NattyCat

It'll be expensive! You'll need an air ticket to the UK first, and then come and find me at the Harbour in Herne Bay, which is on the South East coast of England. Should be a nice setting - it's an all day craft fair around a bandstand on the harbour, next to the pier. Nat

you're right about the cards jeff - I ordered an extra large load of mold sealer recently though so I thought I may stick them down with that - or blue-tac! I do have a lot of stuff to choose from and tried not to overload the tables with tons of the same thing. My moto is, the longer someone stays to look at ALL your stuff, the more time you have to talk them round to buying things. I did try a table that only had the same style of candles and only one or two soap varieties in larger quantities and the sales were slow. With the new set up where I only show one or two of each size/type but have very obvious back ups (i have candles and stuff lined up on the shelving unit so people don't think that the candles on the table are all I have) the sales are much better. People have to come over and look rather than being able to walk past without stopping because they can see everything on the table straight away. It's really hard to get the balance right - this set up may be all wrong as it's so newly organised that it's only ever been on display in my dining room! Nat

Got this set up in my dining room at the moment for a show on saturday. First pic shows my pie soaps, soap slices, scroll soaps, bath bombs, salts, lip balms,aromatherapy creams and bath milks and bath tea. Second pic shows my candles (tins, jars, pillars, votives, novelty and melts) Shelving unit which sits between the L shape shows simmering granules, room sprays and accessories Please excuse the mess in the background - there's boxes everywhere. Only just set this all up so if there are any seasoned showers out there who have any suggestions - please let me know! Nat

I'm ok if I don't take these 48 candles as I have about 60 already, but these were a new size tin (8oz and 4oz) where I usually only did 16oz. Have been testing today and the 16oz with the advanced using CD22 is burning perfectly. I started it at 11.15am, it's now 2.15pm and it has almost reached full meltpool - there's about 2 or 3 cm to go - and that is exactly spot on for the size of candle. The hot throw is very good too - the whole room smells of banana - i have no idea why I chose to burn this one as I can't stand banana scented candles! There are candles burning in 6 other rooms, all from the same batch using the same wax and all are behaving perfectly with their respective wicks - CD16, CD22 and w44-24-18LT. If the tests work out OK then I'll take them, if they don't - then I won't be short of stock. Thanks to Topofmurrayhill for advising me to hang tight and stick with the candles - as each hour goes by, the candles get stronger and stronger each time I give them a sniff. Am in the process of setting up my stall in the dining room as I got new tables and display stands - will post a photo later on when I'm happy with it for constructive criticism. Thanks everyone for being so helpful! Nat

just squeezed a handful and its definately greasy and sticky - not brittle like the PB. Had a go a PB and it does crack, where as this advanced stuff doesn't - so I think I have a good batch. I just use a wax tart which I made from the lavender batch last night and it stank the house out - so at least I know the hot throw is working OK. Got a banana cream pie candle going at the moment to test the CD22 and despite only being made perhaps 15 hours ago - it's throwing well. Only problem is, you can't smell the damn things when you sniff the surface - and if this doesn't improve then I'll lose sales as people pick the tins up and give them a sniff before buying - if it doesn't smell, they'll think it won't throw. crossing all my fingers and toes for this one! Are there any cheats I can do to make the candle smell from the tin? Paint some FO on the surface or something? I know, i'm sound desperate but the show is saturday and I know the candles hot throw so I need to convince people of this!

just poured my first cinnamon candles - have managed to put it off for months and months but I got a request and yes, it makes me want to barf. I thought it might when I first got a bottle and sniffed it oob so I hid the bottle and tried to forget that I had it. Don't think I'll be pouring them again. Also did banana cream pie candles at the same time and the scent of the two mixed together is enough to make anyone hurl. Nat

yes I plan on test burning tonight or tomorrow and if they don't work out I won't take them. There are only 2 candles (16oz tins) that have CD 22 - the rest have CD 16 (8oz) and w44-24-18LT for the 4oz ones. Sniffed the tarts I made with the left over wax from each batch this morning and they smell so much stronger than the candles. Not sure why this is?

am in the UK so would need to order them online and have them shipped here. Nat

What does "anchor hocking" mean?

errrm....where do you get them, can't see them on Bitter Creek?

ooh there's an idea. thanks CM!

actually, i made some tarts with the left over wax and put them in the fridge so I could re-use the moulds on the next batch of candles...they've just come out and smell waaaaaaay stronger than the actual candles...how's that work seeing as it's the same wax, just cooled quicker?

oh bum. the show's not "just over a week" I'm getting my dates mixed up - it's SATURDAY. Oh buggeration! it's 2.30am right now, hubby is asleep and dog is snoring on his sofa bed, so I can't go out and start playing with candles or I'll wake them up. That leaves just 2 days of curing on candles that don't smell at all. AND, I've burnt the end of my nose with FO - stinging like hell. Today (Yesterday) was not a good day, but hey - at least the sun was shining for the first time this year! Nat

on pretty much every container I use that is 3" or more, I use CD22 - you really have to wick up to get a good meltpool and hence a good throw. The CD22 is for "extra large" containers of 4.5 to 5 inches, but you need that extra inch or more (what girl doesn't??) when using soy - it's working out pretty good. I'm also testing RRD55 at the moment and that's working good too. For my smaller tins and jars, I use CD16 or CD12. Hope this helps!

it's about smelly jelly! I get my lids from Bitter Creek South and also the little clear plastic discs that you put over the top of the jar to stop the jelly falling thru the daisy shaped hole in the lid. BUT...for a plastic cover to go over these jellies...that use FO...isn't that a bit silly? My plastic discs are melting and becoming soft from the FO - so what to do? The discs are marketed for smelly jelly so they're fully aware, and give you the instructions to use FO...but as my last set of weighing scales will tell you...FO melts plastic. Have no idea what else to use ? Nat

Thanks Top. All of the candles have set super smooth with no dips. There are no puckers, pocks, streaks, swirls or dips - they're like ice-rinks. The problem I've got is that when I take the lid off a candle poured with 135 and smell the wax, it strongly smells how it should. But when I take the lid off a candle made with cb advanced - it simply doesn't smell. I asked my sister, my husband AND my dog to have a sniff and they all said that they could barely smell it. This has me worried that they'll not throw, and of course they have no cold throw. I'm about to remelt them and blend with paraffin as I can't think of anything else to do in such a short space of time. Is this a good or bad idea? i'll put perhaps 20% paraffin into them to help with throw? Both the candles I sniffed (135 and advanced) were made at the same time - I used the last of my 135 and then started on the advanced. Nat

I had to make 48 candles today for a show in just over a week - i know they should cure longer but I'm just running out of time! I had to buy new wax, I usually get CB135 but they ran out so I had to get CB Advanced. They're setting up nicely with the smoothest tops I've ever had...BUT - I just can't smell them. I realise they need curing, but with CB135, if you sniff the surface of the wax it really smells gorgeous as soon as they're set. But I'm sniffing and sniffing at the CB Advanced and I can smell nothing! I'm worried - does anyone know if this is normal and it'll get better? If it doesn't, I just can't take these candles. Is there anything I can do? I already loaded them with 1.5oz per pound using FO from several different suppliers - the only one I can smell is Rosemary Mint from Peeptoad Hollow! Help! Nat

I did pour one side first, with the intention of taking the divider out and pouring the second as it described in the instructions - but like I said, the divider didn't divide and the wax from the first pour went underneath and around the sides of the divider, despite using mould sealer. Hope you have better luck! Nat

Could have been echinacea?? Resembling a black-eyed Susan, echinacea or purple coneflower is a North American perennial that is indigenous to the central plains where it grows on road banks, prairies, fields and in dry, open woods. It is also called snake root because it grows from a thick black root that Indians used to treat snake bites. Herbalists consider Echinacea one of the best blood purifiers and an effective antibiotic. It activates the body's immune system increasing the chances of fighting off any disease. This popular herb has been used to help ward off the common cold and to relieve the symptoms of hay fever.

I used one, from Pourette, it was a yin yang one. Didn't work - the wax just poured underneath the divider despite me loading the unpoured side up with mould sealer. The divider doesn't sit absolutely flush. Was a real pain in the butt and I've never used it again. Natasha

Wow! For the smallest candle on the planet, tea lights are the most annoying! How on earth do you stop the wicks from falling over, or becoming off centre? The only time you can get the straight and to stay straight is when the wax is forming a skin..and then that mucks up the nice smooth surface! Help!! Am I missing something? Am using standard tea-light wicks that were already pre-cut and am probably onto my 10th batch now with no luck on these darn wicks! Nat

Yep - castor oil works a treat. If you still get cracking after the addition of a teaspoon of castor oil, then also add 1oz of Soy Container wax (I use CB135) for every 15 oz of Pillar Blend too. So for 1lb of wax, it'll be 15oz of PB, 1oz of CB and a small teaspoon of castor oil. Hope this helps! Nat

wow! they're lovely. Well done!

It's 12.30am and I just got back from doing my very first show. I displayed my candles and bath/body products at a pamper evening being held at my niece's school. I took WAY too much stuff - there were boxes everywhere and I couldn't display some of it....I think I may habe been a little too productive!! Anyway, I have no idea what a "good" show would be - but after paying the $60 registration, I made just over $250 ($310 in total) The show was from 7pm to 10pm so I reckon $250 is an OK amount for 3 hours??? I'm very very happy that even one of my products sold, but a wide variety sold - including soaps, lipbalms, candles, wax melts, smelly jelly and aromatherapy creams. Also got some wholesale enquiries and an invitation to display my products at a local health club. The teachers of the school also want me to go and have a little candle-making class for the kids (I worry about hot wax near kids though???) Am exhausted - it took two weeks of preparation for this show and my feet are killing me...but I'm so happy. I gave up my IT job to do this candle thing and I'm really pleased that other people like my candles as much as I like creating them! Nat

I use EcoSoya Pillar Blend and Ecosoya CB135, which is imported from the USA by a wax refinery company to the UK. This means that I pay $2.30 per pound of wax. I guess I'd pay a whole lot more if I tried to buy it from the USA and get it shipped to the UK myself as I buy in 50lb boxes! Still...there's nobody in the UK who does Soy Wax so it's a rare and expensive commodity - I wish I could buy it in the USA and not pay HUGE postage fees but I've yet to find any place that I can buy from that brings the total cost in at less than $2.30 per pound. Natasha