Bernadette

Simple Green. Works every time for me. Just wet the surface first, spray some on, let stand about 5 minutes and wipe off. Doesn't hurt surfaces either.

Honestly, Donita, just when I think you can't possibly top that...you always do! Beautiful, as always...

I think your candles look great, except for the one little sick one...or does he just have a hangover! On the goldfish...I've used them before with the same results as you. They show up much better if you have more bubbles in the gel water, and when they're lit, they always showed up fine. I hope it works for you too!

If you only need a few, I get mine at Michaels. $.99ea, I think, and if you can hit a sale or have a coupon, $.50 approx. each.

Check it over very closely. Make sure that there isn't even a pinhole sized spot that isn't glazed. If there is, when you pour the gel in the candle, gel will be absorbed into that little hole(believe it or not), you'll get tons of bubbles coming out of the hole, and the unglazed ceramic will look like alka seltzer dissolving, and it will be all over your candle! Needless to say, it would be unsafe besides. And if that doesn't happen(if the gel is poured at cooler temps), gel will still get inside it, and it could catch on fire. Sometimes you can't even see these small pinholes, and most people that sell ceramics for gel candles recommend double glassing, or crimping the wick above the embed. HTH.

Well, you know, I've been back several times to look at these today, and they really do! I'm a Navaho/Hopi/Zuni jewelry fanatic, and I have so many pieces these candles match. They really are pretty...the colors are fantastic!

You've outdone yourself on these. On my screen, they look like turquoise and spiny oyster shell - very Southwestern! I love them!

Beautiful candle...she should love it!

I've been shipping year round, all over the world for over 7 years now. All I ship are gel candles. I never had a problem until last summer, but I'll get to that in a minute. Before I pack, I make sure they are totally set up, then I pack, leave the box open, and put in an extra cool room overnite. I've never had one melt. Now last summer, with the unbearable heat all over the country, I even insulated the boxes. Of course, I had some melt, and had angry customers. Funny part was, when I talked to them on the phone, it came out that they had let them sit on a sunny stoop most of the day, and admitted it was their fault. They just wanted free replacements for their mistake, but ultimately reordered at their own expense. You just can't let heat sensitive things sit out when the temps are in the 90s or better, in the sunshine. I consider that part of the transaction their responsibility. When I order something that is heat sensitive, and know I won't be home, I have my neighbor take it in for me. If it's as hot this summer, I may close. I'll be watching it closely. Funny you mention a Texas shipment though. In the past two weeks, in using the USPS flat rate boxes to Texas, I've had two shipments with damage(broken items), both in the Austin area!

You did a fantastic job on these! I absolutely love them. Just beautiful...what more can I say?

I have found when using silicone molds and pillar wax in mold that size that relief holes are needed, with a second pour if you want a smooth bottom. HTH:grin2:

Many years ago now I tried my hand at paraffin candles. I bought my supplies at Michaels, and then I decided to order directly from Yaley. They didn't have a website then, but they do now. You can get their products MUCH cheaper ordering directly from them at wholesale rates if you order a minimum amount. I can't remember, but it was either $50 or $100. May have changed by now... They offered great technical support(even calling me back the same day when no one was available when I called), and they sent me free replacements(can't remember if it was dye or scent)when the technical person told me I had ordered the wrong form(solid vs. liquid) for the wax I had purchased. I can personally tell you there is a huge difference between their products I purchased from Michaels and the ones I ordered directly from them. I know alot of people on here have a bad opinion of them because of the prices and quality of their items purchased from Michaels, but you might want to give them a try directly. I'm sure you'd see a difference. And if you live in the west, they are located in CA, so the shipping isn't all that bad either.

I purchased lots of this years ago. I have red, blue, green, the original yellowish/green, orange, purple, and I think one other color which escapes me right now. I have covered containers of mixed gel in each color in the shop at all times. Funny, you go out there at night, and before you turn the light on, you see all the different, bright colors in the dark! I, too, use it on the bottom of the candle, mostly as an outside circle with the same colored sand in the middle. I also do cutouts(like gel hearts) that I stick on the side of the glass, designed for a meltpool that will not melt them during the burn, and when the candle isn't being burned or blow out, the cutouts glow. Customers love them.

So glad to hear that you and yours are okay. The less fortunate around you are in my prayers. Glad your testers were there and performed well for you!

Several years back, there were alot of gel candle makers that swore up and down that putting jelly beans, peppermints, etc. in wicked gel candles was perfectly safe. Alot of people were doing it. Since all I make is gel candles, I decided to test it out. I made three candles in LP, MP, HP - all Penreco gel - using a candle with jelly beans all the way around the container, up the entire side; and a candle with peppermints around the lower portion of the container. So 6 of each(sometimes I'm not too clear). I burned one of each density right away. No problems. A second candle of each density was burned after 5 months. When it got halfway down, there was a prrrffff sound, kinda like some matches that you strike and they take a second to light up, and the whole surface of the candle caught on fire! After 9 months I decided to light up the last two, and after the candle meltpool was about 1/8" deep, the whole surface lit up! I could only conclude that over time, sugar or something was absorbed into the gel. I have never made a candle with real food of any kind since unless it was double glassed. If I had gone with the initial burn results on the first candle, I would have thought it was a safe candle.

I'm relatively new to the board(as far as posting goes)but not to candles. Been making them since 1998. I use a set of racked, glass test tubes that I got on eBay from one of those science supply sellers. Very reasonable at the time I got them. They work great if you're going to be making a variety of different scents. You can measure out your fragrances, put them back in the rack until ready to use(they each have a cork, so you don't have to smell all of them at once!), and when you've added your scent and have washed/rinsed them out, they have drying pins you put them on so they're ready for the next use.

You know, probably six years ago now, QVC and Valerie Parr Hill offered an auto delivery product in what I think was parrafin candles. Each season of the year you received a large oval pillar, a square container, a triangular container, and a votive - all the same color/scent. I ordered them because I have a marble hearth with the fireplace surrounded by marble, and I wanted these on the hearth. Thought it would be a safe place to burn these all together. One night I had them all lit, and since we have one of those familyroom/kitchen setups where you can see everything in the other room, went to the kitchen for a glass of water and heard this loud pop and shattered glass! I ran into the family room, and the triangle had blown up...exploded really...and because it hit the marble, it broke into a million pieces. There was even glass across the room!!! Thank God no one was sitting in there or they would have gotten cut for sure. And that candle was 2/3rds full! So it can happen with any candle. Harley1231, thank you for the welcome. I make candles full time, so I don't know if I will find the time to post that much, but I do appreciate the invitation. Gel candles were all I've made until six months ago when I started trying pillars and hurricanes after making pie crusts and food candles(like cheeseburgers, etc.) and decided to try them. I've been afraid of parrafin since my SIL almost burned down her kitchen 30 years ago - with her in it!

Hi...I've been lurking here at Candle Tech because I'm a timid poster!:embarasse I saw this post and decided to "come out"! I've been making gel candles since 1998, and oddly enough, just had a phone call this morning from a customer that asked about exploding gel candles! It never dies, does it?

Hi! I'm new to the board, but not to candle making. I have a multiple disc silicone mold. Each disc is 2 oz., so I pour my leftover wax into them, and when they harden, put the same color/fragrance into freezer bags and make sure to mark the fragrance on them for later use.