I live in upstate NY with my family, make soap, and sometimes make sales. I've been making soap since at least 2002 (not really sure of the date) but only selling for the past 2 years. I still get a rush when my new tax ID comes in the mail.
I have the SunnyB mold from TOG on Etsy. It took 3 months to get it but I really like it. I forgot to account for the divider volume and made 50 bars my first batch out.
FWIW: I ordered a Kelsei back in November 2009. My credit card was never charged. They were moving and then there was a string of health issues. I'm still waiting.
LaVida - Iron on the image first. Otherwise, you burn your scent off. I tried it both ways. The steps I used: 1) punch hole in top with a mega hole puncher 2) iron on image 3) paint on FO (I used a kid's paintbrush from my daughter's assortment) 4) Let scent soak in for a bit 5) package
You can use inkjet image transfer paper. The paper they use to make Tshirts. If your image has text, you need to reverse it. I made that mistake. Print your image, trim around the edges, and iron it on. Like here:
Sorry if this has been mentioned but Kangaroo Blue has the Aroma Art brand. ALSO - you can get iron on transfer paper and put your own logo on to decorate using your regular printer and an iron.
I had the same problem. Now, I heat the LS and the scent (with or without glycerine) before stirring in scent. I have a jar of LS mixed with CKB that looks like smelly jellies. I successfully used that scent when I heated both the soap and the FO.
I've had the best luck dissolving the paste when I use really hot, boiling water to start the dilution. I use canning jars to dilute a pound at a time in a makeshift double boiler. It takes around 3-4 hours for dilution that way. When I don't use boiling water, it takes a day or two.