Traveler

Thank you so much for the suggestions! Guess it's time to get some samples from Peak's :-)

Now that Willow Woods is closing (Clsoed?) I am trying to find replacements sources for the some specific FO's. I realize this may be impossible and that in the long run I might simply have to cut these out entirely and offer all new scents...but these have been consistent sellers for me and I hate to throw in the towel without at least giving this a shot: 1. Eucalyptus (hers smelled like real Eucalyptus leaves, not that medicinal Vick's Vapor Rub stuff.) 2. Sage & Citrus - Yankee Type (Completely different from the "Citrus & Sage" sold by many vendors) 3. Plumeria - Yankee Type (NOT the BBW version. No fruit notes.) 4. French Vanilla - Yankee Type (This one was rich and buttery - not smooth and creamy) 5. Southern Magnolia - hers threw well in both parasoy and soy. 6. Amish Carrot Cake - incredibly rich and strong. 7. Pumpkin Pie - Yankee Type - so amazing and rich and spicy. For those of you also looking for replacement FO's - The Candlemaker's Store (Steve's) does have a pretty good Home Sweet Home and Blueberry Muffin. Their Sage & Citrus, Clean Cotton, and French Vanilla Yankee Types do not come anywhere close to Willow Woods. I am going to test Plumeria and Clean Cotton samples by NG and CS....if either one of these is a match to those FO's I will share my findings so you can test them as well. (OOB the CS samples seem to be the closer matches). Thank you, thankyou for any input you would be willing to share - I appreciate it!!

Grapefruit & Mangosteen (CS) Sex on the Beach (CS) Coconut Lime (CS) Just nice, refreshing and fruity, especially at this time of year.

Sad news indeed! I am already in a scramble to try to find duplicates for all of the Willow Woods oils I am losing and now I have to add my KY oils to the list? Holy Capers, Batman! Why is it always the good vendors that close? If Backwoods closes I am going to run away from home! FYI: KY's Icy Peppermint smells pretty close to NG's Peppermint (if anyone is looking for a good peppermint replacement). They both throw well in parasoy and paraffin. I have not yet found a duplicate of KY's Plumberry Spice or her Creme Brulee which was the only CB I have found that did not have that wierd burnt maple syrup smell to it. Oh well, the search must go on. Best wishes for Vickey and her family - I hope it all turns out well for her.

Kathy and her oils are awesome! She was back in the hospital recently and between that and the recession it sounds as if things simply got that much tougher for her. I think we can all relate to that!! I can attest that her Yankee Types are spot-on dupes. I have used them for years and tested them against Yankee Candles...my customers keep returning for her Sage & Citrus, Plumeria, Clean Cotton, Home Sweet Home and Pumpkin Pie. I hope this change turns into a wonderful opportunity for her to start a new chapter in her life so I wish her the absolute best!!

I love 6006. It has wonderful hot throw. But because of the small amount of soy (30% is what I was told by a former IGI employee) you will find that you need to test a lot. Some FO's can be frustrating. But most will throw like a dream once you learn this wax and get to the point where you can open a sample bottle, sniff it and know almost instantly "This will throw awesome in this wax!". Yeah...it gets that good. 6006 takes color beautifully and holds up well during outdoor craft shows in the warmer months. A real consideration for me. Now 4627 also throws really well. It makes a beautiful candle. So does 4630 by the way. Lovely scent throw on that one. I simply chose not to use a straight paraffin because I just really enjoyed the consistency and performance of the 6006 early on...and I stuck with it. You can also mix 4630 with GB 464 or GB 444 to create a wax a lot like 6006 in terms of HT and burn characteristics. (But then you need to buy two waxes instead of one...so just budget accordingly if you start playing with blending). Hope that helps a little in your decision making - have huge fun with your testing!

Sad to say - I had to stop using Heartfelt. Lovely oils. But the customer service was nonexistent. And she often shipped bottles of oil without any type of packing peanuts or newspaper...just bottles rattling around in boxes. Waiting 3 weeks for some type of acknowledgement of payment or that the order was even received or shipped....having to send multiple emails and leave multiple phone messages..yikes! And yes. We did have a conversation with her about this. Nothing improved. Oh well. Lesson learned the hard way for me. I still keep hoping to hear that her service has improved.

I use CS Lilac. Sells out at every show right now. A lot of customers from the Northeastern states love ours and tell me it smells like real Lilac to them. CS Lilac seems to perform well in parasoy and paraffin. Have not yet tried it in straight soy or palm wax. That being said...Sweetcakes has a very "pretty" Lilac. It's fairly pricey too...but it soaps nicely. A bit more of a "florally" note to it which makes it sweeter than CS Lilac if you want to give them a try. HTH

I have never tried the Creme Brulee from Elements, but KY's Creme Brulee is delicious!!

The recession and it's ongoing effects have certainly changed the landscape for us. The trickle down effect has hit our favorite small suppliers as well...watching them drop off one by one has been hard. I have had to race to find new oils each time a supplier closes. Talk about another expense I wasn't planning on having this past year! And I don't need to mention the cost of gas. Just getting to a show right now is painful. I have also noticed many unemployed people who are unable to get jobs in our area are now turning to candle and soapmaking as a way to earn money. At the last craft show I walked through I counted 8 soapmakers. That usually doesn't happen. Most craft shows here do not allow in so many of the same type of craft. But now even craft show coordinators are hurting to find vendors who can pay the entry fees (they range from $80 - $225 in our area) so they are letting in a lot more direct competition...which makes it harder to sell against vendors who also sell products similar to yours. And I see new candle vendors advertising 11oz tumbler soy candles for $20. Just 2 years ago that would have been considered much too high for our area. Is charging more than $1 per ounce going to be the new trend in handmade candle selling in order for us to survive? Three of my former candle competitors have all closed their long standing candle businesses and are now doing buy/sell items at Craft Shows and Home Shows. One person is doing a brisk business selling spices/soup mixes/rubs/sauces. He doesn't make any of it...just buys it and sells it. He says he is doing great! (He used to make gorgeous gel candles...but sales tanked last year and he couldn't pay his rent so he went in an entirely new direction.) Makes me wonder which candle styles and waxes will survive best in 2011? So I am earnestly studying these new trends and trying to figure out how to "tweak" my business plan so that I can continue to live a creative life but find a way to pay my bills in this new economy. It's not going to be easy...but I am hopeful for all of us. I am hopeful that those of us who enjoy the process of making quality handmade products can find a way to survive all of this and thrive. Maybe I am being naive. Or stubborn (it's been known to happen, LOL!)But I am just not ready to give up.

Maybe just the straight Sandlawood from BCN? It used to get positive reviews on this board a few years ago. Of course, I have no idea how it soaps because I currently just make candles. But it used to be a popular Sandalwood. (Oh, I think I saw a Hawaiian Sandalwood at Oregon Trails...not sure if it is similar to the one at Tradewinds...but OT has a nice FO's for soaping.)

Now Wait a sec...when I ordered yesterday there was no new "Honeysuckle" on the list! (Sound of whining heard throughout the house). Thinking of stamping my foot, too! Poop. I have been searching for a good, strong, true and (affordable) honeysuckle. Now I have to go back and ...what's the new phrase from Steve? Oh, yes, "Maximize my shipping dollar". I am in such trouble with myself. :rolleyes2 BTW - Oakmoss and Amber rocks in 4794 paraffin! Very high-end, masculine scent. Would smell awesome in a cologne for guys if any of you are also doing bath & body and are looking for something else to add to your shopping carts. ;-)

Oh, that's lovely. What a talent you have!

CS has a Key West Green liquid dye. I am not certain what you would add to it to make it more "Neon"...but it is a very pretty bright light green. Just 1-2 drops per lb of glass glow palm wax looks awesome! Makes the CS Lime Cooler scent stand out immediately from all the typical pinks, purples and yellows of spring. Not really Neon...but defintiely bright and eye catching. (In paraffin and para-soy as well!) HTH

On her website it looks like some oils will now be available for purchase again as of 3/24.

Very nice display! Congratulations!

Wow. Nevada has the highest rate of Forclosures in the country, right? And they want to get busy spending taxpayer money banning the way a gas station bathroom smells? Or a casino? Some people need to stop and take a look at Japan. And Haiti. And the Middle East. The list is longer. Not to mention the poverty and desperation right here in our own front yard. I'd like to ask that politician "How many homeless/jobless people have you spoken with today? And are you doing ANYTHING to make a difference in their lives? Are you doing ANYTHING to create jobs in your state?" I bet that waitress wears perfume.

I saw this too. He is cute. But he seems to have borrowed the concept directly from Mandles. The sad thing is that if it was a grown man making candles out of soup cans, donating the soup to charity, making a line of manly scented candles, it would not have been newsworthy. I wonder if any people will see this story and think "Wow. Candlemaking is so easy and profitable that even a child can do it and earn a living! Hey, let's get our kids into the candlemaking business!" Yikes.

How is the shipping cost? I would love to find a new veggie based wax to test. These look fun! Walnut oil wax...who knew??

Idea: Try to find out what buyers are looking for at this particular show. This could help in your decision making process about how much of each type of candle to bring. For example: Are buyers coming to look for "Spring" or "Summer" items to stock in their shops? Then take your most popular selling candles in those types of fragrances. (Just bring a few samples of autmun scents for customers to sniff to get an idea of what you offer for that time of year). This was suggested to me by someone who repeatedly attends trade shows in Atlanta. She made it clear that buyers are not looking for Hot Cocoa and Mistletoe scents if they are buying for the spring season....they are looking for florals and fruits....but for shows she does in July...buyers are already looking to stock their shelves for Autumn/Winter selling. You could also contact the Folks who are in charge of the show and see if they can give you an idea of what buyers are looking for at this particular show. They really should know what "shopping Season" their show is geared toward. It could help you narrow down your inventory to a more manageable list. Make it a wee bit less stressful. You might also want to take another person with you to help sell as well as cover for you on a lunch/restroom break. These events can be pretty busy!! Gives you time to also walk some of the show at least once and see what other candlemakers/soap makers are selling. It's important to know how your product stands out from theirs. Have an awesome show!!!

I loved it in 4794 wax....I wish it were skin safe so that I could use it in a dry oil body spray. In the summer it would be such a refreshing scent to wear!

Oh, WOW~ Lovely!! You did an awesome job!

I am always entertained by how subjective the sense of smell is for each person. I love CS Asian Amber. It just has a nice heady amber/herbal scent to it. And yet, I knew as soon as I smelled it OOB that a lot of people would hate it. Most of my female neighbors turn their noses up at it. It is not "soft" enough for them. Until I get to the neighbors who love patchouli and sandalwood and earthy scents....and then the response is "Wow! I love that!" Here's one I don't care for: CS Very Vanilla - there is a bitter note in it that my nose picks up when I sniff it OOB and when I put it in the wax I still smell it. It just blocks the Vanilla scent for me. And yet...Very Vanilla often gets positive reviews on this board. It's a little frustrating because I like vanilla scents. Go figure! Because I am a candlemaker - my neighbor swears she can smell me making candles all the time....while I am out grocery shopping, at the veterinarian, out of town for two weeks...or while I am at home at night watching a movie...having not made a single candle in 3 days. Guilt by association. I am a candlemaker therefore the smell of cookies wafting into her backyard on a Saturday afternoon must be coming from my house...even though my car is not in the driveway and I am clearly not home. LOL!

I love all of it! You have such a wonderful sense of presentation. If I were there I would have made a beeline for your table!

I second the vote for CS Bayberry!!