Jeana

Those are super duper cute I love the colors. I wish pink sugar would turn out that way in CP.

I get those too. I started pouring the lye through a strainer as I am adding it to the oils. I haven't had any lye pockets. I wouldn't use it like that without straining it though.

So you don't take the temperatures either - haha? What is the melt point of the wax you use? The last time I made these, I put the molds in the freezer, the wax was a little slushy when I poured. Only two of them didn't get big dents in the sides of the candles. Is your wax slushy around 150, or still clear? Sorry I'm just trying to get a visual of what 150 looks like. I don't have a good thermometer, so I'm not able to get an accurate reading. Have you ever gotten the indentations in the sides of the candles that I'm talking about?

I was wondering what the optimum pouring temp is of this wax to keep the rustic look? (candlewic is closed for the weekend so I can't ask them.) I recently started pouring cooler to be sure to get the rustic look, but now I'm having trouble with warping on the sides. I think I may be pouring too cool now. I didn't think I could pour too cool. The texture looks great though. This only happens sometimes, so it is really hard to pinpoint exactly what is a good or bad temp to pour.

If the wick is too large it can burn off the wax faster than it has time to pool, so it will burn down into the candle. The only way to know if it is the wick size or the type of wick that needs to be changed is keep going down in sizes of the wick type you are using. If you think you are in between sizes, or you still are not getting the results you are looking for, then it would be good to try a different type of wick. There are so many different types of wicks, it can really get confusing. Try to keep it as simple as you can. You also asked if mushrooming with cotton core wicks is normal, and yes it is.

They both look great. The layers are the perfect colors for that scent. I've been wanting to try the multiple layers. Do you only mix small portions of the recipe for each color, or how does that go? I use the PVC tube too. I got the end caps from Home Depot. So if you get those you won't need a "mounting platform". I put a very slight coat of veg spray before I fill the mold, and when it is time to take it out I put it in the freazer for an hour, tap it on the ground and it slides out. Now I have to try the divider trick. Thanks for the great ideas

No try it, they are really cute. The dots don't break out of the soap until the bar is almost used up. I'd say about 1/8" thick or less. Not that big of an issue really. I haven't had anyone who has bought the soaps complain. We have just noticed it when we are using it around here. As for the bleeding colors go, it took about 3 or 4 months for it to start bleeding so I know it wasn't the gel stage that caused it. I know now I have to be more aware of choosing colors that don't bleed for MP imbeds. It is only a slight halo of the color that expands out into the CP just around the MP. It doesn't migrate all over the soap. It is weird though, I use those same colors for swirling CP and layering CP and have never had a problem with bleeding in those applications, only the transparent MP dots. Kitn - I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures

Also, I've gotten very good throw results with HTPs, but not that great of melt pool results. They may work for you though.

Do you have a little of another soy you could mix with it? I've been adding a little accusoy 10 to it and it has been throwing much better now. The very best throw results I have had with 464, even plain, is with the premier 700 wicks. That was with all the scents I tried them in. The throw stands out by far the best from eco, cd, cdn, rrd, and hemps. I'm in between sizes with premier for most scents so I've been working with LX now. LX is my second choice for throw in 464. I don't take temps so I don't know all of that info. I pour hot, not sure if this helps or hurts throwing. I get better adhesion, less frost, and smoother tops when I pour hot.

I don't want to sound like a downer, but try to spend some time there in the middle of the summer before you decide on a permanent move. The heat really is unbelievable. I grew up there (19 years) and I visit family and friends frequently still. Last summer when I visited it was 117 for a few days and the rest 113. It takes your breath away. Northern AZ isn't too bad. If you like desert, cactus and a more moderate heat you may want to consider Borrego Springs, CA. It is about 1hr to get to San Diego and the beaches. You could do markets all year long, there are tons of craft shows all over the place too. Borrego is a very artsy place and known for its spring flowers.

I haven't tried GL's version, but I have been mixing Candlescience's very vanilla with their lavender to make my own. I really like it. If you order from CS you could try mixing them.

I've done it quite a bit. I have two issue with it that aren't really bad but bother me still. First you have to watch out for the colors bleeding from the MP to the CP. This didn't happen with micas or oxides, just liquid colors, mostly yellow and green. And the other thing is that as the soap gets used the MP can separate and break apart from the CP.

no you don't use a crockpot. CP is the Cold Process. You put your oils and water/lye mix together stir till it traces then add what you want and put it in your mold. Cure time is longer. There are ways you can make that shorter too. Some batches do take longer. And it can take some time to decide what you are going to do. It is up to you whether to make it complex or easy.

The only extra step for CP is weighing your lye and water. If I am not working with a new recipe I can do a batch in about an hour.

Also I think it is much cheaper to make CP recipes. Even if you use butters it still can break down to about $11 for a 4.5 lb batch with scent and colorants. That's around $2.44 pp. I'm sure you could even make cheaper CP recipes too. Most MP bases are around $3 -4 pp without scent or color or counting if you have to pay shipping to get it.

I think Candlescience has the best Lavender out there. It isn't the best thrower though. It does get much stronger the more it cures. I tried Peaks cuz I've heard such great reviews about it but to me it doesn't come close to the real thing. It smells more like an air freshner and gives me a headache. Not trying to offend lovers of Peak's, just my opinion. I recently got a nice one from Coal Creek. It is a very nice delicate floral, can't decide if it is a good "lavender" yet.

It depends on the EO you are using if you can be ok with CD wicks. You should try ECO wicks for EOs. They are better for harder to wick scents. Also 9% is a lot for EOs. And 7 hours seems a long time to burn a 3" container. I used to use about 20% 415 with ecosoya advance, and it did really well for EO candles. It was the FOs I had trouble with in that formula.

Which EO are you doing, and what %? I've had better luck with ECO and CDN wicks for EOs. I've also had testers that the first burn goes well then the second fizzles, or gets very large. Not sure why this happens.

That turned out really pretty! Totally not what I would have thought it would look like in the end from the first picture. Is it Lavender EO?

How can you have vanilla EO?

I thought Candlesciences liquid colors have a very strong smell. Like a permanent marker. If you are using just a few drops it isn't a big deal but if you are making dark colors, you can smell it in the finished candle. I didn't care for them as much as EVO or ECO dyes sold by candlewic or northstar.

I love the colors together, very cute!!

Do you have their rust? I'm wondering if you did a smidge of that. Cuz it has some brown and some orange. Also, why don't you want to use the chips if they give you the perfect results?

I was adding more to my other post when you were posting. I think that is just each person's opinion, which one throws better. If you haven't worked with anything but cb135 then try other waxes, there are better ones out there. Start with the wax supplier closest to you, so you can save on shipping.

Are you asking which wax has a stronger Hot throw? I think palm is the hardest to wick. Lots of people add paraffin to soy to reduce frosting and increase throw.