Cozy Coupe Lasts Through the Generations of Kids Toys

The instantly recognisable yellow and red children's ride in car, most kids from the last thirty odd years will remember it extremely well. When discussing with some friends recently, they actually didn't know that the iconic car was called a Cozy Coupe, I really thought the name was common knowledge. The bubble shaped car is still to this day a main feature in houses, play schools and kids creches.

Developed by the US based Little Tikes company, the Cozy Coupe ride on car was first available to buy in 1970. This was the first ever children's moulded plastic ride on car in America, and it proved to be a huge worldwide success. Little Tikes has since sold over 6 million units of the adorable Cozy Coupe, various different models are now available in the range. The car was so successful that in 1991 it actually out sold all real road cars in the US.

The classic bubble shape design of the Cozy Coupe has stuck with us over the years, but a new model of the car was introduced in 1998. The red and yellow frame remained, but the Cozy Coupe II came packed with new features. Little Tikes had added a new front roof and given the car an audio remote control, which play audio clips for beeping, unlocking and starting the car engine. As expected, the new model in the series continued to be a top selling kids toys, with sales doubling the average units sold over the next 5 months.

After 30 years on the market, Little Tikes decided it was the right time to bring out a new version of the car, the 30th anniversary edition was introduced in 2009. Of course the classic red and yellow design stayed, but we also got a new pink version, as well as a new Police Patrol version. The anniversary edition features a happy smile face on the front of the car, a removable floor and extra storage units at the back.

The Cozy Coupe was a big part of my childhood, and I really hope it continues to bring happiness to young children around the world for many years to come.

How to Conquer Bubbles in Gel Candles

Bubbles are awesome little creatures, always showing up and leaving when you least expect them. You can go to bed with a perfectly clear gel candle and wake up to discover hundreds of bubbles where there were none. In simple candles with nothing embedded in it, bubbles can transform a plain candle into a stunning one, plus they capture the light and glow when the candle is lit. Bubbles are also nice to have around when they tie in with a candles design theme, such as an aquarium candle or a beer stein candle.

Tips to Conquer Bubbles

Virtually all bubbles are caused by one of three things, which are the heating temperature of the gel, reactions between the gel and items in your candle, and produced while pouring the gel.
If you really want bubble-free gel candles, you will need to use an arsenal of bubble-ridding techniques. Use one, or all, of these techniques, depending on your patience level and your willingness to experiment.

Three Techniques to Reduce Bubbles

1. Heat your containers.
Preheat the containers in a 175^ F. oven (79^C.) for about 10 minutes. You can put the container(s) into the oven right after you place your gel on the stove-top. Then when you pour the gel, you're pouring hot gel into a hot container. This should aid in keeping bubbles from forming.

2. Heat the gel to it's highest (safe) temperature.
Remember to follow the gels manufacturer recommendation. Generally, the higher the pour temperature, the fewer the bubbles. When heating gel to high temperatures, always keep a close watch on the gel because with just a few minutes of distraction, the gel can easily cause a grease fire. This can be avoided by monitoring the gels temperature while melting. When you go to pour the gel, continue to monitor the temperature, especially if you are pouring multiple candles. You may have poured the first candle at a high temperature, but the gel temperature for subsequent candles can easily be 50^F. (10^C.) less, if the pan has been removed from the heat.

3. Pretreat all ceramic, glass and metallic items.
If you are planning to embed items in the gel candle, whether ceramic, glass or metallic, you should preheat them by placing them in a pan with a small amount of melted gel. Watch the items for bubbles. If no bubbles appear, use tweezers to carefully remove the items, holding them over the pan until the gel solidifies. If the items do bubble, leave them in the gel until they stop, stirring occasionally. If an item continues to bubble for more than a few minutes, look for a replacement item unless you're willing to have bubbles in your finished candle.

Additional Tips To Conquer Bubbles

Avoid using items made with glue, glue often reacts with the gel and creates excessive bubbling.

If possible, pour the gel at an angle, as you would a beer, to minimize bubbling.

Presoak your wicks in some melted gel and watch for bubbling. When the bubbling stops, lift the wick out, wait 30 seconds, then run your fingers down the wick to remove excess gel.

Stir your newly poured gel with a bubble stick. You can find plastic bubble sticks in almost any craft store. Just place the stick in the gel and gently stir it through the gel in a swirling motion.

Place newly poured candles in the refrigerator as soon as possible and leave them undisturbed for several hours.

The above are techniques I was taught to use when making gel candles. Actually, since I only make scented candles to use in my home, I couldn't care less about bubbles. So, if you are diligent and are making candles to sell at Craft Shows you might want to try one or all of the techniques listed. I hope you found this article helpful.