Wax and Bubbles

Claus Porto soaps have been known in Europe as one of the best soap making factories since 1887. Spreading as a great manufacturer of the best soaps throughout France, England and Spain. All come to Porto to have all of their soaps made by Claus Porto. The factory today is still family owned and run by the great grandson of Achilles de Brito, who continues with the great soap making tradition.

Claus Porto soaps are produced from coconut oil and enriched with shea butter to moisturize, protect, and replenish the skin’s natural protein complexes. All soaps are made with the highest grade soap base from the Netherlands and infused with the highest quality fragrances from the south of France. With fragrances such as lime basil, wild pansy, grapefruit fig, honeysuckle, and acacia tuberose, pear sandalwood, red poppy, orange amber, citron verbena, almond, acacia tuberose, vanilla, honeysuckle, sweet tobacco. They also fit in the palm of your hand and will not loose shape with use. With is a plus with anyone who is a soap user.

*Other great information about Claus Porto includes:

• Over 60 hand washings and 15 body washings per soap.
• Bars will not crack or split
• Old European method of aging on bakers racks for several months
• No animal testing or animal-derived ingredients
• 100% biodegradable
• Formulated with 100% natural shea butter.
• 15 soaps total with 5 fragrances each per box.
• Soaps come in an elegant gold trimmed box for your own house or to give as a gift.

Since 1991, Beaumont Products - makers of Citrus Magic - has been developing and fine tuning unique citrus-based products that take advantage of citrus’s natural properties.

Their line of soap products include, 100% natural air fresheners, unparalleled cleaners, Veggie Wash fruit and vegetable wash, and now the Clearly Natural line of glycerin soaps, along with an extensive line of other natural products.

Clearly Natural Soaps are the original formula, made with pure 100% vegetable glycerin to attract moisture to your skin with no overpowering fragrances to irritate allergies or other existing health conditions. The soaps never have and never will use animal ingredients. The basic ingredient of Clearly Natural soaps is high-grade vegetable-derived oil.

They also strive to provide honest, pure and natural products to you the customer and will label any newly formulated products as NEW. Their website also contains the most up-to-date information relating to upcoming formula changes before they happen. You can also sign up for updates as well.

If you haven’t tried Clearly Natural soaps, give them a try. They are all natural, enriched with natural vegetable glycerin, and 100% biodegradable, which is great for you and the environment as well. There are many different scents, an products to chose from and they are reasonably priced. The next time you are in the market for a great new soap, give them a try. Go to their website and check out the latest products they carry. They are sure to have something you are interested in. Right now a 6-pack family size of glycerin soap is $8.90

…..for that fresh drunken Irish clean feeling.

Glycerin soap, clear for a more transparent green or white for a more solid green color
Soap dye in green
Soap molds in shamrock shape or other St. Patrick’s Day shape
Microwave safe liquid measuring cup
Spoon
Popsicle stick or coffee stirrer
Knife

If using bars of soap, cut into three pieces. If using purchased glycerin blocks, cut off 2-3 pre-measured chunks. Place glycerin soap into a measuring cup, microwave for 20 seconds), then in 10-second intervals until melted. Add colors. Add a few drops and stir with a spoon. If you want the color darker, simply add more dye.

Slowly pour the liquid soap into the mold. Set aside to harden for 45 minutes to an hour.

After soap has cooled completely, pop them out of the molds.

*While you’re in the festive mood, why not make a St. Patrick’s Day Green Beer Candle:*

A glass beer mug
Candle gel
Standard paraffin wax
An appropriate wick length
Green candle coloring and fragrance if desired
A wire whisk
Standard candle making equipment

Take the wick, make it longer than you would need and tie it around a pencil. Place the pencil length-wise across the lip of the mug. Melt the gel over med HIGH heat on the stove or in a microwaveable-safe dish in the microwave. Once the gel is liquefied add green coloring and fragrance if using. Once fragrance and color is incorporated, pour directly into mug. You might want to hold the wick by the pencil straight up from the middle to keep it straight while pouring. Before starting the next step, allow the gel to fully harden.

Next step is to melt the paraffin wax in the same manor as above. Either way will work fine. While the paraffin is melting your need to whip the wax so as to add bubbles to the wax. Pour the whipped wax directly on the top of the gel in the mug. Be sure to hold the wick straight up and down do that it is even with the rest of the candle and won’t burn sideways. Let everything harden completely for a day or two before burning. Or use it for your St. Patrick’s Day decor while you party it up Irish-style this evening.

Making Peppermint Soap:

40 oz Olive oil
20 oz Palm Kernel oil
20 oz Pam oil
20 oz Coconut oil
5 oz Jojoba oil (added at trace)
4 oz Lavender EO (added at trace)
2 oz Peppermint EO (added at trace)
6 oz Alcanet diffused in 8 oz olive oil (added at trace)
34 oz filtered water
14.5 oz lanolin
Combined oils and lanolin at 100 degrees F. Mixed with stick blender. Poured into loaf mold and covered with plastic wrap. Wrapped in blankets for 24 hrs and then cut into thick strips of soap and wrap in cloth or plastic wrap. Store in a cool, dry location.

Making Peppermint Lip Balm:

1½ oz beeswax pellets
1 oz cocoa butter
1½ oz shea butter
2 ozs. sweet almond oil
1-2 teaspoons peppermint essential oil
1 teaspoon vitamin E liquid

In a very small pan, add the beeswax and melt over the lowest setting.
Once melted add the cocoa butter chunks and shea butter, let melt, and
then add the sweet almond oil. Heat through. Add the Vitamin E oil.
Remove from stove and pour into a glass measuring cup for easy pouring
into lip balm containers.

Add the peppermint oil. Stir peppermint oil in
and pour into lip balm containers. If the mixture starts to harden, place in
the microwave for a few seconds to re-melt and then pour. Makes 6 oz.

Making Peppermint Lotion:

3 tbsp paraffin
1/2 cup shea butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp glycerin
10-15 drops peppermint essential oil

Slowly heat paraffin with the oils in a double boiler. Stir until blended. Add in the glycerin and remove from heat. Let cool before using.

Making Peppermint Scented Candles:

1/2 teaspoon peppermint essential oil
Wicks
Wick holder
1/2 pound beeswax
1/2 pound soy wax
Small paintbrush

1. In a double boiler, heat beeswax and soy wax until melted, about 180 degrees. Check temperature with a candy thermometer. Turn off the heat and add peppermint oil.

2. Cut 3 inches of wick; tie a knot at one end. Thread the loose end through a wick holder, and pull so the knot is secure under the holder.

3. Dip the wick and holder with wax until coated; this will stiffen and straighten the wick. Press the wick holder into the bottom of your candle holder to affix. Let the wick dry.

4. Pour the wax into the candle, and fill to the edge. Let the candle dry for about 4 hours.

• Homemade Grass Soap

What you’ll need:
Scissors
Wheatgrass
Blotter paper
Flower press
Glycerin soap
Sharp knife
Glass measuring cup
Grass fragrance
4-inch mini loaf pan
Spray bottle filled with
Rubbing alcohol
Waxed paper
Twine

Cut a 5-inch-square section from a flat of wheatgrass. Pull out individual blades with roots attached, and lay in a single layer on a sheet of blotter paper. Top with another piece of blotter paper. Sandwich between pages of a flower press. Let dry, two to three days. Cut glycerin soap (we used clear and white) into small pieces with a sharp knife. Fill measuring cup. Microwave on medium heat until melted. If desired, add a few drops of grass fragrance.

For a bar with long blades: Trim the dried grass to desired length, removing roots. Pour a thin layer of glycerin into a loaf pan. Lay five to seven blades on top, and let dry for 30 seconds. Spray with alcohol to eliminate bubbles, cover with more glycerin, and spray again with alcohol.

For a bar with chopped grass: Mix cut dried grass into glycerin, and pour into pan; spray with alcohol. Let harden, 2 hours. Freeze 20 minutes; release from pan. For gifts, wrap stacked bars in waxed paper, and secure with twine.

• Striped Soaps

What you’ll need:
Glycerin soap
Peppermint oil
Plactic spoon
red food coloring or natural colors
Loaf pan
Fork
Knife
Cellophane
Tape
Twine

1. Melt the glycerin according to the package instructions, using 1/4 cup at a time.

2. Stir in a drop of peppermint oil (available at most health-food stores) with a plastic spoon; for the clear glycerin, add drops of red food coloring, stirring until you get the desired hue.

3. Pour the 1/4 cup of melted soap into the loaf pan. Let cool for 20 minutes.

4. Score the top with a fork. Repeat, alternating colors, until the pan is full.

5. Let set for 4 hours. Pop soap out of pan, and slice into bars.

6. Wrap each bar in cellophane; tape it shut, and tie with bakery string.

• Savon de Marseille

What you’ll need:
Tools and Materials
Double boiler
Olive oil-based soap
Essential oils
French green clay
Milk carton or mold
Knife
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 cup warm water

1. In a double boiler, completely melt a block of olive oil-based soap, but don’t let it boil. Meanwhile, add about a teaspoon of French green clay per pound of soap.

2. Once the soap is melted, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon essential oil per pound of soap base.

3. Pour the melted soap mixture into a mold, filling it to about 1 1/2 inches from the top. Allow the soap to sit until it is cool and hard, at least 2 hours.

4. Once it’s hard, use a knife to slice the soap into 1 1/2-inch bars.

5. Combine about 1 tablespoon fine sea salt and 1 cup warm water. Wash the soap bars in this salt-water solution. Let soap dry completely, then rinse it in plain warm water. (Source: Martha Stewart Crafts)

Here’s some basic recipes on how to make soaps. Most of the soap on the market contains chemicals and colors that aren’t good for your skin or your body. Making them at home is a great way to bypass all of those harmful ingredients.

• Cirtus Beeswax Soap:

4 ounces (114 grams) glycerin soap base (available at any healthfood store)
10 drops grapefruit essential oil
1 teaspoon beeswax

How to:

Melt glycerin over low heat in a double boiler or microwave. Add beeswax and remove from heat. Stir until wax is melted. Add essential oil. Stir and pour into mold.
The trick to glycerin when using melt and pour soaps is to keep the heat as low as possible. Too much heat will cause a mushy or beaded appearance after a very short storage time. Keep glycerin soaps sealed in plastic to keep the glycerin from attracting moisture from the air.

• Lavender Soap:

2 cups glycerin soap
1/2 cup dried lavender blooms (ground up in a food processor)
7 drops lavender essential oil

How to:

Melt glycerin in double boiler or slowly in microwave. Add lavender bloomks, stir until slightly cooled. Add essential oil. Pour into molds. Cool.

• Green Tea Chammomile Soap:

2 cups glycerin soap base
1 tablespoon powdered chamomile
1 tablespoon glycerin or aloe vera
3 tea bags of green tea

How to:

Melt glycerin base in double boiler on low heat. Blend the green tea, tear open the bag and combine with glycerin or aloe. Stir this mixture into melted glycerin. Pour into small tupperware style containers and leave uncovered until cool.

**Marlee Matlin To Guest-Star on Nip/Tuck and Robyn Charles over at Watching Showtime has the details. Read about it here.**
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WAX AND BUBBLES PRODUCT SHOWCASE:

General Wax & Candle Company has been providing quality candles since 1949. Their origins are in institutional sales such as restaurants and churches. These institutions burn millions of candles per year and always insist on the best quality. Many insist on using only General Wax candles. They pride themselves in creating the best burning candles in the industry.

Votives are arguably one of the easiest kinds of molded candles to make. They add a great deal of charm to just about any setting. The typical votive will burn for approximately 15 hours and will consume just about all of the wax that was used to create it.

A properly crafted votive will liquefy to some degree as it burns. This is necessary to achieve good scent throw. Votives are not intended to be free standing candles. Therefore it is important to burn votives only in a holder that is intended for votives.

What you will need:

· Wax suitable for votives
· Wax additives (only if needed for your wax formulation)
· Fragrance oil (optional)
· Dye (optional)
· Pre-tabbed wicks suitable for votives (36-24-24 zinc core used here)
· Metal Votive Molds
· Mold release spray (optional)
· Pouring pot
· Thermometer
Step 1). Prepare your molten wax mixture. You should be able to review these instructions while your wax is melting. Before continuing, set up a double boiler to melt your wax. A good target temperature for votives is 175° F. Once your wax has completely melted, add any additives you have selected and mix thoroughly, but try to avoid introducing air into the mixture. Add them in the following order:

1. Additives such as vybar or stearic acid (but only if needed)

2. Fragrance Oil

3. Dye (this is done last so that you get visual confirmation that everything else has mixed well with the wax)

Before pouring your wax, you may want to lightly coat your molds with a very thin film of mold-release agent such as silicone spray or a Pam-type cooking spray. This helps aid the release of the finished candle from the mold. However, it is really only needed with new molds.

Step 2). Votives: Initial Wax Pour
Place your votive molds on a newspaper-lined surface to catch any spills. With your wax at the proper pouring temperature (about 175° F), fill your votive molds to the lip of the mold. The objective here is to get the wax just up to the lip without over flowing. If you pour to a level lower than the lip, you may get seam lines in your finished candle. Care should be taken to minimize the number of bubbles introduced while pouring. Save about 20% of your wax for the re-pour at a later step. Do not return it to the heat source.

Step 3). Add Pre-tabbed Wicks.
Wait for your wax to cool for a short period of time. While it is cooling, prepare your wicks by straightening them. They do not need to be perfectly straight at this point; a loose approximation of “straight” is fine. Once the wax just begins to congeal, insert your pre-tabbed wicks. The tab will “stick” to the bottom when it touches. Care should be taken to position the tab roughly in the center of the mold.

Once the tab has stuck to the base of the mold, it is very easy to manipulate the wick to straighten it. Sometimes you may wish to wait a few moments to allow the metal tab to form a stronger bond with the base of the mold before attempting to straighten the wick.

During the cooling process, the shrinking wax may pull the wick off-center. If this occurs, simply apply a light tug to straighten the wick from time to time. Do not use so much force as to free the metal tab on the base.

Allow your wax to completely cool before proceeding to the next step. This may take 3-4 hours.

Step 4). Votives: Re-pour Wax
When the wax has completely cooled, it will have shrunken a bit, leaving a sink hole that needs to be filled. Melt down the wax that you saved from step 2 above. This time, your target pouring temperature will be 10-15 degrees hotter than the initial pour (pour at about 190 deg. F for this step). This increased temperature is to facilitate adhesion between layers.

Once your wax is at the proper temperature, fill the molds to a level just slightly above the lip of the mold. Care should be taken to avoid spills. Allow your candles to completely cool.

Step 5). Molded Candle Instructions: Remove Votive from Mold

Once your votives are completely cool, remove them from the mold. They will usually slide right out without any difficulty if they are completely cool. If they are difficult to remove from the molds, place them in the freezer for about 5 minutes. This will usually do the trick.If they are still difficult, place them back in the freezer for another 5 minutes and try again.

Also, for very stubborn candles, it sometimes helps to gently press the sides of the mold inward as you “roll” the mold in the palms of your hands

Always burn votives in a votive holder. Remember that they are not intended to be free-standing candles and they will liquefy. (Source: Pioneer Thinking)

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WAX AND BUBBLES PRODUCT SHOWCASE:

Aromatique, the Creator of Decorative Fragrance, was created in 1982 by Patti Upton and is based in Heber Springs, Arkansas. Patti created this dynamic company literally “just for fun.” She mixed together a mélange of native botanicals such as acorns, pine cones, gumballs and hickory nuts, fragranced them with spices, oils and ingenuity.

Still looking for a last minute Christmas gift idea? Why not make one? Here is a quick and painless way of making soy-candles and it only takes about 15 minutes.

But first, here are some facts about soy wax:

• It’s biodegradeable.

• It’s sustainable.

• It provides a longer burn without a soot buildup.

• You can clean it up with soap and water, eliminating the need for solvents.

• It’s made from 100% natural soybeans.

Materials needed:

Recycled glassware such as Mason jars, candy dishes, thrift-store cups, salsa and jam jars. (choose containers that are less than 4″ in diameter.)

1 package braided wick (size-appropriate for chosen chandle containers. Incorporate alternative fibers by using hemp wicks.)

Soda-can tab

Tape

Pencil or pen

Melting pot or old cooking pot that you’re no longer using for food

Soy wax flakes (can be found at any healthfood store)

Craft or candy thermometer (optional)

Cinnamon, peppermint or other essential oil

Biodegradeable cotton ribbon (optional)

Hot glue gun and glue

1. Cut a section of braided wick a few inches longer than the depth of your chosen glasswater container. Tie an end of the wick to a coda can tab. To stabilize the wick, add a dab of hot glue to the bottom of the tab, then affix tab to the bottom of the container. Wrap top of wick around a pencil or pen a few times and tape it down temporarily. Set aside. Repeat process for additional candles.

2. In a pot over medium heat, melt about 1 lb. of the soy flakes per 1-2 medium0sized candles. Stir continuously until the soy wax melts to about 155 degreeds. Once it’s completely liquedied, remove from the head and let cool for a few minutes, continuing to stir.

3. Once the temperature has dropped about 5 degrees, add 10-20 drops of essential oil of your liking and mix well. Soy wax is easy to work with so you can get by without using a thermometer.

4. Pour liquid wax into containers, leaving an inch or two of space at the top. Let dry overnight. The set soy candles wax should look smooth and creamy-white.

5. Remove tape and pencil from the wick. Leaving about 1″ of exposed wick, snip off excess.

6. If you’re giving these candles as gifts, add a ribbon and tie in a fancy bow. Use hot glue to hold the ribbon on the container in place.

**Time is running low on getting those Christmas cards out in the mail before the morning of Santa comes. Over at Artists Passion, Wendy Withers has some ideas on Christmas cards to help give you the push you need to get them done, posted and out the door. Read the ideas here.**
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WAX AND BUBBLES PRODUCT SHOWCASE:

A Cheerful Giver: Keepers Of The Light Jar Candles.

This is a fun project for kids and even some adults.

Materials for the Swiss Cheese Candles:
• Beeswax strips or pellets (Can be found at any craft store or healthfood store)
• Candle Wicks or Tappered Candle
• 2 Pint Milk Carton
• Crushed Ice

Instructions:

Cut off the top of the milk carton so that you have a “box” with one end open. Next, Melt wax over medium heat. Place one of the wicks into the milk carton and fill the carton with the ice. Be sure that the wick is centered and is as long as the carton. Next, pour the melted wax into the carton filling to the top. Let sit until hardened and the ice has melted, then carefully cut and peel away the carton from the candle. You will now have a candle. The ice in the carton caused the wax to quickly harden around the crushed ice. The result is a “swiss cheese” looking candle. Each one looks a little different! These must be handled carefully after because the swiss cheese nature of the candle makes it fragile.

You can use colored candles or colored crayons or wax to give it a different effect each time. These are particularly fun to make and use only about 2-or-3 crushed cubes and once they are done, put a ribbon through one of the Swiss Cheese holes and tie to a package along side the gifting bow. But have fun with it and be creative.

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FUTURE POST LOOK-ON:

• Spicy Mouthwash

• Make Your Own Soy Candles

• Making Bath Salts

• More On Room Scents

The Burt’s Bees means line of products has come a long way. Starting out as a honey sales man, Burt Shavitz would sale bottled honey out of the back of his pickup truck on the side of the road in 1984. While heading home one evening he picked up Roxanne Quimby and her two children who were hitch-hiking. They began talking and she eventually started helping Burt make more and more products from his honey, beeswax and royal jelly, such as candles and shoe polish. One popular product being their line of lip balm. Now the company has taken leaps and bounds for the greater good.

They manufacture over 150 products for facial and body skin care, lip care, hair care, baby care, men’s grooming, and outdoor remedies. Distributed in nearly 30,000 retail outlets including grocery stores and drug store chains across the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong, and Taiwan from their headquarters in Durham, NC.

Their mens line started out as Bay rum scented products and now has taken off into a great product that would satisfy any man’s preference. Here are the products they currently carry in the men’s line.

WASHES AND SOAPS:

• Men Body Wash

• Citrus Spice Exfoliating Shower Soap

• Men Bar Soap

MOISTURIZERS:

• Men Aftershave

• Bay Rum Aftershave Balm

SHAVING LINE

COLOGNE LINE

**Beyonce is sporting a fine shade of green. Over at Celebrity Fashion Watch, Rechelle Tolinero has the pictures and the story behind why Beyonce is in this color. Read about it by clicking here.**

FUTURE POST LOOK-ON:

• Herbal Massage Oil

• Spicy Mouthwash

• Herbal Body Soak

Most of us, when we are in a rush, will grab a shower gel on the shelf of the super market. But, have you ever really taken the time to look at what you are lathering on your skin? Some products contain sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (soap) and dye. And, for your information, sodium laureth sulfate, isn’t really soap. It’s a foamer. Made mostly of man-derived chemical combinations that make a foamy, sort of soap texture. Most people expect their body washes, face washes, and even their toothpastes to foam-up when they are using them. So man has made a cheap and easy why to do this.

These chemical combinations go down our drains and into out water systems. So instead of just brushing your teeth or washing off the summer sweat from mowing the lawn, or raking the leaves from the walk, we are actually going to end up drinking these “man-made” chemicals after they hit the water-treatment plant. How do we stop this? One way to acheive this is simple, stop buying products that contain these ingredients. If the market is down for the product the company will begin to suffer and eventually change their product ingredients. Of course this all in a perfect world.

Another way would be to use these products sparingly and to make our products that we use on a daily basis. One being a body cleanser. And here’s how:

2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
1 cup fresh eucalyptus leaves
1 small cinnamon stick
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup mild liquid soap (can be found at health food stores nationwide)
1 tablespoon vegetable glycerin

Place the water and lemon juice on the stove and bring to a bowl. Place fresh herbs in a clean glass bowl. Pour the boiling water/lemon juice mixture over them, then allow mixture to steep for several hours until cool. Strain off liquid. Next, add the soap and glycerin and mix throughly. Store cleanser in a clena plastic container with a pour spout. To use, pour a dime-size amount of the gel onto an exfoliating sponge or wash cloth and gently massage your entire body. Rinse well with warm water, followed by a 30-second rinse-off of cool water. Do this routine especially in the morning during the winter months. It will not only wake you up but, but it will help keep your skin moist throughout the day during the winter months.

You can add fine grain sugar to this recipe as well and make your own body scrub. Or add salt and make a foot scrub. There is endless things you can add to this to make whatever you are needing for your specific body needs.

Don’t forget to ALWAYS label your products that you make.

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FUTURE POST LOOK-ON:

• Sore Muscle Soak

• Chocolate Facial Mask

• Herbal Facial Steam

• Herbal Massage Oil

• Antiseptic Mouth Wash

The bottom line in candle making is patience. Next would come the equipment. If you have been wanting to make you own candles but just haven’t really know where to start, there is candle making kits avaliable almost everywhere, even Wal-Mart. The best candle making kit that I have run across is at Great Candle. They pretty much include in their kit everything you will need in order to get started right away. Their kits include:

• Votive Kit $28.00 - Perfect Kit to start with, Kit contains: 4 lbs of Soy/Blend votive wax, 8 votive molds, 32 wicks 4 - 1oz. bottles of fragrance, Honeydew Melon, Apples and Berries, Kiwi Strawberry, Cherry, approx 1/2 red color block, approx. 1/2 green color block, and complete instructions . Kit makes approx. 32 candles.

• Basic Soy Container Kit $28.00 - Perfect for the beginner. Kit contains: 5.25 lbs Southern Scentsations GW Soy, 12 Jelly jars, 12 Htp wicks, 3.95 oz’s of Southern Apple Pie, 3.95 oz’s of Love Spell fragrances, a Red Dye Block. Kit contains instructions, and Candle Making tips.

• Deluxe Soy Container Kit $75.99 - Kit includes all of the Basic Soy Kit: 5.25 lbs Southern Scentsations GW Soy, 12 Jelly jars, 12 Htp wicks, 3.95 oz’s of Southern Apple Pie, 3.95 oz’s of Love Spell fragrances, a Red Dye Block. Kit contains instructions, and Candle Making tips. Plus you get a Presto Pot for melting wax, A Pouring Pot, Thermometer, and a Ladle.

You can take any of these candle making recipes and supplies and add an essential oil to them and make them original and your own. You can even get a register from your own state and patent these candles for profit. Simple as that. The more you make the better you will get and the more you experiment with oils and floral scents the more you will learn about what scents last longer and what scents don’t.

More supplies you may need are as follows.

° Wicks

° Dye

° Containers

° Molds

° Scents

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FUTURE POST LOOK-ON:

• Sore Muscle Soak

• Cucumber Facial Mask

• Herbal Facial Steam

• Herbal Massage Oil

• Antiseptic Mouth Wash

Some “BomChichaWahwah” Anyone?

Okay ladies we know we all could use some “BomChickaWahwah” in our lives! That’s why one of my favorite companies is offering a huge “Axe” scent pre-buy. Straight in on the email list, from her email I give you all the information you need to get your orders in quickly. Let me tell you a little about Day Star Supplies, when they put out a knock off type fragrance you can be pretty sure its going to smell 99% like the real thing. Stacy Harold (owner) takes pride in her company and it truly shows in the products she offers for sale.

Now onto that Email Pre-buy…

Greetings!
CLARIFICATIONS for PreBuy!
Please order via EMAIL at info@daystarsupplies.com
Website NOT updated but the Pre-Buy is Running!
My apologies for overloading your inbox, but I want to clarify that the AXE Pre-Buy for August is RUNNING! Please place your orders via EMAIL at info@daystarsupplies.com - Our website is NOT updated, but the Pre-Buy is going on now!

Thanks to all of our loyal customers for sending in your requests for another Pre-Buy for our AXE type fragrances!

Day-Star Candle & Soap Supply / Serendipities Scents is pleased to announce our newest pre-buy. These are the ORIGINAL Serendipities Scents AXE type fragrances that you know and love!

Details of Pre-Buy:
• Must meet a minimum of 10#s per each fragrance
• If minimums are not met, we may extend the Pre-Buy for a longer period of time
• Order now to receive the special pricing listed below:
• 8oz size pricing is $14.45ea
• 16oz size pricing is $20.45ea
• 32oz size pricing is $39.90ea
• Pricing on website does not reflect discount
• Email your order directly to me: info @ daystarsupplies.com
• Sample and sniffies are not applicable or available during this Pre-Buy
• Pre-Buy Begins July 30, 2007 and Ends August 27, 2007

AXE Groove type
Serendipities Scents formulation
A very clean, citrus-woody accord with an effervescent bergamot top note; and freesia, muguet at the heart and ending with notes of cedar, sandalwood, and musk.

AXE Phoenix type
Serendipities Scents formulation
Crisp, clean masculine blend of bergamot, lavender, jasmine, orange and grapefruit on a light woody background.

AXE Recovery type
Serendipities Scents formulation
This is a spa-type fragrance with an invigorating citrus blend of lemon, lime, mandarin, and orange with a note of smooth jasmine heart ending on a woody musk note.

AXE Reload type
Serendipities Scents formulation
A fresh citrus with a light medicinal touch on a smooth woody background.

AXE Snakepeel type
Serendipities Scents formulation
Opening notes of fresh citrus combined with French lavender and jasmine ending on bottom notes of sandalwood, cedar, and musk.

AXE Touch type
Serendipities Scents formulation
This begins with top notes of fresh aquatic citrus enhanced with fruits and flowers ending with notes of amber, sandalwood, and musk.

AXE Tsunami type
Serendipities Scents formulation
This is a whirlwind of bracing notes including a bouquet of citrus, jasmine, rose and ending with notes of aquatic marine and woods.

Take a look around the ‘net and you’ll see that there is a huge variety of soap making equipment on the market. Molds, soap cutters, pH testers, stirrers, pitchers … you name it, it’s probably being sold online. It can be overwhelming for all of us, as well as painful for the pocketbook.

Fortunately the online soaping community also serves to help us save some of our hard-earned cash by providing ideas and patterns to make our own soaping supplies, or give new life to old household items. For example, if you’ve got an old coffee pot laying around, it’s the perfect vessel for melting soap base in over a pot of boiling water, and it even comes complete with a handle and pouring spout.

Soap Crafters has a wonderfully detailed piece on making your own professional soap cutter. It’s a bit involved, but if you’ve ever hand-cut a large batch of soap with the intention of selling your perfectly uniform bars, you’ll understand the value of this cutter!

There are plenty of places to find instructions on making large soap molds. Try Chestnut Farms or About.com for project ideas.

Here’s my own personal tip for creating a small custom soap mold. This one works best with melt and pour soap, and makes a single mold. Start off with a plain single mold, either one made for soap making or a container suitable for making melt and pour. Next, add a design by removing the rubber plate from a rubber stamp and pasting it onto the bottom of the container. Use a strong water-proof and heat resistant adhesive for this. The design should face up so that it will end up embedded in the soap. Remember that the design will end up “backwards,” so symmetrical patterns work best. Avoid using letters! Continue making your soap as usual.

soap making, soap making equipment, soap molds, soap cutters

Besides making functional and beautiful candles such as tapers, votives, and tea lights, some candle makers delight in creating pieces that resemble things like baked goods, flower bouquets, aquariums, and beverages. These candles are so much fun to make!

While you can buy molds in almost every shape and size imaginable, you can also make things easier by purchasing pre-made wax embeds that are ready to use. Just like molds, you can find just about any type of embed you desire. Anything from bacon slices and black olives are available from GelTyme. They even have bakery boxes that you can display your finished products in for gift-giving or for sale, although it might be less expensive to get these directly from bakery supply outlets.

If fruits and veggies are more your style, Candle Kitchen has you covered. Their Fruits and Veggies page features bananas in a variety of styles, lots of berries, and even celery sticks, chile peppers, and baby gherkin pickles!

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