Bev

I've been selling for almost two years now but have yet to see a profit. I consider mine more of a "hobby" business since I work full time at a law firm. My dream is that one day this business will be self-sustaining and turn a nice little profit, but I can't quit my day job yet! Remember, "Dreams can't come true if you don't have any." Good luck to you.

I stamp cards and also do embroidery. I don't do as much needlework as I used to but still love it. Since most everyone gets candles for gifts, I thought I'd mix things up this year and start embroidering pillow cases and dresser scarves for gifts!

My air freshener sales more than doubled last year. I use the air freshener blanks. I'm still not getting rich from sales of them alone, but I am finding that more and more people are enjoying picking their favorite scents to fragrance not only their cars, but their bathrooms and closets. I have customers who hang them from towel bars, from hooks in their closets above their clothes, on their rear-view mirrors, car door handles, air vent knobs, etc. I had a customer order 20 of them for Christmas to hang (unwrapped) on the outside of Christmas gifts, as a little extra something for the gift recipient. I love making them and my customers really like using them, too!

Sabrina, awesome news! What a wonderful way to start the new year!!!!

The resolutions I made last year were:

1. Get more organized!! I did accomplish this. Our local Big Lots closed this year and I was able to acquire much of their shelving. DH installed it in my garage and my supplies are more organized than I ever thought possible. Sis helped create spreadsheets to track my inventory and this also helped tremendously.

2. Am renaming my candle business and have someone designing my new logo as we speak, so by the first of the year I'd like to get the new name and logo into production. This was accomplished. With the help of an awesome graphic designer, I was able to create a logo I am very satisfied with and just a couple of weeks ago it became a REGISTERED trademark.

3. Keep a good handle on my expenses! This is still an ongoing project. Becoming more organized in 2006 has helped my expenses, though. I no longer order supplies I THOUGHT I was out of but still had hidden away in all the mess.

4. Launch a website by the end of 2006. This was accomplished by mid-2006.

5. Do more craft shows. I again only participated in the one large craft show at our high school this year. I need to decide if this is still the avenue I want to pursue.

6. Plan a holiday open house. Planned it, did it, and it was a great success. A DEFINITE repeat event for 2007!

My resolutions for 2007 are to weed out a lot of fragrances that are not selling well, continue to work on organization and tracking expenses, and to hopefully turn a profit in 2007!!!

I eyeball mine then use a spring-type clothes pin to keep them centered. I put the wick through the hole, bend it over, and clamp it tight.

I sure do love the clear labels so many of you are using. Your labels look terrific on that jar! Cute design and cute name!

Everything looked great. I love your shop! Congratulations on a successful holiday season! :highfive:

I love EZ Soy. It does frost quite a bit but I've always liked a good challenge. LOL! I initially chose EZ Soy because of the price, but I'm sticking with it now because I love the cold and hot throw I get from it. I have learned to work around the frosting issue.

Can anyone share the ingredients for SFIC's low-sweat white and low-sweat clear M&P soap? They do not post on their website. I've emailed them but have not yet received a response. I'm making soaps for a friend at work who is going to give them as gifts to the kids in her family and I told her I'd get the ingredients list for her in case someone has an allergy. TIA to anyone who can share!

They are to nice to waste! Don't trash them. I haven't participated in any swaps, but for those who do, I'm sure they'd appreciate them. I'm sure they smell great, too!

Once I get the candle thing down I think I might venture in M&P Bath Bombs and sprays...does this madness ever end? :tiptoe:

NO!!! LOL!!

I'm working on M&P soap right now. Currently just for friends and family, not a part of my business. But one never knows ............

The colors are great. What I am most impressed with is the professional look of your labels! The whole package looks wonderful ... great job!!

My house is decorated in snowmen for the holidays. How nice that candle would look in my home!!! LOL! The palm wax makes the candle look "snowy." I really love it!!

I hosted my first open house the last weekend in October and am I ever glad I decided to take the plunge! It was on a Sunday afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00. I served light refreshments (cider, coffee and cookies) and everyone who attended entered a drawing for a gift basket. It was very successful and I will definitely be hosting an open house again next year!!

Yep, pies and other goodies are cooking in my kitchen tonight. No candles this weekend! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

I sell my 8 oz. jj's for $6.00. Good grief, my little 4 oz. quilted jj's are $3.50. I can't imagine selling an 8 oz'er for that.

EZ is a froster but I've never heard one person complain to me about the way the candles look. You are probably more worried about it than your mother would be.

I had some Southern Pecan Pie candles that I poured once. They frosted in such a strange way ... almost in stripes. It almost looked like I had poured layered candles. I was mortified, but people loved them and thought I did something special to make them look that way. Of course, I'll probably never be able to duplicate that look again!!

None of the above. I use household silicone.

Beautiful soaps. I have never smelled that perfume but I'd probably gravitate towards it when looking to purchase just BECAUSE of the name. It's too interesting to pass over!!!!

I use EZ Soy and get ugly tops after the first or second burn. On any burns after that the tops remain smooth. I just chalk it up to the nature of pure soy. No one has complained to me about it so I don't worry about it.

I love the Apple Brown Betty! Another one of my favorites is the Pumpkin Crunch.

Very beautiful ceramic pots! I cannot wait until your ceramics are added to your website. Gorgeous!

Peaks Cornucopia! Gag me!!!

It pays to be organized! I can't tell you how much $$ I wasted in the beginning buying things I already had but didn't know it because my supplies were not organized!