chuck_35550

Let's just start a commune in Texas.

just to make a great product that people will enjoy, That is the bottom line. Your question was fine. We all try to produce a cleaner burning product and shouldn't have to apologize for how we go about accomplishing that feat. I use a parasoy blend because it works for me and because I want to use it. I promote my candles as being a parasoy blend, because that's what they are; not as a better environmental product. You simply state that your product contains soy and or other ingredients and let the product speak for itself. Customers enjoy my products and they come back and buy them because of that fact. I don't bother to tell them to dip or blow or trim or anything else. They burn the damn things for hours on end and they soot up their houses and they don't care. I may start making my candles with horse manure, if that makes a good candle.

I had some Halloween candles from last year that didn't sell. I use a 70/30 parablend wax and 6% fo pp. Most of the candles were fine but a few had no fragrance and on test barely burned. The candles were covered with the sealing Saranwrap and stored in a cool place with no sunlight exposure. I gave the candles away as appreciation gifts to my good customers, instead of selling them. They smell great and look just fine for the most part. I'd be hesitant about selling really old product, if for no other reason than quality control. IMHO Steve

Wow you were right HB. Welcome Home is some stout stuff. I really like it and need to put some Hansel-Gretel in wax to see what that's like. I'm real pleased with the results. Steve

Just By Nature is the truest but Aroma Haven's Muscadine Vineyard is strong and grapey and therefore closer to what most people expect. IMHO Steve

Hilarical. Those damned little bubbles have caused more trouble than anything else. I used to think about attaching a micro mesh screen under the pour spout...ack, not worth rehashing. lol.

I would scoop those out into a presto and start all over. Clean the jars, re-wick and place your jars far enough apart that they don't affect another candles cooling rate. You might try adding some coconut oil and make sure that your fo is in ok shape.

Yankee uses colored/fragranced pellets that are placed around the wick and then melted (I think). It would need to be wax that is best for layering and the whole thing would be more trouble than it would be worth IMHO. Steve

Apple Jack Peel Butter mint Candies Chestnuts and Brown Sugar Christmas Cookie Christmas Memories Christmas Mulberry Spice Christmas Pear Country Christmas Cranberry Spice: Crème Brulee Eggnog Gingerbread Hansel and Gretel’s House Holly Berry Jack Frost Mistletoe Pomegranate Peppermint Sleigh Bells Sugared Plums Vanilla Bean Noel

I actually whipped the stuff with a hand mixer and didn't get bubbles. I guess you use the stove to heat your water for the double boiler method? I think most everybody uses direct heat with the exception of water jacketed melters or double boiler method. Presto pots have the heating element in the bottom of the pan and turkey fryers have the element exposed in the wax. It does sound like you have some wax that may have air incorporated from the manufacturing process. Take a wooden spoon and tap on the side or take a heat gun and pop those little boogers; otherwise gently stir with a non-slotted spoon. HTH Steve

Unless you are determined to use 100% soy in your candles, why not add a small amount of paraffin? Have you tried coconut oil? What kind of problems are you having? No ct/ht, cracks, wet spots, ect. ? Pure soy is a real beast for some folks in high altitude areas. You might try to find out from other local chandlers what they are doing to make candles. HTH. Steve

I have tcs pumpkin souffle and it is very spicy.

Thanks Candlebuddy, I'll have to give them a try. I think I'll mix up some cookie dough and maybe some hot chocolate and mocha cappuccino and see what I get.

I sifted through all my samples and sure enough, I have a sample of both fos. You're right, they're nothing alike. The AH seems to be a stronger oil than the cs oob; I don't know what they will be like in wax. I should look through my samples better in the future. Thanks, Steve

You may have to make an exception to your rule on this one. I kinda liked it but knew it would never fly with customers. Chunked it. Steve

Christmas Cabin will make your eyes water, it's the perfect Christmas evergreen fragrance. I've poured so much of it that I don't even offer it anymore. The 7up pound cake is one of my best sellers (I call it lemon pound cake) and I have poured a ton of their Apple Jack and Peel. HTH. Steve

LMAO!!!! I went ahead and ordered some of the Welcome Home and I have about 4 ozs of the cs HG to compare. Thanks for the input...I think. Steve

Thanks Barbara, I owe you some soap. Kudos to you too Deb. I panicked when no one had anything close to that fragrance. Chocolate has never done well for me. Alabaster has a good Mocha Cappuccino but I was afraid the ladies wouldn't want a coffee fragrance. Steve

Bump? Nobody has used Welcome Home?

Who has the best chocolate chip cookie? Customers are asking for Home Interiors Iced Chocolate Cookie fragrance. They describe it as smelling like Herseys chocolate with cookie.

The description sounds the same as Hansel and Gretel's House. Anyone have an idea which is better? Steve

I think all of this useless convo doesn't take into consideration the different types of marketing population. Upscale metropolitan or urban areas promote the latest, greenest, and most expensive trendy product. A woman with lots of money loves to show off by having expensive, specially made candles in her home for friends and guests. I've seen that first hand. Sell em those exclusive soy candles. I live in rural Alabama; do I need to elaborate? My customers do not, could not, would not care less about the ingredients. I use a parasoy because its reliable for my purposes of production. I never thought of it in terms of environment or helping American farmers...blech. Soy was cheap. Cheaper than paraffin. Still is cheaper than paraffin. Would have been even cheaper if that Bush fellow hadn't decided to use it for biofuels. There's a place for everything under the sun in the market place; there's just no sense in bashing any of it when everybody is out to accomplish the same goal.

i add just a touch of spearmint to the peppermint to take the edge off, but you have to be careful cause the spearmint will take it over.

The last 50 pound bag I bought was just too much hassle and headache to divide it up and store it. I like the containers from AAA and they were no problem. I guess if I had plenty of containers to store all the lye in I'd go for the big bags.

would the old dixie cup method with the self-centering wicks be out of the question?