sockmonkey

What kind of problems are you having with your scrub base? Maybe we can help.

I would tend to use the amount suggested by the fragrance oil supplier first before I would start using the high percentages that you have seen in recipes. I think that perhaps sometimes recipes calling for 25% fragrance oils must be using very diluted fragrances. That, or else people get confused when switching from one product to another. A room spray may call for 3 parts witch hazel and 1 part fragrance oil, for example, and maybe that's where people think it's cool to use 25% in other body products. I'm not saying that it can't be done, but I can't imagine ever using that much f.o. in a lotion bar.

Have you spoken with your insurance agent about this? My insurance agent said there would be problems if I gave "instructions" or taught how to "use" eo's (or other products), or sold products that are supposed to "heal." The problem being my insurance would be dropped, or would skyrocket so that I couldn't possibly afford it. Apparently, I could sell eo's and let people figure out how to use them on their own, but I could not offer advice as it would subject me to lawsuits if any harm came to the person who sought it. Maybe this doesn't apply in your case, since you would be selling them to a certified Reiki, but I thought it might be something you would want to consider. If nothing else, find out what kind of insurance the Reiki has.

I have never used chocolate fo, so I'm not speaking from experience--just imagination, so consider yourself warned! What I'm wondering is if you can use a dash here and there so that it will peak someone's curiosity when they smell whatever it is you're making. Havent' you sniffed a perfume or whatever and thought--what is that smell? I know it's something I've smelled before, but I don't know what it is. Of course, it will require experimenting on your part, but why not add a drop on a cotton ball, and then add two or three drops of another fragrance oil you already have just to see how it turns out. I thought maybe it would work with pumpkin or honey. Then I thought, why not go for the more unusual, like sandalwood, or lavender just for kicks. I frequently mix lemon fo to various other fo's and am always surprised that I like the outcome.

What is the significance of the knots? Do your soaps have that stamped on them? To me, it looks a little unbalanced. You've got a long line of text spread across the top. At the bottom you've got your knotted square in a big white space with nothing to balance it out. To keep what you've got, here's what I would play around with just to see how it looks... Switch the gradient so that the darker shade is at the bottom. Take the knots and reduce them in size and perhaps use 5 of them across the bottom (if you don't switch the gradient). Maybe use some type of cranberry art instead of the knots, unless it's relative to your product.

That sounds very cheap, compared to prices here, and I'm not in a tourist town. One place around here charges $100 for an 8 x 10. It's in a very old building, and doesn't even have heat or air in the second story. Another place charges $170 for an 8 x 10, plus 7% commission, plus fees for credit cards. You are responsible for maintaining EVERYTHING.

Major brand candle companies don't need to advertise on tv. Their products are placed with well known department store chains who do all of the advertising for them. They may not mention candles in their ads, but their weekly ads get foot traffic in the store, and consequently, shoppers that are buying their candles. A candle is a candle, and none of them are doing anything particularly revolutionary to warrant a commercial on tv for them. They may change the jars they come in, and change the scents, but that's about it as far as consumer interest goes. Glade has been coming up with innovative air freshener choices--different "methods" compared to what they are known for--aerosol sprays. Candle makers also have "clubs", catalogs, and websites that people will frequent on their own. I don't think too many people love Glade air freshener so much that they would want to sign up for a catalog with their latest offerings.

Soy candles may be popular, but take a look at what you find in shops. Paraffin candles far out number soy. Perhaps this lady was referring to her own personal preference. Does she have any other candles in her shop? If so, she may be speaking about what sells well in her shop. Or, maybe she's been to some of the candlemaking forums where some people are militant about soy candles and that's where she's getting her ideas. I think it could certainly benefit you to get a little more information out of her regarding her statment.

Oh, if you want pineapple, you should try ICS chestnuts & brown sugar. That's what it smells like to me. Seriously, coconut lime verbena is a good one. I got mine from WSP. Another popular one in the past has been NG's Bermuda Triangle.

Do you mean you are buying a sugar scrub already made and sold under a particular brand name and you plan on adding ingredients to that? If so, that's more than cheating--it's probably illegal and you could get sued for it if you ever got caught. If you're buying sugar scrub that is sold as a "base" then that is not cheating anymore than using M&P for soap is considered cheating.

I would not send out samples willy-nilly. That's way too expensive in my opinion (at least it would be for me). What you might consider is sending postcards and request that they call you if they are interested in a free sample. In some cases, it wouldn't matter what the sample was. If it says free, they want it. Even if your phone never rings, it will allow you to then call the company and say you are following up regarding the postcard, and offer to deliver a sample in person if they thought they might be interested. The reason to do this is that it would be more difficult for someone to take advantage of you if they had to do it in person. If you met them in person you could then brag about how wonderful your products are, unlike if you just dropped a sample in the mail. I know you don't want to do a lot of driving, but perhaps you could schedule appointments for one day to deliver all the samples that you need to.

They have their phone number listed right above the email addresses. It's 866-542-6371. I've ordered from them just a couple of times. I called them one time to inquire about making a large order for a particular item and didn't have any problem with them whatsoever. I thought their shipping rates were reasonable and so was the delivery time.

I don't search on-line. Usually, I get baskets at Michaels, JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby, Value City, or Big Lots. All of those places (except Big Lots & Value City) have sales for 50% off their baskets quite frequently. Other places like Menards (a hardware store), and Tuesday Morning (discounted priced retailer) have a large selection of various sized hatboxes. Unless you're doing a ton of business selling baskets, you will probably be just as well off buying them on sale at stores like the ones I've mentioned. Otherwise, you will have to purchase a minimum quantity (typically $150) to order from gift companies offering baskets at wholesale.

I would probably opt for mms over fnwl. All of the fnwl fo's I got seem extremely weak in products. I think I have a sample of it from FNWL and can send a sniffie to you. I'll check my inventory at my shop and get back with you.

Frosty Candy Apple Frosted Candy Apple Frosted Candied Apples Iced Candy Apples Glacier Candy Apple

I thought Apricot Cream Cake from Lebermuth was delicious, and I ususally don't go for "cake" type fragrances.

Craftlobby offers oil AND water based fragrance oils.

Stephanie if you still have the bag and don't like the way the edges looked you could try to conceal them by framing the edge with ribbon or any other decorative trim. You could stitch the ribbon down or use fabric glue. I know I've seen the canvas bags I check to see if I can find my sources, but in the mean time, you might even be able to find them at Michaels or Hobby Lobby.

I avoided using thesage.com for the longest time because they were all the way across the country from me too and I thought the shipping would kill me. I was wrong! I regretting waiting so long to order from them. The only thing is that it takes a little longer to get things because they are so far away. But, if you're not in a rush, go ahead and order from them.

The only reason I would concern myself with the image is that the brand could possibly look juvenile, like it is meant as a child's product.

Things to think about-- Where and how will you distribute your catalog? What type of payments can you accept? Checks, creditcard, paypal? Will you require money up front or upon delivery? Do you have liablity insurance to start selling your candles? Will zoning be an issue for you? It's been said on here before, legally, zoning could be an issue if you're manufacturing and selling candles from your home. I'm sure 99% of the time no one ever gets caught, but if you find your business expanding and getting more and more supplies delivered to your home, neighbors might start having issues with it. Are you familiar with any type of legal requirements regarding labeling of your candle? Have you already looked into costs associated with producing your candles on a larger scale to get better pricing for all of your supplies? It can be quite time consuming to do the research and sampling of products to make sure you've got the right mix at the right price. It's one thing to buy a few pounds of wax at a time when you're making candles for yourself, but when you might need to make 100 at a time, cost becomes an issue. What is your plan for inventory? Will you make batches of candles in advance and have them sit on the shelves until they are ordered, or will you make them as the orders come in. If you make them as the orders come in, it's possible that you could run into unusual problems could negatively affect your delivery time. There was a recent post about just that very thing happening.

Here are my thoughts...I like the font, but I would shift the text in a way so that the "tail" of the Y isn't bumping into the & sign. I would also try using a simple stick figure instead of the cartoon character you have. Stick figures are kind of in now--they're even using them in commercials. Another plus of using a stick figure is that you can get away with just using black and white labels. You can jazz them up a little by adding a checkerboard pattern border around the scent or as a border for the entire label.

I've found them in "kitchen supply" stores.

Now what are you going to make with it?

Don't be embarassed. It's a creative process. If you never started with that, you wouldn't be where you are today. One last thing...if this were my label I would move the weight to the very bottom of the label and center it. It's pretty standard to look a bottle or can of anything and see the weight listed on the bottom of the label. I will say this though, having it placed where it currently is really makes me notice your phone number.