Candle Kitty

I do like everyone else, sniff and think of a color. That didn't always work because I would think of several colors at once. Then I perfected the Marble candle and don't have any problems, LOL

This sounds like a thread that should be a riot... You know you're a perfectionist candlemaker when.... You find yourself sniffing store bought candles and know instantly what additive is missing.

Does anybody have that company's name that sends you almost a truckload of wick samples? Gotta start somewhere

I can vouch for that one, works wonders. As for the blistering, that looks like a Stearic characteristic to me. I think Top's right, try the Vybar.

I've had too many horror moments with disc's. The only way I'd even consider that is put it on my external drive, but even THAT gets reformatted every six months or so. It wouldn't be half as bad if she apologized. Four years down the toilet

The way I've done layers is I actually wait until the first color is completely hardened, then I take my heat gun and zap it just enough that there's a slight film of melted wax, then I pour the second color. The melted wax will allow the second color to adhere to the first so you don't pull it out of the mold and have two sections of candle in your hand. My white remains white with just a little bit of a hint of whatever color in between the two. So in this case, it'd have just a hint of light blue.

Well, after nine hours of good solid sleep, even though I have a cold, I'm still upset. There were so many business formulas in that notebook as well. Every last candle I was going to sell, was in that notebook.

Four years of testing, re-testing, note taking, re-note taking, scribbles, wick sizes, ALL OF IT, my notebook is destroyed! ~Thinks I'm feeling a massive fainting spell coming on~ Every last page has scribbles, not just with blue ink, but black and magic marker, not to mention crayon..... My last house guest....I just got off the phone with her, her daughter thought it was a coloring book?!? What does mom do? NEVER says a word to me and just puts the notebook back. This book was on the top shelf of my Green Room closet, what the hell was a three year old doing number one, in a closet without an adult and number two, high enough to get that notebook, which was also underneath a couple of boxes. 'I didn't realize it was that important'... And absolutely NO apology at all. What, in the name of the Gods am I gonna do now??? I've been away from it far too long this time to be able to go from memory and there were so many candles, countless hours of burn tests, FO rating, additive formulations, wick tests... That's it, I'm fainting now....

Stunning as usual, Aunt D!! If anything, all these breaks I've been forced to have makes coming back to the gallery that much better.

Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry I left you with those little green snots to contend with!! I feel so bad now How has the battle been? Have you been able to sneak around them at all??? I DO hope those little bastards hasn't done anything to your mottles, I swear that'll start the War of the Worlds if they do!! Yea, it's been so lonely without you guys and my constant state of influx with the wax. Even with Erika here, I still pine for my wax. I did have a major crafty mode going, so my hands were still busy, but I'm itching bad to get back into the swing of things. But I'm back so Top won't have to fight the little snots alone and I can get my wax back and start playing and teaching Erika a few things (that has been a trip and a half, a whole other post and one that's hysterical to boot!). Who knows, maybe I just acquired a personal assistant, LMAO! *hugs to Bre* I've missed you too sweetie!! And Scentsibility, I'm just glad I didn't miss this post! *getdown*

Okay, not for sure if this is a Twilight Zone moment, or Angels singing, but holy COW! I haven't been on much at all lately, not even on the computer. Have yet ANOTHER house guest, though this one totally rocks as it's my bestest friend in the world and we get along fabulous, but I haven't even turned my Presto on in three weeks, my younger sister gave me hers to help, so I now have two, but financially have not been able to do anything for candles at ALL. Then, a huge break financially. The beginning of March, I am looking at having my long, lost friend, the wax, finally come back to the house. Oh happy day and even Erika (best friend) is anxious about me getting back and has gone to re-arrange and get my workspace in order. So, I'm thinking a return to the boards is in order and POOF! I have someone calling out to me. Yes, Jody, I sent those to you hon. PM me your email addy and you'll have them back ASAP!! CK

I always thought the striped effect would look fantastic in 'canes, it's one I'm planning on doing once I get more wax.

KITTY!!! I yikes!!!

Without the soft focus.

Since it's been a while since I posted anything, thought I'd do it tonight. Played with the soft focus on the picture, will post another one without it. Green striped is scented Coconut Banana Blast Red striped is Strawberries n' Cream Mauve rustic is Black Raspberry Vanilla

I must be weird, I happen to like the hat on her, she looks like she's flirting or being very shy.

I agree with Laura hon, simple and elegant. It's good to go back to those things every now and then. She's beautiful.

Great work, Chris!! Gorgeous as ever and I love the displays, don't knock them!!

Stunning work again, Aunt D!!! Two big thumbs up!!!

Black, Blood Red and White, that's one candle... Dark, deep rich colors, everyone goes with the Valentine's reds, they're way overdone as far as I'm concerned.

Could also use tan, sand and off-white for the sand camo, then a clear overpour... I would use something like maybe an ice tray to get bigger chunks, then smack the crap out of them to get the various different sizes and shapes then just fill it. Now you've got me wanting to make some chunks, been a while LMAO!!

Try Hobby Lobby, I know those seals are coming back, three years ago I couldn't find one but now I'm finding them everywhere.

Brass is kind of a touchy situation in itself only because it seems to be prone to various atmospheric and chemical conditions. I know what I'm trying to say but I can't get it out (too early, still on my first Pepsi, can't type, not a good morning at this stage), the brass plate turning a different color to me suggests that you're having some sort of chemical reaction going on. Brass and certain oils just don't mix, no matter how hard you try to work it and if you're trying to work with certain heavy FO's (vanilla for instance), that's going to change the makeup of the FO and I know if I'm way off, Top will chime in....(HELP THE POOR KITTY OUT, TOP!!!!) Changing the makeup of the FO because of the brass may be one of the issues with this. Also have to figure that some additives might cause the reaction as well, there's a lot of variables to this, but the brass definitely, to me has something to do with it. Only thing I can suggest is maybe not use a mold release AND Pam at the same time, try it without dyes, additives (use the Pam) and FO's as well and see if you get the same thing. Or get an actual spray-on release instead of Pam, the chemicals inside it could be causing this issue as well. I hear people rant and rave about how well Pam works and it's cheap compared to some of the other spray-on releases on the market, but I just don't like using it for the safety factor. If you don't wipe off ALL of the oil, you've got a torch waiting to happen. Try different things, that's the only way you're going to find out for sure if it's too many additives or the brass itself. That's the only thing I can suggest at this point.

I WAS in the basement, key word being was because it's so freakin' cold down there, it was affecting my candles, was getting hairline fractures in them. So I'm in the kitchen now, small counter space and some cabinets above me devoted. Most of my other supplies are downstairs, until I can find a way of insulating and heating it down there, I'm stuck in the kitchen for about three months out of the year. Doesn't hurt my feelings, as long as I have wax to play with, I'm cool.

I don't use my heat gun anymore... I use the aliens' afterburners when they speed off into space after they've unleveled my pillars and cause weird growths on my votives. I use the wire cookie cooler thingy-me-bobs, can't think of the name right now. Stands on legs, they're wire... Anyway, I use those to set my candles on and they get cool more uniform because of the air traveling around them on the underside.