sockmonkey

I think a lot of promoters that do big shows always have some verbage in their contracts that says they have the right to require you to immediately remove any items they deem unsuitable. They also say something about violating the terms of their contract will prevent you from doing future shows with them. Violations include things such as selling commercial, mass produced items, and even tearing down your booth early. I was at a "handcrafted" wholesale show where a man was selling 1 oz bottled fragrance oils. He bought them from a supplier already bottled and labeled, and he had a whole wall behind his booth lined with professionally printed cardboard boxes of the stuff. This show had rules about your booth and how you couldn't have any exposed cardboard boxes (not even for your inventory) or trash, you had do use table skirting, etc. This man was clearly in violation of every rule they had. I contacted the promoter and complained and she said he lied on his application about what he would be selling. Then I pointed out to her the company's rules about removing items that were in non-compliance with the contract and she offered the excuse "Well, he wasn't have a very good day anyway, but we won't ever have him back again." So it seems like they didn't have the b*lls to ask him to leave, and maybe your promoter is the same way by allowing other vendors to do their dirty work. The fact is, we are often better judges of what is handcrafted merchandise anyway. Many promoters are just in the business of renting a hall and taking your money. They may not be crafters themselves. From all reports I've seen and comments on forums, attendance at craftshows is dropping. When attendance goes down and people stop buying, vendors won't rent space, so the promoter doesn't make as much money. It's easy for a promoter to turn a blind eye toward vendors who may not be exactly what they are looking for, but if they're willing to pay the fee, they will let them in.

Hi Colleen, and welcome. I hope you will be happy with your kit, and even share your results with us. In order to garner more information and advice about candle making, you might want to post your questions under the "General Candle Making Discusssions" section because more people will probably see your post there than here. I don't make candles, so I really don't have any advice to offer regarding it, but I can tell you that there are some very talented and experienced candle makers here who can help you.

Just wondering what essential oil everybody uses most frequently and why. Do you believe in the benefits of EO's--such as aromatherapy or anti-bacterial properties, or do you just like the way they smell?

Does anyone know what kind of lab testing she does on her lotions?

I primarily use GM m&p and it generally will last at least two weeks. There are two of us using the soap, and we keep it in a soapstone dish, which I think helps keep it from disappearing as fast.

Mountainside Mountain Peak Canyon River Canyon Gold Canyon Sunset Midnight Canyon Onyx Canyon Another consideration is that it might not be the name, but the color of the candle that's turning them off.

Getting back to your "mold," I just read a post on another forum, which like you, they asked if they had mold. Someone responded that it was probably a "bloom" on the beeswax which indicated was good, pure beeswax.

Sadly, I don't think any such beast exists. I've run across a book that lists b&b chemical, fragrance, flavor, and packaging suppliers from the US and abroad--but it was over $3,000! What I do is compile my own information as I come across it. From Nature With Love has a book/catalog that they sell for about $5 or $10 (I think it's free with a purchase over a certain amount) that has a lot of information in it describing properties of essential oils, butters, etc. It also gives recipes for various b&b products. Most of the same information can be found on their website as well--you just won't have the luxury of flipping from page to page. The Sage also offers similar information on their website. I've spent weeks looking for certain supplies too, and finding it often boils down to simply knowing the proper name for an item, just like you experienced. It's maddening! To find the correct name for containers, you might try looking at websites from packaging suppliers, such as Freund Container. As you are learning, there are thousands and thousands of packaging options. Then, just when you think you've found the perfect item you can be disheartened to discover that you have to order a minimum of 25,000 pieces when you deal with the manufacturers.

You could invest in some bubblewrap. It's flexible, offers protection against scratches and can fill in any empty spaces.

I think their base is probably EL-1 also.

I just use one label. The print is rather smallish for the ingredients, but I've seen labeling B&BW uses on some of their products and you practically need a magnifying glass to read them. I used to use 2 labels, but it was just too much trouble trying to place both labels evenly on the bottle or jar, and then trying to make sure all bottles or jars were identical. Plus, it was more expensive.

I have never done one of their shows and am not familiar with them, but I can tell you this--if a promoter isn't willing to give even so much as an estimate of the number of people attending, I would not do business with them. "we don't say how many people aetted our shows because most promotors lie about their attendance"So i asked" well based upon last years numbers, how many people were at (XXXSHOW), was it 3 people or 30,000" And was told " what difference is if it was 3 buyers vs 30,000 who didn't buy?" That lady's attitude makes me absolutely furious. What's the difference between three buyers vs. 30,000 who didn't buy?-- Maybe the difference between someone making a mortgage payment and someone losing their house. That's the difference. Most promoters lie about their attendance? Maybe so, but does that mean they still can't tell you how many people show up to theirs? That to me would be all I would need to hear in order to make my decision to run (not walk) the other way. Typically, any promoter legitimate or not, will give you a number to go buy. The ones with at least a little honesty will tell you that they can't guarantee numbers, since they are totally at the mercy of the public. A good promoter should also be able to tell you how many returning vendors they get for their shows. That should give you an indication that at least some people are finding success at the shows. If nothing else, ask for references from the promoter.

You might be better off just buying the fragrance oil instead of trying to duplicate it yourself. B&BW Eucalyptus & Spearmint products also have peppermint oil and orange oil in it, which may contribute to the scent. Tony's Fragrance Oils has a dupe that I found acceptable.

Energy is my favorite one too, but they're all gorgeous. Do you mind me asking where you get your dyes from? I don't think I've run across that shade of blue in soaps before. I love it!

I love Menards too. It seems like they're definitely trying to attract females to their store. Ours had a scrapbook section (getting rid of that now), added a toiletries section, and are now adding a food section! I saw Jello No-Bake Cheesecake kits, cake mixes, taco kits, cereal, salad dressing, etc. in there. That store has everything!

I would never put it in the oven--heat will only make it melt. I've never tried this, but I've seen suggestions to put it in the freezer for a short time.

Now I'm not suggesting this (in case you blow up your house), but I had the same thing happen to me, and I did the hot water thing too with minimal results, so I put mine in front of a space heater for several minutes (maybe 15) and that helped tremendously. If you don't have a space heater maybe a blowdryer would work. But, be extremely careful, because that stuff is flammable!

Are you looking for a clear liquid base, or more of a lotion base? Lots of suppliers have a "concentrate" lotion base that you can adjust to your liking, from a thick cream to a spray lotion. WSP has a "luxury moisturizing mist," which I think you will find some people like and some don't. I have body splash from the Candlemaker's Store, and I just had someone ask me the other day if it was a moisturizing spray because it made their skin feel so soft. I don't advertise it as anything but a "splash." I think true lotion sprays were a novelty a few years ago, and now you never see them anymore. I bought a bottle of the stuff myself and kind of thought it was stupid. You sprayed it on, but still had to rub it in like regular lotion, so I saw no benefit in it. I think you can probably find some recipes here for making your own moisturizing mist if that's what your looking for.

I wonder if it was real chocolate chips or soap that looked like chocolate chips. I wonder if that was their way of making "cocoa butter" soap. Seems like the chips would melt when you added them, or else get melty in a hot shower.

You should let Debbie know that's exactly what you did. Of course, I'd wait until I get my shipment first! Maybe she'll get serious about cutting shipping when she finds out more people will be doing that.

Scentsme, do you recall how Jody's shipping compared to WSP's?

Here are some more: http://www.moonglowcandles.net/d-monthyspecial.htm

Well that makes sense, Gravity. I couldn't think of a reason why a salon supply store would have foil!

I've never bought anything from her but packaging products. I compared ingredients on the goat's milk & honey lotion and they are identical. It doesn't mean it's the same though. I would buy a sample bottle from her before committing to a whole gallon. There was another thread going on about her service recently. I think some people were waiting on orders and a reply to emails they sent her. Since the thread got started it seems some orders were received. If I have a question about service, I always call or email them to see how quickly they respond. If they don't return calls or answer emails I won't use them. Read her policy for ordering--especially regarding out of stock items: http://www.soapandthings.com/t-orderinfo.aspx

Thank, Lurkin, I understood yours, but I was actually referring to Silver Orchid, since she said she was using bases from "C&S." I think & figured it out though...probably candlesandsupplies.com.