Born in the USA...

Like many people out there, I like to know what things are made of and where they were made before I buy them. Which is why I like working with Ecosoya® soy wax. They guarantee that their soy wax is 100% natural and that their soy beans are grown in the U.S.

Here's a nifty little clip on that topic, from Dan Cap at Nature's Gifts International (the company that makes Ecosoya®), in case anyone is interested: http://vimeo.com/13277252

New Seasonal Scents

The weather up here has been kind of wacky lately. It will be summery and warm one day and then brisk and fall-like the next. The poor trees are getting confused and are already starting to drop their leaves!

While I am sad that summer is coming to an end, autumn is my favorite time of year so I'm super excited for the leaves to start changing. The cool weather has made me think I should start working on some new scents to reflect the coming autumn weather.

I just tried out one scent that I'm calling "Apple Orchard". It smells just like fresh apples, I love it! I also found a scent called "Pumpkin Souffle" but it smells more like pumpkin pie to me, so I'm calling it "Pumpkin Harvest Spice".

I'm so happy with both of the new scents and picking out the fragrances and the colors really put me in the mood for autumn. Here's to a hearty welcome to the chilled fall air, comfy sweaters, and an excuse to wear my boots again:

Which of These Does Not Belong?

I spent a good part of last night trying out different wicks for my tapers. After a few hours of repetitive dipping I finally ended up with two really nice pairs of tapers. So tonight, after they've had plenty of time to cool and solidify, I tested them out to see which wick would burn better.

Normally this process isn't very noteworthy, but you'll see what I mean when I say that the end result cracked me up.

Here are the candles burning after about 40 minutes...so far, so good:

And...here they are about another 30 minutes later:

Any guesses as to which one didn't pass the test? haha. Needless to say, I won't be using the wick that causes the wax to run away from the candlestick. Although it's good for a nice laugh, right?

Ah, the joys of experimentation  ;)

I Love Sales!

I just got an e-mail from Lisa at American Craftsman and she let me know that two of my candles already sold yesterday! This means I'll be working on more candles like crazy within the next few days to beef up my stock.

Her friend is a wedding planner and bought one of my candles. She said she'd be interested in having me do custom orders, which would be so much fun. I recently finished a custom order for a friend of mine and it was particularly enjoyable to work on because it's so nice to have the customer be a part of the process by selecting the scents, picking out the containers, etc.

Anyway, just wanted to do a quick post to share my excitement!

Who I am and Why I'm Here

I originally got into candle-making because I wanted to make homemade, heartfelt gifts for my family and friends. I did a lot of research and knew immediately that I wanted to use soy wax rather than the non-environmentally-friendly alternatives such as paraffin. So I gathered supplies, and kind of just stumbled my way through the first trials. It took awhile before I got my homemade Christmas mug candles to my perfectionist standards, but when I finally completed them the sense of accomplishment was awesome.

After that, I started experimenting with candlesticks, hurricane candles, and container candles in things like teacups, recycled jars, candy dishes, etc. I quickly began accumulating an insane medley of candles that I couldn’t possibly use in my lifetime. So, in an effort to continue my craft without finding myself buried in unused candles, I ventured into selling my wares.

I’ve recently opened an Etsy shop and have sold at local craft fairs and farmer’s markets. My candles are also now being carried at a great shop in New Paltz, NY called American Craftsmen. To be honest, I was incredibly nervous when I first started selling my candles, but it’s turned out to be a really exciting and inspiring experience. For me, my favorite aspect of selling my candles is to hear the feedback from my customers. I can’t help but feel inspired when someone comes up to my booth, picks up a candle, sniffs it and says “This smells delicious!!!” Plus, it’s always nice to talk to people about how I make my candles, and why I have so much fun doing it.

That’s what I’m hoping to do here on my blog, as well. I would love for this to be yet another place for me to babble on with people about candle-making, crafting, and everything else that goes along with them. So please, join in the conversation…I’m always eager to talk to others about my passions and, of course, theirs too!