FuzzyCandleMaker

Now I have seen it all. This cracked me up when I saw this. If they can get $34 for 3 votives - more power to them. I saw there was a bacon co-op back in October, maybe someone made the most of it!

BLT Candles

I just ordered Honey Bear FO from WSP. I will report back as soon as I get it. I also ordered a bunch from MMS so I can compare quality.

I made this recipe last night and really like it. I subsituted mango butter for the shea. It goes on really nice and moisturizes great! Thanks for the info!

I just got an order of Aroma Beads from BCN. I plan on trying it out and see how it goes. A lot easier than testing candles . Also, I just ordered supplies so I can do my first CP soap batch. Probably won't get to that until next weekend.

I just received an order from them yesterday. I checked the prices I paid 5 days ago to those now on the site. Basically, I came out even. The Mango butter is $3 less than I paid, but all the oils are way up.

I am just getting started, so I am not that concerned about finding the absolute best price. Plus, they are in the same state, so shipping was pretty cheap. It was shipped quick and everything I order was nicely packaged and protected.

I made 2 8 oz candles with a 1 oz sample of FO. 15 oz of wax and 1 oz of FO. I think that works out to be 6.6% FO load. I only trimed the wick once, which is probably part of the problem. I might try an LX-14 just to see, but I am fairly certain I have tested that before and it didn't melt the wax off the sides of the container. I will have to check my test notes. Thanks again for the feedback.

My melt pool is probably a little bigger than 1/2", but also, the wax did not adhere very well to the sides of my container, so there is a gap there for the melted wax to go between the solid wax and the side of the container. Thanks for the feedback.

Can someone please confirm this is soot at the top of my container? It is AWE 50/50 LX-16 wick scented sunflower. The container is 8oz straight side. This is after 2 marathon burns of at around 8 hours each. I don't think the wick is too big as is just barely melts the wax on the side of container. Should I be worried about the soot? I attached a photo. Many thanks.

So, I was on vacation up north and visited a small shop that had a sign promoting their 100% Soy Candles. I couldn't pass it up, so I went in and found a very small area with maybe 10 different scents in 3 different styles of containers and small votives. The guy told me all the advantages of soy and then proceeded to tell me they had only been making candles for 2 weeks.

The first indication something was wrong was the fact he was selling bags of soy flakes for $1/oz, or $8 for a 1/2 lb baggy.

I didn't want to spend the money on a container, so I just bought a couple of votives. Before I lit them, I made sure nothing flammable was in the immediate area. Sure enough, it stayed lit for about 1 min and went out. I couldn't get it burning again. I was very happy I didn't spend the money for a container.

Lesson to anyone just getting started: Test, Test, Test and more Test. If I didn't know any better, I would be really pissed I bought two candles and neither stayed lit. Instead, I just laugh and know that all my testing will be worth it.

I just picked up 20 1 oz samples Lucky for me, AWE is only a 10 min drive for me and I went over my lunch hour. I picked many of the FO suggested earlier, but I got several others. I'll review as soon as I have time to get them into wax.

If I remember correctly, it used to be free, but about a year ago they started charging a fee. I doubt it would raise the cost of shipping. I think it was just a small $.35 fee for using that feature. I stopped using it when they added the fee.

Here is the addy:

http://www.tonysfragranceoils.com/

I just ordered the 1oz sampler pack!

I went to their web site and I believe you have to have between $100-$200K for start up. Plus, 10% of gross revenue goes back to the franchise. Little out of my price range, but I guess all franchises are.

Has anyone heard of this company? I was visiting FL this past week and went into one. It is basically a high priced build-your-own B&B. They supply the bases and you pick out the color and scents. They pump the base into a bottle, add the color and fragrance. I bought some massage oil in a 4 oz container for $10 . They also sold bath bombs and they offer "parties" for birthdays, etc. I'm sure they are making a killing.

I was just wondering if anyone has tried that business idea on their own?

I may offically give up on 100% soy, for now. I really like GL 70/30 and I just bought a slab of AWE 50/50. I have tons of testing to do. My wallet really hopes I find a wax I'm happy with soon. :rolleyes2

I checked Target, Home Depot, Lowe's, and KMart with no luck. I finally gave up and ended up getting one from Wal-Mart. I paid less than $22 for it.

Lots of testing . I am just a beginner, and I have lots of wax to try out. I really like the GL 70/30, but I am fighting HUGE wet spots. I also have several 100% soy waxes to try. I absolutely love the JingleBerry FO from BCN. I need to buy a big bottle of that! I am taking it easy and starting out with 8oz straight side containers. Don't want to get too frustrated this early.

I seem to be lucky being in OH. I have At Wix End just a couple miles from my house. And Candle Makers Store a couple miles in the other direction. I hope I can find a wax I like from either of them. I am starting to lean more towards the 100% soy. I know it's harder to deal with, but I figure I have several months to figure it out. I am starting this out only as a hobby. I will maybe see about selling next year.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I found a nice 8 oz straight side jar for around $9 for 12. Not too bad. I will do as AngelaVA suggests and only go with three wax test samples.

I am fortunate to have 2 different suppliers right here in town to test from. Hopefully, I will be able to get most of my supplies from either of them and save on shipping.

First off, I want to say, I did some serious searching around the forums, but doing a search on "testing" is about as useful as searching for "candle"

Here is what I know:

• I want to test between 4-5 different waxes (2-3 pure soy and 2 soy blends)
  
• My first creation will be a container
  
• I am shooting for a fall/winter timeframe to give as gifts to friends/family - not selling
  
• I have 2-3 FOs in mind - fall and a couple holiday scents.
  
• I have not decided on a container, but I am thinking something simple in the 8-10 oz range.

Here is my question: Can I decide on a wax by testing in a smaller 4 oz cheapo jar, or do I have to start in the container I want to use? I understanding wicking is a whole other beast, but I want to know if I can make an informed decision on throw, pour, etc. with a smaller, cheaper container. Finally, if I find a great combination of wax, FO and color in a 4 oz size, can I extrapolate that to a 8oz size by simply doubling all my ingredients? Then I could find the right wick for the 8 oz size or are the variables just too different? Many thanks in advance.

The candle making class I took at a local store used a blow torch they purchased from Wal-Mart. It seemed a little extreme. It seems most people use a heat gun.

I am a "newbie", but based on all the comments here on the advantages of having one, I went out and bought it from Wal-Mart. Only cost $21 and I have been very happy with it thus far.

It seems like almost everyone uses liquid dyes. I am just starting out and I am having a hard time deciding if I should use liquid, blocks or chips. Is it just a matter of personal preference? Knowing what a perfectionist I am, I am not sure how I could get consistent color from a block that I shave off.

Thanks to all for the great replies. I actually build web sites for a living, so I hope I can hold off on building one for a while. I'll stick to just posting to forums for a while.

I was pretty happy with the container I made for my class. Not knowing much about scent throw, melt pools, etc, I am pleased with my first candle. I used Moonlite Path FO and I really like it.

BrySC - Wow, that is a lot of similarities. I hope I don't let my perfectionist left-side brain attitude jade my enjoyment. I keep telling myself they don't have to be perfect to begin with. I am going to set a goal of making some candles to give as gifts by Christmas.

Georgia - I have already been surfing around the forums most of today. I know it will be bad when I have a laptop sitting in my candle making room.

I am excited to make my first "real" candle and start testing different waxes, colors, FOs, etc.