Candle Kitty

This is scaring me now, D because one of my helpers suggested we put the name of my business on a candle using a stamp. Everything I've seen has been to heat the wax until it's soft and then press the stamp into the candle to get the impression. Rubber stamps can be used this way, so can metal. But it's way scary that we both have been thinking about it, LOL.

Testing seems to be a big PITA, especially when you get on these boards and the front page is half-full of people asking what went wrong when they were testing, or if someone else has had issues burning a specific FO. This is where this community really shines and have helped me more than they really know. When I started out making candles, I was using Hobby Lobby wax, cheap wick, cheap FO, cheap color and let me tell you, when I came on here and saw just how much more it is to it then that, it strengthened my resolve. For the last three years, I've used IGI-1218 because I liked working with it a lot. Then when I came back after a year and I'm getting geared up to start them again, I decided to switch to 1343. Candleman and a few others have used this wax and I PM'd him to find out how he felt about it and if he could give me a few tips. His tips, needless to say, involved wick that I've actually never used in 1218, so there will be a massive amount of testing involved. As Top said, it's personal preference as to how you want your candles to burn and I know that Candleman's tips were his personal preferences. I'll use his tips as guidelines, but that's it. My first wax shipment is due in Wednesday and it's an entire case of 1343 with several wick samples and FOs to get me re-started again. As I find the right formula for each FO, I'll write it down, burn another one for safe measure and then move to the next. I can tell you now, about 75% of that case will go to nothing but testing and as far as I'm concerned, it's a good, sound investment because I'll know I'm producing a great candle that burns safely. I've also not sold any of my candles SERIOUSLY and I've been working at doing that now for about three years. I want everything in order and ready to go before I even consider that and while a few people here may think that's crazy, if you stop to think about the amount of testing that's involved, the amount of tweaking a formula here, or shoving a wick in there, I think I'm right on schedule when I say I'm slated to begin selling them sometime next year. Four years of testing, I think is right for me.

Peach one is my favorite too, as far as the look (Peak's George Peach and Cinnamon). But as for smell, I totally love the turquoise. That Key Lime Pie (Peak's Key Lime and Fresh Baked Pie Crust) is enough to cause you to have a lime attack.

I'm not sure then, maybe someone else will step up and chime in, I've been out of candlemaking for about a year and just got back with it. As for additives, most will help the color deepen. Univeral Additive (UA) really gets my colors nice and vibrant and my wax really stands out if I'm not using any color at all.

The photo is how I use wick pins as well, thread it through the wick hole from the outside of the mold. I use a bit of mold sealer (gray) around the base of the wick pin, thread it through the mold and then push down on it for a good seal. Honestly, I'm getting ready to go back to threading actual wick through the candle and then pour it. I'm finding out that if you use the wick pin, sometimes it will be larger than the size of your actual wick. Granted you can use a heatgun and just blast the top for a bit to close it, but it doesn't close it all the way down the candle and to me, that's just too much. Not to mention that I'm finding caves and cavities in my candles more with the use of a wick pin. Not sure what that's about, but that makes me uncomfortable enough to re-consider them.

How many chips did you put into the wax when you got ready to pour them? One chip should dye a pound of wax to a medium shade. I always use at least two and then one more for good measure.

They're sexy, classy, elegant....just like a little black dress! LOVE THEM, D!!!!

These are practice candles more for my roommate then me. The creamy peach one I did to show her what an additive to the overlay will do to the candle itself. The turquoise one she did without any additives. Didn't think about pulling out the chunks more in the candles, I figured one step at a time for her, don't want her getting overloaded, lol.

Let me know what ya think! Creamy peach one is Peach Cobbler and the turquoise one is Key Lime Pie.

You were in my neck of the woods, Robin!

That doesn't look like a swirl to me, more like vertical stripes. Of course, I'm a very loud protester of Yankme anyway, for obvious reasons. Someone suggested pour the different color as the other hardens. I can see that, or maybe large chunks. But then again, they've 'perfected' the 'press' candle....

Bre!!!! Been busy girl! Trying to get settled and things in motion around the house. Been a major fight with that, lost a kitty in October, my little Burnadette was gone for three weeks, came back so sick that I just couldn't see her suffer anymore and had her put to sleep. I miss my tart kitty so much some days. Other than that, I'm being a mountain kid again. Drink iced tea on my front porch at night and look at the stars! It's SO GOOD TO BE HOME!

We are our own worst critics, Ducky. Personally, I like them, very different and I bet they smell awesome! When are they going to invent the scratch n' sniff technology for monitors? I can't wait too much longer.

Oh sweetie, those are GORGEOUS, I LOVE the charms!!!

Actually, that's beautiful!

I love those flames! Will have to look into getting that mold eventually to play with.

Very pretty! I'd love to get my hands on some palm someday, but I'm addicted too much with straight wax.

I call myself a compulsive poker, I'm always doing relief holes no matter what the wax. Just make a couple of good relief holes and then make sure to keep them open and you'll be okay.

You're telling me! I spent about two hundred dollars on this camera and I can pick up fish in the lake. The focus on this one is awesome.

Plus you have me AND Top as the Alien Squad. If nothing can be explained, we blame it on aliens and then go to war! Still got my atomizing ray, I'm locked and loaded!

Oh My GOSH!!! TOP, I'VE MISSED YOU A LOT DOLL!!!!!! Will be having the gallery LOADED by this weekend and get this, I'VE GOT A NEW CAMERA THAT FOCUSES WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO! What a concept, ROFL!!!

I didn't think about it at the time, I was just excited to be back near candlemaking supplies, saw the thermometer and knew I needed a new one and grabbed it. Didn't even see how much it was until I was in the car!

Candleman sweetie! He posted a couple pics a long time ago of him in the Faces of Candletech and he was on the most beautiful beast I think I've ever seen!

Hi Robin!!! Missed you sweetie! For me, it's straight wax with color and additive, no scent. Since I've been away from the pot for too long, I'm getting all my techniques done with cheap wax. Everything is getting touched, marbles, rustics, mottles, swirls, chunks for my new candle helpers. Anything and everything!

I actually started off with IGI-1218 but I've sinced moved to 1343 and this will be a total learning experience for me. While everyone else likes to use the flat braids or the LX series, I actually use Zinc core wicks. Most will tell you that there's an issue with zinc with mushrooming and I have had that issue as well, but I realize that the zinc makes you stay on top of the candle and to trim it when the mushroom gets too big.