sugarysweet95

Just wandering how you make that deep reddy one. I love the way the colours seem t slowly fade into the whiter clour. Is it just different layers, or is there a secret to making them?

Hmmm, will have to compare my scent with my sister real perfume and get back to you. I'm not very good at distingushing the seperate scents though, but i'll try!!!!

Anyway today my sister bought an atomiser and we tried the scent in it. It works really well and even several hours later i can still smell it on my wrist!!!!

Putting the word "type" in the same sounds good, thats what some sellers do i think.

I use a hot iron on kitchen paper over any wax on the carpet. It's usually good at getting the dye out too. The iron heats the wax whilst the kitchen paper soaks up all the wax nicely!!!!

It is quite time consuming though, if there's a lot of wax!!!!

I'm sorry, i'm not an expert, but i think that even if you added your own additives or not, if you change suppliers you will have to re-test anyway, as there are differences even in the same wax.

In the UK we only really get one or two types of wax, so i've been having to add my own additives and i do like it, as you can play around bit more with it to get the right burn etc.

Sadly i don't know much about all the USA sorts, but i suppose it's easier to add your own aditives and vary that, than maybe buy lots of different types of wax in the first place?

Yeah, i was afraid you had to go to all that trouble, i understand why of course, but it's just sooo much extra trouble!!!

Those people at the fairs maybe didn't know all the rules and what not, but i'll look into that link, see how expensive that is and maybe go from there!!

The soap just always seems to sell so well at places - and it's so nice!!!!

Thanks for the help people

Thanks, that's good to know, their others seem to be great (the few i've tried) so i wasn't sure. Looks like it may not be my wax after all - phew!!!!

Thanks

I can certainly vouch for it being addictive, but it's fun too, and if our lucky, down the line it may even turn into a business!!

I made the mistake of keeping a track of all my candle spending and even looking at that doesn't stop me from buying more!!!

I was determined not to buy any more supplies for a whie, but darn that sale that's just started on BCN - it's just too good to miss .... right?????

Hi

Thanks for the suggestions - i see i posted in the wrong section - ooops!!!

Anyway those in the cello bags look great. Very professional and i love the multicoloured votive idea!!!!!

Natty cat - i'll pm you about those boxes.

Thanks everyone!

Have any of you tried their apple macintosh? It smells very strong OOB but i've recently put it in paraffin wax and it's not very strong throw, even after a few weeks? Just wandering if it may be my wax???

Thanks

Hello all. My sister is up for visiting and was going on about this new perfume she loves, turns out it's called DKNY - Be Delicious! The dupe of which i recently got from the cande source!

So we compared the two (the original perfume with the dupe) and they are very similar, though the cande sources is a little more fruity i think!! But well, a $1.25 FO or a $30 bottle of perfume!!! I was just really pleased that they were so similar, and my sister now wants me to make her some tealights in that scent!

Just thought it was very funny, though is there any even better dupes of be delicious out there?

Also one quick question, when you sell candles that are dupes of well known fragrances, how do you name the fragrance (ie say it's a dupe / similar too etc)

Thanks

I've recently tried candle source, and was a bit dubious about trying them, as there oils are cheap. But after the great comments people made on here about them, i went ahead and bought some samples and love them!!!!

The oils arrived in less than a week (which, considering i'm in the UK is great) and they all smelled fantastic. The prices are so reasonable and so is the shipping. I got sent 27 1 oz bottles for only $11 shipping to the UK!!!!

Not tried many in wax yet, but they smell great OOB. Still loads more i wanna try too!!!!!

Hi, Just reading this post and am vey curious - would using peppermint FO give a tingley sensation in melt and pour soap, or would it have to be EO???

I've only really just begun making soap, so do most of you use EOs for melt and pour soap or FOs??

Thanks

Hi, I was wandering if some of you could give me ideas on packaging votives? I'm starting to get the testing for my votives sorted and I'm now thinking, how best to package them.

As i've only really begun selling candles, I can't afford to buy much in bulk. I was wandering what relatively cheap ways are there to package votives? I thought i could sell them in packs of three or four with one glass votive holder. I wouldn't be posting them, just selling them in local shops / craft fairs.

So was just wandering how people package votives or if anyone has som great ideas for packaging them.

Anyone in the UK to advise on starting out on soap making / selling??

I'm not interested (atm) in all the b and b range, just melt and pour soap?

Thanks

I'm curious on this too. How long do most good quality fragrances last for when stored in the bottle?

Also for paraffin pillar candles - how long would you say the scent should last - should there always be a hot throw?

Thanks

I found a really good site on making moulds - it's quite long but there's lots of great info there.

As for latex and silicone - they're very different. Latex is what is used to make rubber moulds and it's more of a very stretchy thin material. It's great for making animals and figure type candles.

There are several different types of silicone and it's expensive. Basically it creates rigid but flexible moulds, perfect for things like embeds.

Anyway here's the web site - http://www.hirstarts.com/moldmake/moldmaking.html#sources

I've only tried the one from candle science. It smells great, though not tested it properly for scent throw yet. Candle science are having a sale on at the mo as well!!!

LOL!!! Sorry, thought you knew all about stearin!!!! Basically it has lots of uses but the two main ones i use it for is mould release and increasing the fragrance capacity of the wax. Using stearin means you can add more FO basically so you can get stronger smelling candles (though if you use too much stearin it has the opposite effect - v annoying). Stearin also helps increase the hardness of the wax and (i think anyway) the amount of shrinkage you get with the wax. This makes it easier to get the candle out of the mould.

I find with rustic candles they're a nightmare to get out of the moulds if you don't use stearin. With stearin the candle seems to come right out - it's great!!!!! I also use stearin when i do slanted layers as it again makes it easier to get the candle out.

I use stearin at about 10%, though you don't have to be too precise with it. It also makes the colour a little paler and the candle more opaque.

Hope this makes sense!!!!!

I've never paid postage there and i've definetely ordered less than 5kg and in the last fortnight!!!! very strange.

As for soy, not tried their soy (not tried any soy lol!!!) there's

http://www.candelights.co.uk/supplies/wax.html

They ship pretty fast too.

Just checked craft wise and i figured out what's happening. They've increased their min order value from £10 to 15 recently, so that's why you're having to pay a bit more. I buy their wax in the 25kg lots!!! LOL!!!

Their stearin is very reasonable, so you could always add summit like that - you're bound to need stearin if you wanna have a go at rustics! (annoying i know - but i just love their wax!!!)

If you go with flexible molds ginger is great...but I would always check the classifieds first...when I send large boxes of soaps overseas the recipient asks me to write "GIFT" on the label...omg..will I go to jail for doing that????

Technically yes - but it'd very very unlikely, especially if you're not business!!! (and we won't tell anyone!!!)

Though i did read somewhere on the HM Customes web page it doesn't matter if it's classed as a gift or not!!! I think the best way to avoid it (checks all around to see who's watching) is to undervalue the items below $35!!!!!!!!

Some internet shops are very fast. One i do like is http://www.craftwiseuk.com/acatalog/candlemaking.html

They do cheap but good quality wax. It doesn't have any additives but shipping is free and it usually comes in a day or so. They have a shop in leeds, but that's prob a bit too far!!!!!

Most internet shops will ship to you in a couple of days

What places are you trying for your wax?

As for layers - if you wait until the first layer is partly cool and then pour on your second layer at the same temp it usually works well!!!!

By partly cool i mean the first layer has a tough skin of wax which doesn't bulge too much if you slightly tilt the mould. I usually lightly press on it with a wooden stick and see if it feels soft. You start to get a feel for it and it means you can do lots of layers without having to end up going to very high temps. The final repour should always be hotter though.

As for the thermometer - if you're just playing around i wouldn't worry too much - i lasted months without one (and melted my wax in a yoghurt pot on an oil burner!!!) and made some great looking layered pillars!!!!

I'd try the flat ones first though, before the slanted, as the slanted can be a bit more tricky.

I just use blu tac, it works great for sealing the moulds and it's not too soft or messy - and it's cheap!!!

Thanks - i just try to see things from both points of view and i do try to be nice (as i hate it when people are rude to me!!!! lol!!!!)

Fraid i don't know much about your wax (we only have about two sorts of wax here in the UK!!!!)

But i use LX wicks for my pillars. They work really well for most of my pillar candles, though some of my bigger candles (about 3inches) and odd shaped ones aren't doing as well, so i'm planning on gettin some flat braid wick for those.

The best way to start would be to get the wick size (lx or flat braid) for your size candle and try it out. Smoking would prob mean your wick was too big and you needed to try a size down.

Hope that helps