Stella1952

These are so elegant - I am not sure they even NEED decoration! In the center of a table wreath, etc., they would be absolutely stunning. Sometimes simple is better! Good job!!

Personally, I LIKE it! I can see all KINDS of possibilities with this technique! IMHO, you did NOT have a nightmare - you had an ENLIGHTENED dream.

Metal tape can be found at any home building supply place. Look in the air conditioning/heating area. It's used for sealing ducts together.

Beth, I couldn't get your link to work for me, but I found the thread. Maybe this link will work mo' better... http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39870 I think this is another example of safety folks trying to legislate safety when there is no cure for personal stupidity. People have GOT to take responsibility for their own actions and stop trying to blame every manufacturer on the planet for their misfortunes! "self-extinguishing candles" - GIMME A BREAK!! Are we gonna have to make self-igniting ones to prevent people from burning their fingers using short matches or lighters?

I think it's wonderful! What a nice gift for newlyweds! Since you survived making THIS one, I hope you'll make more in the future!

Depends on whether we're using soy or palm and on the FOs and dyes used... generally about the same one as we use in the metal votive molds... maybe a size larger in some cases - maybe even two... Do some tests with your stuff and see what works for ya.

Try hot glue or pouring cooler.

I like that one a lot! I have been interested in using electric lighting for luminaries, but haven't gotten there yet... Thanks so much for sharing yours!

Great autumn look!

We use both the plastic bathroom cups and the paper/waxed ones. The plastics impart a really nice surface to the candle, but the little indents at the bottom tend to crack easily - not a problem if the bottom of hte cup is the bottom of the candle - simply "finish" the bottom on a warmed flat surface. The paper ones don't have the indents, but the surface is not as nice and shiny as are the plastic ones. For rustics, not a problem! Be careful not to pour too hot - the wax on the paper cup will melt and the hot wax will permeate the paper. Again, not a problem if rustic is what you are looking for, but they can be a bear to unmold when the wax gets into the paper. Good luck!

Yes. One of the enemies of FOs is heat. Now we can't exactly HELP the heat of the flame, but I do what I can to avoid degrading the FOs before the candles are burned. There were a few BC FOs that I liked, but most of what we ordered from them was not satisfactory to my nose, hot or cold, before adding to the candles or after, but I cannot say I have sampled their line extensively... They have a very nice mulberry...

Great lookin' candles - ALL of 'em! I love rustics, mottles and layered candles and you have done an outstanding job on all!

Thanks for the kind replies!

Yes, you can remelt. If the fragrance has diminished you can add a little more to "freshen" the scent. As for the patterns, etc., that will depend as the formation of the crystals is dependent upon the container you are molding in, the surface of that container, the temp at which it's poured, the color & fragrance used, etc. I frequently remelt palm and have had no problems when doing so.

If one is concerned about another site misinforming people about using soy wax as a lotion, wouldn't it be more helpful to contact the owner(s) of the site and express your concern to them rather than talking about how "stupid" they are here?

...from post #10, referenced above: If I am reading the reply from the Naturewax rep correctly, I believe the quote states that they use soybean oil, which is a vegetable oil. They add other "additives" but do not state what those additives are except that they are not botanical oils. I am assuming that these additives may be stabilizers or other similar products. I infer from this that their wax is made from 100% soy plus additives, not blended with other oils or waxes. I feel sure the additives referred to in the rep's reply are their proprietary "trade secrets" which improve the performance of the wax, similar to the additives in paraffin which affect the temp, flexibility, frosting, burning properties, melting points, etc. of the wax. The additives are what make the different properties between their votive, container and pillar waxes. Unless someone else has more specific information from Cargill, I think that C-3 is 100% soy, as stated in their advertising and distributor information. :smiley2:

We use C-3 from Just By Nature in Texas. We have been very satisfied with their service and nearly everything we have bought from them. We also buy fragrance oils from them and with few exceptions, have been very pleased with them. We have not found C-3 to perform wildly; to the contrary - we have found it to be pretty predictable. Frosting is not much of a problem, but it does occur with some scents and some colors. Pouring a little hotter on those seems to help reduce the frosting. I don't think we have ever poured C-3 over 170°. We began by following the manufacturer's instructions and the guidelines provided by our supplier. We have found that the wax is tolerant of a fairly wide range of pouring temps, depending on what you are making. Some projects seem to do better when poured hotter; others seem better when poured cooler. We use the CDN wicks from JBN for all our veggie wax projects and have had little trouble finding the right one for a given application. We have had excellent results with scent throw from the time the candles are cool - we generally allow a few days for them to completely harden before burning. We use the soy additive JBN recommends and generally are able to achieve very nice tops in a single pour at around the middle of C-3's temperature range. If pouring layers, we generally pour the first layers cooler and the last layer a bit hotter so the top will be smooth. Good luck!

I like the CDN wicks from Just By Nature.

Thanks for the kind words, y'all. Sharon, because we are blending soy & palm, the palm wax gives the "lumpy" look because it crystallizes and lumps up quickly as it cools. I was gonna finish the tops, but on all but a couple, I thought the ragged tops looked kewell. The surfaces are real nice - there is some frosting and some areas that shine up with a hard shine with only a little buffing... Because these can't stay lit ALL the time, they have to look good just sitting around and I really like the designs the leaves and flowers add to the surface.

Yeah, MoonShadow, we found out that it doesn't pay to fudge when pouring into a really "tight" mold... little whoopsies here and there... haven't had to dig one out yet, but we've broken more than one, so when we're using certain molds, we do amp up the stearic as insurance.

Trinilady, have you checked eBay UK for candle molds? I think you will find a LOT that will suit your fancy and pocketbook as well as complimenting your beautiful wedding cakes.

According to our supplier, palm stearic is spoze to enhance scent throw, and they recommended to start with 5% or 3 tablespoonfuls/pound, but we only use 1 tablespoonful/pound...

cleanglow, that is a beautiful candle and the wreath & cones are perfect! Your friend is a LUCKY person!! Great job!

We didn't either, so I set about to try. I don't think one can achieve the same translucency of paraffin, so certain decorations and techniques (like photos) would not work out well; but I love the ethereal look of these. They resemble viewing stones more than candles. We have made quite a few of these - about half are in the remelt box Gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette, right? But I finally stumbled on to a blend formula that works for us. Now, I am testing all the various flowers and stuff in my yard to see what works from there... I have learned so far that camellia petals and air potato leaves go brown very quickly... Wonder how my ferns would do? Wonder if they are already frozen?!

I agree with the reduced amount of O2 at the bottom of a container, particularly a tall one as opposed to fat, squat. At the end of a candle, there are bound to be contaminants, not only from the surface of the candle, but from what settled to the bottom when it was poured. This stuff can clog the wick. Vegetable waxes supposedly have some acidic components which can also contribute to wick clogging...