! I try and soap at low temps...85-90 and still get a super fast trace!

Very pretty candles! I love the one with the with the beads around the middle!

I don't do straight soy, but have read where soy "needs" more fo for throw. I think maybe you might try 1.5 ounces of fo?

I use that green gummy stuff that's on a roll from Walmart...found in the floral section. You just pinch a bit off and it sticks well. I started using it when my wicks started floating up in my containers with those glue dots. It is an ugly green but it gets covered up by the candle warning label. You just sort of have to scrape it off with your fingernail when done burning the candle.

Yes I agree! Top mentioned once that if the top of your wax has that ripply effect, it is because of too much vybar. {please correct me if I got that wrong} I would never have known what I was looking at if not for that info. I still am using that wax though, it's ok for me. It does hold a lot of scent!

Vanilla Grapefruit is my absolute favorite scent, but I mix my own using BB's vanilla bean {to die for!} and grapefruit from Tradewinds. I just cannot get enough of this scent!

Gorgeous pillars! I just love patch and orange!

Oh gosh, I would be in seventh heaven, I for one am rooting for you! {heck, I'm sure there are many, many others too!} Oooh, I can just see it now: death by wax,lol

I think the cone candles are not going to burn "correctly" just because of their shape. Now what I have read is the folks using the more unusual type molds try and wick for somewhere in between. I think the top of your candle is going to burn much more quickly but once it starts getting towards the middle it should slow way down. I have several of those types of candle molds and that's what works best for me. I know this probably isn't too much help, I'm sure others will chime in soon!

I don't have kids, but I've had the opportunity to work with them on rare occasions. I say don't underestimate their abilities, or they will lose interest. If it's not a terribly large group, I'd let them go ahead and make candles...with some stern warnings on hot wax first. Too, it depends on how many adults you would have to help supervise. That's also quite an age range...is there any way you could break that up into smaller groups? Maybe have the youngest ones do the tarts and the older ones do the candles? I try and think back to when I was a kid {I was in 4-H also} and the more challenging stuff was a heck of a lot more interesting! Maybe the moms on the board should chime in!

I too had problems when using wick pins...to my eye they looked centered, but oftentimes when the candle cooled the wick hole was off center. Now I use those long pins from the ez wick system...they are great! Plus, now I don't have that wick pin base indent on the candles anymore!

Community colleges often have hobbyist type classes. I think the one close to me has candlemaking classes, but I'm in NC. I know I looked at their class offerrings and they had quite a few different classes listed.

I've just got to put in a vote for Greenleaf's 70/30...this stuff is the bomb! Smooth and creamy with some excellent throw using their fo's! I'd buy more right now, but have got to use up some ky soy that's been sitting around from the last time I was doing candles.

I'm going to be making soap...found my recipe, thought it was lost forever! {read: I finally cleaned out my soaping/candlemaking room!} Going to try and get more organized, and am going to make up some room spray and play with more wax. I can't stop trying out new waxes, plus do have some fo's to test in wax too. Now if I could only get dbf involved in some activity, so I can play to my hearts content!

You guys gotta stop this! Every time I hit this part of the forum my credit card gets zapped! I just had to try their oils too...heck they are right next door to me as far as states go. I just got all excited and ordered a bunch, I can't wait!

:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

Whipped wax is not too hard. The first time I tried it I just used my big pour pot because they said it can be messy and and you need a deep container, you just whip till it's the consistency you want and then spoon it on...my drink candle looked great, just too bad it wouldn't burn lol. Wasn't because of the whipped wax though!

Some others: Sweetcakes, Scent Works, Camden-Grey... http://www.sweetcakes.com/ http://www.bestdeal.org/essential-camden/1504-a.html

Very pretty! I'm going to have to try that someday!

Yes and yes, I think they do it on purpose to make people stay in the store longer.

I got 10 pounds of the 70/30 and it has worked like a charm for me! I've got wet spots, but no frosting. My main computer is down at the moment otherwise I'd post a pic too. I think it takes color well, and poured up very smoothly for me. The scent throw is awesome. I too tried the fig dolce and not 24 hours went by and I was burning the candle and getting really good hot throw. I got some of those bean pot jars and I'm using an HTP 105 in it and getting a full melt pool. Oh, and I used 1.5 oz FO per pound. I too love this wax, and if they can get a somewhat better shipping rate I'd order more too.