Jcandleattic

Gorgeous work!!

They are always so hit or miss with me that I no longer waste my time with testing their oils. Only about 1 in 3-4 would ever work for me, so it's not worth it to me to try to figure out which ones will or will not work. I know others have better luck, so maybe they will chime in and let you know which ones they use...

It would add nothing to the candle and be a waste of FO. I don't think it would necessarily be "unsafe" however, IMO it would be a waste because it wouldn't add any benefit to the candle.

I'm with you Puma... I do know some CP and HP "snobs" that think and vocalize loudly how M&P isn't "real" soap... I really really beg to differ!! It IS real soap!! It started out just like CP & HP, in a pot with someone (or a manufacture - who cares) adding all the ingredients - including NaOH, and producing a reusable meltable substance called M&P. And what some of the people who work with M&P can do???? Pure amazing talent!!! I can literally melt it and pour it (color & scent also) and that's about it... Which is why I only use it for embeds.

I missed this original post I guess, I am with OldGlory on this, it looks a bit overwicked and like you may end up with a blowout on consequent burns. My burn very similar tot he pic shown by OG, and after I extinguish the wick, I "hug" my candles, meaning exactly what she explained - I roll the warm wax in toward the melt pool so that by then end of the candle all but an inch tall stub has been burned. I always remember the old PartyLite parties I would go to as a teen and early adult, and one of the gimmicks in their spiel was "Do you love your candles? If so give them a "hug"... And they would proceed to show you how to "hug" the rim of your candle into the melt pool to get the most out of your candle. That's where/how I learned and I still employ that technique today. (And use the line on my customers when explaining how to burn them. ) Then I pull the remaining wick (if I can) and break up the wax and use it in my melter.

Careful - most wire cutters wont cut through M&P without snapping. A miter box cutter might be best. Did you spritz the embeds with alcohol before the overpour? That will help with adhesion as well as pouring a little warmer to melt the embed just enough to stick, but not enough to bleed. HTH

Don't be sorry - we love seeing them. They all look fabulous. I've never had the creativity to make M&P look good. (only as my embeds on my CP) I love seeing all the things talented people can do with M&P - it's inspiring!!

Yes, I don't rinse my molds after using the mineral oil, I let it help season the molds, and just wipe with a clean paper towel afterward. I do rinse/wash off any counter space I have cleaned with the mineral oil though to get the residue off after it has dissolved the waxy spots. HTH

Yep, as I said in an earlier post, basically unless you are sitting naked in a field out of the middle of nowhere and you walked on dirt to get there, you are using some sort of petroleum, fossil fuel product. It is literally in or used to make EVERYTHING... Another interesting tid-bit that most people don't realize, is it also helps to power the wind turbines on the wind farms that everyone wants to have replace it with. I also find it funny when people say they are living a petroleum free life - and they say it on forums ONLINE. Umm, LMAO

I do this with my leftover wax for my pillar repours. It does work great for that!

Yep, exactly as Dave said. Also, once wax starts heating up, it heats up very quickly and can reach the temp of ignition very fast. Think "blink of an eye" fast. After getting so frustrated with the double-boiler method that I used exactly ONE time, I switched to my presto and have never looked back. I still watch it carefully and never have the temp gauge set to higher than 195 - but I dont' feel I have to completely babysit it either.

I thought I had responded to this. Trap, Piping is when you put your wax in a piping bag and pipe it out for designs (like with frosting in cake decorating) I've done it with soap a lot, but never with wax. Might be something I may have to try.

You would think since most suppliers' main reasoning for the high shipping prices was due to the price of gas that the shipping costs would be going down right along with the gas prices. I wonder how long consumers are going to put of with these high prices before flat out protesting. I'm so lucking I have 2-3 suppliers within driving range and a few others only a state or 2 away... Otherwise I'd be up in arms right along with y'all.

I personally haven't tried it but know some people who have and they say it's a comparative replacement if you want silky but cater to the vegan crowd. Other than that, that's about all I know.

Thank you Trap! I want to do this one again.

Gorgeous!!

Also, just because a fragrance is skin-safe doesn't mean that it will behave well in CP. Maybe this particular soap seizes, accelerates, rices, fades, etc., There could be several reasons why the supplier marks it as Candles Only. Also is the IFRA information for THAT particular FO? Or is it for any Caribbean Teakwood? Because the formulation could be different from supplier to supplier as well, and that could be the difference. As Tennessee Candles Supplies suggested, I'd call to be sure.

Thanks Candy. I actually have a hanger that is just perfect for my hanger swirls. I do them quite often, I've just never done this "Butterfly" technique that is "all the rage" right now. I'll definitely post pics once I do it. I made up my lye masterbatch yesterday so I'm good to go.

Over 90% of everything we use on a daily basis is made out of crude oil. Basically unless you are sitting naked in a field literally out in the middle of nowhere you are using some form of crude oil. I couldn't remember the name of the study, thank you for reposting this. (sorry about my quoting - it wouldn't let me do a multiple quote so I had to hand HTML the quotes - and I'm not very good at that LOL)

Those look great. My med-fig always accelerates on me. Always, so I usually either only one color it, or HP it, but it is one of my favorite scents!

With M&P, I only use up to 3% FO max. It really takes scent well, and you don't need as much as you do in CP because it doesn't need to go through the saponification process. I would start with less than .5oz per pound of M&P and adjust accordingly. Vanilla will discolor M&P soap, just like CP. If I am using M&P as embeds in CP I never scent it. (I also use clear M&P) HTH

Thanks everyone. I'll definitely post pics - whether they turn out as planned or not. The contest ends on the 7th of Feb (we are not sending the soaps, just the pictures and the story behind them) but I really need to get it done soon or I'll miss the deadline. The first and second place prize is a really decent one, so I hope to at least place - but I know the competition will be fierce. We'll see what happens. I so appreciate all the good luck wishes!

Thank you - To get good swirls the swirl tool (if that happens to be a hanger) has to be pretty thick, meaning the diameter has to be about the thickness of a plastic hanger, not a wire hanger. I have a mold that is almost the exact length of a plastic hanger so that is what I'll be using. Most people put tubing around their hanger to get the thickness...

They look great! Show the cut pics - I can't wait to see what's going on inside those puppies!!

Soo, I am going to try a "Butterfly Swirl" made famous by Handmade in Florida - going to use a white base with a purple/fuchsia and teal/green swirl. Also I'm going to join a challenge for a soap that represents where you are from, so I am going to try to make a soap that has mountains, with a pink/orange cloud sunset to represent Colorado and the Rocky Mountains. We'll see how those 2 actually turn out in reality how I envision them in my head... LOL It will be interesting for sure.