Sal_gal48

Is anyone selling shea butter at craft shows? and how's it going for you? I'm thinking about re-entering craft shows again....haven't done it for a few years because there wasn't any money in it. (when you factor in the time and booth cost)

Wow, this thread has been out there since 2005. I've been on this forum since then; wow!

Its emulsified, meaning its been mixed with water and e-wax in order to give it the lotion texture.

Thanks, I'm going to experiment as soon as I get a chance.

Hmmm...you mean Aloe oil don't you. Aloe juice is a drink?

Where do you guys reco that I buy the ingredients (cheap); I live in Chicago, is there someplace here that I can buy it. Aloe, I know I can get from the health food stores.

Thanks, I have the hand mixer and the shea, so now I've got to get started experimenting.

Since I'm new to shea butters, it seems there are several types; correct? Normally I buy a container from the vendors at ethnic fests.

Does shea need to be "melted" a bit to get it to whip?

Well that's a good question, I'll have to revise the message. I did not ask, but she was selling the item by stating it was a special formula and she didn't have the ingredients on the container -- I did look!

Did you really have the nerve to ask a vendor for their recipe?!!!

.....and really expect her to give you this info so you could possibly start selling at the same market and take away some of her business? Unbelievable!!!

If you read my posts NO NO NO I did not ask her for the recipe. She was telling the customers - "This is my special formula" to make the sell.

However, it's not unusual for me or a person to ask what the ingredients are because of allergy concerns.

Alright, I got the shea butter. I got the mixer. Now what? I"m ready to experiment.

Should I melt the butter first? Wouldn't that get it softened up.

Yep, that looks like the shea butter she had:

http://southernsoapers.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=35&products_id=865

Some "secret" formula - HAH!

Okay, what causes it to be white? Most shea butter I've seen sold at craft shows are yellow. Few of it is white. And should I just use a regular blender to whip it? On what speed? Thanks all.

What are the utentils you use? What type of blender.

Hi just curious is your whipped shea like a lotion? or a shave cream? I'm trying to find a recipe that matches one that I saw at a craft show, the woman's shea butter was pure white and very creamy.

Okay, I want this woman's recipe but she won't give it to me. Went to a craft show and she was selling shea butter that was very creamy, almost like shave cream or lotion. It was white. She said it was a "special" formula.

Anyway, would anyone know how to get the shea to look like hers? (sorry don't have a pic). I know she whipped it, but the yellow tinge was totally missing. Any guesses?

Hmm...maybe it's a wickless candle, because the flameless requires a more complex heater to melt the wax.

I notice a lot of flameless candles by the big fragrance companies like Glade, but wondering can these be made at home?

What about safflower oil as an oil?

Where do I get these ingredients and the bottles & spray tops? Thanks.

Seeking recipes.

I have an old Walter hill acrylic mold that I absolutely love; does anyone know where I can buy more....they seem to be out of business....if not Walter Hill then mold that is as good. Thanks.

Would anyone know where I can get body mist recipes?

I currently use freewebs for my web hosting but it's been a royal pain to work with lately. Can't even get in sometimes. What do you use for free web hosting?

TIA!

~Michelle~

Someone wanted to know about sales at craft shows - if you subscribe to craftlister.com, they give the sales for craft shows. I hope the below copy/paste comes out OK, which shows the sales:

Artist & Crafter Weekly Sales National Trends July

9

16

23

30August

6

13

20

27September

3

10

17

24October

1

8

15

22

29Avg$336(10)

$257(13)

$302(14)

$709(13)

$336(12)

$397(11)

$263(12)

$469(11)

$456(20)

$463(24)

$433(18)

$377(19)

$393(22)

$314(21)

$278(19)

$290(12)

$377(1)

The above numbers were generated live from Artist & Crafter's event history entries. The number (in parenthesis) after the dollar value is the number of events that weeks average is based on. $321(5) means 5 people reported average gross sales of $321.

Many more event histories need to be added to make this Sales Trend graph more accurate. Add your events on the 'My Account' page under 'Manage Your Event History'. Your numbers will not be shared except in an annonymous, collective way for sales reports such as above. We, the arts community, can finally have an accurate barometer of how shows sales are going accross the country, week to week, but many more show results need to be entered! Don't delay, share yours today!

If you subscribe to craftlister.com, they report the weekly sales on average every week.

This year I stopped with the crafts and craft shows, but wanted to find out how the waxed teddy bears are doing for sellers.

Seems I read some time ago that some of you use a microwave to melt wax vs. a double boiler.

How efficient is that (meaning, how messy) compared to a dbl boiler. thanks.

But he is offering free months with reviews of shows, so if you went to any of the shows that are listed all you have to do is add a review and you get another month or two free (I don't remember the details).

He's asking for more than that. I did reviews of shows. I also did messages in the forum. I also submitted events to the site, so I don't know what else he wants. But what if you only went to one show or you didn't go to any shows at all?

He must remember this is a seasonal craft for most of us. Most of us don't do it as a business (or else we would starve) so it's the spring and fall.

At least for me it's the fall/winter only.

If getting access to the site is a $59/yr membership fee, then I don't really need it. I've got a list of all the craft shows in Chicago anyway.