Fire and Ice

Boleks in Dover Ohio has GB 444

Did you do a water discount? I've worked with Sandalwood F/O straight and didn't have a problem with it. But when I'm using a scent I'm not sure of, I never discount my water and I will use a whisk to bring it to trace.I never use a SB the first time I work with a scent I haven't soaped. That said, I also test scents in a rescipe I know won't trace too fast and one that I've made several times. I will also soap a cool as I can 95 degrees or so.

The Med Fig from Peaks is awesome in soy!

I use one heaping Tablespoon per pound of my oils. Dead Sea Mud soap is my best selling soap.

I second the Carmel Cinnamon Latte from Just scents. It's the very best coffee scent I've ever smelled and it sells like gangbusters for me!

Well done!

I would do a search over at the Dish. If I remember, Soapbuddy used wine and it was NOT a good experience. A couple of soaper said that. I think she said it smelled bad when adding the lye to it. I want to try beer soap but I'll wait a bit. Maybe later this fall. I know the beer has to go flat and then heated carefully to remove the alcohol before I can use it.

As I live alone, so no mystery hair, I just use the bar on my body but use lather on my hands to wash my face in the shower.:tiptoe:

It's always a good idea to print out the lye calculator and keep it handy. Check off the oils as you add them and make your notes on the printout including the date. Cirlce the date, the water discount, the weight of the oils and the additives. Hold on to it and then you can look back at everything you did.

Very nice Salt Bars! I love the colors!

Ohh, I love them all Scented but especially the stone wash:yay:

When I gave out bars to "My Testers", I always give full size bars. My soaps are big and chunky 5.5oz. But as a tester, I would expect a full size bar. Now freebies for the public, yup, hotel size bars are just fine. My Opinion Only Fire

I love the great customer service from Columbus Foods! A wonderful business with a super nice guy at the helm!

The CandlePastor said: I disagree with less water=faster cure. I do not think that using less water automatically speeds up cure. The benefit of using less water is that you will have less water in your end soap, which makes a harder bar faster, so you can cut it faster. But letting a CP (no matter how you make it) and HP cure for at least 4 weeks before selling is optimal. The soap get milder, will last longer in the rub, and will make customers happy. After you start getting busier and start getting a feel for what soaps are the best sellers, make them in advance in preparation, or make larger/multiple batches at a time so they can get their full cure and you can still have your stock on hand (rather than waiting and then rushing to get them cured:cheesy2:.) I agree with you. It really is best to plan your batches well ahead of a show or a wholesale account. I done some water discounting and yes it makes a harder bar faster but I still give it, at the very least, four full weeks to cure prior to testing it and giving it out. The longer a soap cures, the better it is. There are also many instances where it's not a good idea to do a deep water discount, such as milk soaps, florals and spicy scents. I also can do a deep discount on a castile but I wouldn't want to hand it out before four months of good cure time. I cure my soaps in top of my kitchen cabinets. The reason why is because I use wood burners for winter heating and hot air rises to the ceiling level. The closer I can get the soap to the hoter, drier air, the quicker they lose some of the water. Better planning and a larger mold seems the best way to go. If you take an inventory often, you know what sells well and how often to make in order to keep the stock in good shape, reguardless of who is buying tons of one fragrance or recipe. Lots of professonals keep as many as 300+ bars available of each scent, at any given time. When they fallow below 300 bars, it time to make another large batch of that soap so that it fully cured by the time they need to add it to their outgoing stock. No, I don't sell yet but I still know what soaps are moving the best for me and when I need to make a new batch. I get down to twenty five bars, it's time to make that soap again.

Looks great!

Leave it alone and call it "Tye Dye"I think it's neat. What kinds of neon colors are those?

I wear safety glasses over my regular glasses, work boots, gloves and have my hair tied back. I never soap when I'm upset or tired. The soap pot has my full attention. No music or anything else when I'm soaping. If the phoen ring, I let the machine pick it up!

Then you need to check out these mold! http://www.bunniesworkshop.com/soap_molds.html These are the same as the MistyCreek molds EXCEPT that the knife slots are mere SLITS and there is absolutely NO play with the knife. Perfect bars each and every time! I have 2 of them. the 25 bar mold and the 8 bar mold. I plan to buy at least two more 25 bar molds in the summer! They are very well made and the wood is thick and straight! The price is very reasonable too. But it's a good isea to get the knife that is made for them as well as the Misty Creek knife is way too thick to even fit in the slits!

I Love it, Z! You are so origional! Thank you so much for sharing!:smiley2:

Well my bars are a bit thinker than average because of the mold I use. Instead of being 1 inch thick, they are 1 1/2 inches thick but my customers love them and so do I.

I think your right Scented but at least you all will have a breather before the next round! I want to get into a few things B&B wise but not for quite some time yet.

You ARE absolutely correct andd I fully agree with you! Research, research and research some more! I researched making CP soap for 10 months to a year before investing in oils and making my first batch of soap. I want to do lotions, lotionbars and lip balms but I won't make them until I have perfected making and selling soap. I'm also waiting to see what the economy does and when I decide I'm ready, I will first use a great base and then use it while I'm learning to make my own.

I know that C-3 prices were going through the roof and if what I heard is correct, (and I'm not sure it is) That portion of the company was sold and the new buyer REALLY jacked up the quanity wholesalers had to buy. My local wholesaler, who bought three pallets a month of c-3 was being told they had to buy a min. of 10 pallets a month so my wholsaler dropped the C-3 wax and went with GB444 which he could get at a much cheaper prices and a lower stock quanity to boot. I think the makers of C-3 realized their mistake because they called my wholesaler and wanted him back. It the smaller wholesalers around the country that really moved that C-3 wax for the maker! Lover C-3 but I think they pissed off a great many people and then went, oopps. Did Cargils sell off the wax portion when prices skyrocketed? I don't know but I heard and read that of more then one board.:undecided

All the things you've pointed out are very favorable to the show. $185.00 is not a huge amount to spend on a booth for a great show, and it's indoor! I do a local fest and it the best show I do all year! I walk away with well over $4,000 for a three day show! 80,000 people in 3 days! Being juried is GREAT! That keeps out the riff raff and the junky crafters! Try to get into the spring show so that you can have a great reputation and following for the fall show! DO IT!

Lard ROCKS in soap!