doris

I would just leave them for a couple of days. If you do put them in the oven, put it on the lowest setting. I have a feeling that if you dry them at too high a temp, they could become really brittle.

I am always amazed at the businesses that complain because they are expected to place wholesale orders with a minimum of more than about $50. I remember reading about a small store here once that complained that her wholesaler expected her to buy $75 minimum, and all she needed was a few items. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to place an order of $10, you shouldn't be wasting a wholesaler's time. As a small business, I'm very grateful that a lot of wholesalers have what I consider to be low minimums per order, usually around $250, there is no way I'd waste someone's time for a few dollars. Set up a minimum amount and stick to your guns. You have to set the rules.

I bought some from From Nature With Love several years ago, they probably still have them.

I finally ordered some, added it to an order placed with a company in BC (the other side of the country from me), because I had to get the other stuff anyway and figured the 5 lbs of citric acid wouldn't add tremendously to the shipping cost of my order. Anyway, I recently found out that a friend of mine who rug hooks and dyes wool buys it by the 50 lb bag in Halifax for next to nothing. (It's used in dyeing). She gets it from a wine making supply store. We have a wine making store here too but they sell a teeny bag for about $3.

There are video clips out there for knitting and spinning, so there are bound to be some for crocheting. Just persevere. BTW, if he's likely to never wear it, just make something up.

I find crocheted sweaters tend to look very heavy and bulky, and any thing crocheted will use up a ton of yarn (as opposed to a similar item knitted). Do you knit? Also, knittingpatterncentral.com, which has a ton of knitting patterns and tips, has, I believe, a sister site called crochetpatterncentral or something like that. Go to the knittingpatterncentral main page, and I think there's a link. if it's anything like the knit site, there would be tons of tips and patterns.

I don't sell wholesale, or ever want to, but website sales shouldn't have any impact on boutique sales because shipping would have to be added to any web sale. If your site is selling a candle for $4, it is unlikely that anyone could get it shipped anywhere for a dollar, therefore the boutique candle would still be a better deal. However, many stores have issues with their wholesalers selling a product at a much lower price than they themselves can. If you are in the same area as one of your wholesale accounts, make a point of selling at their price. It would only be fair.

Nice looking candles, even if they are in a possibly flammable container, but the attitude stinks.

I personally can't use scented candles, let alone make them. If you constantly have problems while making them, you should maybe look into any possible long term effects. It can't be good for you to constantly subject yourself to that sort of torture.

He is probably selling, but I doubt if he is making money. A lot of his prices seem really low, even for the dubious quality. Some people think if they are getting back what they are putting into it, and making the occasional $, that they are millionaires in the making. Unfortunately it's not that easy.

I've never made M&P, but I do know that there are some which are good quality, and some which will strip your skin. I'd look around for recommendations on specific brands and look for those brands.

I agree, but a little scuffle now and then is so much fun. I always read any posts by him, altough I don't usually respond. But these last 2 just got up my nose!

I try to keep most of my soaps relatively simple, but there is something so lavish about a soap with lots of different oils and butters. I wouldn't want to make every soap like that, but have fun and go ahead.

Didn't you also know he is a supplier to other businesses? Right up there with Peak's and candlewic. I'm really not trying to crap on a 16-year old, but he is definitely going too fast too soon. I'm really of the school that thinks it is better to do a little really well, than a lot badly. I can't imagine that the word "quality" is anywhere in his vocabulary. My kid, also 16, will soon be expected to bring a laptop to school. However, usage will be controlled, and they will not have unlimited access to the internet.

Well, I realize that prices vary greatly in different countries and areas. 8 oz of good quality homemade jam in my area costs anywhere from $5.00 - $8.50. He's selling a pound for I think $5.00. He won't be paying off his kitchen anytime soon. His jams and jellies seem to have been a spur-of-the-moment thing like everything else, so God knows where he is making it.

"I" am personally NOT telling YOU what YOU can do. I am merely saying that YOUR whole set-up screams bogus. Probably MY problem is that MY definition of handmade is no doubt different from YOUR definition of handmade. MY laundry soap is an actual cold-process soap, YOURS is bought powder with scent added. I'm sure YOUR definition of hand-made is to buy a cheap base and by hand pour in the scent and colour. MY soaps, of which I currently have about 10 different ones, are all different recipes, all made up by me. You appear to be merely adding scent and colour to M&P, and selling it as different soap. It is not different soap, it is all the same soap with scent and colour added. I have no problems with doing a lot of different stuff. I do a lot myself, with the difference being that in most cases I actually make the product, and don't just buy 2 ready-made products and join them together. My sweatshirts were in fact cut and sewn by me, with a design (my own design) appliqued on. I make kids clothes, my own design, with each piece cut and assembled by me. I knit as well, mostly my own designs, and in some cases I even spin my own wool. My soap is my own, as are my bath salts. I do make candles using bought molds, but hey, I can't do everything. People like you, whatever age you are, who just throw stuff together with the intent of making a fast buck gives every other soapmaker, candlemaker and crafter a bad name. I maintain that YOU cannot personally make all those jams and jellies yourself, in an inspected facility, and maintain any sort of quality, if you are indeed doing all those other things AND going to school. There is not enough time. But then again, pouring FO into unscented Tide probably can't take very long.

BTW, you are not "making" anything. You are merely adding scent to an already finished product, something any five-year-old can do.

Personal use of course, but he is listing it as a product for sale.

Call me an idiot, but why would anybody scent unscented detergent and sell it as a product? Is that what making stuff is all about? I can see using bases in b&b, especially when they are used to round out a certain line, but to just buy detergent and pour fo's into it and resell it...? And once you've bought the detergent, the fo's, the packaging, can you really charge enough for it to make something resembling a profit? Are there actually people out there that would buy scented unscented laundry detergent for a small fortune, and what's next, scented unscented kitty litter? I think I'll go back to bed!

I just took a look at your website, of the products you have, you are either out of stock or have a very small range of choice. For example, 2 soaps, 1 lip balm, etc. Instead of getting more and more and more products, you should be slowing down and improving what you have, and offering a greater range. Some people spend years improving and developing a few products, and a lot of people make a lot of money on just a few products. My impression from your website is that your sales are poor and you are desperately looking for something that will sell. Your prices on some things are ridiculously low, and you can't be making much money on any of them. Also, I have a shop, and not one of the things I looked at would be allowed to be sold in my shop. They look extremely amateurish. The wrinkled plastic wrap on the "cut soap" is especially sad. You need to do more research on the products you have. An exception to what I said about not having much choice is your jams and jellies. I know people who make and sell jams and jellies for a living. They usually have a choice of under 10 varieties, and they make and sell jam constantly. There is no way that you can have over 20 jams and jellies made by yourself, selling well, homemade and of good quality, in addition to everything else that you do, and you said you are going to school as well. I think you are probably adding a bit of fruit to Jello, and selling it as jam. The reason that people constantly attack you is that almost everything you say and do is suspect.

I agree that the 2x wholesale, 3x retail is unreasonable, most retailers double what they pay to get their retail price. I haven't a clue what size your operation in, but unless you are buying in bulk, it is very difficult to price things properly. Expecting your customers to pay much more for one of your products simply because you are paying full retail price on your supplies is unrealistic. If you are just starting to pick up business, maybe you should be basing your pricing on what you would pay if you bought in bulk, rather than on what you ARE paying. It might hurt for a bit, but it might be worth it if it kept your prices in a reasonable range.

If it is a wedding planning agency, I would think that there is a chance of continuous re-orders if they are happy with your stuff. They would in turn be "selling" your items to their clients, and would have to be making some money on them. So I would likely treat them as a wholesale order, and yes, if they are a legit business, I would provide samples. I don't know about Italy, but here in Canada weddings can be hugely expensive, and being a supplier for a wedding planning agency could be a really good thing. Check out their interest, if it would be a continuous thing or a one time order, and plan from that. Good luck.

Most of the sock is what I refer to as "idiot knitting": you just knit and knit and knit... The only places you have to be careful are on the heel and toe, and once you've figured out how a sock works, it's quite easy. I'd watch it with the Red Heart yarn for socks. Acrylic makes most feet hot and sweaty, while not supplying any warmth for winter. There's a lot of sock yarns from Regia and Schoeller/Stahl and other companies that are readily available (although usually from yarn stores and not from craft stores) that are a wool/nylon mix, and these usually work very well. Quite pricey, and take small needles, but the socks themselves last a looooong time. There are also a lot of patterning yarns: you just knit away and get all these stripes and checks.

Practise your loops on cheap, pliable wire. First turn the end down in a right angle, use probably 1/4 - 1/3 inch of wire. Do this with your regular pliers. Then take your round nose pliers, grab the end and turn it. I usually bend my right wrist back so I can do this all in one fluid motion. It does take practise. I think firemountaingems shows you how to do this. 24 gauge is a little fragile, IMO. I only use 24 gauge headpins on freshwater pearls because the thicker ones won't work.

If you have a 0% superfat, you have just enough lye to turn all the oil into soap. It would result in a very harsh soap. I usually use about a 6-7% superfat; this way the soap is not harsh, but not too oily. A 20% superfat is usually only used in a 100% coconut oild soap: coconut oil is considered drying, and a superfat of that amount works with it. A 20% superfat with other oils would probably result in an oily mess.