GailC

@Belinda, you mentioned Orange Chiffon Cake which made me remember I have that FO from Mill Creek that I haven't even used yet as well as Key Lime Pie from there. Those would both be good springtime bakery scents. I should make those this spring. As soon as Christmas is over, I am ready to make some non-spicy candles. So far I've made Love Spell, Lemon Verbena, and Seaside. Seaside made the house smell so nice yesterday. I've not completely done with spice scents though; I made some Cinnamon Buns because customers still want the spicy ones now.

Maybe Lemon Pound Cake? It's a wonderful bakery scent that isn't spicy. I get mine from Fragrance Buddy. Love it! I've never gotten Blueberry Muffin, but I do love Blueberry Cobbler from Cierra Candles.

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Well, I lasted 17 days. But my sister caved first. In my defense, I just got a large fundraiser. Yay! Don't need to have the candles ready until first part of July, but I want to get started early so I have time to make them while still working on candles for customers and wholesale accounts. So I placed a large order for jars and wax and ordered only one bottle of Very Vanilla, because I'm going to need it.

Pumpkin Chai from Candlewic is a best seller for me. Fragrance Buddy has Pomegranate. It's a little sweet for me but I've sold some of it. Aztec has Pomegranate Juice. Smells similar to FB's but I haven't put it in wax yet. I love Cantaloupe & Lily from Aztec. One of my favorite spring/summer fragrances.

@franu61 nope, not selling any right now. I gave a bunch of bottles of FO to my sister last summer. Fragrances I just didn't like and knew I would never get around to using. She just uses the oil in her warmers I think because she doesn't make candles. Maybe she puts it in Potpourri. But they were stinky to me so I wouldn't put any of them in anything. I briefly thought about trying to blend some of them, but nah, I've got so many that don't need doctoring up. I do blends every once in a while, but with FO's that smell good on their own. I just made some Spiced Vanilla using Allspice from AAA and Very Vanilla from CS. Smells better than Cinnamon Vanilla to me, which is my top seller.

That is a great way to look at it. Justifying purchases. But I do 'reason' with my boss, namely me. And my 'boss' is very accommodating. But in 2019 my financial circumstances changed. No longer am I selling candles just to make enough money to buy more supplies. Now I really need the supplemental income. So there is a #1 reason to use what FO's I have on hand instead of always adding to my extensive stash. That being said, there are some FO's I am going to have to reorder eventually because they are customer favorites and sell so well. Hey, maybe customers will discover some new favorites in all the FO's I have and haven't used yet.

@The Candle Nook. I Like 'Waiting for Snow". I know snow is coming for us, but I'm not in any hurry for it.

2019 was my best year yet in candles and melts sales. And the most profitable. I think how much more profitable it would have been if I hadn't bought so many fragrance oils I didn't need. But oh, it's so fun getting that shipment of new FO's and smelling them over and over. Even more fun going to the Supplier's store and smelling them there and bringing a bunch home.

Had lunch with my sister this week. We were discussing our addictions. She sells jewelry on ebay and does quite well at it. But she has a problem buying more jewelry to sort through when she already has tons. You know my addiction. I compiled a list and I have 282 different bottles of FO, mostly 16 oz and a few 8 oz. Doesn't include my 4 boxes of 1 oz samples or the duplicate FO fragrances I have. I also highlighted all the FO's I haven't even used yet, some bought several years ago. So my sister and I are going to be accountable to each other. The first one who caves and buys jewelry or fragrance oils has to buy the other one dinner. It's been 3 days and I'm still standing strong.

@The Candle Nook, did you make your pinon pine and cedarwood yet? Wondered how it turned out. You made me remember I have Redwood & Cedar from Flaming Candle. I should make some of those candles.

I haven't gotten away from the fall/winter scents yet. Had two requests for Carrot Cake, so those are the first candles I poured after Christmas. I was low on spiced candles which are always in demand so a couple of days ago, I combined Allspice from AAA and Very Vanilla from CS and called them Spiced Vanilla. They do smell good! Even better than Cinnamon Vanilla which is my all time best seller. Now I want to make something completely non spicy. I'm thinking Arctic Air from Mill Creek, although our air in Indiana has not been remotely Arctic lately thank goodness. I'm trying to come up with a different name, maybe even something for year round, not just in cold weather. It's such a good refreshing scent. Maybe Morning Mist? Here is the description: Brilliant fragrance notes of eucalyptus, spearmint, wild rose and dew fresh ferns leading to snow pines, blue jasmine magnolia and white lilies finishing with a base of white musk, balsam and sandalwood.

Boy you would be giving away a lot of candles if you didn't think soy candles with frost or wet spots were worth selling. I recently made 2 candles in 18 oz containers with 444 soy wax. Poured both of them at the same time of course. One came out perfectly; the other had wet spots (wax didn't adhere to the glass). There is no rhyme or reason to wet spots. I'm here to testify of that. I looked at some Woodwick candles at Cracker Barrel. Virtually every one had wet spots.

Can't help you on the seepage, but I do my measuring the easy way. 8% of however many oz of wax I'm using. If I have leftover wax after pouring candles, I use it for melts.

Candles wax used: Soy 444 fragrance load (%): 8% average cure time: 1 week Wax additives: none container size: 8 oz jelly jar wicking notes: cd 8 Cold throw: good Hot Throw: excellent Dickens Christmas is a perfect Christmas scent. Boy, is it strong! The price is right too. I am out and plan on ordering more next fall. It will be my main Christmas fragrance next year. I like the name too. Description: A sweet and spicy scent of orange, warm cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove tones blended with a fruity and musky background.