Hillary

I've done a search and I know it's come up before but I can't find what I'm looking for. I just applied for my Fed tax I.D. # and on the app I filled in 'sole proprietor'. Now I'm nervous that I'll get my pants sued off for some ridiculous thing and maybe I should have put 'LLC'. I know an LLC is supposed to be a bit safer somehow as far as keeping personal assets safe, but sole proprietor just sounded nice to me....lol, and it is cheaper. So I wondered if you all could calm me down here. Has anyone really been sued over a candle and lost thier home?:undecided

I mean I know it's possible, but is it one of those things that happened to a friend of a friend of a friend? I just don't know if I should be as concerned over the difference between LLC and sole propietor.

Thanks, I thought about the scale, and I don't have a good one. I am shooting for consistancy in color from batch to batch, and I'd like to have a better variety of colors. Maybe I should think more about chips. Or just get a better scale. $$$$$$

I've been using concentrated liquid drops and those are great for the most part. I need very little, like very little. 4 drops of blue will get a good color in a 4 lb batch. But that's a double edged sword because when it comes to mixing colors or doing a smaller batch I have a hard time getting the same results twice. It's tough to measure 1/2 a drop. So I'm thinking of trying the dye flakes at Bitter Creek. They have sooooo many great colors and I wondered if any one could share their opinions on the flakes. At 4.95 an once I could try one, but I want like 15 of them. Any thoughts?

Ginger, just in case you aren't aware, and I'm certainly no expert here, but there are many different types of medications available and if one has side effects another may not. There are also alternatives to medication. Maybe a little more research into the issue will help settle the candle dilema. I think facing these things head on is the best way to make progress. I wish you the best.

If you have found something you love then you have to find a way to make it work. I agree with Spatreats. Anxiety disorders are a dime a dozen these days. (Ask me how I know;) ) Learning how to cope with your particular fears and triggers are a great way to keep from flipping out. Again, been there. Sounds like craft shows may be a little too much for you right now, but maybe you could get a friend involved as Nattycat mentioned, or find a craft mall where you don't have to actually 'sell', just stock. The website idea sounds like a good way to avoid the social issue too. How ever you go about it just know you are one of many dealing with this kind of thing. I say that to be supportive, not to trivialize. Stick with candles if you are really into it. Don't let the anxiety dictate your choices. :highfive:

Flutterbye, is a capri jar like a bulb jar? I use a 15 oz bulb jar. I think they have a similar shape. I use a j50/soy mix and 1oz.pp of fo. I single wick with 60-44-18z. It doesn't get a full mp for the first few burns but it catches up eventually. I tested HTP, CD, and zinc. Zinc core had the least smoke but the full melt pool was tough with out smoke. I felt like I either had to tolerate the smoking or have a partial melt pool that catches up later. I chose the smaller melt pool. I really wanted to single wick. I haven't tried Lx wicks yet. I really should get a sample pack of those too.

HTH

I thought that was kind of a long shot. I did look at Candle Science and I think that's probably as close as anyplace else. Thanks. I'm trying to use up what I've got before I order anything else right now, hence, the j50 question. So much wax to try, so little money!

Would this also work with j50? I'd like to try mottling containers and j50 is the wax I have in excess at the moment. TIA.

CandleCouture- Aside from the puddles on top, if you can get past that, how does the wax look? Is it mottled/rustic looking? Maybe you will get a better idea of the appearance after you melt it down and give it another go. I've been thinking of trying 2281 so I'm interested in your opinion on this. Will you try additives when you melt it down or just add some wax to dilute the FO?

I believe Wholesale Supplies Plus uses glass. Unless they've changed in the last couple of months.

Lucky you! I'd love to have a supplier so close. I can't even imagine how much cheaper everything would be with out shipping.

I get jars there too, but haven't tried the FO's. I'll be interested to hear the feedback on this also.

Same here. Parasoy - and I've only tried a few FO's from them but they were pretty good.

Be careful. Their website is very seductive. Lol. All those pretty colors and those exotic FO. Did you get your free mouse pad too? Nice little treats they send. I love that.

Thanks for the input. I think a light caramel sounds just right. I got this FO from Bear Labs. Someone mentioned their website in a thread a month or so ago and I had to take a look. www.incenseoils.com The prices are super low so I had to try it. They don't really have a big selection but several people vouched for them so it's worth a try. I hope it is stronger once it's poured. I just can't seem to get around to doing this batch. Maybe I need to stop sitting at the computer talking about it and actually do it!!

Janette, what's RA? It isn't ringing a bell.

What color would this be in a candle? I haven't seen it and I can't wait to pour it. It smells a tad weak but I'm hoping it will be stronger in wax. Still, I don't know what color. White? Off white? Creamy?

Thanks for any help;)

I'm not experienced enough to comment on if you should wick up or not. I don't do pillars. I just wanted to tell you that your candle looks great. The one in the backround is gorgeous too. Very Nice!

They have a scratch and sniff of that scent in the current catalog. It is awsome. Rich, with out being too sweet. I'd love to know where to find it too.

We've been using www.lablesbythesheet.com. I can't seem to settle on a style. I keep changing my mind and there you really can buy them by the sheet, try them out-see how your design looks. I'm back and forth all the time on this one. Clear, glossy, oval, round......I keep thinking once I've settled on one or two styles for good then I'll look to buy in bulk.

Top, thanks. Yeah, that's exactly what the wax looks like. A very rough, bubbly surface and a little mottled looking. It seems much harder than the waxes I've tried, and it's not even a tiny bit smooth or creamy.

I'm glad I asked, best way to learn.

Oh, okay I get it. Point taken. Obviously a big name like that can't devote the time and care to the quality of the candle anyway. Just got a little curious.

Hi Charity,

I did the same thing. I'm now mixing waxes. Blending my soy with pariffin. I'm still working out the kinks but I think it's a much more consistant blend. Grean leafs 70/30 sounds really good but I'm scared to depend on a supplier for the blend. The JS 50/50 sounds good too. But, if I can control the % then I can change it when I need to. Like on the taller jars a higher % of pariffin seems to work better for me. To each his, or HER own. Just play with it till you get what you want. The wicks are the real kicker.

Hillary

I just recently bought a Yankee candle for reseach purposes only, and while the throw is actually pretty good there is over 1/2 an inch of wax all around the melt pool. It seems to sort of roll down as it burns, so that it maintains a nice even look on the outside of the jar while still having a melt pool of over 2" . In speaking to friends about the appearance of a jar candle they seem to like this look, having the jar stay clean and keeping the melt pool contained on the inside.

Still being relativly new to candle making the container waxes I've used so far, soy and paraffin, have been pretty soft. I was wondering if you all knew what wax they might be using. I know that it's a combination of wax, wick and FO that make a candle work. I just hav''nt seen a hard pariffin like that yet. Is it straight pariffin with additives? The wick seems to be really holding on too. I see a little bit of soot but I have only burned it about half way. I don't want to try to duplicate this. I'm happy with the mix I've got. I just wondered what what the wax is.

Thanks for sharing this.

Charity, Congratulations! I'm in the 3rd month of my lease at a craft mall. I felt just like you. I still do sometimes. But I think everyone is right, it's hit or miss. Some times days go by with out even one sale, and that sucks, but then I'll sell 5 in one day and I feel like I hit the jack pot. I'm barely paying for the booth space at this point, but I'm getting the candles out there and I'm planning to start advertising soon. The craft mall isn't pushing my product, only storing it basically. It's up to me to get people there to buy the candles. I plan on sending and announcement type of mailing to a bunch of people with a 20% off one item coupon just to get them in there, and I've also put on my business cards (in the corner) available at ****Craft Mall. I think this is the slower season for the craft mall places. As Texas Brat said- I'm sure fall would be much better for sales. I did give a small freebie to the girls that work at the checkout. I figured it wouldn't hurt to make nice with them. They come in contact with every customer;) . There's much less traffic then I originally thought at the mall I'm in, so I figure I have to get the people there myself.

Good luck to you! I keep telling myself it will all be worth it in the long run, we just have to hang in there and make it work.