Donita

That looks really cool. I have never thought about doing that. I think it might be fun! Donita

Really cute! Donita

And.....I don't have to cover my candles. I pour at 180 and they mottle just fine. Make sure your molds are clean. Very clean. Donita

Very pretty. I actually like random mottle. The all over mottle isn't as interesting to me. I also have learned over the years....talking to chemists....that less is more. Use a strong usually more expensive oil. But you use less. And if it isn't soluable it will "leak" out. Vanillas are known for that. Test your FO in mineral oil. If it won't mix in oil it won't mix in wax. I bought expensive well known candles and tested them against mine. Well.....I noticed that theirs didn't weep oil.....so I thouht.....hmmmmmm maybe they don't put so much oil in their candles. I was right. They don't. Of course they spend thousands of dollars hiring chemists to work it out for them. And they have the money to order special custom FO's for them. You can purchase perfume oils that are un cut and only need a tiny amount. I also use stearic. Usually about 3%. Donita

Pam......those are absolutely beautiful. I love the color combos. Lucky person that gets those beauties! Donita

How surprising that one of my old posts showed up recently. Yep. Valentines day is coming and I have been making small heart candles for my one customer. I miss having my studio. I only have a table to work on now and it isn't much fun. I love candles and I love wax. I pour my speck of left over wax into votive cups and that is what I burn for myself everynight. Maybe......just maybe.....someday I will have more room to play. Hope you all are having fun with your wax!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Donita

Very pretty. I have used flowers in and on candles for many years. Some flowers hold color better than others. I belong to The World Wide Pressed Flower Guild and Pressed Flowers at Yahoo. If you want to learn how to press flowers these are two wonderful groups to check out. I have been pressing for about 20 years. The Guild charges dues but the Yahoo Group is free. Donita

I used to have five rooms but now I have one table in my kitchen. Isn't the same. Not at all. But I am only making candles for one customer and gifts but it is still hard to do it in my kitchen. Life changes. I also miss having my store with a shop in the basement. But again.....life changes. So....I am trying to get in the mood and enjoy the little space I do have. Doing some Lovespell and Home Sweet Home today.....burgandy and hunter green. Yep. It's Christmas time. Making candles takes up a lot of space. People who don't make them do not understand what goes into one little candle (smile)

That's just cool. Love it. When I was in business that would have been my dream. The world's largest candle "business card" (smile)

Very cute. Nice gifts.

As usual......beautiful work. I know it takes a long time to "play around".......but you get such wonderful results!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Donita

Looks like a jar out of the lab.

They look very pretty to me.

Good grief is right. That's why we are still selling our candles. People will pay for quality. Thank heaven.

Christina......that candle is very very pretty. But Pam is right. Push the chunks to the sides. The best luck I had with that was when making square candles...duh. But....it can help in a round candle too. Don't feel too bad. I just got 200 lbs of wax yesterday and now I have to get back to making chunk crackle candles.....I am a nervous wreck and just poured one. Have to test burn this with the new wax. I swear.....I forgot how to make candles. Really......I forgot. Have to keep looking at my notes and it seems like a foreign language. Don't be hard on yourself. That candle is very nice.

I know what you mean Pam. I was just checking to see if I could save some money......but that isn't usually the case (smile) I love my 4045. I was looking at a dollar store candle made in Vietnam candle next to the computer just now and it has a weird kind of look. Cheap wax. I just bought them because I hadn't ordered wax and needed some candles to burn.....and they don't burn well either. I could probably add some "stuff" to it so it doesn't stick....but that isn't what I care about. I want a top quality product. Donita

I just poured a test of the China wax 140. So far ......bad. Anyone else using this? I was told that many people have switched from their regular mottling wax to this....because of the $27.12 a case saving....for me. It stuck in the mold. Using stearic and FO. Like my usual formula. It doesn't even looke like a rustic. It just STUCK. Ok...then I crackled it. That worked and now it is shiny. Waiting for tonight to test burn....but I am thinking it won't work (smile).....no cheap thrills. I don't even care about the mottling at the moment....but it sure didn't mottle because of all of the "frost" over the entire candle. Donita

I made money....but because I was one of the first to do hurricane candles. About 18 years ago. No one had seen them so I got the business. Started at farmer's market and then some great craft shows. So....my little hobby did become a retail business. But....my husband ran the store and I was the candle slave at home. We sold other things besides candles too. Then we went wholesale and that was a different story. Before the customers came to us.....then we had to find them. Still made money but it wasn't as much. Same thing happened with soap. I was one of the first doing soap. Then it seems everyone was making it. The candle and soap boards had a gazillion members....now they have dropped off. There is so much competition now you have to be the best and work your butt off. And yes....you have to test. After all of these years I poured a new wax last night and took it out of the mold this morning. Wow....it doesn't look like what I expected. The experimenting goes on and one. Good luck to you. I still love it.

Vicky....those are beautiful. Yep....summer is almost over. Julie....I just found some pyramid molds yesterday. I haven't poured a candle for ...oh...maybe 2 or 3 years....just some beeswax orbs. A very good customer wants me to start making candles for her. So...started going through the few things I have left. I must have lost $10,000 worth of supplies in my two moves. Really didn't think I would be making candles again....and now I live in a one bedroom apartment. Well....Vicky....you really inspired me to think colorful. They are just gorgeous. I need to look at some pictures here to get inspiration. I can't believe that I only have 4 small heart molds.....just left stuff in the garage. Oh well. Love to see all of the great work here!

Of course they are beautiful. I am going to save some pictures of your candles because they are really that cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I still can't get IGI waxes to burn right for me. I think it just doesn't like me (smile) Donita

Love your black candle. I have never tried the liquid. I have always used powder but it is soooooooo messy. Think I will add that to my wax order. Donita

Hi back Julie.....I decided to come here and see if I can find some inspiration. Yep.....I did. Thanks everyone. Got my old soap receipes out from 1996 - milk and honey soap.... (I have dated recipe cards from past experiments) Bought some essential oil and dye yesterday for soap. Going to order some wax from Candlewic next week. Payday. Bought tealights at Michaels yesterday so I can make some luminaries. I really had forgotten about doing waves. I have a standing order for chunk candles that I can't do yet....because it takes up so much room to make sheets and sheets of chunks....but....the waves are very pretty too. When I started moving back and forth across the country (smile)......I lots most of my "stuff"...but I kept all of my candle dyes. When I do something I will post it.

Thanks Pam. I miss being here soooooooo much. I think I am going to try to make some soap. I swear....getting old isn't fun. I wanted to make some beeswax candles this summer.....but....I got a torn mininicus in both knees. Getting better and watch out world.....I am going to make some kind of candles and some wonderful smelling essential oil soap. I will. I will. I will. I have been pressing tons of Greenbriar tendrils to use on my flower candles. They are really cool. Never had them before. Donita

I think it is very pretty. Thanks to Julie several years ago I learned how to do it. Thanks again Julie. One of these days I might even make some candles again. Donita

Those look great! Keep on posting pictures of your creations Donita