Eden Sass

I was hoping to encourage customers to return the jars they had already purchased from me (with my logo on it) to wash out and reuse, and give them a discount off their next purchase. That way I've already tested them and don't have to worry about retesting. If they are jars specifically made for candlemaking (the jar store) would they not be safe to use more than once? I understand that the heat from burning a candle over time may wear down the glass (and how do you know how much each jar can withstand, I guess...) but was really hoping to reuse them... My 16oz apoth's are over $2 each, and that is buying them in large quantities!!! ps - don't yell at me, I haven't done this yet, but really want to!! Jan

coffeebean, I tried coconut oil in 135 and did the side-by-side test and I DID find it to help a bit with the ht. As for the smooth tops I'm still trying to find that out, but I'm going to try pouring at 150 next batch. When I remelt the whole candle on an electric warmer, the wax gets to 150. When I take it off the burner and leave it to harden in a room with just my woodstove in it (not exactly sure of the temp) I don't have to put a box or anything on top - they harden with very nice looking tops and haven't had any frosting yet. Still get some funky tops happening after they reset after burning for a few hours, but if the ht is there I'm not too worried about the way they look after burning. Adds some style . I'm using 1.25 oz pp with 1 dye chip, though... not sure if more fragrance might increase your frosting. hth, Jan

thanks chris... sorry to sounds dumb here (just do candles!) but then do you use it as room spray and couches and such, or just 'linens?'

I understand what you are saying, Stella, and hopefully my candles will do the same!!! Not looking to add a promotional factor, but fact of life here is that we are big into carbon footprint and ecoliving. (I live in a tiny village called Eden Mills, and we are trying to become the first village in North America to be Carbon Neutral - www.goingcarbonneutral.ca No one in my wee place even knows about my candlemaking yet, so believe me when I say I'm not looking at saying soy candles are the be-all and end-all to save our environment. I have read all (well, probably not ALL!) the threads on why not to promote soy as being all natural (especially since we are using fo's and dye chips) but feel it is important to at least report some advantage (can I say that?) to purchasing soy... :undecided

Thanks WC - that is the next step... getting the business/info cards available. I am having a real hard time though trying to come up with a way to promote soy after reading how many people on this forum get upset by what I believed to be benefits of soy. I have read several eco books who state the benefits of soy, and see what the soy manufacturers say about the product, but don't want to be misleading in any way. Problem with my city is that most people have never heard about soy candles, so they don't know any different between them and parrafin or beeswax. Lots of decisions to be made coming up!!

sorry... figured it out... I thought the 'closed for posting' sign was locked for me too!! Unfortunately looks like she only ships in the US, but thanks for the link. Perhaps later on I'll get an American friend to order some for me!!! Jan

thanks heirloom!!! I really had no idea! I'll check her out... if I'm not locked out of that one still.. is there something special I have to do to see those posts?

chrisinpa... haven't been on here long enough to know how to make linen spray or rose hips (or to know if you are making fun... rose hips? ) - have read a few posts of people getting burned :embarasse... I'll look in the b&b recipes (?) and then let ya know if this is a possibility for me to figure out quick enough for me to add ... lol:D

scenic, I was wondering the same thing (about the throw)... I'll be sure to let you know. I'm switching the wick in one I had started to burn as we speak!

I've tried really hard to find something enviro-friendly for this... thought about waxed tissue paper, origami paper, regular waxed paper (or scale paper that butchers use) cloth, etc. ... sadly I'm going with the ziplock bags for now. I think it is important for customers to be able to see the product (which puts all those other ideas out the window... the scale paper you can kinda see through, but not really). You can buy the ziplock bags in 3x3 size, which is perfect for a single tart, and then we put 5 of the same scent together in a 4x6 size (not sure if they will sell, but they fit that way and it saves a little bit!) - then attach logo on the front and warning label on the back. good luck - let me know if you think of a better way!!! Jan

Wick trimmers are a good idea to add... thanks for that one! As I said with the tarts, I don't want to kick myself in the foot by going too high or too low.. living in the great white north, I can pick up my wax and it is still over $100 with tax, and then I get my scents shipped here... yadda yadda... I could sell them for a dollar, but that would make it really only .88 because of the tax I have to pay our lovely gov't... so wouldn't be much of a profit. Not to mention all the hype I have been reading about soy wax doubling in price in the coming year... in a way I'm glad I know that in advance, but in other ways I wish I didn't!!

yay craft show $$$ !!

Thanks for all the words of encouragement.. I'm gonna try it!!! April it is!! Now I just have to decide on a price for the tarts (I know what I'll sell the candles for) ... the 'big guns' sell in stores here for $1.99 each... I'm thinking $1.50 (I have to encorporate 13%tax - ugh) but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot before I even start... thinking also about the 'buy 7?8? for $10 thing... any suggestions would be appreciated! I'll let y'all know come april anyway how it goes!!! Thanks again, Jan

Thank you all so much for your helpful replies. I'll try upping a single wick to 20,22, and if I'm still not happy I'll try the double wicking thing. My wee one (jacob) will be 1yr on Apr.19th, Antoniascreations! 1 month apart! I am a SAHM too - for less than 1 more month. April 3 is going to bring a lot of tears... think I'm gonna go give him a hug right now!! thanks again everyone, jan

I agree! I'm going to take my B7B friend's advice with a grain of salt.. both me and my partner know a lot of people in our city so hopefully we can make things happen... results to come in April!!!!

I will certainly try your suggestion. Thank you so much! jan

So, I went to my local market this mornig. Runs every Sat. from 7-12. cost is $10 (yes, $10!) per week. You can sign up as a temp or a regular. I have tested and am very confident in my tarts, and 5oz apothecary jars. I have tested a whack load of 16oz apoths, but haven't been satisfied yet with their results, so I'm continuing with some hard core cs scents and gonna try the double wicking. I bought a bunch of tart warmers to sell along with my tarts. Would you go ahead and start selling your product with just tarts, warmers, and 5oz jars? A girl I know who is a seller there suggested I add something else that is consumable and keep people coming back week after week (she is b&b so I couldn't get into that!!) - tarts are not big in our neck of the woods, but I hope to change that!!! I would start in April, so have a little less than a month to get my insurance. I already have a business name, label, gst/pst (canadian) tax numbers and everything like that... just haven't actually started selling anything yet!! I figure for $10/week, there is no better advertising, but I don't want to jump the gun... do I need a wider array of product (ie, my 16oz) before venturing into this? I can start at any time there... TIA, Jan

idacandlelady (great name) .. it certainly does help.. I'm just worried about getting the placement right for double wicking. I like the natural little circles that are at the bottom of my jars in the center!!! My girlfriend is good at math.. I will try to get her to figure out where they should be placed. I'll have to do some more searching here, but do you place them equally spread out between the sides of the jar and each other (basically cut the jar into 4ths and put the wicks in the middle ?) I appreciate your reply!!! Jan

I've mastered the tarts and my 5oz apothecaries, and am trying to master my 16oz's. I started way to small... cd 16s in cb135, with 1.25oz pp of cranberry marmalade from cs & 1 cranberry dye chip. Before I waste away more wicks (as I did testing all my 5oz jars!!) can someone tell me if I should continue trying to single wick this size or if I am better off double wicking it with cd 12s or 14s? (I'm a little nervous to get into the double wicking!!) Not to push my luck for info (I have already spent well over an hour trying to search for an answer, and my baby has had enough time with his daddy!), I have also noticed some really funky swirly/crystally thingys happening on the top of my candles... is this from the temp I am pouring at? I don't have a heat gun yet, but my hairdryer doesn't seem to fix the problem. I add fragrance and dye at 180, and poured at 125. Set to cool on a rack, with a box overtop. Doesn't happen with all my scent/colour combos. The sides of my testers are absolutely beautiful, just some funky tops. I refuse to return to the beautifully topped cba because I had so much trouble finding the 'right' fragrances for ht. Thanks for anyone who can help! (I will also accept the 'test yourself' responses... just hoping someone is in a giving mood haha) Jan

marvelous!!

my pleasure! Jan

so, I received my shipment today (4 days to canada, not bad - Herb put together the order right away) and a few were broken when I received them... but I just got off the phone with him and he is sending me a cheque to cover the cost (probably not the shipping included, but that's alright - most arrived safe!) I would not recommend getting the square warmers unless you are using oil. I unfortunately bought them for tarts (don't they look nice and big on the website?) but there is no way a tart will fit in the top of them. The rounder ones that are similar just fit a tart nicely (I just melted one to make sure! - 1oz!) I got a couple of the milkcan ones and they are quite cute. The cylinder ones I got are really nice as well, although they are much smaller than their picture looks as well (they stand under 4" tall, where the milkcan ones are closer to 5") The square and rounded ones are less than 4" (wish I had known that first - my bad for not asking!!!) I also got some of the blue and black square bottom ones with the bowl on top.. these are nice for tarts as well. for scents, all the ones I got smell nice OOB - birthday cake, mulled cider, peach magnolia rasp., china rain, blueberry pie and black rasp., van. I'll let ya know when I 'tart 'em up!!! HTH, Jan

Just placed an order with them and I was quite happy with their customer service... (so far... I haven't received the tart warmers yet, but UPS says they're on their way!)... I'm in Canada and received a response to my inquiry about shipping the same day I sent an email to them, and Herb from the KY office checked out 2 different shipping options and called me with both before he sent them. I'll let you know how the shipment arrives, but I think their warmers look great and can't wait to try them (and the few scents I ordered) out!

babean, i had the same problem with lx wicks (also from cs's guide) and am much happier with cd wicks from candles and supplies. (look for heinz coreless) hth

Why oh why are things that are good for the environment so darned expensive?? Thanks for the green earth link!