JacquiO

Thank you! We're still kinda debating. It's over a six-hour drive for us but we figured shared between two will make it more affordable. I definitely want to be there for the Friday night meet and greet but Saturday we'll probably hit the road back to NY. We live 20 minutes from the PA border (Pike County) but of course you guys have to be all the way on the other side of the state. I just have a few more questions: How long is the Saturday event? About what time should it end? How close are you to filling up? I don't want to wait too long to register and it be too late. I love Yankee swaps. Will this one have the option of stealing?

My friend Pauline and I are really interested in attending. Apart from the registration fee are there extra fees for the workshop and demos as well or is the $45 all inclusive of everything?

I use 1 to 2 tablespoons per pound.

Really beautiful stuff.

I first have to say I liked all of Ramona's suggestions but I'll give it a try anyways. Love Spell/ Potion No. 9 Macintosh Apple/Enchanted Apple Coconut/Tropicana Shores Coconut Lime Verbena/Key Lime Climax

And what's really scary is that it's got over thirty thousands views.

For a Bath Bomb.... I still like the Escape to Margaritaville and Key West Day-cation. Debscent mentioned Siesta making me think Lime Fiesta - It's a party for your tub.

Margarita's make me think of Jimmy Buffet and Key West. I got some inspirations from his Margaritaville Bar Website. http://www.margaritavillekeywest.com/ Escape to Margaritaville Key West Breeze Parrot Head Wasting Away Again and this one from the site http://www.margaritavillekeywest.com/index.php?page=daycations: Day-cation or Key West Day-cation.

This was too funny. I just had to google that quote. It's from a site called "Oh my Stinkin Heck" Which pretty much says it all. ROLMFAO :laugh2::laugh2: http://www.ohmystinkinheck.com/homemade-candles-from-sadalit/

OnlineLabels has about every size in every type from clear gloss to kraft as well a weather proof labels that prevent smearing when wet. They also supply free templates for many application including MS Word, Print Studio and Print Shop. You can also request some free sample sheets. Gosh I sound like a commercial. HTH, Jacqui

I had problems with the LX wicks in the CB-Adv. Eco wicks behaved the best in this wax with no mushrooming but CD wicks are also a good alternative. For 3.75" diameter I'd recommend an eco-12 or 14 depending on the FO. It's good to carry a mix of sizes because the fragrance can effect if you need to wick up or down even when using the same size container. The classified section is a great place to get a hold of a sampling of wicks types and sizes and I know that www.candlewic will send free samples if you request them.

I loved your cat spring candle logo with the star and design. These look so plain by comparison. I have to say you whipped soap rocks and I'm still enjoying your shampoo. I wish you the best of luck with your B&B. Cheers, Jacqui

I don't care how many oils and exotic herbs and salts they list that they use. If it's a bath bomb the majority of material you are purchasing is baking soda and citric acid. Those oils and butters are about 2-3% of the total weight. The high sticker price is for the marketing. I just started making bath bomb cupcakes and they take 2-4 days to make but most of that time is just waiting to dry-out between the cupcake base, the icing and then packaging and I feel guilty charging $4.50 for one even though I've seen them on etsy and other websites for a much as $9.95 a piece.

I think you can go nuts testing wicks for the perfect burn and then you get a hold of a store bought candle and find it mushrooms like an SOB. I think soot build up and over-heating jars are bigger issue than mushrooming. So if you're candles' wicks mushroom a little just remind your customers that you recommend they trim their wicks before they re-light for the best results. Sometime the wick mushrooms because it was too long when it was first lit but then you trim it to 1/8th of an inch and it doesn't mushroom on the re-light.

You can use a tbs CO per pound in the ecosoya PB or not. If it the wax works fine for you it's not necessary. My biggest problem with the PB as with all soy pillar blends is cracking I find a little CO and slow cooling can help with that. I think your tarts look fantastic. You could box both those shapes in the same scent together. Or do a mix of two complementing fragrances so that it could be melted as a blend. I think it would make a great signature line for you company.

I got some from a local health food store.

They look really nice. Good craftsmanship!

I agree with Candybee. You have to have shade and don't leave any thing in a parked car on a warm sunny day. Using a UV inhibitor may help with colors fading but in direct sunlight any candle will fade. I never got to the point were I showed my soy candles. I'm mainly a hobbyist but you want to be careful when trying to sell candles in a hot climate.

I personally like the CB advanced. Out of all the soy waxes I've played with (about a half dozen) I thought it performed the best in overall look and burn. I tweak it with 2tbs coconut oil per pound which I think improves throw and color absorption (meaning I can use less dye for a darker shade).

Hi Aubrey, Just a suggestion - a great way to get people to try your tarts and get feedback is to participate in the swaps. We just recently had a tart swap but any swap that's open to tarts would be ideal. You can even host one if you'd like but I suggest trying another host's swap just to get your feet wet and see what's involved. It a great way to sample other suppliers fragrances and see different packaging you can try as well as get feedback on your own stuff. I find that most swap participants are willing to share supplier information as well. So if you see a package or shape that you like they'll be happy to point out where to find the supplies you need to recreate it. Also if you want to see some really neat ideas for tarts check out some etsy sellers. I personally make just the boring tart shaped ones (like yankmee) with my left over wax but when I look to purchase tarts from other chandlers I really go for the creative stuff like this chandler's http://www.etsy.com/shop/WENDYSTARTS?section_id=6482936 I think a little inventiveness can go a long way and it's worth the investment in good silicon molds if your going wholesale with a a few styles. It would definitely give you an edge. Just my humble opinion. Good luck. Cheers, Jacqui

Beautiful!

Paper Mart has printed organza and muslin bags but I didn't see any with a fishing motif. http://www.papermart.com/Product%20Pages/Product.aspx?GroupID=18972

Thanks Erruk! Great first post! It was very insightful and I've really been wanting to start something wholesale. My question is how do you find out about these wholesale expos? Also about how much does the space usually run you to attend these shows?

I don't about something to add to the base but soap saver soap holders can help. They come in plastic and wood and basically it's a ribbed holder so so you have air flow to dry the soap on the bottom as well as the top. Not having the soap sit in a wet puddle will help the soap last longer. If you're selling M&P soaps you can buy soap savers wholesale and offer them to your customers as an upsell. http://www.soapwizards.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&grp=6 http://www.bathsilk.com/soapsavers

Sounds like a really good cause. I'm glad we could help. Please post a picture of the basket when you've put it all together.