never4gotten

I just made my first chunk pillar using 1343. Heated wax to 190 degrees. Am I supposed to still get the rusted look on the outside of the pillar? I followed the directions that are on the board.

To get a more translucent look hit the sides of the metal mold with a heat gun. Heat and tap to release the bubbles. It takes practice to know how much is enough without being to much.

Thanks MA! Yea, that's what I was thinking too! BCN has the shrink bags for those holders, so maybe I'll get some of those and try these out! I don't make votives, but now customers are asking for them. Oh, I did buy the votive mold they have! I guess I'm all set up now! LOL

Thanks again!

Carrie

I will caution that I bought the shrink bags recommended for this from BC thinking that I could use them with my 3oz chunk votives since the box fits those also and found they were to small.

Thank you for the tip about the translator, it was really interesting to be able to look at the english version.

Beautiful web site. Love the pictures.

Thanks for all the information guys.

I hadn't even considered just getting something that could haul an enclosed trailer until one of you mentioned uhaul. A small SUV could work double duty that way being used for both smaller shows and then when needed hook up the trailer.

I just know that my minivan was packed to the gills for just the small stuff I'd already done and really didn't want to go minivan again now that the kids are finally grown. I was starting to think possibly pickup truck or full sized van but the gas mileage would be prohibitive with the current prices. Not to mention not wanting to drive one of those full time for my daily life.

do those of you that do craft fairs and home parties find to be the best? I'm going to be looking at a new vehicle purchase this year and I while I have good idea what my needs are for family I haven't done either of the above in the past other than a little Saturday market with my minivan.

So what have you found to be the plus or minuses of the type of vehicle you drive?

I just picked up one today at Kmart for 72.00. Last one they had in stock. I had one previously but for reasons unknowable the X decided to take it when he moved out and still over 2yrs later won't give it back.

I have always gotten my wax locally. After seeing their current prices compared to some of my other online suppliers it's actually going to cost me less even with shipping to make my next order online rather than local.

Gee guys, thanks for suggesting my candles are unsafe, under or over scented and burn wrong. I've only been doing it this way for over 6yrs. Nope in that amount of time I wouldn't have any clue what the hell I'm doing.

I didn't knock your techniques I just added mine in for consideration.

Also, please scent Both the chunks and the over-pour, don't skimp because you will see the difference and so will your customers. If you don't scent the chunks too it's like cutting your fragrance in half. I know it would be so much easier to just color the wax for the chunkies but it's not worth it in the end. I will post a picture of some chuckies I have made recently in the gallery.

I use unscented chunks and double scent the overpour (double the amount of FO I'd normally use in that amount of wax), this compensates for the unscented chunks in the melt pool and allows me to do a larger variety of things with the chunks.

I've had complaints of some scents being too strong but never that my votives didn't scent enough.

My recipe for chunky votives involves unscented chunks and double scented overpour. I also use universal additive in my wax.

If your using metal molds and wanted a more translucent look then use the heat gun and tap tap tap the sides to get the extra bubbles out. It was already mentioned not to heat to much or the chunks will run.

Edited to add a close up view of wha the outside of my votives look like. They are unheated 3 oz solo cup ones btw.

1343 is what I use for my chunky votives and it works very well for me.

I used the term pretty good because I don't make pillars very often and when I do it's just for me or friends so I don't have the wicking all tested and perfected. The 0/2 SB gives a "pretty good" burn in my experience so far just not the perfect burn I would hope want in order to sell with confidence. I'll look and see if I have any melt pool pictures I can post to show my results.

I noticed a change when I reordered too. I haven't tried test burning with the new stuff yet..I was thinking maybe it was just me now I know I've not gone crazy .

It looks a lot like I remember the stuff from BC looking when I didn't know their's and the now defunct chermarks were different.

I use the IGI 1343 with universal additive and have pretty good luck.

I had a bag with fold over hang tag as my packaging but am going to try to upscale with little cello boxes which should be arriving today. I just like this look better.

I started making candles during an adoption loss. We'd fostered 2 sisters the oldest twice for 3yrs total. As we were approaching the hearing to terminate parental rights the social workers had a change of heart and decided to try to reunite the girls and their mom one more time. They sent the baby home first as she'd only been with us a year. We knew if the placement with the baby was considered a success the oldest would be leaving too but we didn't know when. Jan. to May when she finally was returned "home" we went day to day week to week never knowing if she was going or staying. I needed something to destract me from the stress and remembered making candles with my mom as a kid. I decided to get some books from the library and it grew from there.

My name is Never Forgotten in honor of my two almost daughters.

Ok I'm going to throw my into the pot and since I'm just starting the process of getting legal after 6yrs of playing in the wax you can judge the info from that perspective.

Yes making candles can be great fun and even simple....when you are just playing and making them for yourself. When you take on the responsibility of selling to the general public though it's a whole other arena. It's not a responsibility to take lightly since you are dealing with peoples lives and possessions when it comes to your product being SAFE.

My first pillar candle was made with wax from the craft store in a pop can mold and colored with cinnamon. I still have it..it's beautiful. It's beautiful because it was an expression of my creativity and enjoyment in what I was doing. Would I ever sell it let alone burn it now that I know oh so much more about the craft? Hell no :embarasse

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest that candle making is more than just a formula...it's an art. Just like with all art not everybody has the touch or natural talent. Do you know how many people I know that starting making candles because of my candles only to soon quit or make and try to sell butt ugly half the quality crap and fail? They all thought it was wax, additive, fo, wick and it was just that simple. :pBesides having some natural talent for the art IMO you also need to LOVE it. You can't even begin to know if your even going to LIKE it until you've made your first several batches of candles. My BFF (with my permission and advice btw) tried candle making, she's a soaper so it seemed a natural progression, she hated it. Sure it was fun when she was helping me and we got to girl bond but doing it on her own just didn't give her the satisfaction the a good batch of CP gives her.

Make some candles. See if you even like it. See if your any good at it. See if your friends and family rave over them. That should all have happened before you even THINK of making it a business. Then you must take the next step of deciding if you are willing to do all the work it takes to make it a business, testing, insurance, sales, on and on.

Put your time into researching candle making and perfecting the art rather than researching the business end that will get your further down the road towards a possible business in the future IMHO.

__________________

OK I admit I am already feeling pretty successful to just be able to be in a place to devote myself to this for awhile and see how it works.

I am also in a happy place in my life right now and it is especially sweet because I just survived a very nasty divorce that took 2yrs.

My definition of success was in terms of the business itself. When I'll feel I've arrived as it were. I actually don't want to get in a position where I lose the joy of it all and have no time to just play (it's R and D right?) with new things and new ideas just for me. So getting to a place of being big enough to hire employees etc would actually feel bad not good, lol.

The success story thread started me wondering...How do you define success?

I'm sure everyone has a different idea of when they consider their business a success. Some no doubt dream bigger than others.

I'll consider myself successful when I can clear 4-500 a month above expenses.

How about you all?

I have tried several of RE's FO's, mostly in the Chermark catagory as I was a custmer of that company prior to RE buying them out.

Monkey Farts is good, more of a banana note than the one from NG I tried which seemed more citrus to me.

Dreamcatcher is wonderful and a good seller.

Celtic moonspice has very good throw both hot and cold in my wax.

Fresh Sliced Cucumber honestly smells just like the name. You can even smell the peal. I have one customer that likes to call it "clean kitchen" cuz she says if she burns one of those in the kitchen it smells like it's clean and she doesn't actually have to clean it, lol.

It's hard to go wrong with the chermark line in terms of having a good hot and cold throw IMO, the original owner was very picky about what she carried.

I understood you txgirl but maybe because I've done something similar once or twice.

My advice is to not put your little basket of liquid dyes on the edge of your counter top where they could accidentally get knocked to the floor. You'll have a truly ugly spot in your vinyl floor of no particular color that nothing can get out not even bleach.

I've already started working on my rose scented petaled poly's and wine glasses. Adding the petals to the poly or glass is the most time intensive part but they do end up looking so pretty.

I need to dig out the heart tins I bought on clearance from where ever I stuck them too.

Have you thought of using lip balm pots? That way they have a lid to avoid scent mixing. Pretty easy for the kids to pack around and wouldn't take much wax per sample.

Something like this http://www.rusticescentuals.com/images/bottles/3nlRndWht.jpg

NG's Wisteria is a HUGE seller for me and I absolutely HATE pouring the stuff. I wouldn't burn that crap in a candle if you paid me, lol.

and OBI stand for?