hotmama2700

I know every time I go somewhere after making candles, have someone tell me how good I smell...my latest was maple walnut fudge, I had gotten it on a check and went to the bank and the man at the counter said "I don't mean to sound forthcoming ma'am but you smell so sweet. I told him I had been making candles and got some fragrance on the check. He ordered a candle right there. We are walking advertisements...LOL

If you are just wanting basic jelly jars, try your local hard ware store, I can get 16 oz for 7.95 and there is no shipping charges. Depending where you live, I buy all my wax and jars at Candle Science and it only takes 2 days to receive my order if I order by 4pm. My last order was 60 cases of jars and 5 cases of wax and shipping was 162.00 brought in by freight truck.

I am taking a break have been pouring non stop since end of August. I think I am going to clean out the candle closet and get out my Christmas items, baskets, stockings, jars, etc. Snowing here today and very cold. Gonna burn a Pumpkin Apple Butter candle. Everyone have a great and productive weekend. :smiley2:

I feel the same way you do, I like some friendly competition. If somebody wants something I do not offer I tell them who might have what they are looking for. I recently did a show about an hour from my house, the farthest I have ever ventured for a show. I was told there would be a Scentsy person, a soy candle person, and a well known candle lady who had been coming there for years. I thought what the heck I had a lot of stuff made and it was only 60.00 for three days and several thousand people attended. There were 5 candle vendors plus me. I was a little worried at first but when people were saying how I was the only candle stand that they could smell when they walked by, my worries went away and I sold out of almost everything that weekend. The one lady was there for 9 years running which she made a point to tell me, but there was plenty of people to buy from us both. I will definitely be back there next year and will be better prepared because it was a huge success.

I made Pumpkin Cheesecake, Blueberry Cobbler, Apple Dumplin', Strawberry Shortcake, and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I sold around 14 of them that weekend. I had 5 other candle vendors so I wanted to bring something that would help me stand out and get people's attention. These were a lot of work but very fun to make. They burn real nice too.

Those look very nice. I like the shape of your tarts. Fruit Loops, I haven't tried that one. Is it a good fo?

I have had much success with J50 and my candles smell awesome and burn beautiful. I have dabbled with nature wax from Early American Candle Supply but it didn't throw like my J50 and the nature wax frosted. I know there are many soy waxes out there and people have had much success with soy but I prefer my paraffin. Perhaps the reason your candles sunk in was you may have poured too high of a temp or you might have used a wax not specified for containers. I have had much luck with J50 and zinc wicks. My tarts I use a formula of 25% J50 and 75% paraffin. They melt nice and with the added J50 helps increase scent throw. Hope this helps.

Ok I recently started using ecosoya pillar blend for my tarts. When I went down to the candle supply place they gave me x-cel by mistake which is used for containers. They claim I can still use it. What do you all think I should do? I have a huge store order to make and I don't want the tarts to melt inside the store. I did notice that their container blend is harder than my J-50 and I accidentally made tarts from it one time and no one seemed to mind. Need some advice.

It has been awhile since i posted anything but I need some help. I have used 6228 for years and two of my suppliers are not carrying it anymore. I use to go and get it at Early American Candle Supplies because i am about an hour away from there. I would pick up my jars and j50 and grab a case of 6228 and not worry about shipping. This was wonderful when i do fundraisers. Now they have stopped selling 6228 and j50. I have tried their Ecosoya Pillar Blend because I was desperate to make tarts. My new customers don't know the difference but my older customers told me that the tarts don't seem as strong. I want my 6228 back. Is the Astor V the same thing. Also is the 6006 comparable to j50 at all. I can still get j50 but I like being able to driving an hour and getting everything right then and there and not having to wait or pay shipping. I have also tried the 4794 from candle science and have good luck with that I do add 25% j50 to this as well as the Ecosoya and the 6228. Thank you for your help

Stephanie

I go to a lot of festivals and shows, I have a three day one this weekend. Where I am from tarts are best sellers. My customers seem to like a variety. I sell 1 oz tarts for 1.00 or 6 for 5.00 at a show. Usually the 6 for 5.00 goes very well. Usually all 6 tarts are different scents. Clamshells are good for a person who wants the same scent but in my area they want variety. Hope your show is successful.

Steph

In time you could become a FO HO. Welcome aboard!!

I think I am there now.

Thank you everybody for your ideas. I like all of them. I definitely want to to do a biscotti, expresso, and wine fragrance. I have been selling fall scents about several weeks. Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pumpkin Apple Butter are my best sellers right now. I figure what i don't sell of the red, white, and green candles, I would throw in christmas themed candle baskets for the holidays. Thank you for your input.

Steph

I don't remember what supplier has it but its called Pumpkin Patchouli and I hear its fabulous. Would love to try it myself.

I mixed Peak's Sweet Pumpkin Spice and BW Vanilla Sugar for a pumpkin vanilla soap and the smell is divine!!

Just Scent has the Pumpkin Patchouli, I bought it last year.

NGs Pumpkin Cheesecake is awesome, I went to the local flea market and sold out of tarts and candles. Pumpkin Apple Butter came in 2nd.

Does anyone use this wick size for 8oz jjs. I ordered 44-24-18zs like I always do and they sent me the 28s by mistake, I tried one in my warm apple spice 8oz jj. It burned better than my 24s and with less mushrooming. Does anyone use these wicks for their jjs.

I am doing an Italian festival and need some ideas on what to do and display. I think I am going to do red, green, and white table coverings. I am going to do some green, red, and white layer candles and votives. I thought about dipping a few bears and tying red, green and white bows around the neck. I am also going to do my regular set up and do some pumpkin jars and fall items. Anyone ever did this type of festival before.

Much help is appreciated.

Steph

If you were making an item and cold throw was the only important thing, what kind of wax would you use: soy, paraffin or a mix of both?

TIA

My j-50 gives an excellent cold throw and hot throw in candles. OK6228 for tarts.

if you search the heart container, i know people were trying to get the wicking down on them.. so yes they have been used but they say it hard to wick

MY dollar tree sells the Libbey stars too. I haven't seen any hearts, but Walmart has those.

Lavender and Red Hot Cinnamon I always get burned with the red hot oil, and it is so strong it burns my eyes. Customers love it. My best seller next to Love Spell which I really like making.

I can't even leave the house without unplugging all the outlets...I could never light a candle and leave!

I try not to, but on several occasions I do forget. I come home and the house smells so good and I say I left a candle burning. One thing I have noticed about zinc wicks are they burn cooler than any other candle I have seen or used. I can actually put my hands around the rim of my jar and it does not burn me but I am getting a full melt and had been burning the candle for over 6 hours. As for outlets, I leave my tart burner plugged in while I am out all the time. Many of my customers do as well. I do not encourage this, but we are only human and I tend for forget to turn them off. I often check my tart burner cords and as long as they are not hot I leave them on. I use the warmers from OBI and my customers love them. I think they are safer than the the tin ones. A friend of mine lost her house because of a tin tart burner. She also had mine in there as well. The chief told her the fire started in her kitchen where her tin burner was at. Mine was in her bedroom. To this day she still leaves her tart burner on when she is out. She refuses to buy any tin ones though. She has eight burners in her house and she uses every one of them.

Thanks much for the feedback! With regards to blowing out, trimming, and relighting, my only concern is that the general customer wouldn't have the presence of mind to do that. Has that been an issue with any of your customers?

Zincs are the only wick I use, I tell all of my customers to trim their wick, and let the candle get a full melt before blowing the flame out. Nobody seems to mind, because they keep buying over and over. I tell them if they take care of the wick, their candle will burn and last longer than if they let it go.

I hope this is the right place to post this! Does anyone sell the 4oz. jelly jars? I've searched like crazy, but found very little info on this size. Just wondering what a reasonable price would be. I've found lots of sites selling theirs for $5 each, but I don't think I'm going to try that! I'm thinking $3.50-4.50....any thoughts? These are quilted jars with silver lids and tied with raffia.

I started out with this type of jar in the beginning, but I could not sell them. Nobody wanted to pay 4.00 for one. Not even 3.50. I decided to make my smallest jar 8oz jj. I can make one of those for 1.50 and I sell them for 6.00. They buy these like crazy. I also could only get 25 hours out of a 4oz jj and get 60 hours out of a 8oz jj. My 8oz jj is my best seller. Followed by my 10oz hex which I sell for 8.00 and when I do fundraisers I sell them for 9.00. Good luck.

I am looking for a strong vanilla. I have been doing a search and have seen one called Very Vanilla from Candle Science. I am wondering how it compares with Peak's French Vanilla?

Very Vanilla kicks butt. My customers love it. They say it lasts up to a week in my tart formula. Makes a very strong candle in parrafin, don't know about soy though.

steph

I use associated bag. They are very reasonable. I use 3x3 though, they probably have 2x2 as well.

steph