doglover

My guess is that it is not a high melt paraffin. I had this discussion with a friend of mine who sells that product line. She said the "blocks" can actually be cut with a butter knife or "scooped" off with a spoon. That is definitely not a high melt. That also makes sense to a comment one customer of mine had made about some difficulty with removing the old melt from her "S" warmer. I use a higher melt point wax than that company and my melts pop right out. As far as to the exact mixture of their wax, I don't know. I am sure that is their "trade secret."

I don't want to copy what "S" does, I don't need to, as I have been around long before they came along....and will most likely be around long after they leave. I do, however, advertise that my melts work in the "S" brand warmers. And it has increased my sales. Thanks "S"!

HTH

Brenda is fabulous to work with.

Sent you a pm

I know every job has its downfalls...but jeez..i feel i'm getitng hit kinda hard here. I got my carpel tunnel fixed in one hand 2 years ago and holding off getting the other one done as I now have tendanitis in the wrist. Seems the more I rest it, the worse it gets. My specialist doesnt think they can do anything in the wrist since there is so much bone there.

Just wandering if anyone else expereincing these kind of things and how do you deal? This is my only source of income and being a single mom on top of that makes it very hard. Im so frustrated right now.

I am an occupational therapist and a candlemaker. I have experienced the symptoms of CT and ulnar neuropathy. Basically, both are results of repetitive motions (i.e., candlemaking, computers, etc.) and can be aggravated and/or worsened with continued repetitive motions and poor positioning. Rest in a neutral position is the best way to diminish and/or eliminate the symptoms. I wear wrist supports at night. However, I have bent the bar a little straighter than the angle it is when I bought them, as the carpal tunnel in your wrist is most at rest (with the least amount of tension) when your hand/forearm is straight or your hand just slightly extended (bent back). Elbows are a bit tougher, but you can get positive results from rest, too. Look at how you sleep at night....are your elbows bent? Keep them straight....it can be done, but it is very hard to change a behavior. Also, when you talk on the phone, elbows bent? What is your position when you are driving your car, sitting at the table, etc. See where I am going with this? They do make neoprene elbow supports that will encourage you to keep your arms straight....and I have used them also with good success. But over time I have taught myself to change some behaviors/positions that I do/have throughout my day.

HTH....Good luck!

I am not sure if this is the proper place to post this. If not, please feel free to move this post.

Does anyone know if Heartfelt is open for business? I placed an order last Wed and havent heard anything. My order hasnt processed nor have I received a response to a couple of emails. I havent tried calling them yet (that is my next step) so I thought I would see if anyone here knows first.

Thanks.

Check your email ......

I have also tried it. I have my biz page in addition to placing an ad. My experience was a lot of hits, reached our max $ amount quickly with no sales. Ad removed as I felt I can better control my Facebook page and advertise my website other places with "more bang for my buck" somewhere else/other venues.

May be a dumb question but what/how do you color them?

You need to use a water base coloring, not candle dye. I take water with food coloring added to it and paint it on. There is a little bit of "technique" to it, but you will quickly figure it out. You can also use markers, glue and glitter, etc, etc.

I use the big and small ones. If they are fresh, I would let them sit and dry a season (outside). As I sell them pretty cheap, I don't have extra time and money to spend on "soaking" or "washing" them. I have had no problems at all.

I have used both. I found that Oak Court's are thicker. And you can color them numerous ways. I did not dislike either. However, I routinely order from Oak Court as they tend to hold up better (more durable). HTH

I've seen this ad numerous times on Craigslist, too. Kinda scary, eh?

I "dabbled" in reed diffusers. However, I found they were not worth my time since places like W*lM*rt and other dollar stores were selling them pretty cheap. And my sales were not good at all with those. HTH

I have used raw wicking primed and not. If I am making small floating candles to be used at an event which would require quick candle lighting, priming the wick will help with that. I also prime the wicks for fire starters and container candles. For pillars and tapers I do not.

As mentioned above, the only benefit I have found for priming wicks is to speed the initial lighting process.

I imagine you can do a search and find out how to make them. When I had them, they did not sell very well so I discontinued them....but that was my area.

I made wood wicked candles in straight paraffin and they burned (and smoked) with no problems. In fact I think they would be great for outdoor use, as one would not have to trim the wicks as much!

I get these emails ALL of the time, sometimes several per day. I just use my handy Delete button. They could answer most of their questions if they actually looked at my website. The killer first question most of them ask is "Do you sell candles?" DUH!! Talk about stupid scammer!!!

I add glitter at the very end, after adding fragrance and color. I also use only the very fine or mica glitter. The larger glitter, or using too much, can clog the wick when burning. HTH

When using dowel rod pieces, I use about a 1/4 inch diameter. You have to make sure the ends are flat and smooth on the dowel to aid in the dowel maintaining upright position when the beads are melting. And you want to make sure you use enough beads to hold it up. One other thing, I do not melt my ornies "flat" but leave a rough texture to them.

And I use string with no problems in any type of heat!

Yes, USPS Priority...and none of the boxes are very big. So unless you are shipping shells or rocks, it may or may not be an ok deal. (I ship alot!)

I have been told that zinc wicks and highly scented candles tend to mushroom more than those with less fragrance and/or made with non-metal wicks.

PS....about the heat.... I had given some air fresheners to some friends who lived in San Antonio TX. They had them in their vehicles in the heat of summer with no melting problems. <Knock on wood> I have never had any problems with mine melting (other than in the oven.)

Good suggestions. Here are a few more. When I make my air fresheners ahead of time, I store each one in its "to be sold in" packaging which is a resealable polypro bag w/ hang hole. Once it is made and cooled, you can put right in until you are ready to string it. Your label can be affixed right to the bag.

As far as stringing them, I have used a VERY large needle, which is time consuming. I have also been experimenting with using a small diameter dowel rod cut into inch or so lengths. I put the dowel in on its end where I want the hang hole to be in the ornie. Because it is wood, it will go through the oven just fine. I did this with an elderly craft group and it worked out pretty good. Just an idea.

I have found, as mentioned, that different fragrance oils take different amounts of time to absorb. Yes, there are some fragrances that "dry" in a day or so. And some I have had soaking for a week or better. And some yet never seem to "dry" despite how many more beads I add! Of course, each oil from each supplier will be different. The beads that took longer to "dry" I placed on a towel after letting them soak (and stirring) for a week or better. Most of them did finally "dry" out. But some never did. Just have to test, test, test! HTH

The beads I sell from glass jars to the customers and package on the spot in cloth bags. The air fresheners (shaped) I sell in clear, resealable polypro bags, which will hold the fragrance in fo an unknown period of time. (So far I have had them last for a couple of years!) HTH

What scent do your customers LOVE that you absolutely HATE to have to make? Roses

In other words, do you just refuse to make it because you can't stand the smell? Ylang Ylang

Since I don't keep mine available readily for the public, I don't use glass or anything fancy. I use coffee grounds (instead of coffee beans) and I just put them in a labeled camera film container. They stay fresh and it doesn't break!