tea for two...

Once again I get to play with some lovely tea cups to make candles for a gift shop here in Launceston.
Tracey, the owner, dropped 12 lovely tea cups and a larger ceramic container off and armed with a list of her favourite fragrances - off we went!

I am a bit thrilled with how they turned out!

How to fill your weekend...

How will you fill your time this weekend?
We've got a great idea for Saturday (Sunday is up to you!).
The Boutique Markets is a great designer market that started in sunny Brisbane a few years ago and has now launched itself, along with Mathildas Markets) all over Australia.

This is their first outing to Launceston and if the response from Hobart is anything to go by - we are in for another great market find!
With being so wrapped up in sanctum, this is my first market of the year! 
Very exciting!

Saturday 15th September

The Hotel Grand Chancellor

9am til 1pm

Custom Candles

I know our blog has been a little quiet this past year - our little business sanctum has been keeping me very busy and the year is flying by.
Having said that, we did manage to squeeze in some custom candles for Milkbar Cafe here in Launceson and for a regular candle buyer.
These first candles are all vanilla!  Our house smelled amazing when they were all made up!

I love the different shapes and forms of these candles - always fun working out how to fill them.
The Milkbar candles were all poured into vintage cups that one of the owners, Isis, had found.  Because of this and the fact they were going into a cafe for sale - we decided to go with 'traditional' cafe fragrances such as Vanilla, Hot Chocolate, Matcha Tea and Turkish Mocha.

I particularly like the Hot Chocolate ones - they almost look like the real thing!

what we've been up to today....

Today has been a candle making day.

I haven't done one of these for a little while - I often don't get the time to take a whole day out and just concentrate on the one thing.Most of these are to restock my little sanctum but I also started on the lovely Isis' order for her and her partners' new venture 'Milkbar' here in town. Find their blog here or their facebook page here.
The house smells like a dozen different fragances and they are all mixed up in my head now. I know them all so well, but I couldn't tell you which candle is which at the moment - maybe tomorrow when my nose has 'reset' itself!

has anyone seen my Geisha....?

These sweet candles are actually delicate little Japanese Ceramic Sake Cups.

My lovely Mother-in-Law bought them on a recent trip to Tassie, at an antique store. She thought they might make interesting candles - I think she was right!

They are only small, but would sit nicely on a dinner table, a mantle piece or even a the ledge of your bathtub next time you are in the mood for a candlelit soak (complete with a glass of wine of course!!).

These are one offs only - no more once they sell - and only ten left!!

Get into sanctum quick to grab yours next time you are in Launceston!

Totally rockin' Moroccan!!

Firstly, apologies for not being as regular with my posts this past year.

My little business sanctum has been keeping me very busy and with three emails, two blogs, two facebook pages, one website and a Linkdin page to manage - well, some things do get squished to the back of the 'to do' list.

We've brought on board a business coach and so are hoping that with her help, we can create better time management.

Well... that's the plan anyway!

Anyway, it's the first day of 2012 and I had a hankering to make up some new candles I've been keen on for a while.

I found these containers at a local kitchenware store just before Christmas - when I went back to buy them the store was so busy that I ran out of time while waiting to be served and couldn't get them. Of course, when I went back again after Christmas - most of the glasses had gone and the colour choice was very restricted - but not to worry.

I just love Morrocan (also known as 'Turkish') Tea Glasses just by themselves - they invoke pictures of hiding out in dimly lit Tea Houses with hookah pipes and shady characters, wheeling and dealing and running about with big moustaches and scimitars.

But that might be just me...

I have wanted to make them into candles for some time and am pretty happy with the result. Now I just need to convince the store to either let me buy enough at a time to get a better price, or give me the name of their suppliers and I will get them direct.

I've got just twelve made up and will have them in at sanctum when we reopen as of the 10th. I kept the wax it's natural white as I think the glasses are the star of the show here.

Hope people like them as much as I do.

new candles in stock

Since Niche, I have been trying to restock my shelves at sanctum but have had some trouble with my suppliers being out of the usual containers I get.

The good thing is that it has let me try a few new ones.

I've got a smaller version (70g) of the large frosted tumblers I usually do - I think they are really kind of sweet and they have been received really well from Clients in at sanctum and at the Tamar Visitor Centre Makers Evening a few days ago.

I've also brought in these great metallic votives especially for Christmas - I thought they would make anyones Christmas Table look (and smell) amazing! The light shining through the walls of the container throw out these great coloured patterns.

These ceramic containers are the biggest that I do at about 250g. They will only be a limited offer as I can only get so many of the containers from my supplier.

They look great and I am really liking having a play with new containers and sizes.

I've got some more of these square ones on order plus a few large rectangle ones that I will most likely put a double wick into.

I've just now been able to place an order for the frosted round containers I usually get, though only in a limited number. I've been lucky that the orders I've had since Niche, I've been able to fill with what containers I already had.

Be sure to check out sanctums blog for some pictures I took of the rest of my instore Christmas display too!

seriously big tea lights

These bad boys are about twice the size of your ordinary tea light. They're not called 'maxi' for nothing!

At the recent Niche market, a local ceramicist stopped by the stall and asked me about creating candles to go with her handmade ceramic light shades. She dropped one off the second day and I have to say, I was really taken with it - enough to pay her there and then just so I could keep it!

After tossing a few options around - we decided on keeping it simple and went with the larger tea lights. We have left these ones un-fragranced, but I can see making some up with citronella for outside use.

I think they look pretty good and they suit the light shades really well. I can't wait to try one out!

reasonable absences......

Ok... so I haven't blogged for awhile....

This is the reason why!

These are some of the candles, melts, tea lights and lip balms I've been furiously making over the past few weeks for Niche, with more curing as I am taking this picture.

This 3 day designer market hits Launceston from the 27th - 29th November (10 till 4) and looks to be a huge event. Lots of familiar faces from the last Niche market, near Mothers Day, earlier this year, but some very tempting new folks as well!

After such a great response to my candles at the last market and in the time between, I decided very early on to concentrate on that side of things this time around and bring aboard Natalie from Gypsy Hill (more info soon), to fill the other half of the stall with her beautiful soaps.

That way it has saved me both the cost on ingredients and some serious production time! Plus we can spot each other for loo breaks over the weekend!

These are some new mosaic containers that I managed to get from my suppliers at a good price as they are a discontinued line - but I thought they would make a great 'Yuletide Collection' being red and green. I picture them in the centre pieces of folks Christmas dinners and so have filled them with fragrances such as: Tangerine, Applejack (red apple and cinnamon), Vanilla and Rhubarb. Hope folks like them.

Tell one...tell all... come along and see what great talented and craftie people we have down in Tassie!

Nifty New Niceties for Niche....

Am finally getting around to working through my production list for the upcoming Niche markets at the end of the month (eek!).

These are the new lip balm tins I mentioned a while back - I am really loving the little vintage tins and had fun making up new blends for lip 'shmackin' goodness too!

They all contain ingredients like Coconut Oil, Beeswax and Vitamin E, plus I add Organic Honey for extra softness and just a hint of sweetness!

I've done up four blends for the market:

Mandarin Mimosa (with gold Mica)

Spearmint & Lime

Vanilla & Red Grape Extract

Rose (with gold Mica)

This is one of my soy tea lights that I am testing for burn time and fragrance throw - this one's Cinnamon Sugar - yum!
The aroma is filling my kitchen and making me hungry......
Today I've made up Vanilla, White Tea & Ginger, Vintage Rose and Jasmine tealights - they are setting as we speak.

Tealight Packs

These are my little Tealights, all grown up and packaged, ready to go out on their own into the world!
I've chosen to put them into packs of 4 for a couple of reasons...

1. They fit neatly into plastic bags I already had - so I didn't have to buy another 5000 bags in a different size from my packaging supplier!

2. The durn things cost me almost $2 each to make and so to make them into a 6 pack, I felt, would have priced them out of the market.

3. Cause I could! No seriously, I kind of like the smaller packs - I think they will make great stocking fillers.

All of this is gearing me towards the upcoming Niche Markets at the end of November. This time around it's a 3 day markets and so trying to 'guestimate' what to make and how much has been a challenge.

I think I have finally got a list of products to make up and am just double checking I now have enough stock to make it all!

And with Christmas looming, I don't think I am the only one who is feeling like we need to get a wiggle on and start getting organised.

How does these things come around so quickly.

On a completely different note.... did anyone see Spicks and Specks last night (21st Oct)? They had a young Australian singer on there named Megan Washington. Such an amazing voice!! Check her out on youTube here and here....

Tempting Tealights

I love getting to make new things and this time around I have finally gotten to do something I have been wanting to do for some time now.... Soy Tealights!

I've just finished my first few batches of tealights and am really stoked with how they are turning out. I got some awesome new fragrances last week too and so have had a really wonderful morning in the kitchen!

I wanted to give people another option rather than just burning the 'Made in China' paraffin tealights that (granted) you can buy so cheaply everywhere. Plus I think they look nicer too!

Also, the new fragrances I now have in stock are:

Mango Mango: a straight mango fragrance that works well by itself or mixed with other fruit scents.

Raspberries & Violets: sweet and alluring - summer Raspberries combined with the light floral of Violets for the perfect summertime fragrance.

Coconut Citrus Sorbet: a bright, Summery fragrance with the refreshing notes of lemon, zesty lime, creamy coconut milk and sweet vanilla bean. It's the perfect combination of sweet and citrus that that will make you dream of summer days!

Sandalwood: This fragrance will add a woody, lush and sensual note to any blend. It blends well with Citrus notes, but smells great alone too.

Asian Amber: A calming yet potent blend of earthy amber and exotic asian herbs. Strong enough to grab attention without being overwhelming.

Mandarin Mimosa: begins with crisp dew fruit, mandarin, oranges, tangerines and sweet berries. The heart combines a medley of pineapple, mimosa blossoms, peaches, plums, fruity jasmine and soft lavender. The base is a beautiful lily and vanilla. I know this sounds like a lot of aroma's, but it works so well!

Green Tea & Lemongrass: this bright and natural smelling citrus fragrance is a complex blend of sharp lemongrass balanced with the rounded notes of green tea. Fresh and uplifting.

Himalayan Bamboo: a complex union of bamboo foliage and rich green florals. The subtle character of this fragrance is calming rather than overwhelming, good for where a room filling, not house filling fragrance is desired.

At the moment I am loving the Himalayan Bamboo and Asian Amber, but the Coconut Citrus Sorbet is coming in a very close third!

(I have to stop buying more and more fragrances.... it's becoming an obession!!)

New additions

Just quick entry to showcase the newest additions to my product lines. Have been looking for an interesting container for lip balms for some time now - kind of over the glass jar look. Found these little guys through one of my suppliers and they are on their way here as we speak. They still hold the same amount as my previous containers, but I hope that folks will like their 'old world' vintage charm as much as I do.

The second newcomer are these polycarbonate tealight cups. I've ordered clear ones so I can colour the candles themselves or leave them plain white. I have been feeling bad about selling the soy melts and then leaving folks to use the nasty paraffin wax tealights in their burners.

At this stage I hope to make up some plain, unscented ones as well as fragranced ones that people can use in colourful tealight holders or around the bathtub - anywhere really! Will see how they go anyway.

Custom Candles

Just a quick post to show (off!) some custom candles that were picked up this morning. Mel first found me at the Niche Markets in May and has been kind enough to keep coming back for more and bringing along her empty containers to be refilled. This time she gave me some different containers of her own as well as ones she had bought from me. The challenge is to get the right amount of wax to fill them and the right wick for the candle to burn cleanly. What fun!Mel's chosen fragrances this time around were: Vanilla, Pomegranate & Black Currant (my fave); Rhubarb; White Tea & Ginger and; Cinnamon Sugar.
Also had a play with layering the colours in the candles - the far left (hard to see) is pale yellow with white on top and the second from left is a pale pink and white. Am quite happy with how they turned out. Looking forward to hearing how they burn for her.
In the background are the two candles I have made up for Michelle of Nook wrapped and ready to be posted.

Candle making day

Today has been a flurry of production... this time it's my soy candles. The house will smell like different fragrances for days. These are all for the upcoming Civic Homespun Markets this coming Saturday.

I have learnt my lesson and even though it's still chilly outside, my kitchen window is wide open to keep fresh air coming in. Some of the fragrances are really strong and can leave me lightheaded if I'm not careful. This is pretty much what I start with - pure soy wax flakes. After measuring them out, they go into a double boiler setup for melting down. I use digital scales to measure out each batch and record the weights, mls of fragrance, wick size and dye colour used in a log book - this helps me keep track of any problems, recipes and changes in each product I make.These are candles that have been poured and are curing - I pour while they are in the carton and wrap everything in a big towel for insulation. Being a chilly climate down here, they can set unevenly on the surface if they set too quickly. It's been a challenge to combat this and I am not always successful. Occasionally a rebatch is called for..... Still, it's an awful lot of fun and I just love seeing the finished product wrapped and ready for sale!

New Candles, Lotions and Fragrances

Finally got to take some photos of the new palm wax candles I've started making. They take a bit more work than soy wax - both making and cleaning up! - but I think they have a great look to them with the pearlised crystal patterns they produce as they cure. I'm also having fun with dyes as well. Palm wax is one of those ingredients that have a bad reputation in regards to how it is harvested - often it is done in non-sustainable ways - the wax I've found has been sourced and partnered with a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. This organization was founded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and heads of government and industry involved in palm cultivation. So I am happy to use it in my products. The lotions have come up great in their new bottles - these also took some extra work to fill as the necks are much smaller and harder to pipe the lotion into them! But I persevered! I have only done up 9 for the Homespun Markets next Saturday - just to see what feedback I get.

I was also pleasantly surprised to receive a fragrance order very quickly from one of my suppliers - I didn't think it would get here in time for the markets.

The new fragrances I am going to play with are:

Ancient Sedonia - Orange Blossom and Bulgarian Rose and Vetiver, plus notes of Sandalwood, Bourbon Vanilla, Amber (whew!!) - reminds me of the prefume Dior Addict to be honest!

Applejack - this has warm and spicy top notes of Cinnamon and Cloves rounding down to the mellow scent of Red Apples - I'm hoping it will be a popular Spring/Summer scent.

Cinnamon Sugar - warm Ginger, Cinnamon, and Cardamom - making a yummy sticky cinnamon bun aroma!

Marrakesh - this one is super strong!! I almost made myself nauseous after I spilt it and couldn't get the smell out of the house for days! Notes of Bamboo, Vetiver Grass, Vanilla Orchid and Myrrh mix beautifully with Tangerine, Patchouli and Clove Leaf. Amazing.

Turkish Mocha - top notes of Milk, Cardamom, Cocoa and a touch of Nutmeg, scents of Vanilla, Honey, and of course, Turkish Coffee - for all those needing a coffee fix!

Passionfruit & Papaya - a very summery, fresh scent combing these two tropical fruits. Yum!

All going well these will be on my stall (that I am sharing with the lovely Mrs Smith and her groovy home sewn cushions!) at the markets.