ShelleyF

11 hours ago, bfroberts said:

Crazy, isn't it? 
It's also crazy when someone asks why such and such isn't working, and you try to pass along some hard earned knowledge, but they disregard what you say because it's not what they want to hear.  It used to frustrate me to no end, but now I just don't care.  People hear what they want to hear. 

It is crazy. I am not a pro yet lol but that's why I am reading as many posts on here as I can. But I even know some things and I've learned from all the great members here at Craftserver. I've told people to come here but was told no so now I don't tell anyone anymore. I learn new things daily on here. I am very thankful and blessed to have found this  great group of people. I don't always write. Not because I don't want to lol it is because I don't have nearly as much knowledge as a lot of people in here. I decided I do not want to make candles lol at all. I make melts and smelly jellies, Crystal Potpourri and aroma beads. I don't have any patience for candles but admire all of you who make them. Now I see why candles are so expensive lol but still won't buy them because I like melts better. I worry about my cat getting into the candle.

I love Nature's Garden but they have instructions to go by flashpoint. Ugh why are they doing that? It had me confused months ago. Also some  people on other forums are saying you have to go by flashpoint. I said no. I was told since I was new and they weren't I had no idea how wrong I was. They weren't mean but very serious about the flashpoint. I was so frustrated. 

Another thing that frustrates me is when people say curing is a myth ugh curing is not a myth. NG slso says joy wax needs no cure. How is that? 

On 3/26/2018 at 6:38 PM, Faerywren said:

You should be able to use Sun & Sea. One of the big no no's is using a trademarked name and putting "type" after it. People think if they add "type", they are okay to use the trademarked name. They would be wrong. What a trademark attorney told me once was to rename every dupe and, if I wanted, I could put a disclaimer on my items saying, "Similar to Aquolina's Pink Sugar" or "Our version of Bath and Body Works Secret Wonderland".

I don't know this. Thank you. I have one called Bedazzle so just put similar to Victoria's Secret Love Spell and that's all I have to do? 

I bought some  rare icetrays that have molds of fruits and the Kool aid man. My daughter said she's thinks I probably can't use the koolaid man for melts. I looked it up and it says generlizicied trademark so I'm confused. Anyone know?

That is gorgeous. I love it.

3 hours ago, katmeltswax said:

I have had good results with the car freshners holding the scent . 

The scent is going strong now going on near 3 weeks .I have many testers trying the new beads & getting great feedback thus far . I have 2 vehicles of my own with freshners ,still smell as good as day 1 . I have not tried the sachet bags ,so cannot help with the issue here . I think maybe another type bead would benefit you on doing the sachets . The premium beads are made to melt & stick together like glue kwim. This co offers a variety of beads . 

Hope this helps !

Kat

I am sitting here laughing at myself. lol I have read on here  that the premium beads are  the best but everyone that wanted those kind  was melting them. I didn't even give it a thought that the kind of me ones wouldn't melt and that's what I needed. Thank you. I am going to order the weconomy ones. I was wondering if you can put the solar  crystal salts in your car instead? I know you can put them in sachets. 

8 hours ago, Skk5233 said:

I find That their economy beads work better as sachet beads. Scent lasts much longer, they just don’t melt well. 

Thank you. I will get the economy bead since I don't want mine to melt. The difference in the price is hardly anything so that's why I had got the premium ones. 

I have a problem. I gave my daughter some aroma beads in an organza bag for her car. The beads have clumped together I side the bag and the scent is now gone. After only 2 weeks! Got from Plastic Pellets 4 Fun. They are a friendly company with great prices and lightning fast shipping. But these beads are not working. I got the premium beads. Or are the sachets not made for the car? Only as ornaments? I don't want to make ornaments. I do not use my oven hardly ever. It is too hot to turn it on and expensive also.

7 hours ago, GoldieMN said:

@ShelleyF How goes the solar salt thig-a-ma-jigs?  I mixed up two different fragrances in small Pyrex measuring cups.   I'm wondering if I should have just spread them out on parchment paper as they are taking a long time to dry.

GoldieMN

 

 

I put them in mason jars but don't overfill the jar. Then shake several times a day for a day or two. It doesn't take a lot of oil. You can always add more crystals if you added too much oil  That is what I did. I haven't sold any yet but going to in a day or two. My last daughter moved out so it's been hectic with her move and my rearranging lol

Does anyone sell poo spray? Lol I was wanting to sell it locally only. Don't want to ship it. 

36 minutes ago, GoldieMN said:

I'm thinking the crisp, cellophane-type bags would work.  This has been discussed here, but I don't know if the exact name of the plastic was mentioned.  Maybe polypropylene?   Rustic Escentuals sells them for one.  

GoldieMN

You are right it is polypropylene.The other kind Ziploc is made with is polyethylene. I bought some organza bags and polypropylene bags. I would love mylar but they are  expensive. 

I'm shocked and surprised by what I just read. A seller online said she has been in business for 15 years and doing craft fairs that long too. It was on eBay I saw this. Well she package each wax melt in Ziploc bags! And uses grocery bags as fillers. The Ziploc will suck the scent out so why doesn't she know this?

On 8/1/2018 at 7:29 PM, Jupiter’s Delight said:

“Hoping the craft venues she is at require proof of Insurance! “

It all seems like easy peasy money...until your hit with a law suit....Insurance is needed in this day and age..be it candles, or bath and body products. 

I know and people love to sue which is sad. 

23 hours ago, Sebleo said:

The scary thing about it is that people could get seriously hurt. I had a booth set up on the 4th of July and an acquaintance stopped to say hi and asked what I was doing. I told him about my melts and he pulled up his shirt to show me his stomach which healing from massive burns. He said they bought a candle from a friend who had started making them and it exploded on him. He won't burn candles anymore. 

 

 

That is awful that happened to him. It is very scary how many people don't know how to make a candle. That sounds very painful.

5 hours ago, Trappeur said:

Well, I just had something happen from a phone call I just got from a supplier that is like a bomb just went off in my house of what transpired between this person and the supplier that has hit me like a lead balloon.   I'm so upset and my hands are shaking I can't even type here.   Will come back as soon as I can calm down.   I just can't believe what has taken place.

 

Trappeur

I'm sad to hear this. Will be praying for you.

48 minutes ago, Hopie said:

 

Just a quick note about renaming Nag Champa...I wouldn't. People seek Nag Champa, and I sell a lot of it. The 1960's doesn't tell them what it is. 

Ok I will change it back. I hate that scent lol but  want to make money.

42 minutes ago, ncraiders said:

If the fragrance name is not trademarked but you wanna name it something different you might consider adding the actual fragrance name in () below whatever you change the name to that way people can  associate your fragrance name with the name of the fragrance they already know and love.

I was thinking about doing g that. Wasn't sure because a million people sell Love Spell. I want to be different. So I need to stay the same as everyone else?  I really need to know. I want to make money. 

8 hours ago, Hopie said:

Well, the NERVE!   When I get those type of questions from my incense customers, I just laugh a little and tell them that it's a well guarded secret how I make them    I did create my scent and dpg mixtures myself, through trial and error, just like I do with candles. Thus, I disclose NO mixtures, formulas, suppliers, waxes or any other thing that goes into it with a potential customer. Period. Same answer.

 

They do sound like they are trying to cut you out, or duplicate what you make...which is ridiculous, because without YOU, they have no candle line that's of the quality THEY already determined you have. No more answers for them, except for "do let me know if you'd like to place an order with me" with a smile  Glad you brought this to the board. I'm always happy to help another candle maker out (with what I consider limited knowledge), but in this circumstance it sounds like they are trying to steal your business!

They are and it's pitiful. Trap is too smart to fall for that. Her candles are beautiful. Customers would know something happened as they can't make them like her. I bored a lady that I thought was going to ask because the conversation was headed that way. Lol so I said this business has SO many waxes. 30 paraffin, 100 soy, 40 palm, etc. Of course I don't know how many of each lol but she was so shocked she definitely didn't ask. Lol 

Here's one for you. lol I told a lady recently they have parasoy, paracoco,soy, coconut, palm, beeswax, paraffin, then said 415, 444, 464, and starting naming g bunch of numbers of soy, coconut, paraffin, and palm, feather etc. Lol said she thought this would be easy. Haha sorry lol it isnt

This is the biggest challenge I ever had but love it. I love a challenge. I'm addicted to it.

7 hours ago, Quentin said:

That's probably the best way to handle it. Or maybe, "It's my great-grandmother's secret recipe."

7 hours ago, Quentin said:

Coming up with different names can be really tough. I'm always coming across a candle I made that had a great scent. I forgot to write it down. Back to the names, I still can't come up with any clever name for Lavender except "Lavender". 

lol I will have to do that. I do tell people it's my secret but something about Grandma might work better.

I haven't renamed Lavender yet but how about Soft Lavender if it's a lighter one which I have some lighter ones or Loud Lavender lol or Bold Lavender if it's very overpowering. I'm grasping at straws here lol

I renamed Nag Champa The 1960's

7 hours ago, ScentedPleasurez said:

I was always skeptical when someone wanted specifics from me. I mean they need some detail so that they could market it but i think they went a bit to far. 

 

It sounds like to me they are wanting specifics to cut you out all together and the candle would remain the same because they are using thr same products. 

Sucks that they tried talking you down, i cant stand people like that. 

 

You are exactly right. I thought the same thing. They already have their name on it so they have to have it the same. I can't stand people like that either. It's disgusting. 

8 hours ago, ellajoan said:

I've had a few friends assume that candle making is simply---melt the wax, add the oil, pop in a wick, done.  A few of them are trying to copy our scents, jars, etc and asking us all of these questions as well.  None of them know that each candle involves months of trial and error and testing, testing, testing.  Whenever they ask me these specific questions, I tend to say--if you want to try your hand at candlemaking, there are plenty of websites that offer starter kit.  Heck, I'll even direct them here if they are serious--but I'm not planning on giving years of work away for nothing just because someone thinks this craft is easy.

I know it isn't happening. I haven't been doing it for years but I've done lots of research and many mistakes. I have my wax formula finally right and people want you to tell them your secrets. No way. Why would we do that? One lady had nerve to ask what supplier I got my Love Spell from so she could buy the oil to just diffuse it instead of buying melts. I told her there are many suppliers that sell it. Most  Love Spell are similar and grapefruits but I love the one that isn't. It's magical the one I've found and I tried 7 different ones before finding it. I was upset because she bought one and she picked right and got the right one the first time. Yes you guessed it. She only diffuses now and doesn't buy melts. Said she loves it and is saving money. I was so mad and sad that someone could do that. 

1 minute ago, GoldieMN said:

@ShelleyF Great names!  I wish I was that creative as I prefer to change the names of the oil used as well.  But then I forget to write the original fo down.  Now what oil did I use to make "Cabin in the Woods"?  lol

GoldieMN

Thank you. I thought I was corny lol Be Thankful I am calling Just Desserts lol because it is all desserts. I spend a lot of time thinking of stuff lol

That is definitely not right of them to do that. I am pretty new and people are already asking me to have a class and teach them. Said they don't want to sell. Just want to make for themselves so they don't have to buy from me.  Ridiculous. So here is where I have fun lol Told several negative views and shut them up. Said wax is $80-$140 a box shipped usually. Fragrances are very expensive and shipping is high unless you get a deal. Testing never ends lol at this point is when it gets shut down except for one more question lol how in the world do YOU afford it? I said I pray a lot. But how? I repeat and they are confused lol I'm not giving my secrets out lol also from great advice on this board I am renaming 95 percent of my scents. I hope it sells because peoplr are used to popular scents. I want to be different. My husband had to keep helping me name things lol most he loves but I am pretty corny lol like for Sweet Pea I am naming it Popeye's child, lol only thing I can think of. For Love Spell it is Bedazzle, , Cool Water is Waterfall. Jack Frost is Putting On the Mintz lol told you I'm weird.

I use liquid dye and it comes out beautiful. I have almost a gallon of vegetable glycerin because we used to vape. I used to make my own ejyice lol was wondering what to do with the glycerin. It's pretty cheap. I got 1 gallon shipped for $25 total last year. Don't know the prices right now buy Essential Depot is where I ordered from.i will have to try it. 

1 hour ago, bfroberts said:

I like tell myself that if people do not have the desire and the perseverance to do a thing well, they probably won't do it long.

That is true there's a few people I've seen that I really quit after a few weeks.