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Archive for the ‘Candles’ Category

The Neverending Winter

Posted in Candles, Craft Business, tagged , , , on April 15, 2013| 11 Comments »

Spring is very late in its arrival this year. I have my first outdoor show in about a month and I wonder if I’m going to have to wear my snow boots and parka. Candles, which people usually reserve for the colder months, will be flying off the shelves if the weather keeps up like this. I feel like lighting a few candles myself as I look outside and see the snow flying in the blustery wind. The geese have arrived for the summer, but I bet they’re sorry they didn’t wait a while more.

 I spent part of the weekend pouring some beeswax candles. I really should get them in my Etsy shop, but taking photos for the listings is tripping me up. Photos always trip me up. Taking photos of my products requires a huge amount of motivation and I’ve just not had it in me for a while. Sometimes I think I should take my things to be photographed to someone who knows more about photography than I do, and who doesn’t need the motivation to take pictures like I do, but who can afford a professional? These are the times I would be willing to trade, services for products. Is there anyone out there who would be willing to do that?

Making the beeswax candles was enough for me this weekend. I sold out at a show last November when a woman bought every single beeswax candle I had on my table. I have to stock up because as I mentioned before, my first show is in about a month. Maybe the photo bug will bite me in the meantime. Until then, Etsy will just have to wait.

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A Visit To The Shop ~ Leather Palm Wax Candle

Posted in A Visit To The Shop, Candles, Etsy, tagged , , , , , on March 21, 2013| 2 Comments »

Do you love the smell of leather?  When I go to the Minnesota State Fair I visit the Funk and Rose Leather trading post to get some deep breaths full of that rustic, earthy scent.  When I wear my grandma’s vintage leather gloves I have a hard time keeping my hands away from my face to get a noseful of the aroma.  If my car had a leather interior I’d probably decide to live in it rather than my house.

I’ve got a candle at the shop that has a very true leather scent.  If you love the smell of leather as much as I do, this is the candle for you.

Leather Palm Wax Candle by Auntie B’s Wax

 

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Building Stamina

Posted in Candles, Craft Business, tagged , , , on March 12, 2013| 4 Comments »

There is tension in the air that isn’t all the way stressful, but an urgency is definitely there.  Once again I don’t feel as organized as I would like, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t think I’ll ever feel as organized as I’d like.  That doesn’t mean I won’t keep trying to improve my organizational skills.  The new year’s resolution I made to discipline myself more has really paid off and I still practice it three months after I resolved to do it.  Instead of getting cozy in bed with my book at an early hour as I would have liked I finished up the straggly ends of things I had been working on earlier in the evening.  It doesn’t really matter that I didn’t get enough sleep, does it?

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The most logical reason for feeling this tension and urgency is because I finally have three applications in for shows this summer.  Woo hoo!  I’m not sure how many shows I’ll be doing this year, but I do know it will be at least three. 

In other news, I just got an order for candles to be part of a wedding.  I love when that happens!  Beautiful red palm wax pillars will grace the tables at a very happy occasion.  When my candles are at a special event like this I feel like I’m right there too.  Cheers to the happy couple!

It’s only Tuesday and I’m already looking forward to the weekend.  Lots to do!

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It’s March

Posted in Artists and Shops, Candles, Etsy, tagged , , , , , on March 5, 2013| 4 Comments »

March is by far my least favorite month of the year.  I get a little depressed, a little bored and a little impatient with it all.  The snow is dirty, the air is damp.  It’s cold, it warms up, it’s cold again.  March can’t make up it’s mind and it bugs me.

We got some fresh snow.  About eight inches.  It cleans up that dirty stuff a bit which is good, but it’s March.  Aren’t the daffodils supposed to be popping out by now?

There’s a nice little treasury in Etsy that makes me feel a little better about this time of year.  The curator names it Blackberry Winter.  The purple colors remind me of winter and spring all at once.  They make March less annoying.  I’m honored to have my Blackberry Sage candle featured in the collection.

If you’re interested in any of the items in this treasury, just click on the image and you’ll be transported to Etsy where you can have a closer look.

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Candle Facts

Posted in Candles, tagged , , , , , , on August 23, 2012| 8 Comments »

Caramel Apple Candles by Auntie B’s Wax

I just unmolded a batch of beautiful candles with the scent of Buttermint Candies.  I love them!  As I was examining and sniffing them I got to thinking about candles and the misconceptions people have about them.  As someone who’s been making candles for over a decade let me share with you the things I’ve learned.

There is no such thing as a wickless candle.

By definition, a candle is “a long, usually slender piece of tallow or wax with an embedded wick that is burned to give light.”  So-called “wickless candles” are in fact not candles at all.  They are chunks of scented wax put into a melter and heated to release the fragrance oil they contain.  I take offense to giving this product the name “candle.”  They are not lit with fire nor do they produce fire, unless of course the wax is heated to a temperature exceeding the flash point of the wax or fragrance oil, in which case a very large fire will ensue.  They are more aptly named tarts.

There is no such thing as a smokeless candle.

All candles have smoke as a byproduct.  It’s the nature of fire.  However, there are several ways to reduce the smoke output of a candle.  A good candle maker will make the candle with a properly-sized wick which will reduce excess smoking.  Avoid “triple scented” candles as too much fragrance oil can cause smoking.  Keeping the wick trimmed to 1/4 inch while burning will also keep smoke to a minimum.

There is no such thing as a scent-free candle.

Certainly there are candles made without the use of fragrance oil, but every type of wax has its own aroma and that scent will emanate from the candle when it is burned.

There is such a thing as a cleaner-burning candle.

Of all the waxes I use beeswax is the cleanest-burning.  As a rule the natural waxes (beeswax, palm wax, soy wax) burn cleaner than paraffin wax.  However, a well-made paraffin candle burns cleaner than a poorly made candle of any type of wax.

There may or may not be such a thing as a dripless candle.

Dripping candles can be caused by several factors ~ drafts, inappropriately sized wick, lack of trimming wick, length of burning time, etc. It’s best to be prepared whether your candle is doomed to drip or not. Always place pillars on a plate or in a holder that will catch unexpected drips. When burning tapers use bobeches to save your candelabra and table from wax. Votive candles should always be burned in a cup. Put a small amount of water in the cup, enough to just cover the bottom, before placing the votive in it. This will keep the wax from sticking to the cup. Also, place container candles (including votives) on a plate or trivet. The wax won’t drip out of the container, but the container itself can become very hot and may damage some surfaces.

Candle season is coming up so be armed with the knowledge you need to provide a warm (and safe) ambiance.

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