SwissBetty

Does she want samples for her customers to try, or this for her to personally test before she offers them in her store? You could offer a sample box for a fee..(this is just an example) say like $10.00 and they could pick 8- 10 items to sample. (price it to your needs)

Try ebay. About 5 years ago I needed a 200 pound scale but I refused to spend over 100 dollars. I found one ebay for 45.00 and it's still our main scale. If you don't need one that measures that much weigh you can get smaller ones for around 20 bucks.

I use to share a booth with my neighbor who made silk floral arrangements and her husband made metal wall vases..and candle holders. Our items complimented each others very well and we both did well at the few shows we did together. We were both friends and had mutual business practices so it always worked out well. We each managed our own inventory during shows but we also pushed each others items to get that sale and very rarely did a customer walk away without buying something from both us. I don't think I could have ever done it with another living soul..She and I clicked.

Thank you for helping and taking the time to find this information. I will pass it along to my friend.

Does anyone still use or remember this? Could there be a different name for it or a recommendation for a similar product. I know it as paxwax and I only vaguely remember it coming from Iowa or Illinois. I used it in the 90's as an additive for glass adhesion. I do remember it being very thick, thicker than vaseline and it came in a large metal bucket, I use to keep it in one of our larger dipping tanks. (We bent and broke many scoops, spoons and 1 finger trying to scoop the gooey stuff out of the bucket before our lesson was learned) I've been racking my brain to remember who the manufacture was but I'm all cotton up top A fellow candle making friend has mentioned that he's in need of some. He has helped me so much through the years and I would love to help him too.

Smooth on sells a tube of stuff called "Sil-Poxy silicone rubber adhesive" I've used it to repair small rips and as a filler for wick holes that were too big and caused leaks, the tube is quite costly. It's not a great permanent fix: One of my molds split in two, tore at the cuts that were originallyin the mold to remove the candle. It lasted only a short time about 5 pours before it tore again. The other molds I used it on was for smaller repairs and those are holding up quite well..knock on wood! I've tried a few other methods but they never worked the sil-poxy was theonly thing I've found that actually held.

I'm sure there are a ton of templates for free online. If you are looking to get a business loan you might want to check with the SBA http://www.sba.gov/ You can join a local chapter and have someone mentor you. Don't forget about your local chamber of commerce.

You can get product liability through Indi Beauty. I think you can get 2mil for $500..don't quote me on that price though. It was years ago that I looked in to that and I remeber it being pretty comparable to the other insurance policies.

We use to start prep work in Dec and run our first round of displays and sales on the 1st of Jan. But, over the years we learned that it's a last minute holiday. We do put one display up in the main area the 1st of Feb and leave it till the 14th. We have a year round display too....Most people don't buy anything until the 14th anyway. Saint Patricks day is huge for us and we do pretty good with mardi gras. Right now we are working on getting things ready for the Chinese New Year. I'm excited! It's so nice to be working on something new for a change.

I saw that no one added to this thread and since we use powered dye I thought I'd make a contribution. Pylam powdered dyes are excellent. We've been using them for many years now. Here's the link to their web site. pylam Give them a call and ask about samples..I think they are free of charge. Pros. Colors are amazingly vibrant even in soy. No odor, color consistency. Cons. The up front cost for..say 5 pounds of dye might make you swallow your tongue, but the investment is worth it in the long run. Some colors have residue issues. Getting the dye to incorporate can be troublesome. There are ways around this. Use long gloves and don't wear anything that you would want to wear in public. Use a shower cap to cover your hair. Use a painters mask. You need to protect yourself, powered dye is so fine the particles are nearly invisible, You won't notice until later that your hair has a green tint to it and that your skin pores are now dotted with pink. (personal experience) If you value your lungs you will wear a mask. You may not be able to smell it or see it but it's there and you are breathing it in to your lungs. Read the MSDS that are sent with the dye. A gram scale is necessary. You may want to think about using the dye to make your own dye chips. This helps with batch color consistency. We use a base to add the dye to and pour in to metal divider trays. I don't know anything about CC Candle Supply but if you feel the customer service isn't what it should be, then staying clear of them may be the best thing to do. When you're working with something new, a good customer support can be most helpful.

I do it in a pour pot as well, but I don't use a whisk..what I see that I am doing differently is that I heat it up then I wait till I get about 1/4 inch around the edges before I begin to whip it. I use a metal spoon and scrape it down in to the wax and then I whip it. However, it does still whip together, it's creamy and I use the spoon to put it one my cakes. I'm going to try the whisk and putting the wax in a bowl to whip it and see if that changes anything. Thanks for the replies.

New to the forums but I've been making candles for a very long time. I've always wanted to make the cupcake candles and since I have a bit of down time figured it was now or never. I'm having some issues though..the whipped topping is not adhering to the top of my cupakes as well and I would like them too. I've tried a few different methods such as, using the heat gun and using some micro for "glue" but this hasn't really changed the fact that once it's in packaging and moves around pieces break off. Is this the nature of the beast or am missing something? If anyone is willing to share some tips with me I'd appreciate it.