LittleBee

*Sigh* Well, nothing is seeming to fit right. I've come full circle and am starting to consider Green Little Bee again. I'm not sure if it flows nicely or not. Thoughts? ETA: I would have the tagline: "All Natural Bath, Body & Home"

Oh, I would love to use just Little Bee, but it's already taken. Hence, my search for the perfect "Little Bee ____" name for my business.

I appreciate all of your help! You are so kind. Okay, I have scrapped Little Bee Naturals. It just didn't fit for me. So, now I'm deciding between: Little Bee Soaps Little Bee Soap Company Little Bee Garden I like Little Bee Soaps because it's short, sweet, easy to say, and easy to spell. My only concern is that it doesn't include the other products I'll be selling, such as candles (eventually). I like Little Bee Soap Company, because I feel like I can still call it Little Bee Soap(s) or even Little Bee for short, and I can picture a logo where "Little Bee" is big, and "Soap Co." is underneath, smaller. This would look nice on a candle, because even though the company name has soap on it, your eyes are mostly drawn to the "Little Bee" in big letters; one wouldn't notice the "Soap Co." underneath right away. I think this would help the issue of "how to do label my candles with a name that has 'soap' in it?" Little Bee Garden is cute, I think...I picture a little honey bee, buzzing around a garden of flowers (not necessarily as a logo, just the image that the name gives me when I hear it). I also think of the word garden as a "garden" of products that I will offer - it leaves it open for me to sell just about anything. Ok...so...given all that....any more thoughts on my ideas? I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere, with some nice possibilities...but I'd like to hear others' opinions on the names. Thanks so much!

Well, I think I'm stuck between two names right now: Little Bee Soaps and Little Bee Naturals I love Little Bee Soaps because it's short and sweet, easy to say and spell. However, I'm not selling just soaps. I don't mind having "Little Bee Soaps" on all my B&B labels, but I think it might look weird on my candle labels, right? I really like Little Bee Naturals, but I think it's not as short, sweet, and cute as Little Bee Soaps. I also think it doesn't roll off the tongue as easily, and kind of gets "swallowed" when you say it. KWIM? Any thoughts on these two names, and the concerns I have with them? Any more suggestions for me? I'd appreciate any help I can get. Thanks!

Oooh, just thought of one.... What about: Little Bee Bubbles

Thank you, those are great! I like Naturals and Basics, but I'm still not sure those are the right fit for me...

Anyone?

So, I think using this name is just getting too complicated. *sigh* Can someone help me come up with a good name, then? I would greatly appreciate it. The name I've been playing around with in my head is Little Bee Green. It keeps the words "little bee" together, bc they have special meaning to me, but I thought it was a cute play on words at the end of the name: "be green." Cute? Stupid? Please let me know what you think. The only hesitation I have is, how would I incorporate the word green in my logo? I was designing something that had the words Little Bee Organics with a dotted swirly "flying" line (if that makes sense) and a little bee. I'd like to keep it simple. I was thinking I could have the word Little Bee in black letters and the word Green in green letters. Or maybe just add a green leaf somehow into the logo? I just don't want it to look cluttered. Any ideas? I think I may like Little Bee Green the best, but other ideas are: Green Little Bee Little Bee Bath & Body Can you help me brainstorm a few more ideas? I'm stumped.

Wow! I think they look amazing! Even with the frosting. The containers you used are beautiful too, where did you get them? I did my first soy containers recently too, using the same kind as you. Your tops look so smooth and creamy! Mine don't look nearly as nice. Also, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you: 1) What temp did you heat your wax to? 2) What temp did you add FO? 3) What temp did you add color? 4) What temp did you pour? 5) What kind of color did you use? (The colors are stunning! Mine didn't come out as nicely as yours) I hope you don't mind me picking your brain, and I hope you don't mind sharing that info! Your candles really look great! Good job!

...and here are the awful red ones.

So, I made my first soy candles. I've attached some pictures...tell me how you think they turned out. Go ahead and give me some constructive criticism, but be gentle, I'm brand new at this! The first few pictures look pretty good, I think, as the green and brown candles turned out pretty well. The red ones turned out horrific - super rough tops, holes, pock marks, craters - yuck, they are just terrible. Hopefully I'll continue to get better at this!

:laugh2: A clothing line with the same name doesn't bother me. The Little Green Bee is a really cute idea. I can't wrap my mind around what a logo would look like though....a green bee? Hmmm, I'm not sure how to picture that looking good. Plus, "little bee" has special meaning to me, so I'd like to keep those two words together...maybe The Green Little Bee would be better. Still, can't picture how a green bee on a logo would look, LOL.

Or...I was just thinking...as long as I was upfront in the product description, couldn't I still sell candles under the same name/website? For example, someone is browsing my organic bath & body products at Little Bee Organics, and when they come to my candle section, the description could include something like, "...while our candles are not considered organic, we do use an all natural soy wax...." or something to that effect. Yay or nay?

But see, this is where I'm getting hung up. ALL of my products will be made with organic ingredients, so that is why I thought the name would be fine. However, once I start selling candles...then you're right...the name wouldn't be as fitting anymore because I guess there's no such thing as an organic candle. Hmmm... So, what if I sold my organic bath & body under Little Bee Organics...and then when I'm ready to sell candles, make it more like a "branching off" of my business name...such as something like, Candles by Little Bee, or something of the sort. Do you think that would solve the problem? I certainly don't want to misrepresent my products, or mislead anyone.

That's really cute! I'll have to think about this, as I'm still really attached to my original name, and I still don't see a clear reason as to why I shouldn't use it. Also, I *just now* realized that there is a Business section of these forums...ooops. :rolleyes2 Maybe I should have posted this over there? Sorry!

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right area, but I don't know where else to post this. I am in the process of picking a business name. I currently make soaps, body scrubs, hand cream, and lip balm. I am learning how to make candles and will eventually offer them for sale as well. I use all natural and organic ingredients wherever possible, but I do not claim that my products are "100% natural" or "100% organic." I also do not intend to mislead my customers, and have them think that my products are something they're not. I want to emphasize to my customers that everything I make is as natural and organic as possible. Having said all that, the name I picked out in my mind a long time ago was Little Bee Organics. Excited about my name, I registered a domain name, knowing that I would eventually open a shop selling my soaps and other items. Now that I am researching more of the "business" part of my journey, I have come across the controversy among many who believe that using the word "organic" in a business name is misleading when one does not sell 100% organic or certified organic products. Worried that I may be using a regulated word incorrectly, I researched this through the FDA and USDA. I learned that using the word "organic" in my business name, in the way that I intended to use it, is perfectly alright and is not breaking any rules or laws that are in place with the FDA or USDA. In fact, they have very lenient "rules" on how one uses this term, and most of the time, they don't really have any concern on how one uses this term. After doing my research, I feel confident in using the name I picked out and love. However, I feel as though there is still this "stigma" associated with using this term in business names among the community of others involved in this sort of craft. I feel as though I may be frowned upon by others in places such as this (message boards and community selling sites). I am not sure I understand why there is such a debate regarding this topic. I would like to use the word "organics" in my business name, because many of my products are organic/have organic ingredients in them. I do not want to be lumped into the category of other sellers who misuse this word, those who claim to have "100% organic" products, when in fact, they don't. I don't want to be lumped into the category of other sellers who do not disclose ingredient lists, who make false claims/advertisements of their products. I full intend to disclose all ingredients used, and to explain that my products include organic ingredients wherever possible. So....having said all that (if you are still with me, then bless your heart ), do you think I have cause for concern? Or do you think using this term in my business name, in the way I intend to use it, is a non-issue? And my last question... In case this does become a huge issue...do you have any other name suggestions for me? Thanks for reading, and thanks for your help!

Anyone?

I made my first batch of candles last week, using 464 soy wax. They came out great - nice smooth, creamy tops and no "wet spots" on the glass. However, I noticed that there was some cracking of the wax around the wicks, so I decided to use a heat gun on a low setting to try and fix the cracks. Big mistake. Now, the tops of the candles are all marbled, rough, with pock marks in them. It fixed the cracking wax around the wicks issue, but it made the rest of the candle tops look terrible. I don't get it - I thought using a heat gun on the surface of candles was supposed to help make them look smooth and creamy. What did I do wrong? Any tips or secrets to using a heat gun on candle tops?

Wow, thanks for all of that information! That is very, very helpful! Thank you so much!

Thank you all for your replies! I really, really appreciate your help! I will let them sit for about a week or so, and try them again. I'll see what happens, and see if I need to let them sit some more. Another question - would heating the wax to a higher temp, like some others have suggested, but still pouring at my ideal temp of 135 or so, help with the hot throw? I'm not sure what to do right now...I have more wax, color (two different ones), and fragrance (two different ones), and I had wanted to make some more candles. I was planning on making these 3 different kinds as Christmas gifts (IF they turned out good, LOL). If they need to cure for 3 weeks or more, I should probably make them soon. But I don't want to make them if I'm doing something wrong and need to adjust my recipe/technique. Should I wait a few weeks to see if the first ones I made turn out okay? By then, I won't really have time to make the other ones as Christmas gifts, since they too will need to cure for a few weeks. Is it okay to make them now and let them cure also, or would that be foolish? Thoughts?

Sorry, still so new at this...I thought I provided all the needed info, but I forgot to include these important details! I heated the wax to 150, then added fragrance, then added color chips, stirred for a long while as I waited for the color chips to dissolve, then poured at 135. The candles cured for about 12 hours before I burned my test candle. The test candle burned for about 2 hours. ETA these details as well: I pre-heated the jars before pouring. The candles smell strong and wonderful when they are not lit and you sniff them. I don't get any hot throw, but if I shove my nose as close to the candle as possible while it's lit, I do detect a bit of scent, but it's very faint.

Hi, I am completely new to making candles, so please bear with me! I have read, read, read, and read some more about making candles. After doing lots of research, I jumped right in and purchased some supplies to test drive making some soy container candles. My first attempt actually turned out pretty well (no frosting on the top, no "wet spots" on the glass, great cold throw). They actually look really great, especially for a first attempt. However, the candles have almost to hot scent throw at all. I'm not sure what I did wrong. Maybe someone can give me some advice? Here is what I used: 11.5 oz straight sided tumbler glass containers 4 oz tin containers Soy wax 464 6" C-85 cotton core wicks (for glass containers) 2.5" C-40 cotton core wicks (tin containers) 7% Christmas Cabin FO (very strong scent!) 3 Christmas Green dye chips (a little too light) Poured at 135 degrees Can you tell me what may have caused no scent throw? Anything I can try to fix this issue? I would appreciate any help/advice. Thanks!

Thanks for your reply! So you do think it is necessary to have separate Presto Pots to melt different kinds of wax? You really can't use the same one?

Thank you all for your replies! I think I am going to purchase a Presto Pot that already has a spout, as I fully intend to make candles, no matter how long it takes me to get it right. I love burning candles in my home, and don't mind being patient while I learn how to make and perfect the art of candle making. I do have one more question - I am not sure which kind of wax I will be using yet. Still researching and deciding. I would like to try a couple different kinds of wax, but will I be able to use only one Presto Pot to do this? Or do I need to melt different kinds of wax in separate Presto Pots? Purchasing one Presto Pot right now is not a big deal, but I can't afford several. Is there a way to properly clean the Presto Pot in between each use, so that I can use different kinds of wax each time? Thanks again for your help! I appreciate it!

Hello! I am brand new here, and brand new to candle making. Please excuse my very elementary question, but I am very confused. I have read lots of different things regarding the best way to melt wax. I'm not sure if I need a double boiler, roasting oven, or a Presto Pot. I read about the Presto Pot, but I am not handy enough to make a spout. Also, how would you use a double boiler or roasting pot? I assume that with a double boiler, you would just place your pouring pitcher inside, and place the wax inside the pitcher to melt it. As for the roasting pot, I guess you would melt the wax right in the pot? How do you safely get the wax into the pouring pitcher then? Sorry for the stupid question...I'm just confused as to what equipment I need for melting wax and would appreciate some direction and suggestions. Thanks!