Judy, USMC

Oh, I totally agree! But I've done this show for years; always did consistent sales. But for some reason the number of attendees was down ... really lower than normal. So I was just wondering if this is just a regional abnormality or if it's happening country-wide. Jillsthings - Good for you! You will get a feel for how much product you need to bring as time goes on. Glad you made a profit. Go get 'em!

16 ounces (1 pound) of wax on a scale will weigh 1 pound whether in a solid or liquid form. If you melt a pound of solid wax it will still weigh a pound when liquid so it actually makes no difference if it's solid or liquid; a pound is a pound. If the wax is in a liquid form it will overflow if you try to pour it into a 16 fluid ounce container; that is regarding the volume and really doesn't make a difference as far as your original question goes. That's the reason you should always weigh your wax & FO on a scale. If you are using wax in the solid form you can weigh it directly on the scale and then melt it. If you melt a few pounds of wax and want to pour off a pound you have to mess with the tare to subtract the container's weight. When starting out it's much easier to start with weighing it in a solid form. As you get more comfortable with the measurements ... or if you need to start making larger batches ... you can convert to working with the tare feature. I always add the FO to melted wax. HTH

It was an indoor show so my goods were protected. Unfortunately it was the rainy walk from the parking lot to the venue that kept some away. Having a consumable was a plus ... if they wanted to resupply they needed to come in. But there were some newbies whose sales were not up to their expectations and felt really defeated. I felt so sorry for them. I agree that spring fairs don't have strong sales. It did decrease over the past years but I was hoping that this would be the turn-around ... and it just didn't happen.

Wondering how the sales and attendance is going in your area. We had our on-base fair last weekend. Things were slower than normal probably about 70% of the foot traffic we normally have. It was off-and-on rain on Saturday and severe weather warnings (hail) on Sunday. I was down about 10% from last year's sales. Hope this isn't a trend in your area ......

I'd try one of the specialty food stores if you have one in the area if you want to pick up a smaller supply to test. Maybe Whole Foods? I know east of the Mississippi you can find Turbinado at Fresh Market and there will be no additional shipping charges if you pick it up locally.

I've noticed some differences - not based on fragrances used. It depended more on the tool I used to trim the wick on the first burn. When I used some fairly dull scisors I had hugh mushrooms. The longer the wick the larger the frayed circulat mushroom. The sharper scissors and toenail clippers grew the wings. I believe it may have something to do with any damage done to the fibers when cut. Now after I make the trim, I try to reform the fibers into a cylinder... just basically finger pinching the cut end back into a circle. Mushrooms have decreased but still appear.

I found it interesting that this was actually a thread started in 2005 and somehow found a second life. Noticed Sweetcakes is still getting good reviews - - - 7 years later!

I started with 10. As more came out I added to that total. Kept the strong sellers, discarded others, some got discontinued by the supplier, kept testing more and more. My core is not stagnant. I currently have about 38 core ... but still testing more. Christmas is not included.

I've worked with CB-135 and it does have the tendency to swell ... and I did trim to 1/2 inch rather than the standard 1/4 wil no ill effects or complaints. Never went as far as the curly-q. I've seen it on pillars and agree it's cute, and I can understand the problems with transportation. Top hasn't been here since last May. I'd love to know if he's active on any other forum. Some have said he "had his moments" ... but I found him to be a knowledgeable chandler willing to share and advise without making you feel like an idiot who was doing things totally wrong.

I'll rename the "type" oils. Pink Sugar is Cotton Candy +, Cool Water is Glacier Ice. I rename some of the other FOs that I don't want my local competition to duplicate ... I may not change it up much but it will be different.

Rockin ~ I know us female attendees will miss you. But I believe that Steve will miss you more especially at the after-hours social events. Can one man keep all those women in line? Guess we'll find out ...

If I were looking for a particular item and did a search I won't say I wouldn't buy because of the name ... but I may skip over it and continue looking for a name that would at least give me a hint that what they are selling is what I'm looking for.

Karen & Abbie - Vanilla Decicious it is ... thanks for taking the time to reply!

If you have used and like DayStar vanillas is there one that you thinks comes close to a true vanilla (OOB) without anything too obvious with it? Making Aroma Bead/Corncob combo in an organza bag for car freshener so it will be almost identical to an OOB review. Thanks!

I was thinking of playing with powdered milk for a milk bath. The sell buy date is April 2012 ... I feel comfortable making a small batch for myself. If it meets my expectation would you use the rest of the box to make some for friends. Or should I buy new and put the expiration date as a "Use by" date. Additionally, I got some bath tea bags in a swap about 3 years ago. All the label says is Milk Powder. It smells a little off and I'm going to trash it. But that led me to wondering; does powdered Buttermilk (or any other powdered milk) have a particular odor? Thanks

I also will load a cart to check shipping prices - but then I remove the items so it's $0 before leaving. I have a friend with a site and she recommended I do it that way. She allows people to have items in their cart for 24 hours - and has that notice on the cart page. If they don't come back it gets dumped.

THAT WILL NOT WORK if you are using a 2 pour paraffin like 4786. That wax shrinks as it sets up and you may need an additional 15-20% to top it off. ETA: Check your suppliers site. There is usually a disclaimer somewhere on the site that typically says "Filled by weight and not by volume." So 1oz of FO is 1oz by weight. Naturally you should weigh your wax (on a scale) before melting. So all your measurements should be done by weight. Please let us know what wax you are using ... or pm me and I can walk you through how to get the answer to your original question.

I've really never had any luck with colors not leaching or bleeding through to a different color with paraffin. The only things I've personally observed is that white will accept any adjacent color and temperature really had no effect on the transfer rate. Sorry, not much help ....

From what I'm reading I get the feeling that you are making melts (not candles) in these glass jars, is that right? If thats what you're asking my answer is No - I don't make melts in glass. On the hot plate type of warmer I use ceramic bowls.

Short true story. I was set up in a house that was converted to a Craft Shop. They only burned soy candles. The air conditioner contract guy came to change the filter one day. He pulled it out and the originally white filter was black. He knew right away there were candles being lit. It's typical - whether you can see the soot on the side of a jar or not - all candles do it.

So, if I have this correct, there are 3 separate organizations involved. ACS is supported by SGKF who also supported cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood. The funding issue between SGKF and PP has nothing to do with the ACS. If the funds raised by this Relay for Life isn't going to SGKF or PP (IMO) I think it should be a non-issue. I would recommend that the labels contain a tagline that says something like "Purchase of this item directly supports the American Cancer Society."

This is the only way I know of to get to the old page about projects & tips. If you go to www.candletech.com the directory from 2009 is still there. Tips on how to do comparitive testing for throw is on the last page ... here's the link: http://www.candletech.com/general-information/comparing-scent-throw/ Wonder if this is a sticky somewhere on this forum and I just haven't found it yet?

That's great information to know! Thanks for getting back so quickly.

Thanks for the reviews. Wanted to get your opinion - get in your Fall/Christmas frame of mind. I have the CS Mistletoe and I have a Balsam/Fir Tree scent. How do you think the Pine Cones would do? Is it far enough away from the others to stand as a third aroma? Or would you drop one of the others because it's too close?

Please let us know when it is "later" (lol). I'm especially curious about your reaction to this one - even if it is only OOB!