Saphakasha Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 Hello everyone..I just registered today and thought that I would say hello with some pictures of my candles. I've been making them for about a week now, (I used to make them years ago but stopped after a bit and have recently recalled my love for it), and would really appreciate some feedback. I can take criticism, in fact, I relish in it. Actually, I'm trying to start my own candle business so I really do need some comments about them. I have three different kinds that I make as of now, so please, feel free to tell me which ones you like the best.The red candle is cherryThe brown/green/off white candle is honeydew and vanilla (surprisingly go very well together)The white one with the flowers is fresh breezeLet me know what you think.-T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdevine Posted August 12, 2005 Share Posted August 12, 2005 After looking at the pics,,,,,,,,I'm wondering are these large votives or what? If they are votives then it looks like you have some flamable embeds in them, that would be a concern to me. HTH Portia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mtngrl Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 For getting back into candle-making for a week, those look fine, but for selling? They don't knock off my socks. Have no problem w/ the FOs. The designs are ... what? I think I've been visually spoiled by some of the candles here. The green, brown, off-white candle would be more appealing if, one idea would be irregular shaped chunks w/ the off-white as the overpour.The embeds are a little too simplistic, I think. I mean, the one with the leaf, I look at it & my mind says, "eh, it's a leaf" & then wanders on. I guess I would say that it doesn't hold my attn for longer than a second or two. Perhaps if you had more leaves, & different sizes could be more intersting.Same thing w/ the yellow embed. It's a great yellow, but after a second, my mind wanders off it. Maybe if you had some other colors?If those are votive size candles, I too would be concerned about a potential fire hazard.Last but not least, WELCOME TO THE BOARD! Look forward to seeing more of your creations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saphakasha Posted August 13, 2005 Author Share Posted August 13, 2005 Thank you both for your honest comments. They are all votives as of now because I am still waiting on some molds that I ordered and votive size is all I have right now. The embeds are what I found around the house, a yellow flower, some leaves and so forth. The embeds are also placed in separate wax than the wax that burns. There is a smaller votive candle in the center, the embeds are around that and covered in white wax. I am burning a few right now to make sure they burn the way they should.I've done chunk candles, but find that most of the people I show them too aren't impressed by chunks. :undecided I've also done ice candles and again, they get a slight nod, but it's the layered candles and the embedded ones that got the most oohs and ahhs. What sort of embeds would you have used? I am open to suggestions.Like I said, I just started about a week ago and absolutely love candlemaking. I'm looking into buying a book as well, just need to do more research on the best one to buy.Where does everyone get their supplies from? I order from a company out of PA., and though they are helpful, they are a little pricey.Again, thanks for your honest opinions guys. -Tracie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alohagirl Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 Most of us on this forum get our supplies from Peak Candle Supply in Colorado. They have good service and quality supplies, and they happen to be the sponsor of this message board.If you want to embed flowers and other flammable items into your candles, do a search on this board and in the archives. You'll find valuable info and safety tips.and BTW, welcome to the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mtngrl Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 Hey Tracie,You're the 1st Tracie w/ an -ie. When it comes to wax most ppl recommend buying from a supplier close to you in order to save on shipping.Based on all the reading I've done, esp on the old board, Peak's is reputed as having some of the best FOs on the market. But since they don't carry all scents, I know many ppl go to other vendors to fill in the gaps.I'm going to send you a PM, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatinDucky Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 Welcome to the CT board If you're serious about wanting to make a business go of it, the best advice you'll get is Read, Read, Read, then research and research and read some more There is alot of valuable infor here, and even more at the archibe of the old board (drop down menu> access archives).Just curious, how do you fit a votive inside a votive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diamondgirl_26 Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 Hi welcome to the board. If I can give you any advice it would be to forget the book idea, and just spend some time here on this board. I bought two books when I started to make candles (not too long ago), and they didn't get into the vital details of candlemaking like this site does. You'll get all the inspiration you need here.Hope to see some more of your work,Becky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharyl55 Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 Welcome to the board. One book I would recommend is the Complete Candlemaker. Good technical info and lots of beautiful candles. You have to investigate what the customers in your area want. I prefer clean and herbal scents but my customer base loves food scents. Be sure to test, test, test especially where embeds are concerned. Looking forward to seeing your progress in the gallery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verrylicious Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 Nice colors...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celicagtca Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 Hi T,Welcome! Considering your 1 week into this, not bad! I remember 5 years ago when I first started, my votives were not appealing at all, let alone sellable. You have to start somewhere and believe me...practice makes perfect. I like others on this board have purchased books and yes they are imformative, but not detailed. Sometimes making a mistake creates solutions and your going to make a lot of mistakes in this business to the point of pulling your hair out, but by asking lots of questions, you will get an abundance of assistance from others. Once again...Welcome and it's nice to have you here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debscent Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 Welcome to the Board. You will learn more from the people here than in a book (IMO). I remember when I first wanted to do this a friend who made candles told me not to waste money on books. I took that piece of advice. I have moved on, no longer the student, and if I had not found this board, I'd still have some seeping ugly votives. LOL! Where in PA are you? I order wax, glassware and dye from a company in PA, and it saves on shipping. I use Peaks for as many FOs as I possibly can, and I get some oils from the supplier in PA. Feel free to PM me with questions about that supplier.Welcome to the board where there are people you may never meet, but will respect, nonetheless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saphakasha Posted August 13, 2005 Author Share Posted August 13, 2005 Wow... what a great welcome for me. Lets see... how to get a votive inside a votive... I have a small mold, and a medium mold, after the small candle is done drying, I put that inside of the bigger mold, add my embeds and wax and there you have it. I hope that makes sense.I may be going to Barnes & Noble next week to just browse through some candle books. I'm only working with a few colours & scents right now because I don't want to become overwhelmed. I have some more pictures that I will post later today.Miss debscent... I am not actually in PA, I just order my supplies from a company out there. A good company, I'm just looking for something a little bit cheaper.Again, thank you all for your comments and your welcomes... I feel so loved here. -T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scents for me Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 Very interesting. Your candles are nice. This medium mold, can you tell us what size it is compared to a regular votive? Thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragontears Posted August 13, 2005 Share Posted August 13, 2005 they look good, what kind of mold are u using to make them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macyboutique Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 Welcome to the board......and your candles look great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saphakasha Posted August 14, 2005 Author Share Posted August 14, 2005 You had to ask about the molds... lol... OK... I actually use dixie cups right now. I have metal molds, but don't like the way that the candles look. I did some experimenting and they come out looking very rusticy (is that a word? ). They come in different sizes, so I make small votives and large ones. Works great for me. I will be upgrading of course to better molds because I really want to start making pillars as well. For right now though, I get about 200 votive candles from a $1.00 box of cups. Not bad. -T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragontears Posted August 14, 2005 Share Posted August 14, 2005 thats great i never thought of using something like that and i like the shape of your candles and welcome to the board:cool2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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