Abbiepql

Valeri Parr Hill and Kathy Ireland both use Hannah's candles I believe...

That could be alot or not - Cost is relative, depending on what you make it could be very reasonable. You need to do some research and if possible talk to other crafters that have done the show in the past and see how it went for them. Then ask the promoter (organization putting on the show) what kind of numbers in attendence they are expecting and what is that number based on - for example, previous year's ticket sales.

I used sign statements! They were great to work with. Uploaded my graphics on Sunday night. Got my proof that night. I had my sign delivered by Thursday and it was GORGOUS! Very reasonable cost and like it was discussed I used bungie cords on the back wall of the tent, so customers could so it as they stood under the front of my tent.

I use an LX 30 in that size jar and don't have to double wick!

Technically, both products - soy wax and paraffin wax start as "natural" products, soy wax from beans in the field and paraffin from crude oil pumped from the ground. Both must be processed to be used for candle making purposes. Soy Wax is extracted from beans and hydrogenating process and paraffin, correct me if I am wrong is a by product of refining crude? It must be distilled and then refined by solvents, no? Given your definition of nature; "Natural" refers to something that comes from nature". Neither would be considered natural in the final states we use both products. Neither comes straight from the source product. The difference being for some, that once the crude oil is gone, there is no more. I think the level of BS over the word "natural" can be attributed more accurately if you ask one to define what natural means to them.

There is no way you can tell what a fragrance oil is going to do until you get in the application! There are just too many varibles out of the bottle. And consider this - when sniffing from a bottle you are picking up all sorts of chemicals including the carrier oils. It's been my experience to get an idea of what a FO is going to smell like - OOB, put it on a q-tip or some type of absorbent material, let it sit and air out a bit - then sniff. Think perfume and how it smells different on different people, it's the same thing with FO, when it gets in wax, soap, lotion, etc. - the chemistry is not complete until then.

I got tired of wimpy peaches, so I mixed it with ginger and it makes it POP. You might want to try that - Certain scents compliment others and bring out the desired qualities you want that you will not find alone.

The GB415 from CS should be the same as the KY125 without cottonseed. After all soy wax is soy wax, check out the meltpoints and additives to figure which are like. You could always call Vicky and explain the situation, I bet she will give you heads up to which of the waxes you have to choose from would be most like the KY125.

I think the State Farm issues varies from state to state and even then - check agent to agent. SF covers my house, cars, and my business premises which is located on my property but not in my house! They cover the structure as it is part of my property and if someone hurts themselve while inside it, but all the rest of insurance for the biz including product liability is through Erie. And get this - I called three local erie agents who told me that type of insurance was not available in my state! I finally called the state home office and they found an agent that was willing to do the footwork to find coverage. So be prepared to ask a lot of questions and above all KNOW WHAT YOU need. Business insurance is not a blanket policy, you need to make sure all the bases are covered - product liability, advertising, inventory, supplies, space at shows if you are going to do them, etc.

I hear your pain - but I will tell you what my hubby reminds me of almost daily - the point of a business is to make a profit! What Candybee says is right on target - you will have to find a good and PROFITABLE combination in order to not only fill the needs of your wholesale customers but your business needs as well. Quite a few of my wholesale customers sell my candles for more than Yankme, so I don't always use that as a measure, but comparisons are a good start. What I do when my wholesale/private labeling customers want things outside of my price points - special containers, special fragrances, extras, they pay for them up front. I make money on the wax and labor. Works for me, but normally it's only a couple of orders before they realize it's not worth the extra money and stick with the standards I offer. You are really the one that can make the decisions on cutting costs, as you are the only one that knows what your $ issues are. When I started, I could not really afford to buy in bulk - I did not have a butt load of money sitting around for a pallet of jars! Now, I can't imagine buying them any other way!

Jack O'Latern's Glow - In my soy/bw blend I used 1.5 oz pp and it took a full two weeks to cure. It's nice, but won't blow the doors off. A very nice mix of scents though. I have a customer that absolutely loves it, but Stacy stopped carrying for a while so I found something else to replace it. Cornucopia - very nice and throws good at 1 oz pp in my wax. Like it - hard to describe what it has in it but very Fallish.

There is no way you are going to be able to wick something that is only 1 inch across at the beginning and widens out to 3 inches!!!!! It's not possible. Maybe I am not picturing your pillar correctly, but my cinnamon buns only raise up a bit in the middle - I wick for the 3.5 inch part and let the top melt down into the middle. Mine leaves a 1/2 shell but that is what keeps the melt pool inside and not draining all over the place. Maybe if you showed us a picture? That is why many candle makers don't use urn jars, but even they don't go from mini opening to mega opening!

I found with my wax the key to a good red, was a good yellow! I make 8 lbs. at a time but my best red is with 2 parts red, 1 part GOLD (not bright yellow) and 1 part brown. cut back on the brown if you want a fire engine red verus barn red. And I gave up on blocks and flakes years ago - liquids are the only way I can get consistancy. HTH -

Wow, tons of responses to this thread are missing!

I do all my votives, pillars and tealights in the same wax. They don't wobble that much, and some scents don't even shrink away from the sides, just something to consider. I find it keeps it easier to use than messing with soy container wax and how soft it is on top, and the funky looks. This way, I pour, top off and I am done. No worries. If I used container, I would get a longer burn - someday I might try mixing them.

In my former job as a media production assistant in a school system I was asked this questions, many...many...times! You will need to obtain permission from the school system - usually the school principal is sufficient - to use their logo - I would get it in writing. If you use it without permission you run the risk of having all the goods you make with the copyright seized by the school system. Good Luck! I have seen principals approve it many times, but in most cases it was for non-profit fundraising items, and not so someone else could make money off the items. But I have seen companies take the colors and the name of the mascot and use them without permission - on bears, ballons and stuff like that - for example a bear dressed up like a football player in the local high school's colors and the mascot's name on the front of the jersey - like a lion or wildcat.

Something my insurance rep asked me a long time ago - and I think if it each time I wick a new jar. What is the recommended use of the wick from the manufacturer of the wick? If the wick is designed for use in a 3 inch jar and you are using 2 - in a jar with diameter of 3.5 inches, it's clear you are not using the wick as intended - any problems with that candle and it causes an incident I need to have those wick recommendations back up my product, taking into account the properties of other ingredients in the make up of my candle. If I use wicks in a manner not intended that could be a problem. Just something to think about - I know I do when I see multiple wicks in jars that obviously could be single wicked.

I use the natural pillar wax from KY and they don't have any frost or pits, they turn out pretty, but they wobble in the container like a pillar! LOL

I had posted about this situation in the co-op section. From what I understand there were some issues with the web page having some serious rework that required the site to be brought down until it could be corrected. I order from them quite often and have never heard any mention of outside sales reps. I have always had an assigned sales person inside RA that I spoke to, Carrie and now Meghan, with Carrie having left. I order my oils through email with a request for confirmation before they ship, works like a charm and I get my orders in less than 10 days. At times I have called them in if I have a question. The problem for me ordering online, is that many times I am placing reorders and they are filled by checking which formula/# I have ordered previously - so I never attempted to order online. Additionally, if you order on the phone you can explain to the sales person what you are using in way of wax and/or product and they will be better able to assist you in matching the right FO to your application. Like any other business, they have been through some serious transitions lately, staff wise - and of course it was not too long ago they were sold to the owner they have now. I think they are just working out all the procedures as time allows.

Craft shows in VA are always a hit or miss and I am not talking just from the vendors side, but from a buyers side too! I don't hold out too much hope unless they are expensive and even that is not a true test of worth. I do 4 shows a year and so far they have all been proven winners for 5+ years, I fear to try any more than that and take a heap of steps backwards! Alot of work in doing shows.

I agree with so-soy - I tried so many, cuz I do triple layers for Halloween and while they were "okay" nothing really said Candy Corn, just a hint of brown sugar and vanilla smell to me. And I tried all the best known suppliers - CC's was the best of all, followed by BCN.

Let's put it this way, if making a bunch 'o buns - I wear a respirator when working with it. It will make your skin burn it's so strong. LOL

Have you tried Gena's at Heartfelt? Hers is nice in soap.

I bought some soap recently from MichelleOH - in that scent. First of all - watch out if you have more than one man in the house, both my guys were fighting over it and I must say, it does smell...um...manly...sexy - to me of course. It's soooo nice! And of course that soap is still making my bath room smell great. Another plus, that bar of soap was so pretty I begged them not to use it, I just wanted to look and smell it! That lady can make some really awesome soap! All the soap I got from her was pretty and delish! I don't know what blue sugar fo she uses.

One of my favs with Pink Sugar is Black Pepper - very nice combo.