elle110

Alot of the juried shows I have been accepted into had a disclosure on the application saying the application fee was non-refundable

HTH

When I get my shop, it will be in deli style and the first half will be store front the 2nd half will be production with a big glass window for customers to see what is going on. People like to have what they consider a hands on experience, and being able to see the products they buy being made is very intriguing to them.

Bath & Body and Candles is a seeing, touching and smelling experience. The customer is more apt to spend $$$ when they can touch the actual product, smell it without a hinderance and letting them see products being made is just another way of stimulating their senses.

the black definitely looks best on the JJ, it looks elegant and goes great with your label. I like the gold for the salso but still like the black best

I have not used grass, but last year I had a huge surplus of Parley so I colored pearberry soap with the parsley, I finely ground it, it was beautiful the first week, a nice vibrant green, then the 2nd week and on it started turning a funky yellowish color.

I agree with trying the infusing of the grass, it would probably look nicer.

Make sure to share your results with us if you do this.

all of the weekend shows I do we leave our stuff up and there is security at the shows. If we are away we stay with family or a hotel. We never disassemble the tent or sleep at the tent.

HTH

I dont't do candles, but even at Christmas my best-sellers are the same as in the summer in soap. I will probably never make Christmas fragrances again, at least not many, people just don't seem interested. But again, I do soap

I love the gold mica and how just a little calendula is showing thru the top, and how there is some on the bottom, I wouldn't change a thing

edited to add: I thought that was calendula but the chamomile looks delish as well!!!!

How does it smell in CP? I know they on SC site they say it that is changes (not a bad thing) in CP. I just ordered me some and some of the $75 LB. Flowerbomb but I only got an ounce to let my customer's who want this to try. Once I mentioned it to everyone they were going nuts wanting me to get it so bad. I guess $75 LB not to bad when an ounce of the original is around $100:D

Your soap looks great, I add beeswax to my Castile soap and absolutely love it...

OOPs...I didn't not get the same fragrance you did, I got "Beeswax & Honey" from Sweetcakes. I am still trying to figure out the fragrance, don't know what I think yet, I wish I would have gottent the one you did.

Oh, I absolutely love Lavender and Palmarosa together, can't wait to see it cut.

You may be adding to much of something, FO or carrier oil, I have never had to let my salts dry out before, I don't let them get that wet that they would need it. Maybe try pulling back on the carrier and see how it goes. I keep mine stored in big plastic tubs with lids and fill orders as I go. I have one that I discontinued last year and had a # left and it is in my shop still in tact. Also, I did not see all the salts you are using besides the dead sea but if you are using epson salts I remember someone telling me they had a problem with them getting weird.

HTH

The only thing I wanted to mention is, I love your name and I would really captialize on it with a very nice home page, you could really go all out.

Your Sea Breeze looks like it has dolphins swimming throughout. I make a EO Blend called Sea Breeze as well with Sea Kelp and Eucalyptus, and several mints, my #1 seller in CP soap.

They are all very pretty, when I did M&P that was the most fun, cutting in to see what surprises await.

Where do you sell your soaps?

I put 76 degree CO in my lip balms, YUM!

White is required by a lot of large festivals for continuity (sp), it makes the whole them look nice if everyone is the same at least in that area. You can get creative with your banner, or use bold color, that is what people will look up at, who you are and what you have!

I am not saying that if I was a large business that I would not buy things or have things manufactured overseas because I probably would since todays consumer seems to want to pay only .99 cents for just about everything, that is why the $1 store does so well, and Walmart.

But, I can say there is no way I would have my candles (if I was a candlemaker) made overseas, seems to risky and you would not have enough control over the product.

My sister gets Pier 1 candles every year from a friend of hers for Christmas, my sis hates them, they burn straight down the middle, smoke like crazy etc. The girl who gives them to her all the time loves them only because of the fragrances but if they are not burning right I don't know how she could be getting any kind of throw from them that last.

I have done arts& craft shows and fair/festival type shows, I personally perfer the fair and festivals.

My first experience blew me out the water-I went ahead and booked two shows because my mom was in town to help, so I sent her to a A&C show with my daughter and neice to help her and I was going to do the fair myself, the first night I sold about 1200.00 so I called my Dh to meet me in the morning with stock from my shop before the fair started Saturday I sold a little over 2000.00 and my booth was about empty so I called my mom to see how the A&C show was going and it was ok but not great, I told her to pack it ALL up and come to my show the next morning so I would have something to sell for Sunday. That weekend we sold almost 5000.00 at the fair (I was pissed cause I was like 85.00 short of my 5,000.00).

Okay so I learned really quick I like to do the fairs better than the A&C shows, I also learned that I can't do it alone EVER again-(I felt like I was set I had my cooler full of Dr Pepper and my cigs I had to ask the vendor next to me to watch my booth so I could use the port a pot I had to ask a teenager that was looking at my candles to PLEASE get me somthing to eat). This type of show is different from A&C the hours were from 5pm-12am, 10am-12am and 10am-10pm but well worth the long hours.

So if you think about it a A&C show most people are there to spend a little money, get ideas of things they can make themselves and it's mainly woman and some children. Only a certain type of person goes to a A&C show.

Now think about a fair-when you go to a fair you know you are gonna spend alot of money, everybody and their neighbor goes to a fair so your products are going to be seen by alot of different types of people,also most fairs have basicly trinket booths and people are glad to see some nice products to buy instead of junk and beleive it or not around here when people get a little beer in them they seem a little looser with the money.

So I much rather a fair/festival than a A&C show so I would say "try it" and see how it goes-you will see all types of people who would never step foot in a A&C show-yeah I do have stories of things I've seen at the fairs that I would have never seen at a A&C show but I will also book a fair in a heartbeat.

HTH

ANgie

I usually prefer fests as well, they draw a bigger crowd, people buy a lot more and are there to spend. There are a few Craft shows that really pull their own, but they are around the holiday.

What is the booth fee? Do you have enough stock to handle that many people? A lot of shows will not let you come back if you run out. Also, that is not really that many people in the whole scheme of things but if the fee is not that much and it is close to home you won't have that much to lose. I say if everything looks good, go for it!

Michelle

How does it smell in CP? I know they on SC site they say it that is changes (not a bad thing) in CP. I just ordered me some and some of the $75 LB. Flowerbomb but I only got an ounce to let my customer's who want this to try. Once I mentioned it to everyone they were going nuts wanting me to get it so bad. I guess $75 LB not to bad when an ounce of the original is around $100:D

Your soap looks great, I add beeswax to my Castile soap and absolutely love it...

I love, love, love your soaps, that was a very creative way of molding them as well. I can smell it from here

thanks for all the great info...I knew it could be done, just wasn't sure of all the rest...you guys rock, now, I will have to post pics once I do my project...if anyone is from Southern Ohio or N. KY, a clue is it is for geottafest and it is going to have steel cut oats in the soap.

Ok, I have a special project, and I need to make round soap logs, but the PVC I have is to big, they need to be smaller in diameter. I am thinking about Pringle's cans.

A) Has any one used them?

If so, how many pounds does one can make?

C) Do you have to line the cans?

TIA for any help offered

Elle

Is there a differance to the recipies that are pure bars and the ones that are made for push up tubes?

not really any difference in the recipe or the how it works, but in my area the push-up do not sell, can't keep the bars in tins in stock, I think it is just a preference on your clientele base.

Beatutimus!!! Really and great 1st swirls...take your scraps and make some soap balls that way you can take them into the shower, put at your sink, gie to your mother in law etc. but get going on the balls before it gets to hard

Natures Garden has a great one, very good seller for me

HTH

I love the green, very trendy color right now, go for it!

Oops, sorry, my webdesigner already did what you did and it is listed I was thinking of something else...

Thanks anyway