blazerina

I've only made a few batches of these myself, but I think maybe there is a fine line between too much pressure and not enough. I'm sure there are some recipies that can take a good packing in and maybe other's that don't. I'm guessing because it seems like if you pack it sooooo tight, it's going to have less play for shrinkage if there is any. Any water or witch hazel you add won't remain in the end product and surely there will be shrinkage. (it would seem- and that would cause cracks and instability right?) I don't like mine to be too oily so my recipies don't have a lot of oil and no butters in them. I find that if I try to pack too much in or apply too much pressure, stangely, it doesn't always stick and they fall back apart at the seam. As opposed to just a good basic squeeze. Just push the two sides together.(I also use the ornaments and do what Robin does with the scooping up extra- they work better than the shaped molds i've tried) Where as a recipie that incorporates a good amt of oils or butter probably could take it and be better off for it. So it could be a matter of recipie and or possibly too much pressure. So are they cracking after setting up or are they just refusing to make a ball at all? Let us know if you figure it out- you surely aren't alone in your bath bomb frustrations!:undecided p.s. I'm not a queen of anything, nor am I crack-less... (_y_) well- depends on which kind of crack of course. (sorry, had to)

I would also guess to use black- make pink like you normally would and add just the itty-est bitty-est amt's of black as you go. (like my technical terms? )

I'm not exactly sure what you have in mind- but it 'sounds' like what I do. I made a template of 6 rectangles down, and 3 across. Leaving a small space between each rect., and a larger space after each two. Each tab uses two squares- one will be the front with scent and product name and logo or whatever, and one will fold over to the back and become right side up and that's where I put my ingredients. So the top rectangles in each two rec sec, and all across the page, will actually need to be flipped upside down. When you cut them, you cut them as one peice. Your fold will turn the back half of the tag in the right direction again. Then just staple either in the center or on each end. I'm not a big fan of stapled packaging though because of the potention injury, lol... but it is a quick and easy secure way. So I try to stick to one staple in the center. Just be sure to arrange your text in a way so that you are not stapling right through a word. I always fold the bag down once or twice to help give stability to the package as well as it's only extra space anyways. I save the template under a new name each time I alter it for a new scent or product. That way it saves the original even though I have messed with it. I use the cello bags- and sometimes they can be squirly if you try to get too many folds out of it and keep it all straight. But a trick to that is to make your tags just a bit wider than your bag. I just print on cardstock for durability. I hope that makes sense. I know there was a thread about it here from before is this is in fact what you mean. A lot of people agreed they do it this way. Let's see if I can find it... Here it is- have fun. Hope it works how you want. http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50036&highlight=fold+labels

Stainless steel will feel colder at room temps. Also if you clunk a knuckle or something on the rim of it, SS will have a higher tone where as aluminum will have a duller one. And a key used to scratch the bowl will leave a scratch on Aluminum and not on SS. Yet another way to tell is if you have a dishwasher... note the appearance after a wash.... Aluminum will usually dull slightly where as SS will remain bright. If none of that works for ya there is a somewhat complicated scientific method for determining 100% which it is. I'll try to find the link to it if ya like. HTH- good luck:smiley2:

I'm going to update this post and bring it back to life, as I've been on a quest for the last few weeks to make a great fragranced sachet. Have i succeeded you ask? Well, on the one hand, not exactly, lol... on the other hand, the jury is still out on my second try, lol. Still soaking that is. But I did discover this.... the silica type kitty litter or crystals.... they don't seem to work very well for sachets... BUT- dang, they are great deodorizers! I experimented with a few of these with MIMI Litter. Wal-mart sells a small bag of this for about $3-4. It's pure silica sand, mostly clear and some blue. I thought it would be perfect because of the appearance. But dang- it DOES keep the scent IN. You can put your nose up to it and sniff it... and it smells great. But I put one in hubby's stinky truck and you would think that even if I didn't soak it long enough or not enough fo, etc... in that small a space it is still going to do SOME kind of scenting even if only for a day or two. But nope. Nada. And I really mean NADA... NO MORE STINKY! I put one in his 'Man cave' (our small spare room where he fixes, rebuilds and generally collects everything from records to speakers, old books, stereo recievers, tape decks etc) It's closed up most of the time since he is not home very much. Somehow a cat had gotten in and well, yanno. But the room is so full of stuff that it's been difficult to locate exactly where the accident is. Well I hung his air freshener in the middle of the room from his ceiling fan. And again, this room is small & closed up most of the time and you'd expect to be able to smell the air freshener at first entry at least. But again... Nada. And again, I really mean NADA! I'm quite impressed with it's ability to absorb odors if nothing else! And oh yeah, it IS a great litter if you only have one or two cats. I plan on making odor eliminating sachets from this stuff. So right now I'm working on the regular kitty litter with no special scent absorbers for my sachets. I did add a few drops of a sparkly soap colorant to one batch. It worked ok. Some peices absorb it more than others but it serves the purpose of camoflauging (sp?) the fact that it is 'just kitty litter'. So anyways, I thought that was a great discovery and wanted to share!

When I started making scrubs I used a combo of mostly soy and a bit of olive oil. To me they felt super moisturizing- but perhaps a bit on the heavy side and I imagined others probably would not like it as I do. The last batch I made I used Safflower, Glycerine and Castor as the main oils and it's so much lighter and yet still moisturizing. In fact I did a test today... one arm with my MK scrub and one arm with my own scrub. The MK arm felt soft but dry, powdery almost. The arm on which I used my own was the same in softness but it felt more like i'd used a quick absorbing lotion. And that's how 'I' prefer it as opposed to the soft powdery. I think if I ever sell my scrubs I would go with the lighter recipie that would be better for a wider clientel. And then I'd probably lable the Soy and Olive based recipie as a more 'succulent, super moisturizing' type. As far as the quality of ingredients- i'm going to stick my neck out here a bit say that I agree TO SOME EXTENT- but only based on the knowledge that most of the properties that oils and other ingredients have to offer are often not even absorbed by the skin in any significant way UNLESS you accompany it with a specialized ingredient that takes all your ingredients DOWN INTO the skin layers. And I don't think a lot of people use these kinds of carriers that accomplish that. So in that sense, it goes down the drain. But the reason I would prefer to not use $ store stuff is not so much that it isn't that great, but more that- in my mind- it isn't the great FOR me. Chemically speaking. Another way to objectively look at it- We all pretty much know that there is a lot of talk about 'label appeal'. And then you have the experimenters (like me) who don't use something on a extended basis enough to reap it's benefits in any kind of substantial way. Just like many high end wrinkle treatments and such -much of that will only work if you use it for an extended amount of time. I consider myself still new to all this, but I also have always considered myself a smart consumer and have never put much weight in the various marketing techniques. Meaning, I don't buy something SIMPLY because it touts the newest most fabulous 'IT' ingredient at the time. I also don't think that there are many, myself included, who could do a blind folded test and tell one scrub's oil from another. Maybe some of the crafters here on this board could because they are intimately familiar with the ones they use so often in it's pure form. But the general public, my family- they wouldn't. So where as I would not use the absolute cheapest chemical laden slickery stuff I could find, nor would I spend more than necessary to have soft skin. Period. Safflower oil does that just as well as SAO. It's MOSTLY all about preference unless you have specific skin needs. But that is just my own opinion, and again not an expert one at all. I am also NOT saying that Emu and Manoi and all those really luxurious oils are useless. If you love love love it, use use use it and as long as you can afford it, don't let any body tell you you shouldn't. I personally would not require or notice them so to ME they would be a waste and in the same mind set... 'go down the drain'. I just want to slough off the dead skin cells, have soft skin, and use as few chemicals as possible. Call me simple I guess.:undecided :smiley2:

It's very impressive- every bit! I love, and am evious, how you have such a clean and classic look that you carry through to each product. It looks great to me and immediately gives a feel of professionalism. But, me, lol... I like to do everything different, use different colors, font's and pics according to each individual product. Your pictures and style inspire me to find SOME way to make sure my products are somehow pulled together and relate. Be it with the same color bottles, borders, lids... whatever. I don't know if it's possible or if there is such a thing exactly... but if you really want to play up the Egyptian end of it and maybe help people to at least get the concept that 'KA' stands for something- could it be printed in heiroglyphic type letters? Maybe with a proper pronunciation tagline below. And or if the 'A' was not capitalized (Ka vs. KA) it would read as a word rather than initials. I think it's good to have a bit of mystery about your products in some way. Giving people a reason to ask 'what does that stand for/mean?' creates interest and opens dialoge.:highfive:

Ok- so it's been decided that electric tart/candle warmers don't really count. Gotchya. But if I may... Ilikewaxmelts.... you are not alone. I think I have left my warmer on for days. DAYS I tell you! D-A-Y-S. The silly thing gets turned around when I turn the toggle switch on so I don't always notice the light on or off... and now the silly thing only lights up when you first turn it on. At some point... hours and hours and hours.........and maybe days- later it will look like it's off when it isn't. I've been using clear jars lately instead of the solid black well it came with so it is easier to see if the wax is liquid or not. But don't you dare tell DH! All kinds of bad things will happen. :tiptoe: He works out of town m-th... so he'd be in constant fear that I left it on, that i'd burn the house down, etc etc etc. And oh yeah, he's a bit OCD, lol. Just not a good thing to share with him yanno? I HAVE gotten out of bed buck naked to run all the way downstairs and turn the darn thing off because I actually remembered this time. But I just don't 'always' remember. And yanno... I think that's my most shameful secret, lol. I know it could be dangerous (did i mention I have 5 cats inside?) So I definitely don't do it on purpose. So you can call me an accidental power melter And I feel your shame!

I would think that if in fact they do have two kinds of 76 degree CO, somewhere on the supplier site you could find BOTH types and do your own comparisons according to each's description or category in which each is found. But I know sometimes suppliers forget that a lot of us are newbies and they can be too vague for us. I'm wondering if maybe one type is pre-tempered and melts easier, maybe it's whipped or simply a higher quality due to a different pressing or collection process. Where as a lesser grade would be sold for high temp applications or CP because the lye will break it down easier?? Something like that anyways.... I dunno. Sometimes things will work just fine... but a supplier will tell you it's not 'the best'. Well a diamond that meets all 3 C credentials is 'the best'... but any old regular diamond will do me just fine. Really- I don't know, lol. Just thinking out loud. I'll nip it now.:lipsrseal

I was in my local pharmacy looking for Vit E softgels for my sugar scrubs and lo and behold... I came across a bottle of Borax. I'm not positive, but it very well could have been in liquid form. I didn't read what it's purpose was but it seems like I've read before that the cosmetic grade Borax is often used as an anti-irritant skin conditioner type product. ?? Not sure. I've also read that when you see it in B&B recipies it's purpose is as a water softener. I think that is in the link that Soapbox shared. It was next to things like Camphor Spirits & Sweet Oil (which is actually Olive oil sold in little pharmacy bottles to help with earaches and I think maybe even constipation) So- look in your pharmacy aisles. Let us know:)

This is a new idea to me, but it sounds like a great one actually. Would the break apart type clam shells normally used for tarts work? They wouldn't exactly be in ball shape but it would work just as well i'd think. Let us know how it goes for ya. :smiley2:

I don't think I seen this suggested yet so I will toss it out there. I apologize if I overlooked it. But how about Amish Autumn?

I think the pics look pretty darn good Elite. One is a bit blurry but the light seems pretty good... nice and white. In my experience, there is nothing that motivates a hubby more than building (or sometimes just threatening to build) something <gasp> yourself. BUT... if that doesn't work? Don't hold your breath waiting for it to happen because A: it will never happen and B: you'll die.

I'm guessing you mean rebatched? Very pretty and very smart to make it so with such pretty flowers!

I was thinking the same as Farmerjill- Clover or Aloe. To me, anything that evokes green, crisp and airy could evoke a Celtic feel...and anything dark and strong would bring to mind Medievil, like straight Rose or a Wood. Isn't there one called Dragon's Blood? You could also call anything 'Joust', or 'Joust For Joy, lol. Maybe 'Castle Comforts' or 'Pretty in Plaid' Hubby is a fan of the medievil period so I just asked him, he had some great ideas:highfive: Leather (why didn't I think of that?!) Rosemary (as already mentioned I think) Pine Thyme

Are you looking for the larger ones or something smaller? My MIL has made these for fun and let me tell you, she is no less than professional in everything she does and they are quality. When her dd worked at Laura Ashley that was the material she would use on them. It has been a few years since she made mine and I don't know if she still does or not. But I'm wondering if there is enough of a market if she would be interested in producing on a regular basis. What would someone be willing to pay for custom made or even basic quality hat boxes. These are definitely something you would keep even after you empty it. I use my two large ones for storage of smaller items that I have in multitudes. By the way, what is so cool about the fact that she makes these is that she is legally blind (not totally) and it's hard to work outside of the house when you can't drive. (but CAN see fine if she gets up real close to something) So for 10 yrs or more has been running a very exclusive daycare in her home and has people on waiting lists for one of her five slots. She's an amazing person and I'd love to throw some 'business' her way in the form of a creative outlet that she is very good at. KWIM? But again, I don't even know if she would ever want it to be a 'job'. I'll broach the subject to her real soon.

Sooo.... Have you broken the news? :tiptoe: If not, I was thinking along the same lines as Heavenscentu.... Not that long ago there was a post here about a candle that had been recalled due to a fire hazard of a cinnamon stick wrapped up in the excess of the wick... if you can find it and other articles like that print them out and give them to her in a folder of 'Safety Tips' in the spirit of being helpful. (rather than a naysayer) Hopefully it will be enough. Orrrr... I don't know how much it would hold up to legalities but at the very least, make up some warning labels for her. ORRRR... LOL.. better yet, make some warning lables that state that this is for decorative purposes only. I know people will probably still burn them:rolleyes2 - but what can ya do if she/they insist? Just try to bring all these suggestions up to her to get the point across. Good luck.

Angi, your story reminded me of a lady I used to work with in a retail store. She was very well kept and very kind of 'uppity'. Whenever I was in the rest room the same time as her you could always hear her using those paper seat covers. She seemed like the most fastidious of all of us. Until one day I came out of my stall at the same time she did and she did not even stop to wash her hands. I could not beleive it! :shocked2: She left that job to be a nail tech. Can you imgine? Blech. ( Dontchya hate it when the restrooms dont have their papertowels and garbage anywhere Near the door so that you can use one to get out? Lol)

I don't know anything about shaving creams yet either, but I do know this.... A lot of the bump issue men get when they shave is in the razor it's self. So when you do get started and you find something for this customer, try to also mention that he use a razor that is A: new and sharp and B: geared towards his skin type. I've noticed (at least in commercial marketing) that this is a sensitive skin issue. But a lot of men won't go for that, lol. They are too tough yanno:rolleyes2 . Very often though it's just the wrong or an old razor. But in your searching for ingredients, I would seek out the things that are stated as being good for sensitive skin. If it is a skin issue you will have to skip or go bare minimum on the fragrance. I hope you are able to find some great stuff and fulfil your customer request. Give it some time here, and i'm sure someone who also makes this or is more familiar with EO's and additives will be able to suggest something that will surely work.

I use the recipie combination that PA mentioned for a multipurpose spray. As long as the FO is skin safe, it's good for your linnens, the air, or your body- and I even like to spray it on our hair. (generally for skin I mean, you still would want to test for fabric safety) The WH scent can be detected if it the FO is not intense enough to cover it, but also, I do beleive that since it's basicly behaves as alcohol, the scent dissipates after a few minutes. And I think it does have to be shaken for sure. The last batch I made in cute little tinted and shaped Dollar store spray bottles is beginning to eat at the plastic (but it's been about 6 months and it's just now happening- with just that last little bit in the bottom I haven't used but don't want to toss yet, lol.. so I think that's what happened... the FO sat in the bottom and the % got too concentrated.) And I do think there are at least two different concentrations of witch hazel available for sale. So if it concerns you, but you want to try it, just look for a lesser %.

That sounds crazy and would drive me nuts. Lol. A few possibilities come to mind.... if perhaps from one batch to another there is an inconsistency with an additive that would make it harder or softer each time. I use a fancy combo melter as well as a $5 Walmart melter and have never seen this... no matter what additive or % of anything I might add to make it harder...but then... I do leave my burners on all day usually. Perhaps, the melter it's self has an inconsistent power/wattage issue. ?? I'd be curious as to if another identical melter vs. a totally different brand/type or even one that uses a tealight to melt the tart would produce the same result. Another possibility to consider is if it is in direct line of an air conditioner vent or fan. It sounds really strange but if it is a weak melter (like maybe it's actually an old coffee mug warmer plate?) it might be too low in wattage to keep the heat level up on it's self if it is fighting an air stream. It could be that it starts off hot enough then for whatever reason has a safety setting that kicks in. ?? It sounds like you will have to play detective and do your own kind of controlled experiment to get to the bottom of this. Maybe suggest the tester move the warmer to another area of the house, or better yet, a quality or newer warmer. Having said all that, I've only worked MOSTLY with container wax and only a bit of straight paraffin here or there. So there could be something in the nature of the wax that causes this and I would have no clue to help ya out with. Hopefully someone else will add their input as well:grin2:

They look awesome. :highfive: Any updates on how well they are holding together?

I haven't really a clue, but looking at it, I wonder if creating a slant at the ends would help. By removing say 3 beads on top, two beads on row two and one bead on the bottom. Then you would have a slant at your ends but it would pull it in in a way that would allow one strand to be slightly smaller with out messing up your pattern and consistency. Does that make sense at all?

If you are useing publisher you only need to use the circle tool. Then once you place the circle, you can change the color and thickness of the line. Still simple this way and not too fussy to match the rest of your label. Also, you don't need to mess with making it border the entire label. That might be a major PIA if you don't already have a printed template to see were the edges of your labels land.... so guestimate at a 1/8 inch or so give or take, lol..in from the edge and place it there. It would surround your text but leave an additional white border outside the circle border. Just depends if you like the look or not. But if you want it to fully border the label it's self, you might just try to make it a thick line and you will be more likely to get it on the right spot. Make sure your 'view' is set to show the border lines of your text, label and objects. They look great. Very smooth and very clean:highfive:

If it helps at all.... Think of it this way.... They are making a comparative statement. As most have said already.... today's waxes hold more than they used to 'in the old days' and the blends do better than straigt paraffin. Pretty much anyone who loads their wax to it's limit or uses a blend or the special additives avalilable now, are doing the same thing...triple scenting...COMPARATIVELY. Just another way to make people think they are getting something better than the other guy is making. Most chandlers refuse to use this statement as it is very misleading and slightly dishonest. But others do because they know it sells more candles and isn't a complete untruth. I don't make anything with a wick... but I read a ton -and this was how it was best explained to me.