LynnS

Just poured Twigs and Berries today. It has been 6 hours and I still smell the scent.I love it. I made a Christmas Tree Candle for a customer and a 8 ounce candle for her.She will probably burn the 8 ounce and use the Christmas Tree for Decoration.

This scent was my very first soy candle I tried. Made the candles for about a year.Then just quit when I became hooked on other scents. About 2 months ago I put Twigs and Berries back on my site.

I get mine from AWE.

LynnS

I have many of her scents but not that one. I need a good French Vanilla.

I love fall harvest. I tried it in a tart but haven't made a candle yet.

Thank You for sharing.

LynnS

By far the 8 ounce JJ and tarts every now and then.

I did some Christmas jars a while back.They were about 12 ounces.People asked what price they were.I said $8.00.They walked off.That was the end of that.

I tried corn cob air fresheners.No sales there either.I thought cute idea but no one else did.

The pumpkin jars sold.People thought they were cute.So next year I am going to try the Christmas Tree jar. I think it is cuter than the pumpkin but Christmas scents never sell for me. I have no idea what fragrances to use for the Christmas Tree. Do you think Cucumber Melon????

Every year I think I am going to add something more creative but someting comes up and I have a emergency or something. This year like the last 3 years I plan on starting in July.I said for years I want to make the firestarters but never have. I know people will ask what they are??? Then likely walk away.I can at least say I tried. :rolleyes2

LynnS

I love Chocolate covered strawberries from The Candle Source. A mixed chocolate but it is good. I have Chocolate fudge from Candlescience but haven't tried it yet.I've had it for sometime.

LynnS

I go with USPS.For some reason when I asked for a estimate with UPS it was double or more than a year ago for the same weight.I couldn't ship a big order for that.

USPS is going up but UPS $14.00 higher in 1 month.Outrageous. :rolleyes2

This is starting to worry me with online orders for ALL of us. People will not pay it.

LynnS

They look nice and Thank You for doing this.I was diagnosed in August. I want to do something eventually. Alot of stress now. So much just gets to you.

I see my surgeon today.

LynnS

I will try to get my husband to.I need to learn how to post pics or I would do it all the time.

I forget where I got these petals but think it was the Flower Factory.We have one about 25 miles from us.They are small and dainty and would fit in the lid.Cute but not for soap petals IMO.

Not going to make this on my site this year and if nothing goes wrong next year I will. I might give people a option of which they want. Rose petals wax or tarts( but first have to find a very small mold for that).

I need to find a way to keep the petals etc from falling out of the lid when the person burns the candle. After the petals are scented and maybe waxed it will be easier for them to stay put. Tarts and wax should be no problem.

Trust me I am not creative like most of you.

LynnS

Down to the last of the Christmas Tree jar. Only about the last 3 inches left with some wax on the sides.Honestly I thought it would be much worse than this.Burns clean almost to the very end. I think it would work and no one would care about that little bit of hang up.

I am sure this is a bit late for my site but maybe local with the one customer. My husband puts things on my site but not doing that great after his surgery on his blocked leg arteries. Might be going to hospital tonight or tomorrow so nothing on my site this year. I dont care what I start,something seems to happen.

Going with tarts, wax or rose petals with the lid. To plain with nothing.Will work with that after things settle down.

LynnS

Same as last year for me but with the economy I understand.I have been lucky as all my orders and craft shows I was stocked with FO's.Had to buy just a few fo's this year(if I ran out).Always seemed to be out of wax though.

My one wholesaler over doubled her candles. But the order was small for now(just her main sellers/requests).She is so busy now but did say she was ordering more. Last year it was over 100 candles but if she orders more it should be over 200. Then springtime orders.

My consignment with a group is doing fair.They even called me to do a show.I wasn't able to do it but they did the show for me. The director really wanted my candles. She wanted more stock and wanted to sell for me at the show. I need to check on that. Lots going on since Thanksgiving.

With the people who did buy this year and those who came back and brag about my candles I feel good.I will be doing this even if I break even. I did get a new customer but only because I have the candles she was looking for this holiday season.I had 2 scents she had a request for. Not sure if she will order again.

I have a customer wanting hoiday candles so will call her if she is interested. I have the Christmas Tree down pat now(only some leftover wax at the very end). She will be fine with that IF she burns them.She will probably buy 10 of them to put in every window in the front of her house.She displayed the pumpkin jars.

In this area consignment would probably work the best. Not sure about upfront sales for wholesale but stores might be willing to do consignment. Not the big time stores but the small ones.Also approach some non profits to bring in a few bucks to help both of us.

By far as every year it is candles as a BIG sale. Scented is starting wickless.I did wickless but no sales at all. Three years ago people wondered what they were. A few kinda seemed put back on the wasted wax.Like what do you do with the leftover.Throw away. With many being enviromental now they were questioned. I ditched them fast but some areas they are sellers. Still the same with sales on everything else.Depends on where you live.

Like one person said they put other candlemakers out of business.I didn't do that but many did quit.When you see one year 35 candlemakers at a show and now see maybe 10 they are dwindling.

I am hanging in there. People want me to open a shop.But seems something always happens.I have a small building behind my house that could be fixed up cute. Someday maybe??? I live on a state route which helps.

LynnS

No palm here either but ALL that I buy from her do great in soy.

Lemon Biscotti

Pumpkin Custard Spice

Cherry

Vanilla Latte

Lavender

Lilac

Aspen Forest

More but cannot think now. I have many FO's from her but some Haven't been tested yet.

LynnS

Well here goes.It depends on what scents I want to carry.I am fortunate to have 3 local suppliers.

AWE

The Candlemakers Store

The Candle Source

WSP

Nature's Garden

BCN

BCS

Candlescience

Seems like a couple more. I read/hear about some good scents then I have to try them.That is the way I get my suppliers.

LynnS

I buy from them and Bert Heaven Scent(She is very reasonable.) $9.99 for 16 ounces and all I have tried are awesome. Some of my best sellers come from Bert's.

Creme Brulee from the Candle Source is good.

LynnS

I'll check to see if Wal Mart has some molds.Around Christmas they have holiday ones.

Another idea I have was rose petals.I have quite a few of those.They are the smaller ones. Scent them the same FO as the candle. Either red, white or green colored.Yellow too for a star effect.

My husband has surgery on Monday at the hospital where this lady works. I might call her and tell her I have some ideas.Working on my Santa Jar next.I paint the face with perm markers (if I remember) but the color can still come off. She brought about all my Pumpkin Jars. I only make 5-10 each year. She got 7 this year.

LynnS

I have been burning the Christmas Tree Jar for almost 10 hours.2 burn times.It is doing nicely so far. Better than I expected.A full melt pool even getting toward the wider area. Get past that I believe it will work unless at the very bottom. I am hopeful. Then I will decide what goes in the lid. If I ever put it on my site there would be a few options for that.

I am using 444 soy with a large cotton wick.Size is 62-52-18.Doing good so far.

Palm sounds pretty but have no idea where to get it and cost would be a factor too.

So for those who are afraid to try go for it. Just looking I thought it would never happen.

LynnS

I know someone who uses EO's but she does lotion candles.That would make sense.

But for me and my location they would never sell. I found some EO's fairly reasonable but not enough to make me want to try and sell.If the scent is not strong and will not scent a large area my customers would not be happy. That is the reason they buy my candle.Long lasting strong scented candles.

I see some EO's at $25.00 and some were in the $30 and 40's for 16 ouncs.YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!! Believe one was over $50:shocked2: Some of the scents I had no idea what it was.

If your market buys them go for it.

LynnS

Heaven from AWE is awesome. A sweet strong perfumey scent. I love it and others do too.

LynnS

Some good suggestions.I kinda got tired of deciding what to put on top but burning it now.I have to check the wicking problem I PROBABLY will have.

I don't usually do specialty candles but the star and heart burn good for me. I have them on my site.

The lady requested I THOUGHT for Christmas candles(Scents I thought) but it was my Santa Claus jar. I'd rather tackle the Christmas Tree.I think the Santa jar is either 18 oz or 24 oz. That is alot of wax. My pumpkin jar she didn't burn so maybe she wants it for just looks and some scent. You know you hate to keep pumping and asking "what are you going to do with it".I thought she burned the pumpkin jars and asked her how it smelled but it was for decoration.She put them in windows.

She has a big mansion type OLD house and does different things.The house takes up 1/2 a block in a historical area.

She is a good customer so I aim to please.

LynnS

I have to go along with Michelle and RWV.I've never had a cup of coffee but love to smell it. My husband MUST have it first thing in the morning. That is the only reason I like making it to smell it.

I have to go along with Bert's Vanilla Latte.

I would love to find a coffee shop to wholesale too. Just making the candles to smell and of course selling them.

LynnS

Thank You Wicked Wick. I will check the sites.

Leah

Thank You for bringing Fig Tree to my attention. Believe it or not I had that scent when I first started.Pulled out some old candles a couple months ago and this was one I was thinking of.The other one I forgot about is Twigs and Berries.I love both of them.

You know how we candlemakers are.Get new ones we like and put the others we like aside.I guess it is called overwhelming.I am going back to these 2 scents.They go on my site soon.

LynnS

I got the Christmas Tree jar from Candles and Supplies. I like it but need to see what a bear it will be to wick. The lid is the top part(point) of the jar. I poured the candle last night.Now trying to figure what to do with the point.It says you can make a second candle. I guess you could but you would have to somehow figure out what to put the lid in.I tried but cannot get it to go back into the jar. Woudn't be safe. Thought about just filling it with wax but do nothing with it,just looks when you display the candle.Could leave it without anything(kinda blah) ??? But my other thought was maybe scented potpourri(green).Decisions, decisions. I like it and wanted something for Christmas but now don't know what to do with it. One of my customers just uses holiday candles for decoration.She did that with my pumpkin jar. But some might burn it.

Now that i have that out of the way.I want some ideas on color.ALL green since it is a Christmas Tree??? Should I stick with just green scents or go with some like snowflake but GREEN.

What would some of you do??? I am putting this off since I am confused now.These jars aren't cheap.

Anyone make this candle???? Or just passing it for wicking problems and now my decisions on what to do ????

LynnS

Hope I don't confuse all of you like the way I am confused LOL

First time doing this but think people do it oob. Dip it in Fo but don't want any cotton to get in it. That is the way I believe it id done but never thought about candle wax.

7PAWS,How do you do it???

LynnS

I would like to add some perfume and fresh scents.

Maybe some earthy scents and aromatherapy too.

I have some but not many.

Thanks

LynnS

Thank You

I will go to Hobby Lobby.It is about 25 miles from me.

I was also thinking of the smaller tart bags but I am out of those.I do 2 per pack. Would need to cut the q-tip with them but another idea.

I am waiting to hear from her if she wants refresher scents for potpourri(bottle of scent) or a few samples like a tart or votive. She wants to buy but the q-tip is Free.

LynnS

What do some of you who send Q-tip samples put them in??? I'm thinking a baggie but kinda big for 1 sample and more than one sample in one baggie would mix together.

A lady ordered candles but wants to buy samples of different scents.Better to do the Q tip thing. I could do that FREE.I always send at least a couple samples with every order.Whatever I have on hand.

Thank You

LynnS

Thank You for that info. I was kinda puzzled about no changes till mid year but was told this. A small amount but I need to know this to put on my site.

I saved this in my favorites to go back in a few weeks and post it in on my website.

USPS is probably getting us ready for the BIG increase.We can bet at least a $1.00.

I use only flat rate boxes.A few times I used regular boxes but when they were weighed (with candles) it was better to stick with the flat rate.Shipping was more when I tried to go with other boxes. By the time they measure, weigh etc

LynnS