Donita

I like my candles. They are pretty. They burn ok. They have mushrooms sometimes. I don't care. They flicker. If they didn't they would look fake. I don't have soot. I use to when I used the wrong additives. If there is a perfect candle out there in the world....great. My customers have pretty much been happy, except a man that complained that the square candle he bought for his wife didn't have a square melt pool...... Donita

I think they are very pretty and the color combos are great! Donita

Great team effort. I like that you showed them lit and unlit. They all look great!!!!!! Donita

Add me to the list. I think your candles are very very very nice. Donita

Ann Marie.....you have been a busy girl. I absolutely love all of them. Hard to pick a favorite, but I have a passion for tea cups. All of the candles and soaps are just perfect. I love all of the added touches you do to make your products special. Donita

I think your pictures look nice too. They are soft and romantic....they just don't pop out at you. Maybe that's what you want. If your customers are buying.....then a big giant high five to you. Everything we do in life is subjective. As a famous person once said...."You can't please all of the people all of the time"......some people like Jeeps and some like Hummers. Big difference. (smile)....just do what makes you feel comfortable. That's what I do ....and I get some criticism. Donita

For many many years I have been using essential oils from Liberty Natural. The lavender doesn't smell medicinal if you don't over do it. I only use a little and it smells wonderful. The price varies from day to day. It is a commodity. There are different lavenders. If you want to know....call Liberty and ask them. I have found them to be very helpful. Lavender candles that I have made still smell wonderful after years. My daughter's midwife always loved the candles I gave her. Donita

Of course I will be nice....but your pictures look great. I am a flower person...so flowers enhance the candles. Nice photos. .........and candles.....Donita

Cool!......Your set up looks great. I am glad you ended up "pretty happy".....Donita

I you are using liquid be careful because as you know it is very concentrated. Gold is a combination of yellow and brown. Sometimes to "warm" the gold I will add a speck of red. Here is a link to a very basic color chart and on the left you can click on the "color wheel" and see what makes what. http://www.cierracandles.com/color_mixing.aspx and here is one that is a little more complicated. http://www.ehow.com/how_2100652_understand-color-theory-pigments.html Hope this helps. Donita

I pretty mucy agree with everyone else. Too much white....maybe because I am sick of snow...but a little contrast catches the eye better and as far as the soy controversy here is a link from a while back ........ topofmurrayhill kinda knows his stuff. http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5298&highlight=soy+versus+paraffin+topofmurrayhill

I think it looks perfect!...You know....we usually are very hard on ourselves and see all of the imperfections, but no one else will notice. Most people can't make one of these (smile) Good job!!!!!!!!!!! Donita:yay: :yay:

That's really cute. Donita

You are doing a great job and there has been some wonderful advice posted here for you. Guess what you will be giving people for the Holidays this year (smile).....the more you make the better you will get and hopefully have a lot of fun too. Donita

Looking good. Glad we could help. Donita

Really nice candles. I love the BIG ONE.......Donita

All three pictures are wonderful! Nice work! Donita

Very pretty. I like them....Donita

Not true. You might find you like the higher mp wax. When I first started making hurricanes I didn't find the 5055 for about two years. Bill Binder from Candlewic really helped me in my early years. So did his brother Dave. I use to call them all of the time. I was having trouble with my hurricanes cracking when I hit them with a heat gun, or over dipped them into 200 degree wax. He suggested the micro 180. Then I also found that before I torched my sea shell candles and melted off wax with the heat gun, if I put them on a table with lamps over them, it warmed the wax and guess what........no more cracking. Wax likes to be at about 80 degrees. If you have cold wax and get it near heat it will crack. The micro helps with that. The nice thing about the higher melt point is obvious. I won't melt as quickly from a tea light or votive. But you will have do do some experimenting and see how it performs for you. I remember Bill telling me that adding some beeswax to paraffin can help a lot of problems people have. I like to use a little bleached beeswax in my overdips.....it just helps it adhere better. Donita

I know JoJo.....I just want to "sing in the sunshine".....bon fires and guitars on the beach. I didn't have to "wish they all could be California girls".......I was one (smile).....now I am an old one making candles in the mountains. I can see the lake from my window, but it isn't the same as the ocean. Maybe that's why I have made thousands of sea shell candles and candles scented with Ocean scents. One of my sisters taught me how to "foliate" a candle at her house. I remember that day. I can't remember yesterday but for some reason I remember her having an orange candle and showing me how to carefully bend the edges over. We thought it was so coooooool .......Donita

Actually I have been using a wax with a higher mp. It is around 160....from Genwax and it worked fine. I just like the 5055 because it isn't so hard. The harder the wax the more brittle it is and I subject my hurricanes to so much torture that I cracked many before I discovered 5055 and micro 180. With the 5560 you absolutely need the micro 180. It helps the keep the wax from being brittle. It for me, also keeps bubbles from forming. I can't make a cane or an orb without micro 180....unless I am using beeswax or 50/50 beeswax and paraffin. I guess if you used 25/75 you could bet away without the micro 180 too. I have dropped orbs on the floor and they actually have bounced. (smile)....that's a good thing. If you are doing picture embedded hurricanes then you want the wax to be as clear as possible. Just 1/2 ounce of micro 180 per pound works perfectly. Hope this helps. Donita

I just saw Karen's reply pop up. That's the one I was thinking about. Donita ps..... I also remember that we loved them scented with Frangipani.....ah....the good old days.

Here's another website: http://www.kerzenkiste.de/kerzenmacherinfo-englisch/Making_candles/Danish_blossom_candles/danish_blossom_candles.html The best way I found to make them is to under wick them. After you burn then for a few hours then you can coax the wax and form the curls. A lot of people don't like these but they are unusual. I remember the 60's....yes I am one who DOES actually remember the 60's.....just about everyone did that to their candles. We all thought it was so cool. That is when the cut and carve candles became very popular too. Hippies were all about trippy candles. Donita My star candles looked very cool when they did this on their own. Donita ps..... There are other pictures posted on this board. There is a company that advertised in one of my wholesale catalogs when I had a retail business. They had a name like Amazing Blooming Candles....I just can't remember but I am sure someone out here does.

Nice candle E. Love the colors. And the long wick is great. I like big flames ....they can provide heat. (smile) D

They all are very nice. You are definitely on a roll with these. You are an inspiration for those people who are afraid to try rustics. You jumped in and were a success right away. Way to go!!!!!!!!! Donita