moonshine

Thank you Soy! I did miss that thread and I cant imagine how- I go on here everyday and read all the new ones and yes it all starts to jumble together and I forget what I read sometimes- But thank you for the information!! I am going to read on that thread now!:smiley2:

believe it or not I accidently ordered cinnamon, nutmeg, clove from JS and OBO all you smell is strong clove but cured in the wax it smells just like Red Hots or Hot Tamales- super strong and I actually like it- not bad for an accident! LOL:cheesy2:

Really??? I have read over and over and over again thank you - manufacturers can say whatever the hell they want about their product and for someone like me that doesnt understand the "science" behind the manufacturing of a wick I simply thought asking someone who says they use and experienced BOTH if they were similar or not. I asked a simple question and the snarky remark was really not necessary Thank you for the information and if there was a lottery on who has read the most on this forum I would be in the running- I READ EVERYTHING but I must of missed the specifics on these two wicks

Stella- Are the CDN very similar to the CD? This is one wick I have not tried and wonder if maybe it will give me the qualities of the CD that I love and help eliminate the hangup so I dont have to use a 14 and worry about the jar exploding!!LOL

I have been testing the CD's in that jar for many months- I am having a hard time deciding between the 12 and 14 in alot of different fragrances- I also use 8% FO with straight 464 and I love the scent throw and how little these wicks mushroom- The 12's I get a little hang up in the corners and sometimes the flame gets weak but when I up it to the 14 everything is beautiful and perfect but I am not totally comfortable with how hot the jar can get- on some not all! I would give the CD a try and definitely the 12 and 14 to start- all 10's have extinguished themselves so far! I have been doing alot of screaming at my wicks as well!! Eco's for some reason get a huge mushroom for me and the wax turns a really dark yellow?? not sure what is up with that and I have tried the htp's the biggest one being the 105 and it is okay- very slow start with alot of hangup but when it gets to the bottom of the jar it is perfect....go figure this is insane!

Downy Fresh is the best ever- Winter Wonderland is so strong and clean smelling- I wouldnt classify it as just a Christmas scent and the Paris Twilight is very strong- this one I was not sure about at first but I have come to really like it- everytime you smell it you pick up on the different notes-its very different and lemon pound cake is incredible and I hate food smells! and the peppermint is the best peppermint I have found so far- I am beginning to really like this company Anyone try their spiced pear? I am glad to of read this thread so I know what samples to order next!

I am thinking a candle warmer would be much safer! LOL I have done this to rewick and it takes about 5 to 10 minutes to liquify and pull out the wick and insert the new when it starts to set back up Thank goodness you didnt have to use that extinguisher:cheesy2:

Thanks everyone- The search has been my new best friend!!

you are very welcome and good luck with it- I really think if you already have a large customer base and you advertise on your site that they will get something great for spending so many dollars your sales will increase and switch it up every month to keep them coming back for more!

well- me and my husband own and run 5 different business's and I would suggest keep it very simple- If you are wanting to reward internet people do something like for every X amount of dollars you spend you get X (it could be a certain type of product you want to reduce in your inventory) keep it the same and simple- then you will know every internet order you fill you throw X in if it met the amount. People love any kind of bargain they can get. On our septic cleaning business we have a 15.00 dollar off coupon on a tank cleaning on our website and you wouldnt believe the amount of business we got from that alone. I would think a rewards program (card punches or coupons for next orders) would be way to overwhelming to keep track of without a specific program on your website to do the work for you. As a customer myself I would much rather receive and extra GOOD goodie with my order than try to keep track of rewards points,coupons etc. and it will lead to more sales if they love what they got and come back for more good luck:cheesy2:

Hey everyone- I want to thank everyone that has replied and helped me with my questions regarding candle making and I am sure I will still have many more- I DO still have many more but I will admit that I am a little afraid to ask now after reading some of the threads about newbies....but that is a whole other thread.... I just wanted to give back a little and maybe alot of you already know this (could be the best kept secret around) but in trying to figure out how to get rust out of my molds I came across and tried Easy Off Cold Oven No Fume oven cleaner. I sprayed them and let them sit for an hour and took a fibercloth to wipe them out and they look brand new!! Now to make sure I didnt have a film on them I dipped them in hot soapy water and immediately threw them in a warm oven to evaporate any water and moisture. I then melted my scap wax and filled them and cannot believe not one speck of rust or dye came off on the wax- and they were still smooth. A few months back I got alot of molds from a guy on craigslist and alot of them so rusty and dye stained- I do not use dye and when I tried making melts they turned out aweful- I had searched a couple threads on this and WD40 seemed to be the answer but it did not work for me and I didnt want to mess with actual rust cleaners- they are so harsh. I know its little and doesnt pertain to actual candle making but if any of you have rusty molds give it a try- it rocks!! Thanks again for everyones help and encouragement- I am getting closer to perfecting the PITA square mason jars!!

Hi KLynn! I too have had this happen a year ago when I first started testing candles in jars- I used 464 straight with the Eco 12 and 14 wicks in a 8 oz. square mason jar. I also could not find the answer as to why and I repoured and repoured and repoured using several different FO's. I got fed up and switched to CB 135 but was not impressed with the HT so I then went back to the 464 ordering a new case and it has never happened since- I know this is not much help at all but it could simply be the batch you got because I have done everything the same this time around and I do not have that grease look at all but now I am having a very ugly frost after the first burn- It looked like I was burning crisco-butter flavored at that and I would get black swirling around in the meltpool from the wick- I do not use dye. Post a picture if you can- I am real curious as to why this happens!

Seda Type French Tulip Fragrance Oil Seda Type French Tulip fragrance oil. Once listed on "Oprah's Favorites" this beautiful floral blend includes jasmine, rose, lemon, clove, sage and rosewood. Complex, soft, a really lovely fragrance. For use in candles, soap and potpourri. I Saw this on Cierra Candle- have been thinking about trying a few samples of theirs to see how they are....if you do try it let us know how it is! Good Luck:cheesy2:

Violet Blossom Fragrance Oil New!!! Blending floral and sweet, this fragrance is sensual and yummy! Top notes combine floral, leafy greens and sweet melon; mid hearty tones of Violet, Iris, Jasmine and Rose all layered upon a base note of woody Musk. Synthetic Carrier, (Skin Safe to 4%) 2 oz = $4.75 2 lb = $33.00 1/4 lb = 8.00 5 lb = 80.00 1/2 lb = 11.50 7 lb = 111.00 1 lb = 17.00 25 lb = 376.00 This is from Candlysoylutions: I think most of their oils are soy based?? I tried them a year ago and like anything else it was hit and miss but may be worth a sample Good Luck!!

I ordered alot of samples of JS- probably 20 and 2 of them made the cut- Blueberry Cheesecake is strong in soy (135 & pb) and their Wild Currant Sandlewood is amazing!! Super strong wonderful scent- the rest....well they flushed well! LOL I do love NG but am finding alot of my samples are coming out weak (mainly the florals)- I think for all FO comapanies it will be hit and miss for everyone-to many variables in types of wax, etc.. but I do recommend the Wild Currant Sandlewood from JS and my hands down favorite from NG so far is Cracklin Birch! Good Luck! Before I spend tons on samples at Peak- anyone have suggestions on what is good and strong or opinions on that company in general? Thanks

So how about if you decide to wear the uniform you advertise that a certain % of the sales will be donated to disabled vets? You can use the show to get yourself out there and recognized more so- giving back a percentage will cut into your total profit but who knows what it could lead to down the road...... I would not be turned off buying candles from a man in uniform if it was advertised that a portion of the proceeds would go back to the military in form or another. Good Luck and thank you for serving our Country!!

I had never heard of pikaki until a friend of mine requested it- I found one from Natures Garden and it is wonderful Plumeria from Natures Garden is weak but bittercreek is really good I have not tried a Tiare... Good luck:cheesy2:

Hi Steve, I make no claims in knowing what I am doing in candles (I think you responded to my posts before) but I do know alot about essential oils. I have been studying online for awhile now and make essential oil products for horses. It is so amazing to me that there are no regulations regarding the making and selling of "aromatherapy" products with use of essential oils. Here in Michigan you only have to be licensed if you are applying or administering the oils. If you do not know what your doing and the correct amounts to use -essential oils can be very dangerous and even deadly. In candle making consumers will be breathing in the product rather than absorbing the oil into their skin but the particles of the oil from breathing it in will still enter the blood stream and that is when you need to know what all the risks are. When I started this aromatherapy adventure I thought using a natural product was the way to go and how could something so natural and pure be bad...until I almost seriously hurt myself- I was breathing in way to much eucalyptus and lavander oil and it caused my blood sugar to start dropping out of nowhere (I never had this problem before) I went to the doctor and they had me do a 5 hour glucose test which I failed in the first phase so bad they thought I was a walking time bomb for passing out. Not knowing where this could of came from (I am not diabetic and all other tests were normal) I stopped using the oil and have had no issues since. Being that there are no regualtions I would still advise you to label your candles with the appropriate cautions- pregnant people should avoid peppermint (can cause premature labor) and epileptic people should also avoid (it can cause seizures). ALSO Wormood, pennyroyal, onion, camphor, horseradish, wintergreen, rue, bitter almond and sassafras are some of the essential oils that should only be used by qualified aromatherapy practitioners, if ever at all. The amount people will be actually getting into their bloodstream is very minute coming from a candle and I have not tried them in a candle yet (I have yet to properly wick a plain jar) but I have made them in melts very successfully using CB135 at 6%- they do not last as long as fragrance oils but they are supposed to be used therapuetically anyway not as a "all day" scent. As far as bug repellent- In my fly spray for horses I use a variety mixed with CO and neem but in a candle you would only need the EO not the carriers. -Lemongrass, peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree, citronella, geranium, spearmint, patchouli, cypress are wonderful for repelling all flying bugs -peppermint and spearmint together is wonderful for repelling spiders -Essential wholesale has wonderful quality Eo's Good luck and I love your containers!!!

Hi Candle_Man in the 8 ounce mason jars- are they the square ones by chance and what size eco did you use for that- the 14? I started with eco in that jar but got way to deep of a melt pool and alot of black from the wick swirling around in the wax- I use straight 464 as well. I went to the cd but hot throw is not that amazing and then bought the htp that I need to test still but I have ALOT of Eco's left and would love to try it again after hearing of your success!! I have been doing 1.6 oz/ per pound which could be the difference- I am told I use to much. Have any mushrooming problems at all? I am very happy for your success!! Thanks for any feedback you can give me

Hi Judy So I am not the only one.... thought I was having another newbie meltdown!! I pretty much use the same blend but with more 135 and same thing- my melts totally liquify in round warmers but I bought a square type at Meijer with the 25 watt bulb and not only do I get solid wax left in the corners- I find the scent does not throw as strong! I think its simply not hot enough- I am going to replace the bulb with a 40 watt and see if it makes a difference- I have another type of warmer as well that is light bulb but more of like a small vanity type and same thing- I switched the wattage to 40 in that and it now throws better (I didnt have the wax issues with that one though as it is round also) I think with soy the hot plate melters work best and I will be staying home all day to test the higher wattage so I dont blow my house up! LOL

Hi MissMori I am new to candle making as well and know not nearly enough to suggest anything to anybody but I will tell you what a chemist friend told me regarding wax and fragrance: In conversation about candle making and all the frosting issues I have been having he questioned why I would heat wax so high with such a low melt point (I use soy) and add fragrance at such a high temp(recommend heat temp at 185 and then add fragrance)- his thoughts were the overpowering fumes that come off the wax when mixing at hot temps confirms that most is permeating into the air and being burned off and losing strength. He teaches college chemistry so I figured he knew more than I and tried his suggestion of heating my wax to 175 for tarts and adding fragrance at 150 then take down to my pour temp. I do have to say the cold and hot throw is much better doing this and I have lost the white frost lines on the tops of my tarts. I am testing this now with jars. I am absorbing everything everyone says and suggests myself and read the posts daily for sometimes hours at a time! So much to learn and so many great people on this forum willing to help and share ideas but it does all come down to what works for you and there are alot of variables!

Hi IwantITgreen! It was the candle shape and you are right- I miss counted it has 8 cavities not 9- I guess when I looked at the bottom row I assumed they were all 3 across- so that brings it up a little per ounce per cavity! whooops

Thanks soy!!! I sure hope so

Flaky alright- I did put them on the scale and according to mine they weigh 2.7 out of package but leave them in and they weigh 3.2! my package says nothing about net weight hmmm....and my catalog only states "new larger package" crazy:rolleyes:

This warmer is beautiful! Excactly what I have been looking for- Thank you, I just sent them an email to get a account:cheesy2: I do not sell my tarts yet but my thoughts are ditto to yours- why shoot yourself in the foot selling them cheap- Yankee is 1.99 and scentsy is 5.00 for 2.7 ounces and no matter what state you live in it will be the same except for the occasional yankee sale tarts and votives for a buck But anyways yankee is .8 ounces for 1.99- I make mine with the fluted molds and they weigh 1 ounce on the scale - I wouldnt sell them for less than 1.50 each (absolute lowest) and do a price break for 10 like you do- If people are paying the scentsy and yankee prices they will pay for hand poured homeade quality for sure! Before I started making them I would always go to craft shows and buy peoples products- if its good quality people will pay for it and all of you that are selling yours are putting so much time and effort into what you do- dont sell yourself cheap, just go a little under the competition to rope them in!