dogmom1

if you have a dollar tree near you you might be able to find some floral bunches with a LOT of flowers on one bunch for just a dollar. the other alternative is a craft store (for me it's ac moore) when they are changing seasons. i've gotten bunches for up to 75 and 80% off, which makes them very reasonable. just a thought! eileen

hi, i was wondering if anyone ever tried this with agar-agar? from what i read about agar, it seems it would stay solid at room temp, which would be a plus. and did anyone do anything else with it? tried a preservative? eileen

CONGRATS! the first time is the hardest. and it won't be boring, even without fragrance. it will be wonderful, and you will be the creator. i hope you're doing well with your candles....... they can help pay for your soap addiction! eileen

that's a good idea. thanx kitn, i'll definitely try it! eileen

hi again top, the olive oil is in a fairly cool place which will definitely get warmer as summer approaches. i guess i'll make some room in the refrigerator before the really warm weather arrives here in jersey. maybe i should just buy another one! after reading your reply i took a quick look on the web and now understand why high oleic sunflower and safflower oils are ok for soap and the regular sunflower and safflower are not a good idea. i always learn something from your posts top, this time you peaked my curiosity about mono and polyunsaturated fats and that led to checking the diff between linoleic and oleic acids. thanks once again for the time you always take to give technical information, i for one (and i'm sure there are many others) really appreciate it! ei

hi top! i'll try tomorrow with a CPHP batch and discount the lye. since i generally superfat my CPHP at 8%, i'm thinking of doing 6%. thanx for answering! ei

thanks steve! most of my stuff have been in the refrigerator, except for the ones that i've read are pretty stable over itime, like palm and olive. ei

ok, my lye seemed to be caked, but one fairly easy hit to the container and it went back to granules except for a few small chunks which separated with a couple more shakes. it was in the original container and then the container was inside a zip lock bag. where does this fall in the good/not good category? opinions needed! i'll be ordering new, but it seems to me the last time i ordered from the lye guy it took a while. if it seems like a bad idea to count on it, does anyone have a suggestion for a fastest order/delivery place? thanks! ei

hi, i haven't soaped much lately and now find myself with some rather old oils. they all still smell and look fine. my question is this: once they become soap, does the fact that they were old affect the soap life, and if so how much, i.e. will the soap go bad quickly? part of me thinks yes, part of me isn't sure. thanks! ei

Thank you everyone who's written since my first thanks! I've been fighting depression and haven't been on in as much as usual. Seeing all your responses has given me a much-needed lift! I still have a couple of things to make and have to work both Christmas Eve day and Christmas day. That leaves tomorrow. I think now I just may be able to do it. Thank you all again!

they're all really nice, i especially like the blackberry sage. the colors are great and i bet they smell fantastic!

they look great! suddenly i have a craving for a Margarita!

very pretty, i LOVE that pink! unfortunately, i haven't smelled sexy little thing. i guess i'll have to add it to my wish list!

Thanks everyone! Yes Barb, here's a picture of it cut. As you can see, i am NOT very good at cutting and I really beat the soap up! But it smells awesome. I'm also trying to get the pictures small enough for the forum to accept and still not so low resolution that they are blurry. I'll get better at it. This could be a bit clearer, but you get the idea.

This is my first attempt. It's scented with lavender and patchouli essential oils and smell really good.. I finally found my camera attachment so I could get the pix off the camera. This picture is kind of dark and fuzzy, not sure how it will look on the forum. I'm going to try to fix the cut picture before i post it.

I second the CS Cranberry Marmalade! Everyone loves it. It throws really well in GB464. I was thinking of trying a combo of it this year with CS Mistletoe, which is predominantly a pine scent. Eileen

hi carrie, i have the exact opposite problem with my DH. the very first batch i made had no color and no fragrance. since he used to break out and itch from most regular store soaps, he pounced on it as soon as it was ready. one day he grabbed a bar with scent and it didn't bother him. seems it was something else in the store soap that caused the problems. now he'll use anything i make, and i have to hide what i don't want to end up in the shower. if he needs a new bar, he'll just grab whatever he sees. sorry, guess i'm not much help........

hi, If you decide to buy from the internet, the lye guy is in syracuse ny, shipping shouldn't be bad to ohio. he does a buy 6 and the 6th is free. he sells 2 pound containers and carries both NAOH and KOH. i've only had one order from him so far, but i found him friendly and helpful with my questions. www.thelyeguy.com hth, eileen

hi, i got some samples from someone on the board who was selling stuff she never used. i know that some colors morph in CP. i was wondering if anyone can tell me if the blueberry, apple green, or grape POP mica colors change, and if yes, how much and to what? tia for any help! ei

hi, i know some of you make candles, so i'm looking for your thoughts on this. these look like they might make a difference in the burn. i've read (and experienced) that room temps affect burn, so won't these also make a difference? they are not REAL thick, but definitely thicker than a piece of regualr cotton fabric. they sure are cute, but the thought of going thru all the wick testing again to be able to use them is a real put-off for me. what do you thnk? tia, ei

they're gorgeous!! i love the colors. eileen

it's absolutely lovely! how thoughtful of you, i'm sure it did your sister's heart good. i love the colors and those scents are so soothing. i would never have thought to take a picture of it to hang, but looking at the small one you posted, i can see that was a very smart idea on your sister's part. i'm sure it looks/will look great framed! ei

the title of the thread caught my attention..... aroma haven is a member of the BBB and there is not ONE complaint against them in its three years reporting period. that seems to indicate one of two things. either your situation is very unusual or no one is registering complaints. i am/was just getting ready to place an order with them, now i'm having second thoughts. i checked their rating yesterday and they are A+. i depend on BBB ratings for ordering online, not just for candles and soap, but concert tickets, small appliances, anything at all. maybe you should try again and mention their BBB rating, which is usually important to a company that advertises it right on its website. the BBB provides a great service, but it can only report what has been reported to it. it would really be a help if people registered complaints, i believe something like this would be noted, possibly as "unresponsive to customer" or something like that. worth a shot anyway. everyone deserves the same respect, small order or large, it shouldn't matter! just my ei

those are really pretty. i love them! the colors are just perfect.

had to laugh at this, being a jersey girl myself. it's funny how it's so natural to us to call it the shore, instead of the beach! ei i also want to say those soaps are beautiful. i've done some M&P and i can't begin to imagine doing those incredible swirls!