sockmonkey

I tried one and wasn't pleased at all with the scent throw--there was none. A friend of mine used to carry them in her gift shop, but she got rid of them because they didn't sell very well.

I like their pens too. You never have to "scribble" to get them to write first, and the ink flows smoothly. I also like all the free samples of stuff they send my way.

Why not ask some of your fellow Canadian soapers or candle makers if they would like to go in on your order so you don't have to foot the whole $50 bill. I don't know anything about that scent. Perhaps RA will give you the names of any suppliers who carry that fragrance so that you can buy from them instead. Have you tried typing in the name of the fragrance to see what pops up?

Bermuda Triangle from NG was all the rage last summer. That might be a good substitute. But, like linnyeg said, plenty of suppliers have one version or another of fruit slices.

Are glass jars really that big of a problem? When I use salts, I'm using dry hands to pour them into running water. I keep them stored in a cabinet. Many cosmetic manufacturers use glass jars to put the products in as well.

I just checked their website and they do have rather incomplete instructions for how to do that. They suggest you spray sweet almond oil into the mix, but don't tell you how much, or what consistency you should have. Without seeing what you have to deal with or knowing how much you have, based on my own experience, I would spray or pour a little almond oil--maybe 2 tbsp. Add very gradually (one tbsp at a time) to the mixture to see how the consistency is. It needs to be dry, but with enough moisture in it so that it will stick together. It kind of reminds me of the consistency of pie dough you make from scratch when you mix the shortening with the flour. Keep mixing, getting rid of any large lumps until it is all about the same texture and will hold together if you scoop some up and press it into a ball--or pack it like Funky said.

If I understand your question, CM, I believe once you join they provide a listing of all of their participants. Individual businesses can find out that information on their own unless they lack research skills or the time and determination to find it!

That's great!

Many places sell a "multi-base" concentrate, and I'm sure most of the time it comes from the same Canadian manufacturer.. Here's one example that gives plenty of details on how it can be used: http://www.goplanetearth.com/bases_multibase_lotion.html Another supplier that usually has good prices is buywax.com. You might want to check there too. I forgot to add...Some people have reported having problems with mold when using concentrates. Who knows why--perhaps the work area wasn't sterile, perhaps the container was contaminated, etc. I'm just alerting you to potential causes for concern. Other people use bases and have no problems. If you want you could probably look through the archives or search for posts regarding using a multi-base. (Sometimes using the regular base can be the cheapest way to go when all things are considered.)

When I worked in the printing industry, we charged $80 an hour for art/design services.

Since you are new at this, I'm assuming you have not made lotion from scratch yet. In my opinion, I would not attempt to sell any handmade beauty product from scratch until I KNEW completely that what I was making was 100% safe to use and free from bacteria. Are you including the cost of lab testing and liability insurance in the numbers you're crunching? If you're wanting to create something from scratch and don't already have a recipe to go by, you can go through a lot of expensive ingredients trying to perfect your recipe. So, I guess it depends on how you look at it as to how expensive something is. There are some base concentrates that can save you money compared to buying full jugs of a lotion base. Have you considered that?

SUE! You didn't tell us how much you charged!!!!!

Candleman, she said she didn't want to post a direct link, because she didn't want them to find us here! Now whenever anyone types in their address, they might possible find a direct link to this very page. Then you might get a bunch of gift basket makers trying to hawk their wares here.

I think of cheap perfumes when I see "type" after the name, so I always name mine something different. I thought I remembered reading something that said a particular company was going after people who used their fragrance name, even if they used the word type after it.

You know how we chat about b&b and candles...there are forums for people who make giftbaskets too. Just as people want to open their own b&b shops, people outthere think they can open a giftbasket shop, and they too look for suppliers. I don't like the premise of this deal either. Promising 800 customers only means they have 800 members--not 800 people necessarily interested in your product (although it doesn't mean they aren't either). Think about it--all of the people in this country alone, all of the giftshops across America and all they can come up with is 800 people. Since they need money to pay for things like photos, are thy only putting them on their website or does the $500 fee include giving you a website? I looked at a couple of websites for some companies they have listed and thought they look suspiciously similar. All you are doing is making a lot of money for the company. First you pay $500, then members pay $50. They say they have 75 vendors, but list only 25, and out of the 25 I've only heard of two of them. If they could add your name on the list they choose to reveal to viewers it would be good exposure for you. That way, even if they didn't join they could still look you up and order from you directly. You might do better listing your services on the other forums directly instead of paying for this deal.

I think it looks good. I can't imagine shoppers not being drawn to it.

It doesn't sound like drop shipping to me. It sounds like you pay a $50 membership to purchase supplies from other manufacturers through them. Some of the suppliers apparently offer a 10% discount on purchases and have lower opening order minimums than normally required. Of course, you've got to order enough product with a discount to recoup your $50 membership. I've run across clubs for retailers that offer discounts when you pay a membership fee. I contacted some of the companies they listed as participants, and found some were out of business and others no longer participated. Others had opening order amounts like $2500, which even with a discount was way more than I wanted to spend, and more product than I could ever use. If you think you might be interested, find out who all of the participants are, and contact some to find out about opening order amounts.

Don't get confused candleman. Different materials in the same "gallon" jug can weigh different amounts. Lotion is thicker and heavier than water. If you poured each seperately and filled a gallon container, you would likely get different weights. If her supplier sells hers based on pounds, then that's what she needs to go by. If your's sells it by the gallon (not pounds), then you should be able to go with 128 oz.

I have a store, but b&b is not my main line (although I wish it was). I sell lotion and soap that I create (from bases) and some butter and fragrance oils, but that's about it for the time being. I've experimented with sugar scrubs and liked them for my own personal use, but I'm not confident enough to package them for resell at this point. The lotion is an easy sell for me when people come to check out. I keep it nearby and suggest they try one. They usually buy. I also sell my soaps and lotions wholesale to other gift stores and I would like to eventually only do wholesale.

Tony's has Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin that I LOVE. To me, I smell more floral in it than cinnamon--it's a very unique scent. It's supposed to be a B&BW dupe, but I never smelled the original. It's not too heavy or too "foody."

Take a stroll through Bath & Body Works--it will become your best friend.

Kitchen Cupboard Candles

I'm not trying to be a smartA** here, but it sounds like you should really do a bit more research on essential oils or testing products before you attempt to sell them. If you like FO's, go with them--I assume you're confident with their use. The thing with EO's is that they really don't smell as good to some people as FO's do, and there are some people with certain conditions--epilepsy, pregnancy, high blood pressure, etc., who should not be exposed to certain EO's. Not only that, but the thought of someone with acne putting a scrub on their face just sounds painful. I've read many articles advising against using scrubs on acne. Here's a link to just one of them: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/acne/DS00169/DSECTION=7 Since facial skin is so delicate, I think it's dangerous to promote using it on the face. If someone's legs get irritated from a scrub, they might not ever bother contacting you about it. But, if it happens to their face, it will probably be a different story!

I don't make candles, and I don't know the company you're referring to, but I have some cinnamon FO from craftlobby.com that I think is extremely strong. I used some to scent a kraft tag and every time I walk past that thing I get a whiff of cinnamon. I usually don't recommend craftlobby because their shipping is so high, but I think this is a good scent.

Late Night do yours have a foam liner? If so, maybe that will prevent the rust from happening. Bunny, I've never seen sealing disks for tubes--jars yes, tubes no. Have you run across them somewhere?