StephD

She would love to do that! I'll have to search around and maybe get her a couple of things to do. We are big crafters here and she's getting into the lip gloss and loves the glitter lotions! Thanks a lot!

Steph

Thanks so much! I saw the kits and they really weren't expensive but I just didn't know which way would be the best to go. Also, I plan on working on embeds later this winter. I apparently think I don't have enough to do! lol I really like to stay busy. I will probably get her that kit and then go from there. She'll love it. She just doesn't want to make my melts, she says the pies are cuter! lol Thanks!

Steph

Okay, I'm an idiot! I had to google ice candles because I didn't know what they were! I have not tried those, but they look really cool! From the couple of articles I read, they are not supposed to be hard to make. I may have to try those out later.

Steph

First off, let me say I make soy melts. I have done gel candles in the past, but nothing major, just a few for around the house. My daughter is wanting more crafts for Christmas. She loves the gel candle pies. I found a kit online but was wondering if it's even worth it or should I just buy the molds, wax, fragrance, etc., separate? The reason I'm asking is, I think I might get addicted to these while helping her out and I would hate to fork out money for a kit when I could have bought more supplies and molds of my own! lol Anyway, she's 11 and this would be a totally supervised project. The only thing she is allowed to do in her toy room unsupervised is paint. Everything else she has to do with me by her side. I know she hates it, but I'm making sure she's doing it right! lol Anyway, thanks for the advice!

Steph

I bought a candle kit a while back with 3 4-oz apothecary jars and wax, etc. Anyway, I tried the wicks that came with the kit and got no throw. Figures! I bought more of these jars to play with and was wondering what wick should I try? I don't know what size of wicks came in the kit, it didn't say and as I have only been doing melts, I have no idea what wicks to use and what wicks not to use. I am currently using PureSoy wax which I absolutely love and I just ordered the Pryme (sp?) liquid dye colors to play around with. Any ideas? Thanks!

Stephanie

I actually offered to make my candles with a special label for gifts, like Christmas and have the label say Merry Christmas from so and so or happy holidays from so and so. That's what I'm doing for mine for Christmas instead of my usual label.

I also pour mine directly into clamshells. I haven't done tarts yet and I really have had no complaints about it being too soft. As a matter of fact, I popped some out the other day and they were quite firm, which surprised me. The only one I have had trouble with was the pumpkin cheesecake. It didn't pop out of the clamshells as nicely as my others have.

I also use soy container wax (EcoSoya PureSoy). I haven't had a problem with it being too soft and everybody absolutely loves it! Right now I'm burning pumpkin cheesecake (BCS) and it smells awesome!

OMG. I poured pumpkin cheesecake tonight! lol It is awesome! Sad thing is, in the last 2 weeks, I have gained 7 lbs from getting hungry from smelling all the FOs! lol

Sorry to "yell" but I made a couple of orders from BCS for FOs and am extremely happy with all that I have made so far! I am also now extremely hungry! lol Anyway, I have had some FOs that just don't throw well or smell like they should and kept buying and testing and buying and testing and decided to try some from BCS after reading the boards here. I do have other suppliers that I like the FOs from, but I always have one FO that's not great. With BCS, they are all great and I'm loving it! lol Just had to share!

Stephanie

Thanks so much! I really appreciate it. Everyone has been extremely helpful. I should have known to come here first than get help locally! lol

Stephanie

Thanks to everybody. I feel a little overwhelmed! lol I just wasn't expecting to get picked up by a business just yet! I'm gonna be making my phone calls tomorrow and getting it done. I have to talk with the business owner next week. Luckily she can help me out with all that, too. Thanks again!

Stephanie

I've been doing some researching online and found that I can go to the local college here and get help with getting set up. It really kind of irked me that I called the economic development office which is in place to help businesses get set up and they didn't know what I needed to do. Geesh. Anyway, I'm gonna make some calls and hopefully some appointments tomorrow/next week and get that set up. I like doing things by the book. I don't want to get in trouble for anything! lol Thanks for the advice! Hopefully I'll have things moving along next week!

Thanks again!

Stephanie

I've been making melts and passing out testers like crazy and have quite a few down ready to sell. Last week I called our economic development office to see what I needed to do business wise, i.e. business name, insurance, tax ID, etc. I pretty much got the run around from 3 different people and they told me as long as I don't make over $400 for the year, not to worry about it. I guess they are comparing this to crafts, where if you make over $400 you have to claim it on your taxes. Well, I had dropped off a melt for a local business owner as she really helped me out with some things a couple of months ago and she's always nice when I go into her business. I talked to her today and now she wants to buy the melts wholesale. So, I told her about the whole conversation I had last week with the people that were supposed to know enough to help me out and she said not to worry about it and we'll discuss it next week. She had customers come in so we couldn't talk then. What the heck do I do now? I was just planning on selling these to family and friends. I wasn't expecting to wholesale to anyone anytime soon! lol In a way it's a good thing, but I want all my ducks in a row so I don't get in any trouble!

Stephanie

I am just doing the melts (clamshells) for now. I do have to do some votives for my brother's wedding in December. His fiance wants 250 of them for wedding favors! I'm gonna be busy. Once I get enough melts going, I'm moving to electric candles and then onto something else, probably jars. I don't know. We'll see how things go further down the road!

Stephanie

I do not put color in mine, but right now I'm just doing melts (clamshells). Also, I am just starting to sell them, but from everybody that has seen them/tested them they have no complaints.

Stephanie

A few months ago I ran across a candle business online that did their own packaging. They bought corrugated (sp?) cardboard and made their own boxes. It was really neat. I'll have to see if I can find the link. It wouldn't be too hard, just time consuming.

Stephanie

Thanks. I didn't know if I could use a soy wax or if I needed parafin or what.

Stephanie

So far I have poured Home For the Holidays and Gingerbread. I love the Home For the Holidays. It's from Peak's. It has an awesome smell. Oh, these are melts (clamshells). The Gingerbread is from KY Candle Supply and I just love it. I'm not big on Gingerbread scents, but it's really good!

I'm tossing around the idea of making electric candles for my daughter's teachers for Christmas. I just wondered if a soy pillar blend would work well in these. I have found some molds online but they don't really say whether to use soy or parafin. I would prefer soy as that is what I have. Any ideas?

Stephanie

It's funny you should mention that, because I do that every time to my fragrance before measuring! lol Anyway, I added at a lower temp and it still has a perfume smell. Honestly, it could just be my nose. I don't know. I'm gonna send them to my testers and see what they say. Thanks, though!

Stephanie

Thanks! I did add less fragrance, twice! lol I will try adding it at a lower temp and see how it goes.

Steph

I've been playing around with wedding cake fo from soycandle.com. I'm using PureSoy and pouring in the clamshells. Anyway, with the clamshell completely open, it has more of a chemical/perfumey smell. If you barely open it, you get the smell of a white cake that is awesome! I am currently making more adding less FO than the first time I made them. I was just wondering if anyone else had a problem with the chemical/perfumey smell. The first time I accidentally added about 1.25 oz to 1 lb of wax. My second batch is at about 0.75 oz of fo per lb and the 3rd batch is 0.5 oz of fo to 1 lb of wax. I would really like to have that white cake scent back but can't figure out for the life of me what I'm doing wrong. Any ideas?

Thanks!

Sorry, forgot to add that I'm adding the fo at 140 degrees, stirring for a few minutes and then pouring.

Steph

Oh, I know. When I heat wax, I don't leave the kitchen at all! I stay there the whole time and temp it. Anyway, they're about done and my kitchen smells really good right now! lol

reading the board that you forgot you had wax cooling? lol I had to reheat my wax because I was on here just reading away. Oh well. Thankfully I can reheat it! There is so much info on here! I absolutely love it. Anyway, hope some of you get a laugh at my goof! I laughed! lol

Steph