laurenscandlebakery

See, I *started* with C3 and had no luck! lol I do know a lot that I didn't know back then, so maybe I'll have to it another go.

Thank you, lmc! Very helpful info Just curious...what do you consider a "decent throwing candle"? Sell worthy? As good as or better than like B&BW or Yankee?

By the way, I *did* take a look at the soy recommendations page but the pour temps ranged from 110-175...which is a BIG difference. Wanted some updated opinions.

Hey ya'll! I bought some Ecosoya CB Advanced to play around with. Quick question: What temperature do you heat the wax to? What temperature do you add FO at? What temperature do you pour at? What % of FO do you use? Thanks in advance!

I use these metal "portion" cups that I got at Walmart. I believe there are 5 in a set and each set is $1. I really like them because they are reusable and easy to clean. I don't know if portion cups is the correct term, but idk how else to describe them. I'd say that each cup holds about 2 oz.

I really recommend it! After the "in laws" leave, I'll mess around with it and try to time how long it stays on. I've never had a problem with it shutting off on me, though. It was a great buy. I originally had bought the Biggest Loser scale at Walmart for $19. It was a piece of junk! I weighed the same thing several times and it gave me a different weight each time.

I've never used a postal scale before so I'm not sure what its like. As long as it measures lbs and oz's, you should be fine. Here's a link to the one I bought: http://www.amazon.com/Ozeri-Professional-Digital-Kitchen-Tempered/dp/B003MSZBSI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341590519&sr=8-1&keywords=ozeri+kitchen+scale if you want to compare the specs.

Hello there! Welcome to the forum! 01) How much soy flakes should I melt? That depends on how many tarts you are trying to make. I noticed you said "pour them into 2 oz cups". Assuming you mean the wax and you are planning on making 2 oz tarts, 1 lb of wax makes (8) 2oz tarts. If you can, buy a kitchen scale (it will make your life a whole lot easier) and use that to weigh out exactly how much wax you want. 02) How much FO should I add? It depends on what kind of wax you are using and many other factors. A good place to start is 1 oz of fragrance oil per pound of wax. So if you are making 8 oz (1/2 lb) of wax, use .5 oz of fragrance oil. Fragrance oil ALSO needs to be weighed on a kitchen scale. 03) And at what temp do I add the FO for soy? It depends on the wax you are using. Every wax is different. But I do sugguest adding the fragrance oil after the wax is off the heat and right before you pour. Stir for two minutes and then pour.

I certainly wouldn't call soy wax "inferior". Certain fragrance oils work better in soy wax than in paraffin, and vice versa. Candle making is all about what works best for YOU. Choose a wax, work with it for a while, and if it doesn't work out for you...you can always try another.

I am going to try the Creamy Shea Butter recipe. I found liquid glycerin at Bramble Berry. Is this the same as "vegetable glycerin" that is in the recipe?

Can somebody direct me to the m&p recipes or reccomend a good one? Nevermind! Found it

I have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and one of the "treatments" they recommended was dipping your hands in a wax bath. I've tried it before, but it was when I was ten years old, so I don't remember if it was beneficial or not. I do sort of remember my hands being softer afterwards, though. However, I have no idea what kind of wax it was or what temperature they recommend.

Okay, thanks That's where I was looking, but it doesn't say "SFIC" unless I'm completely blind lol. You guys have been a big help!

Can you send me a link? I must be looking in the wrong spot. I did the search for "sfic" and nothing came up. I looked through the m&p soaps and none of them said SFIC in the title or description :S

Do any suppliers carry SFIC? I just looked at the company website and the minimum order requirement is INSANE. Thanks for the input everyone!

Hello all! I tried melt & pour soap last month. I bought the shea butter base and olive oil base from Brambleberry. It was my "bright" idea to mix them together lol. I thought it would make a good combo. Idk if it was the combo, the shea butter, the olive oil, or the fact that it is melt and pour...but it left a residue-y feeling and left my skin feeling kind of dry. Does all melt and pour do that? I am really interested in adding soap to my line, but I want it to be really moisturizing. I don't think I want to get into cold process just yet. Any recommendations?

A LOT of testing. Caribbean Teakwood, Coconut Lime, Pumpkin Souffle, Jamaica Me Crazy, and Chocolate Fudge. Also making Banana Nut Bread candle and Lemon Drops, Blueberry Cobbler, and Cinnamon Vanilla in tarts for an order.

I live in Houston. I got a quote a few month's back from Farmer's Insurance for $50 a month, including taxes and fees. I didn't decide to get insurance, only because I am not really selling much right now. It is for.... General Aggregate: $1,000,000 Products & Completed Operations Aggregate: $1,000,000 Each Occurence Limit: $500,000 Personal & Advertising Injury Limit: $500,000 Damage to Premises Rented to You: $100,000 Medical Expense (per person): $5,000

Unfortunately, I don't have a work space either My boyfriend and I live together in a fairly small one bedroom apartment. I melt the wax in the kitchen, use the desk as a drying station, and store finished items in a storage cabinet in my bedroom. My boyfriend is a neat freak and he gets very annoyed with me that I "clutter" the desk with my candles. I'm sure it will continue to be a source of conflict until we buy a house. I will make sure I have my own workspace in our next home!

That purse is so cute!! I can't believe the talent of all of the board members here!

I heated to about 170 and poured at 155, per my interpretation of their instructions lol (Heat to 165, pour at 155-160). I tried a range of 6-10% FO and still could not get over the six hour peak. I played with it for a while, but got antsy to try something else. I still have a lot left, so I'll probably keep experimenting at some point. Sometimes I think I am too impatient for candle making lol. Let me know if you find out what makes the difference!

I tried KY Parasoy Tart wax a few months back after hearing so many good things on the forum. However, my results were similar to yours and I tested several fragrance oils from a few different companies. The cold throw was great, but the duration of the hot throw was not what I expected. Six hours is about what I got as well. Since everyone's experience with the same combinations can be different, I'd reccomend trying a few other fragrance oils before you give up on it. I just started to test Suzy's combo of PB & Xcel. I've only poured Peak's Bartlett Pear and its only cured for three days, but the cold throw is impressive so far. Haven't tested hot throw yet but I am hoping its a winner.

Okay, so I blended 8 oz worth last night. I heated to 185 and poured at about 150 (I think those #'s are right. I'm at work and don't have my notes). I'm gonna cut it up today and I'll let ya'll know how it goes

Have you ever tried pre-blending it before, Suzy? I'm nervous that it will cause it to react differently (ex: more frosting) or not hold FO as well.

I am testing a 60/40 blend of PB & Xcel. I primarily make tarts and clamshells. I am trying to test the wax in one of my mini cupcake molds. It holds 1.1 oz of wax total. The frosting portion is .4 oz and the cupcake is .7 oz. Figuring out 60% and 40% of those tiny amounts is impossible on my scale. I was wondering if I could mix up like 8 oz of the blend (4.8 oz of PB and 3.2 oz of Xcel), let it solidify, cut it up into chunks, and re-melt so it's pre-blended. Does that make sense? I just didn't know if remelting the wax would change any of its characteristics. Thanks!