Crafty1_AJ

I have gotten good throw from those fragrance oils in votives and container candles. Some pillar waxes are not very good at giving off scent when burning -- some are better. I've gotten decent throw from pillar candles (still not as good as containers, mind you! LOL) but you've got to hunt for a wax that is rated for good throw. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions for scent load, and add the scent at the correct temperature to make sure it really binds with the wax. I use a wire whisk to make sure my fo is fully incorporated. In addition, sometimes candles need a brief cure period before they really give off scent. If I think of any other tips for getting good throw from pillars, I'll post. I always think of something else after I hit the "submit reply" button. LOL Edited to add: Just thought of something else. (Told ya! LOL) Too much vybar will bind the scent and it won't throw well. Also, when I said I got good throw from those fragrances at the craft stores, I meant the liquid kinds.

I love pillars. They are so beautiful. But if I want in-your-face scent throw, I go with container candles. JMO Hope that didn't sound harsh -- wasn't meant to be! I'm not really a mean person. LOL Happy candlemaking.

The thing is, the M&P base is MADE to be soft so you can cut it up and remelt it! If it were rock hard, you couldn't work with it.

I sub out some soy for some of the olive in my recipes. Helps a bit with the bottom line, and makes decent soap, too!

I get about 55-60 hours average w/ my 8 oz. jars, but that is single wicked.

I like Old Mill Fragrance's Smoky Mountains Christmas Tree. Just change the "Christmas Tree" to "Forest" in the off-season. LOL

See what I mean? There's a fine line between eliminating jump lines and melting your chunks with the overpour! LOL However, I think that your second batch looks cool too -- that is a nice effect (having some of the color blend into the overpour). ;-) To keep my overpour white, I had to do as you're doing -- experiment with pouring temps until I found that delicate balance between jump lines and melting the chunks. You could always pour cool to keep the overpour white, and then zap the finished candles with a heat gun to wipe out the jump lines maybe? (Haven't tried that -- just a suggestion.) Or just learn to embrace the lines. LOL Mmmmm....Frosted Carrot Cake? Thanks a lot, Pixie ... now you have me craving one of your candles here! LOL BTW, mine pictured here are scented berries & cream ... meaning the chunks were scented in a berry scent, and the overpour is a creamy vanilla. Yes, Victoria, I make my own chunks too. It's a great way to use up leftover wax scraps. I make them on a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with edges).

If you add ingredients to a pre-made lotion base, you'll be compromising the preservative system. Anti-microbial agents are added to lotion bases to keep the germs and mold at bay. The correct amount is calculated based on the ingredients already in the base. If you add more ingredients, you'll risk throwing off the balance. So adding shea would not be something I personally would recommend. HTH!

Office Max and places such as that carry shipping supplies.

I love the creativity and versatility of M&P. But one of its drawbacks is that yes, the bars do disappear more quickly than CP or HP bars do. It's one of the reasons I started making CP/HP soaps too.

I agree! The lines look cool! Sometimes what we chandlers consider "flaws" look great to non-chandlers. To get the chunks to show up more on the bottom, I fill the votive cups with chunks and tap down on the mold so they sort of "cram" together more, know what I mean? Then I add more chunks; I really fill those babies to the max. Then there's hardly any overpour -- the mold is filled mostly with chunks. LOL ETA: Here's a pic of the results. P.S. No, you're not seeing things -- these hadn't been wicked yet because I use wick pins on my chunk votives. LOL

Sometimes it takes 1.5 oz per pound to do the job with soy.

This would be a royal pain, I assume, but couldn't you "fix" the photo by going in and clicking on a small area of "good" color and pasting it up over the area of speckled photo? Smack me if I'm stoopid here ...

I would politely explain that you are a candlemaker yourself, and why in the FAT don't they sell YOUR candles for the fundraiser instead of someone else's? LOL

OK, sorry for my doofus response. In my defense (lame as it is!), I am new to the board and STILL haven't figured out how to change pages of posts every time! ROFL

I don't use any waxes in my whipped butters and I think they are just fine. It does take a little time for the product to thicken / firm up. I find that when it's completely cool (the next day), it sets up very nicely. You can experiment with different ratios of solids/liquids and see which texture & consistency you like best. I've used 2:1 butters to oils, and also 3:1 butters to oils. Personally, I prefer the medium consistency -- not too firm and stiff, and not too loose and creamy. So I shoot for a middle of the road whipped butter. LOL

Oooh, sounds cool -- I feel an experiment coming on!

That does sound a bit fast. I shoot for roughly one inch in diameter per hour of burn time for my melt pools. A little under or over -- no biggie. But if it's vastly different, I change my wick size. Each fo/dye combo is different, so you have to test wick sizes with each new combo. HTH!

Agreed -- the weather makes a huge difference! And I haven't used J50 in years, but when I did, my experience matched yours.

I agree on the dye chips. I use some Reddig-Glo dyes and the color is pre-measured for you, so you get consistent colors every time by just adding the same number of chips. I also use liquid dyes, which work great as well. Same number of drops each time equals pretty consistent colors.

Oh, thank you, Angela! I forgot to mention preheating the jars too. LOL

Personally, I'd start my testing with a 60z on that size of jar.

If you can find a good one-pour wax, pour it a bit on the cool side, and let the candle cool slowly, you might be able to avoid having to do this. Chris, LOVE your av!! I wub Snoops. ;-)

What's the diameter of your jar?

Man, businesses who don't answer e-mails really are a peeve of mine. Don't get me started ... Thanks for the heads up.