Author |
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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 1:44 pm
Sea - that is interesting about the mix of candle warmers at Michaels - when I first started buying them, they were called Cozy-Ups, and then they changed the name, I think to make it more obvious what they were being marketed for. About 20 years ago when I worked at a dept. store, we sold them as coffee mug warmers at Christmas-time. They must have found a bunch of old stock somewhere and are feeding them out to stores with all the sell-outs! I was just at Marshalls today - for other things! - but could not resist looking in the ramekin aisle. Lucky for me, all they had were 2 single pack, 10 oz. Le Creusets. I was not planning to get any.
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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 1:52 pm
Oh, and Sea - I used to keep my single baggied tarts in the Glad Ware "tupperware" before the collection <cough> ...grew. The wax paper sandwich bags would be great! I have not seen those available anywhere for some time, though. Restaurants use them though...I wonder if a place like Smart & Final warehouse that sells restaurant supplies would have any...although if they did, it would be enough to supply us all. Cathie - woo hoo. Thanks for the locator link. I found there is a store in the next town down from me! Oh boy. Way to enable the enabler. And be sure to check ebay for the silicone cups, too, if you are an ebayer.
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 6:26 pm
Oh and this is from Alyce.. Ahh Juli is a tart guru any thing she tells you is golden, but the truth is the longer you let them ( tarts) sit the better they get, I have some people place one order a month wait a month then place another order then melt the ones from 30 days prior if you can get on that routine the tarts last much longer and you get more bang for your buck rather then a tart lasting 24 hours you may get 48 hours some do last longer like Scentual Addiction that one has an amazing melt time I have heard of one tart lasting 2 weeks and still going strong. Julip, the guru! Any report on Scentual Addiction?}
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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 6:35 pm
I love it! I have been deemed a tart guru by the Queen of Tarts herself! . Thanks for sharing! I have not tried the Scentual Addiction, but I have heard it is even better than the real thing (it is Alyce's own custom blend of a Bare Escentuals perfume). Since it is not an exact dupe, she puts it under florals instead of designer scents.
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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 6:40 pm
Oh Joely...have you tried Santa's Pipe yet? I popped mine in tonight since I saw it was back in stock and...yikes! That is a strong one. Overpowering. I thought I'd like it, but it seems too sweet smelling, and not bakery sweet. Like my DH said, it is not a bad scent, just overpowering. I may give it another try tomorrow to see if it mellows out a bit, but I am not sure about this one.
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Joely
Member
09-24-2005
| Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 6:51 pm
Julip ~ I haven't tried it! I have a half a tart, so maybe I'll make it a 1/4 tart and try it tomorrow! Got so much work done today... I love my sweatshop workers! Julip YOU ARE A GURU!
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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 6:59 pm
tee hee. I have the other 1/2 of the Santa's Pipe! And oh yes, 1/4 tart is a great idea. I wish I had done that! Yay! So glad you got so much work done. I hope it is still not sweltering there. Glad you have some yummy scents to melt for your sweatshop workers. 
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Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 7:33 pm
OK - so it is clear from what Alyce said in Sea's above post that a cure time of 30 days is ideal. I picture the people using her "place one order a month" method might have more that a Tart Cart, they probably have a Tart Cellar. I visualize it with racks and racks of tarts, placed there in order of receipt, complete with inventory dates. Julip - you didn't tell us we needed to remodel to handle our <cough> new obsession! 
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Joely
Member
09-24-2005
| Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 8:48 pm

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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 9:17 pm
I <cough> place the ship date <cough> on the tart packages when they come in <cough>. I usually put the date on the individual tart labels too, but I didn't on the newest labels. . I had never heard of the 30 day routine lol. Hey, Bonza...the lunchboxes would make ideal tart storage. rofl
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Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 10:17 pm
Julip - you are holding out on us! lmao. This tart-dating is very important in our training.... and just think - we've still got small enough inventory (well, speaking for myself) to start early with this all-important bit of record-keeping.
But 'fess up - you've got a Tart Cellar, don't you? Yes, I could use lunchboxes just like you use your cellar!
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 11:00 pm
LOL! A Tart-Cellar with racks of vintage, aged tarts!
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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 5:47 am
Bonza - Yes, the tart-dating..I think of it as a "freshness date". lol. It started out as a reminder to myself when the cure time started so that I knew when they were considered cured enough...but when I swap, gift, or sell "lots" of them, the gals receiving them loved that they knew how "fresh" they were. A Tart Cellar! Oh yes, you've caught me again. It is lined wall-to-wall with those Pottery Barn apothecary cabinets too - one for each scent category, plus a card catalog cross referencing the cubicle location and "freshness date". Even a display case with - yes, Sea - vintage tarts, and climate control. I'd show a picture, but it is top-secret. 
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Seamonkey
Moderator
09-07-2000
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 2:10 pm
Shamefully, my first order is still sitting in and around the box in which it arrived.. So you use the shipping notification date as when they were created?
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Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 2:22 pm
Julip - I knew it! We await photos of the inaugural Tart Cellar. Sea - there is no shame. No one can measure up to Julip - we cannot hold ourselves to her standards. 
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Mamapors
Member
07-29-2004
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 5:34 pm
OK--my first order of tarts arrived and I have my very first one on. Can't smell it yet, but I am so excited. It is Cinnamon Sticks. I got great ones in the sampler bag. I may have to stay up all night and try them all!!!
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Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 5:39 pm
Go, Mama, go! And have fun!

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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 5:43 pm
Oh yay! I love hearing about first orders! Did you order any other scents beside the sampler bag, Mama? Try to keep your mitts off the tart besides a few of them! It probably took 2 days to get to you, so that means it has at least 3 more days to go for a good cure. As you may have read in Alyce's email to Sea, the longer they sit, the better they get. I know how hard it is to wait, though, so try cutting some of them in halves or quarters so you have a more "aged" portion to try later. Your best bet is to sniff them all, and the ones with the strongest cold throw you can try a bit of it first. Congrats! Isn't it fun to dump out the bag and look at what you got? Let us know what scents you got and your first impressions in the review folder when you get a chance!
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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 5:46 pm
RMAO Bonza about my standards. I should have taken a "before" picture of the cart, and how many places in the house there were tarts, before the glorious tart cart photo. It looked like a bomb went off! And Sea, I use the date when I receive Alyce's shipping notice as "day 1" of the curing. So yes, that is like the "born on" date. 
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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 5:47 pm
Woo hoo! Love the pulsating tart. RMAO
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Mamapors
Member
07-29-2004
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 5:49 pm
I got the sampler bag, a whole bag of BNB (I wonder why????) and a whole bag of Cinnamon Stick (that smell is my favorite). Ok I will only try one tonight and try to wait a few days. But there is no way I am waiting 30 days!!!
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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 5:53 pm
ROFL I have never been able to wait 30 days to try a single tart in a new order! Although, I must admit, I do have some tarts I have not yet tried... Good going on the full bags of BNB and Cinnamon Sticks. CS is one of my favorite scents too! It is also a good one to mix with others, like a vanilla, a peppermint, or also an apple one. Have fun!
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Citruscitygal
Member
08-07-2003
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 7:53 pm
I'm trying soooo hard not to succumb to tart mania. I've been looking for a flameless way to scent my office (too many papers to burn candles). I got a Febreeze Scentstories machine for Christmas. It's not a bad alternative, but apparently no comparison to tarts!! Lurking here, drooling over the amazing scent choices, hearing your adventures on the hunt for warmers, ramikins and silicone baking cups, I'm weakening! How much trouble would I be in if I started a tart warming in my office, got distracted or left the room and left it on? What happens when the tart is gone? Would I use a whole one to scent a 132 sg ft home office, or could I use a portion of one? How long do they last? Sorry, I'm sure this info is here, I don't have time to search the archives right now. Thanks for your help ladies.
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Julip
Member
09-28-2005
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 8:54 pm
Hello CC Gal! Hey, I can help... lol Most tart warmers, like the Candlesense (or Cozy Up) warmers from Michaels, are very low heaters. Some people feel comfortable leaving them all day, even when they are not at home. I leave them on for a good portion of the day, but I personally do not like to leave them on - although I have by mistake with no problems. I would suggest plugging a warmer into a lamp timer. You can set it to go on for a few hours, off for a few...just so you know if you forget about it, it will go off eventually. Or set it only for the times you will be home. When the tart warms, it simply liquifies, but it never dissipates. The scent simply gets weaker the longer you warm it. When the scent is gone, you can either pour the warm wax into a lined trash can (it cools quickly) or let it cool and remove the wax. That is why the silicone cups are so great - they pop right out instead of having to work them out with a dull knife. You can also freeze the wax for 20-30 minutes and pop it out. I usually use a whole tart, but some scents are stronger than others. You may want to start with a 1/2 or 1/4, then if you want the scent to be stronger, you can add more. The Tarty Parts are a good way to get started, as they are 6 cubes equivalent to 1/2 a tart each (3 tarts total). A tarty part can last an average of 2-3 days, but again each scent is different, and it depends on how long you leave it on (sorry, I am not sure of the estimate in hours!). Whole tarts can last an average of 3-4 days. Hope that helps, and feel free to ask more questions! The FAQs on the Soyful Joys is a must read, too - lots of great information on the product. 
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Joely
Member
09-24-2005
| Monday, January 09, 2006 - 9:16 pm
Another victim comes out of the dark! Julip, you're so good at answering all the questions! 
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