Candybee

I made some Breast Cancer Awareness M&P soaps for some of my friends. We used to do work for the Komen Foundation so I thought they would appreciate the soaps. They're made with clear aloe vera soap and the embeds are plain white soap base. I scented them with Peach and Lotus Blossom and they are driving me crazy.

Be very wary about the sites that promise traffic to your site instantly or traffic in the hundreds and thousands almost overnite!!! If it sounds too good to be true it is! But not only that-- its much, much worse. They can send you spam and clog up your email or your site in a way that will also cause search engines to pass by your site.

Awwwwww! Its so cute! Two paws up!

You tested all that in two months? Candles, balms, butters, shampoos, conditioners, soaps, deodorants?!!!! Not to mention all the fragrances. All I can say is holy cow!

Me neither.

That's what I was thinking. I just started blending FOs. But that is only because I know what wax, wicks, jars, etc. are working with my FOs I already use. If I get a new FO then I test that out before I mix it up with another. Also-- consider that what an oil smells like OOB is not necessarily what it will smell like when the candle is cured and test burned. So mixing em up before you know you may be wasting your time.

I did a similar price averaging on my FOs. Besides cost of FOs I also included the shipping cause prices change from supplier to supplier. So I figured my average cost for all my FOs and used that to figure my FO cost per ounce. If you want to do a "premium candle" I suggest use a different jar (like a fancy victorian or something special) and even special labeling. I agree that you have to make it appealing on an upper scale to account for a higher price. Someone mentioned a segment market and it could be worth a try to see if you have one that is interested in a "premium" type candle.

Got a free sample of strawberry jam from a BCN order recently and loved it! Put it on my list of FOs to get. Loved the smell-- didn't think that I would but was pleasantly surprised. But it does smell like the jam to me and not fresh strawberries. So I don't know if its what you are looking for exactly. But its yummy!

FO sampler packs is the way to go to check out a new supplier -or- to just check out new FOs you haven't used before and dying to try out. Most of us use several suppliers and may have more than one fav supplier. Maybe C&S FOs work for you but do nothing for my candles. I have used a couple of their FOs in soap that work well though. So it also depends on what treatment you are doing-- candles, soap, what wax, what soap process, butters, oils, wicks, jars, the list goes on and on. If you are near C&S have you also looked at Candlewic? You may be close to them and could try a sampler pack from them. When it comes to FOs I want the best so I try samples from lots of suppliers all over. On the other hand, my wax, jars, and heavy stuff I try to find more local suppliers to cut down on shipping costs.

OMG! Just checked them out and they are within driving distance to me. Plus-- they have my wax and the soy wax I have been wanting to try!! Their list of FOs may be small but they sound great. I may trot out there one day soon and pick up some things. I want to try the Lilac and the Lemon Tart FOs in soap. I also want to try their pumpkin cornbread in both soy and parrafin. Hmm... need to check my dwindling pocketbook:rolleyes2

Tarts are fun to make. I am embarassed by how many molds I have accumulated just to make 'em.

You'll get tons of advice when you do a search on "wicking votives"

Its not always easy to find a good supplier in your home town. You have a great supplier in a neighboring state-- Candle Science in Durham, No. Carolina. You can order stearic for $2.79 in a one lb bag at: http://www.candlescience.com/additives/wax-additives.php

what are you wicking? any specifics...:rolleyes2

Do you have any soap molds you can use as tart molds? It could save you some money starting out. Eg. I have some milky way molds that can also be used for candle making. Just a thought. Just check to make sure the wax pouring temp is compatible with the mold type.

Off to make nachos.....

Show next weekend so I am making soap and soap kits for kids. Just got my critters and dinosaurs kids soap molds so I am working on them this weekend. Got some cherry, orange blossom, kiwi, and bubblegum FOs for soap so I am making some fruit colored kids soaps in the molds. I also got the rubber duckie and scrubbies set so I am also making the soap sets for kids. The duckies are so cute-- and they squeak too! I just got them from C&S.

I have used 51z wicks with J223 wax before and had no problem with scent throw. The J223 has a great scent throw. But then I don't use Bitter Creek FOs. So it could be the quality of the oil or the amount is off like others have suggested. JMO

Sorry-- but my feelings are the same. Sound, music, on a site makes me click off! I only like it on game sites when it has sounds or music relevant to the game.

Has anyone had their website domain "unlocked"? I got a message from my host this morning that my domain was unlocked. So I went into my control panel and locked it again-- no problem. But--- how did it get unlocked? Anyway-- changing it back to "locked" means it has to propogate across the internet which will take about 24-48 hours. So the instructions say. I guess I am just trying to figure out all the implications and how I can protect my site domain.

I use 1 oz FO per pound of wax. So you might do better adding more FO next time. Some FOs are not as strong as others. Also, it might help you get more answers if you tell us what wax you are using.

I heat my wax to 185 and mix in my FOs, etc, then let it coold down to pour at 175. That fixed my white spots problem.

Cancelled mine too. Seems it wasn't all that convenient.

That is what I have been wanting to do is get membership in my town and county chambers. its a good way to network with other retailers and businesses in the community.

love that slogan "looks like crap, cleans like soap":laugh2: