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Congrats to you, Inez. Glad you are still around and didn't give it up after all!

I just love this scent and it throws really really well in tarts.

I gave my neighbor some clamshells to test. She didn't know what they were, how to use them, or how to pop the wax out of the warmer. I talked her through it which was fine. Now I'm thinking I need to add directions on the clamshells. Do people here add directions for how to use their clamshells melts (inside the front cover, for example) or not?

You know, I think I did pour a bit on the hot side, I thought it would be okay. I will "try try again"! Many thanks!!

So I am using 4794 to make clamshell tarts. I decided not to add any container wax just b/c I didn't want the fuss and I like that the tarts pop out of the warmer easier with straight 4794. But now I'm finding that the tarts are hard to get out of the clamshells. Do you all think this is okay or should I be adding a soft wax to help the tarts pop out of the clamshells easier? Thanks for any and all feedback!!

I agree. It has a medicinal smell to it. Reminds me of mouthwash or medicene.

I see where you are going with Mountain Lights and Luxeries, lights being candles & lux. being the bath and body? But for me it is a bit long, I prefer Mountain Lights.

I burned a pumpkin souffle tart. It was incredibly fragrant! Very strong hot throw, not super "pumpkin-y" but I think the name and the orange color help carry the pumpkin scent.

I have tried BCN and CS Jack Frost. The scents are different IMO. CS's has more of a bite to it, it is stronger than BCN, and I think the hot throw is much better even with a shorter cure time. I detect more vanilla in BCN, and since I don't like peppermint, I prefer the BCN's scent, but like CS's hot throw better.

I smell the vanilla too.

While I am still getting to know the scent, yes, I can, but it's not a strong pumpkin, it's more of a pleasant spice scent, (I think that the name really helps me pick up pumpkin scent). I really like it. I will burn it on Sunday night. Travel plans are interfering with my candle burning plans!

I just made Pumpkin Souffle tarts, still waiting for them to cool. It smells great in wax!

Start with whatever candle type you like the most. You have to like what you are making. I love container candles, so that's where I started. The one plus to container candles is that you can have great hot throw due to a contained meltpool. Pillars do not have large meltpools in most cases, therefore less scent throw. Whatever style you choose, go with a small version. Otherwise you will end up wasting tons of wax and materials on trial and error. Also, you have to completely burn the candle to ensure that it is a good product. If you have a 12 ounce container candle, that could take a very, very, long time. Also think about whether you want to do paraffin wax or soy wax. If you use the search engine, you will find tons of info that will help you out. Good luck and welcome to the addiction!

Another option is to make a small amount of tarts and test that for scent and hot/cold throw. I know it is a pain to make a few tarts in every scent, but that way to can decide which scents are winners before you go to the trouble of making the candle, wasting wax, etc. on a scent that you aren't happy with.

Glad it ended on a positive note at least! And I agree about not giving that customer a 25% discount! That is very frustrating when people try to nickel and dime you!

Thank you! Okay, I think the problem is solved (think being the operative word, lol) and I am totally and completely embarrassed, lol! Here goes...my meltpools are off-center, meaning my wicks are off-center, just slightly, I didn't even realize it with the naked eye, but the wicks are off just enough to wreck havoc with my test. I burned four fragrances side-by-side, which I usually don't do, and one melted beautifully and perfectly, and it was the one perfectly centered. The other three are hanging up on one or two sides but are deep elsewhere and that's why I'm not getting a full melt-pool and the corners are being stubborn. Duh!! :embarasse I'm still waiting to see what happens with the wicks, whether the remain small and with a giant mushroom or not. Thanks to everyone for replying to my post, it really helped me problem solve.

Thank you, that's good for me to hear! I am thinking the 51's are the way to go, and all this great feedback confirms that. During one of my tests, I lit the 60 wick without trimming just to see what would happen, and the mushroom popped and an ember flew out of the jar! So if ever there was an incentive to trim wicks, there it is!

Thanks, Pa, for your reply! I am not getting much soot, but I am getting massive mushrooming now that I am halfway through the test, and the wick does not need to be trimmed even after 3-4 hours. It is still about 1/4 inch which seems really odd to me. I am going to keep burning it and see what happens.

Looks like my double boiler days are numbered... I have been so inspired by this thread that I am going out tomorrow to get one!

Thank you both for your replies. It really helps to get feedback. So if I can just ask one more question...:tiptoe: Generally should a candle burn faster or slower as the test continues to the bottom of the jar. Or is it not supposed to change from beginning to end?

Whoops, forgot to include that, didn't I! So obsessed with wicks that I have tunnel vision, lol. I am using J223, and a handful of different fo's.

I am still struggling with wicking these jars and would love for someone to help me think this through. A serious case of analysis paralysis has set in! I am trying to decide bet the zinc 51 and zinc 60. When I first burned them, the zinc 60 seemed to burn too quickly, I was getting a full melt pool in about 90 minutes or so (the jars are 3 inches wide). Also, if I neglected to trim the wick completely, the flame was way too tall and smoking, not a little smoking, but a lot. The zinc 51's seemed perfect. I was getting a nice meltpool in exactly three hours and I had a nice steady flame. Now that I am about halfway through the test, the zinc 60's are burning nice and even, the zinc 51's are starting to tunnel, I also have to make sure to get a full meltpool, which is now taking longer than 3 hours to achieve. The cornors of these square jars are not quite melting. I am also getting lots of mushrooming, which is only happening now, not during the first half of the test. I also don't need to trim the wick on the zinc 51's now. Other than a big fat mushroom, the wick is staying at 1/4 inch in length, even after a four hour burn. I also thought that a correctly wicked candle would burn faster as it gets closer to the bottom, not slower, but maybe I am wrong on that. If anyone would like to offer some feedback, l would really appreciate it!

I have CandleScience's Mac Apple in a sample size and never cared for it. I did just order all their other apple scents to find one I like.

Yippee!!! Let me put in a plug for Carmelized Pralines and Hansel and Gretels' house if anyone hasn't tried them. They are both good and strong throwing. Also love Strudel and Spice.

The top pot sits inside the boiling pot in the water, not on the top edge. I use a small metal cookie cutter in the bottom pot so that the top pot is a bit crooked. It allows the water to circulate better and it prevents the top pot from "popping". I don't have any experience with using crockpots or casserole dishes for melting wax.