Carol M

I had that happen when I first started making candles several years ago. It was a cherry oil (very strong oil with an alcohol-type smell oob). If I were using it now, I would know to take it easy; but I was new then, and probably added more oil than would blend into the wax. I wasn't using soy, though.

Yeah, but if she thinks $4/# is bad, she needn't even go to BC. I think theirs is over $10.

I've always thought your things were the epitome of understated elegance and good taste. I'm so happy that this opportunity has come to you, and it certainly bodes well for your future business. Better make a huge batch of that soap, 'cause you're gonna need it after this!

I remember them:D As a matter of fact, that's what I thought she was talking about, too. Seems like they were wrapped in gold foil with a cigar band-type wrapper over that with the scent name (always something floral) and a picture. They were really cute (and cheap:grin2: ); seems like a box with about 6 used to be less than $2.

Those are adorable, and she has a wonderful website! I spent about half hour on there browsing; I love the look of the things she has put together. Thanks for sharing:)

Thanks, Janis. I really hate going into something "blind" like this, not even knowing what something is supposed to smell like. The girl who wants the linen spray said she thought she had a tiny amount of hers left, so when I get the sample from Ashlie, I'll make up a little spray and try to compare them.

So far, the best one I've tried is KY Peachy Pie Filling, but it's still not "quite it". Most of the ones are either too weak, or are sour-smelling or smell like crayons.

Lynn, thank you for the info. Ashlie has a one ounce sample from RA that she's gonna let me get, and I may look at SOS's as well. Have you tried anything from them?

A coworker asked me to see if I could find a version of this to make some linen spray. Apparently it is discontinued now, and I never smelled it. Has anyone seen this dupe anywhere, or if you smelled it, is there something similar (maybe under another name)? TIA

Sheila, I also was going to order a couple to try. It kind of threw me for a loop, though, when I saw that the shipping weight for one burner was 4 pounds! How can that be? At that rate, the shipping would be more than the burner.

I sure wish someone who lived within driving distance of C&S would offer a co-op on these tart/candle warmers. That sounds like a very good price to me for a warmer of that wattage, and the 144 price is incredible. I love the Rival mug warmers from WM, but you can only find those around Christmas and these white ceramic ones are very attractive. I am not happy with my Cozy Up warmer at all; I melt tarts in a Pyrex sauce bowl and there is always a little ring of wax around the edges that doesn't melt, so it isn't getting hot enough for me. Unless there is just something wrong with mine; it is 17 watts, so if the 15 watt burner from BC is working for Fern, then that is a possibility. I have to use a shallow tin to get it to melt more completely, then the cool wax won't "pop out" like it does in the Pyrex and I end up having to pour it out while still melted.

Wow, you've outdone yourself this time, Lin. Beautiful!!

Tess, if you aren't happy with the WnW one, try the one from At Wix End next; very good version.

No expert here, but I pulled out my notes from the last batch of salt soap I made a few weeks ago. I used: 50% coconut, 10% olive, 5% palm, 15% pko, 10% butters (I use a mixture of 4), and 10% sunflower. I added 1 tbsp sugar/ppo to water before lye, and also silk fibers. Made a very nice, hard bar that lathers rather well. I do OHP, though, so I add my salt (regular uniodized table salt) after the cook and only use about 25%; any more than that and it is too thick to pour easily. This sets up almost immediately, so you will need to cut it within a few hours. I tried to use individual molds this time and won't do that again; after pouring the first three or four, the "batter" was too thick and made the surface of the other bars very lumpy.:undecided And, of course, with salt soap being so hard, you can't go back and "shave off" the rough surface later. I do really like it, though; with HP soaps, softness is always a problem and this method addresses that. Sounds like the salt extracted excess water from your mixture; I haven't had that happen, as with OHP, most water cooks out.

So for only 8 oz, you could only use 1.5 tsp total. I would probably add 1/2 tsp monoi, 1/2 tsp shea, 1/2 tsp honey and the oatmeal. If you were adding the castor for bubbles, I don't think it works in m&p; it has to be saponified to be a "bubbly" oil. Go easy on the oatmeal; a teaspoon is probably plenty. It's surprisingly easy to get it too scratchy. Don't know about the shaving soap, sorry.

I was kind of puzzled by that, also. I noticed it on the warning label of some old Yankee tarts I have had for a couple of years. I'm looking at the warning label on one right now and it does say to burn in a candlelit potpourri pot with rim, and to never use an electric pot. Do you think maybe they mean those little "crock pots" that are meant for liquid potpourri? I'm sure they get a lot hotter than electric tart warmers.

Thanks for the information. I was just practicing on some old tarts I have had laying around for a long time, so it's nothing lost. I was figuring it must be my particular brand of shrink wrap, since I had never seen any mention of this problem on the board before; and so many people seem to use shrinking as a packaging method that it surely would have been brought up before now if it were a general problem. Guess I'll check out Packco:D

This came from Rustic Escentuals. As I said, I have had no prior experience with shrink wrap, so didn't know quite what to think.:undecided

Has anyone ever noticed their shrink-wrapped votives or tarts taking on a "plastic" smell? I had gotten shrink wrap and an impulse sealer some time back and am just now getting around to trying them out. I kept playing around and finally got my tarts to look pretty good, but I was unwrapping them (just to see how hard the wrap was to get off) and there is a definite "plastic" or maybe even "burned plastic" odor. Is this common, or maybe just the brand of shrink wrap I am using? If others have noticed it, does it go away?

At least you found out in time to cancel; my order gave no estimate of shipping charges. I figured it would be high, since the order was small, but was willing to pay it to get to try their Peach oil; was just gonna chalk it up to "research" expense. But it really frosted my cookies when I had to pay high shipping and still didn't get the one oil that I really wanted. And their 'take it or leave it' attitude didn't help matters at all.:undecided Too many good suppliers out there who appreciate your business; now if only one of them would get a really killer peach.

Would not recommend them under any circumstances. It's a pity, too, because the oils I got were strong and very promising oob. But there is something to be said for customer service. I have been looking for what seems like forever for the "perfect" peach oil. Theirs was one of the few I hadn't tried, so I ordered an 8 oz bottle, along with 8 oz bottles of two others. Shipping time was okay; got my order in under a week from TX to NC, but the peach oil was not in the box. It was listed on the invoice, but had only zeros in the amount column, indicating that it was oos. There was nothing on their site to indicate the oil was unavailable; instead of emailing me to see if I wanted to delay shipment or substitute another oil, they went ahead and just shipped the two others alone. Shipping on one pound of oil cost me over $10. I emailed them to tell them I was disappointed in the way my first order had been handled and was told that it was their "policy" not to tell people when something they ordered was oos; they didn't have the "manpower" for that. They'll never be a major player at this rate and no matter how good their damn peach oil might have been, they'll never see another cent of my $$.

To pour, I use one of the small (about 1/2 cup) stainless steel cream pitchers from WalMart. When I got mine, they were less than $3 and have a well-shaped pointed spout for pouring, so no mess. I also like that I can just set the pitcher down in a little simmering water and heat it back up if the balm starts getting too solid to pour easily. I haven't seen these recently at my Walmart, though; they were in the kitchen gadgets section and I went a few weeks ago to get another one and they didn't have any. Maybe they still carry them at your Walmart.

http://www.herbalsoapsbyrj.com/

Found it; thanks!

On the Bubbles n Lights board, and Fragrance Institute, there was a recipe posted called Morning Glory's Body Butter. Would someone happen to have saved this; can't find my only copy, and wanted to try making it again. TIA.