SherriLynn

Did you question the company about the high increase? Are you ordering a huge quanitity like a pallet load or could they have perhaps charged your account wrong.... I've seen increases but very slight... so I'm wondering if they quoted you a wrong rate. ~S~

I checked out the Snowdrift Farms webby,,, their FO's sound scrumptious, however, I can't absorb those big 16oz prices. I have ordered many FO's from Rustic/AH... I was a Chermark FO user and a long tme Longwyck user (before those companies closed)so I was glad to see another candle company pick up many of those FO's. I pour soybean beeswax candles.. plus make M&P and lotions... Here's a few of my faves: Gardenia Lily Butternut Pumpkin Raspberry Lilac Pumpkin Pie Spice Country Christmas Pink Hydrangea Sandy Rose I've always had great service from Rustic/AH ... make sure to sign up for their newsletter letting you know of sales..~S~

I have the same concern Stella has.... lack of testing on products listed on websites or sold at shows. Unfortuantely, happens all the time... websites are built,shows are booked and products sold, before they are ever made,poured or tested. Soy pits for many, many reasons. Wick sizes, various fragrances, dye color, type of dye, various types of wicks,, etc. Just as it frosts for many many reasons... pouring temp, storage temps, hot, cold, dyes.. etc. If your just learning about the pitting in soy,,, I'd say you probably need to do alot more testing....I've poured soy for 10 years,,and never sold a candle or wax product until every container size and shape that I wanted to market, had been tested in every color and every fragrance I wanted to sell.

Yup..... we just finished up a gift basket order of 180 baskets.. we accepted orders until Dec. 15th. I'm sending my last boxes out today,,, Last of the baskets will be picked up this afternoon,,, so finally I can get my cards in the mail and some baking done,, before Christmas day. It's been a wild and crazy ... chaching, chaching!!! Listening to those coins drop in my piggy bank... Silly season is almost over.... whewwwww!!

I'm not sure how many your looking for,, but I buy my 2oz souffle cups in bulk at Sams Club... ~S~

I don't see commercial companies at my craft shows... it's probably because I do only "handcrafted" juried shows or my own boutiques/open houses or other select show that do now allow commercial buy sell. Usually juried shows cost a bit more.. but well worth it because buyers like the unique handcrafted items AND they buy. If you are at a handcrafted show report that one of the vendors is a commercial business and they will usually be asked to pack up and leave or at the very least , not asked to attend next year. Good luck...

Shows are doing awesome this year.... last weekend and this weekend was deer hunters widow weekends in Minnesota and shoppers are out in full force. We had a record opening hunting weekend, up north. BIG BIG show... also a complete sellout. I agree,,, many are buying local,,, great for our economy and for all of us small business people... Top sellers in candles,,, northern pine, snowstorm, pumpkin bars, cafe mocha, sugarplum berries, log cabin kitchen, cranberry woods, rustic woods. Lotions - pomegranate, honey oatmeal, lilac, french amber vanilla, passion fruit guava Soaps - honey oatmeal, hollyberry, pumpkin souffle, passion fruit guava, cranberry marmalade, peppermint twist... Tarts - anything cinamonney, pine, woods or cranberry. Aroma Beads - pine, vanilla, cinnamon and black cherry Our biggest show of the season is next weekend,,, we are going geared up... hoping for another day of record sales... our trailer will be packed fulll... we are excited.... Chaching,, Chaching!!! Good luck everyone,, tis the season... be safe in your travels.. sell LOTS!!! ~S~

I must be out of the norm with successful shipping with USPS. I've used them since I started shipping 12 years ago,, love the new flat rate boxes and I always get a confirmation of delivery receipt so I can track the package. Make sure when you package you don't allow your products to rattle around on the inside... make everything snug and tight. Always cushion the bottom, tops and sides... inside packages and products should not touch the walls of the shipping box. Do the sit test... if you can sit on your boxes and they don't squish, buckle or cave in... you should be ok. If packages can't pass the test,reinforcement is needed.. package tight, fill every nook and cranny. NEVER mark anything fragile!!!! Its too big of a temptation... an accident looking to happen... gives some people incentive to drop it and throw it harder, per advice I received long ago from shippers. I love USPS boxes,,, they usually reach their destination within 2 - 3 days... Fedex is too slow and takes 4 -57 from my area.....

Yup.. I'm sure... I've ordered their soap for more than a year and it is SFIC base....

Peaks carries SFIC soaps...

I pour M&P logs.... and use cheese keepers, ez lock boxes, for 3 pound loaves.

Have you tried www.craftlister.com Free membership for limited information, but if you comment on a show you did or you have information about a show you know about, add it to the list for full free membership. You can refine the searches to festivals, no vendor, yes vendors. outdoors only, church shows,, big shows and small shows. Just plug in your zip code information.. and it does the rest for ya...

Love it!!!!...... I bought a few of those holiday dishes from Michaels close out last year..... Hmmmm wonder where I put them:confused:

Oh myyyy.. just when I was thinking of letting my usual credit card company go and sign up with PayPal for better rates. Ouch..... so they're holding funds..... ummm.. what are they doing with them, collecting interest at the bank?? There's been alot of headache with this company for years... they might have just sealed their own coffin with this latest change. Good luck....

Last weekend our show was fabulous... Saturday we were swamped.. Sunday was a bit flat... but after the great sales on Saturday, and the show being outdoors I'm not complaining about Sunday being a bit quiet. We sold more this year, than we did the previous 2 years from our booth. We sell bath & body, soy candles, dipped critters and soap... along with gourmet foods. We've been part of this show for 7 years and were excited to see such great sales. This weekend,,, our show did just as well as the 2009 show. Alot of repeat buyers, looking to see what sort of gift baskets we will be offering this year. We are taking a couple of weekends off.. then we are booked from Oct 2nd, - Dec. 18th at shows.... hopefully the trend will continue with good sales. Good luck everyone.... :yay:keep smilin' and keep sellin' ~S~

I would love a copy.. thank you so much... ~S~ sherrilynns@centurytel.net

I'm looking for a good supplier for Palm Stearic. Is palm stearic the same from supplier to supplier? Also,, Coconut Oil, 76, like the LouAnn brand from Walmart? Also, wondering if you buy your herb locally or purchase them online. Thanks much

I use the pop colorants with great success in my M&P,. I blend my colorant with castor oil, then add it to the M&P base. Great vibrant and long lasting colors.. no clumping...

I use 2 ez-ups at my outdoor shows... I wouldn't own anything else. I've tried other canopy products in the past and by far this brand stands up the best, for many uses, over time. I bought both of these tents 6 years ago and they're still going strong. I'm 55,, and can pop, weight down.. and pound anchors in myself with this unit. I really like them,, used and new parts are easy to find for them. ~S~

Awesome!!!!! Very unique....Cranberry Marmalade sound lucious...who is the supplier for that FO?? ~S~

Love your soap!!!! Pastel,,floating on air sort of feeling.... they should be great sellers for Spring and Mother's day!!!! If I can ask,, who is the supplier for the Lavender, Cucumber, Sage FO??? sounds yummy....

I've never heard of BERT.... where are they located? Thanks much..~S~

I use the Sam's wrap... then finish off with my own cigar bands... Customers can smell the fragrance through the wrap. I like the wrap, it's quick, keeps fingerprints and germs off your soaps, and can be removed easily from the bars.

I do all my wicking and label making in advance,,, cause somewhere down the road I'll always use those. However, I do my actual pouring of scents,, once the order has been turned in.... Mango Sorbet sounds yummyyyy... who supplies that FO?? Good luck with your fundraiser, Brenda.

I take to shows, whatever we have made..... sales are always unpredictable,, however, over the past 11 years we've weeded out the good from the bad of shows, and only vend at shows we can make at least $1500 a day.