KoalaGirl

Hi Rebecca, pesonally I think its a bit of a mouthful. I dont think it would be a easy name to remember.

Hi everyone

Just wondering if anyone has had a problem with storing your mixed scents. Is it ok to mix say 50/50 of two different scents, put the mix in a bottle and leave it until you want to use it again or is it best to mix a fresh batch each time?

Its a pain mixing scents if I only need a little.

Just a bit worried that they might 'react' with each other and turn nasty.

Thanks

Jen, I also use CDN's. Like Stella has said, scent throw and jar temp are much more important than mushrooms. Trimming the wick is very important. Often I will get a large shroom on the first burn, then I'll cut its ugly head off before the next burn, and it doesnt come back! Sometimes shrooms can develop straight away, sometimes only after really long burn times. Anything in the wax, dyes, fragrance etc will determine if and how big a shroom is. You will go bonkers trying to get it perfect {and you probably never will anyway} so just cut it off before you re-light the candle and save yourself the stress.

Michelle

796 different scents? Having that amount would bug the hell out of me!! I would HAVE to round it up to 800......

Go on....you know you want to:cheesy2:

'Scuse me Richard, but would you mind just turning around and heading back to the west coast since I can do without that kinda competition over here!:tiptoe:

Hi all, was mulling over a problem and came up with this idea.

Problem: Scent gets very strong {almost sickly} in the bottom third of the jar {CS Love spell}. I dont understand the chemistry of wax/scented oil intergration so Im thinking that this may happen because, during the cooling process, some of the scented oil sinks to the bottom of the jar {stirred it good or so I thought}.

Solution to try: Stir well and pour half the candle, when that sets pour the top half. Ive never poured hot wax on cold wax so I dont know how much of the cold wax would be melted by the hot wax. Im thinking that this way, there is less scented oil to sink to the bottom {in the lower half}. Theoretically, poured this way, {assuming sinking oil is the problem} the candle should be strong at the bottom AND in the middle {the bottom of the second pour}.

Am I just dreaming??

Using 12% oil and a mix of cb-135 + cb Advanced

I intend to cut down on the FO % but not to less than 10%

Congratulations to both of you. They are just stunning. My favourite is the teal/blue/rust one. I wouldnt call them rustic. I think those candles would compliment ANY decor from rustic to modern. Very nice indeed.

Note to self> no no no.....dont even think about it.....your already up to your armpits in other waxy things!!

Jeana, impatient people like me, just dip a paper towel in the hot wax to suck it out but if it has solidified, just put it in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes and then take it out BUT you have to stick a knife under the edge of the wax to lift it out. It will probably break into 2 or three big chunks that pop right out. Wipe away any remaining bits with a paper towel.I use Ecosoya PB.

Thanks for all your thoughts.

Update: Last night I made several 6 hour t-lights using Ecosoya Pillar Blend and CS Moonlake Musk. They look beautifully smooth and burn like a charm with both wicks I tested {CDN3 + 4}. The scent throw is fantastic, which surprised me as I burnt them the minute they set hard.....so no cure time!

I want to make them to go inside some beautiful lamps I bought and have the added bonus of a lovely scent as well as a lovely ambience from the t-light glow.

Im happy with the result:)

Hi all, Im about to make some scented 6 hour t-lights. I have a lot of ecosoya pb so is this ok to use? I know this wax shrinks, but would it shrink so much that it pulls the wick tab away from the bottom of the t-light? {I dont want that to happen!} I also have CB-135 and CB Advanced but am hoping the pb will work since thats what I have the most of. Also, do t-lights give off much scent throw? Just wondering, since the surface area is only small.

Thanks

Excuse my Aussie ignorance, but what is a fundraiser?

Hi all, just 'discovered' an easy peasy way to centre wicks in glass containers. This might help the newbies {in case you candle making guru's have been doing it this way since the year dot!....and Im just a slow learner}

Turn the glass upside down and put a suitable sized wick-centering tool {a platic x shaped thingy with a hole in the centre} on the bottom {outside} of the jar and put the tip of a felt tipped pen into the hole so it leaves a 'dot' on the glass at the centre point of the jar.

Now watch through the bottom of the jar, as you guide your tabbed wick to the bottom and centre it perfectly on the little mark you made.

Just thought I'd post that as I havent read of it being done this way {and boy have I done a lot of reading in here!}.

Hope it helps someone......

Thankyou for your detailed insight Stella.

My first jar using %7 was CS Love Spell. Since that did not throw well, {only cured for 48hours} I assumed I needed more FO with all scents. So I upped the FO to %12 with each new fragrance {only a total of about 6 so far}. I get shrooms but not nearly as big as I got on one of the vanilla/creme brulee jar.

I add FO at 180 and pour at 125.

My jug is a 1 litre stainless steel which I stir with a wooden chopstick.

The CDN7 seems to work very well with most FO's so far. Ive done side by side comparisons with the CDN8, and the main difference between the two, is a slightly deeper melt pool and a hotter jar with the CDN8. Both leave very clean sides.

I feel that I can smell the finish line and am much more 'in tune' with the wick/wax/FO workings than I was a couple months {and many jars} ago.

I know a few things have to be 'tweeked' to get perfection {well at least satisfaction by my standards}.

I will make some more candles, using less FO {might drop it to around %8 or %9 for starters}, I'll keep in mind that a lot of scents need more than 48 hours cure time, and be vigilant in the stirring process.

I'll keep using the CDN7 until I come across a FO that needs wicking up.

If the scent throw is weak, I will get some USA.

I'll let you know the outcome.

Thanks again.

Thankyou for your quick reply Stella.

What you said would make perfect sense! When the FO goes in, I stir it well {or so I thought} Perhaps I fiddled around for a few minutes before pouring, which gave the FO time to 'settle' towards the bottom of the jug, thus causing more FO to be in the second poured jar.

Since I cant actually see the FO once its stirred through, I was assuming it had 'dissolved' and intergrated totally with the wax. I think this had been a misconception on my part and that given time, even a few minutes, the FO will seperate from the wax and sink to the bottom {or rise to the top?} either way, one half of the jug having more FO in it would certainly explain the different burn characteristics!

I will make sure Im mindful of that in my next batch.

As for the high FO load: {and yes, I am still in the testing phase}. My first few jars I made, didnt have much throw when made using 7% FO. I thought it was because of the CBAdvanced {thats why I added CB135 to try to help the throw}. Mind you, my notes tell me I only let it cure for 48 hours.

I increased the FO to 12% and got a lovely throw. However I did let this batch cure for at least 6 days. I cant be sure {yet} if its the higher FO or the longer cure that improved scent throw.

I intend to start testing with a smaller FO load AND a longer cure time and hopefully, this will give me the lovely scent throw Im now used to.

My jar is a straight sided Metro. 2.5 inches wide and 3.5 inches tall. I love the look of it and wont be using any other jar. I think it appeals to all tastes {certainly mine}

Frosting hasnt been an issue.

I just love the subtle scent and ambience that you get from a jar candle that you dont get with burning tarts.

Oh and looking at wick charts, it would seem that my CDN 7 is to small for my jar, but it works perfect {with most FO's} all the way to the bottom. Even the glass is left clean and the jar doesnt get too hot. So the moral of the story is: dont take everything as gospel. Test test test but you all knew that anyway!

Thanks again.

P.S. The combination of Very Vanilla and Creme Brulee is to die for!!

Sorry for being loud and obnoxious Stella but since I cant find anything in search and I know that you use CDN wicks, you might have a clue re my problem.

Im using a blend of CB135 25% +CB Advanced 75%

226 gram {your 8oz?} Metro jar

12% FO {Yes, high by some standards}

Dye chip

Creme Brulee and Very Vanilla {mixed} {CS}

CDN 7 wick

Ive used this same combination with several fragrances and find it great {except for Green Tea & Lemongrass which seems underwicked with the CDN7...Ive got it curing with a CDN8}

Puzzling problem: I poured 2 jars of the above combination, everything exactly the same. Poured from the same batch at the same time. One jar burns great with almost no mushroom but the other one has a HUGE shroom. The wicks are the same, they came out of the same bag from the supplier.

The jar with the 'big shroom' was the one that was lit first. I trimmed wick after first burn {no big shroom at that stage} and noticed that the flame was very small and shroom was developing during second burn. I lit the other one {sitting within 10inches of each other} to see if it behaved the same but it didnt....its burning lovely, even after 4th burn. I havent even had to trim the wick!

The wayward jar has a huge shroom that needs lopping off after each burn. The flame flickers around {due to the shroom, Im guessing}

Why does this happen, when they are from the same batch and burning under the same conditions? My first thought was 'different wicks' but they came from the same bag marked CDN7, from a very reputable supplier.

Possible causes: I trimmed the wick too short after the first burn?

Could the wax coating on the wick have been affected when I heated the wicked jars in the oven prior to pouring? Maybe I took one out first to pour {didnt make notes on that} and the wayward jar was second out of the oven, hence got heated longer?

Have you, or anyone experienced this problem before or have any clues to why it happened?

The scent throw is beautiful from both jars.

Sorry about the 'war and peace' of posts but this is a real puzzle and naturally, I want to be confident that my candles will burn the same way if they are made the same way.

Thanks for ANY insight

Hi Richard, wow you have been busy making all those things! Do you mind if I ask what you use to make the labels on the small tins? Im after some coloured {cream or bone} labels for my jars, but can only buy them in huge lots!

Do you put your email address with each purchase? I found that people email me a few weeks after I do the markets, wanting more.

Packs have always been a good seller for me. Not everyone that likes the idea of the melts, has an oil burner, so I do packs that include an oil burner, a few t-lights and a selection of melts. They can take it home and start enjoying it straight away! Think: Mothers Day!

I'm not sure about the bakery molds. You can buy that type of candle at discount shops etc, really cheap. I just think that that type of thing was popular about a decade ago. Factoring in the cost of molds {and shipping from USA}, I wouldnt go down that track but hey, thats just me, and given the unpredictable nature of buyers, they might just sell like hot cakes....or cinnamon buns....or apple pie wedges.....{sorry, couldnt resist}

Take heart,that each market experience generally is better than the previous. Customers get to know you and make a point of returning.

Oh and isnt packing up all the stuff to go home.....fun!

Good luck Richard. Ive learned that my fellow Aussie's arn't too adventurous when it comes to different scents. What Ive also learnt is not to assume anything! There are lots of people that hate what you love and love what you hate.

I learned a valuable lesson on my first market day....take plenty of stock of the scent you intend to burn. So many people say ''I want whatever that is!" and of course, we sold out fast!

Looking forward to the pics.

P.S. Its a fun day regardless

Kimberly, CS Lemon Verbena is very good in soy, although I havent used anyone else's so cant compare. I also mix it with CS Lavender and CS Clean Cotton. I dont think you will be disappointed.

Ive lived long enough to 'expect the unexpected'. With that in mind, I'm a tad worried that someone will take a bite out of one of my heart shaped soy wax melts. Its mainly the wedding bomboniere's that Ive decided to add a note to, telling people 'not to eat them'.....after all, wedding bomboniere's are traditionally eadible and...well, my melts do smell delicious! That combined with lashings of alcohol {at the wedding reception....not in my melts} suggests its only a matter of time!

Does anyone do this? How would I word it?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Since Sugargliders are nocturnal, the 'stars' are very appropriate!

I dont mean to offend, but since you ask, I think it looks fairly ordinary. It needs to be more 'interesting' if you want peoples attention. The label is probably the first thing that catches the eye.

Hi Richard, yes I assumed you'd be reading my posts, so I used a bit of tact, {or at least I thought I did!}. Dont want to be the cause of any domestics.....

I just ask Hubby to sum up in a few words, what the definition of 'chewy' is. He said ''its that thick, you can almost chew it''....go figure! I'm guessing that the scent was way too strong! Mind you, this reaction from him was in my early learning days and it did take a few goes to get the scent level right.

The reason I mentioned the 'bad' wax, is that your from WA and I assume your supplies come from Aussie Candle Supplies. Stay clear of their GW 474. I used it once {my supplier was out of stock, just 2 weeks before xmas} and it was terrible. The melts looked great when first made, but 2 weeks later they had gone powdery and faded. Unsaleable in that condition.

Hi Desertrose, Im in NSW. I imagine it must be 'interesting' having your hubby involved. My husbands knowledge AND interest in candlemaking, extends only to telling me that some scents are ''chewy''.....now if only I can figure out what chewy means!

Take a few of hubbys bright yellow 'creations' to the next markets and see how they go. You've got nothing to lose. If they dont sell, the act of packing them back up to take home, will say ''I told you so'', without you having to say it {try to keep the smug look under wraps}. He will probably listen more to you when it comes to design. If they do sell, {and believe me, there's no accounting for some people's tastes} well then he gets to feel good about his contribution and will be kept busy for the next few days making vivid yellow candles.....a win win situation.

Its frustrating I know, but dont try to do too many different things at once. Get one thing perfected at a time before you move on. Do you have your wax for making melts yet? If not, I can suggest what NOT to buy.

Your design is a good case for 'less' is more and the look of that tin makes me want to pick it up and investigate further. The 'logo' is a statement in itself and doesnt need a company name in my opinion. Good job!

Desert Rose, good post! Im hearing you! The most important thing I have learned through all this, is "Dont assume all others will like what you like" When making a new product, I now only make a few to see how they will sell. If they sell well, i'll make more for the next market.

Its a matter of balance. You need enough variety to make your stall look inviting but not so much that it looks cluttered and end up having to pack most of it up to take home because it didnt sell. Where in OZ are you from?