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!

Luscious Lips!

Our lovely Lip Balms are back in stock - delightfully ensconced in their Vintage Tins.

I don't have a good reason for not making them for so long, just that 'life' got in the way and the past year flew by!

I still adore these little tins with their different images on the lid - the only thing is that they may not be the tightest seal on a container, but keep them upright and you'll have no trouble from them. I often sell them with a small organza bag, that way folks can keep them safe and sound.

I made them in: Rose and Gold Mica, Vanilla, Peppermint & Lime and Mandarin Mimosa.

In store at sanctum now....

Oh, and I've managed to get hold of some more of the beautiful Moroccan Tea Glasses to make in to candles as well - I think I've got some different colours this time too!

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!

melt my heart.....

I have to say I am having some trouble keeping up with this year (and my emails, and my mobile messages, and my blog!!!!!!), but I have managed to squeeze out a new version of my very popular fragrant soy melts.

I have been making little individual melts for markets and will continue to make these as people can mix and match to their hearts content, but I feel these guys will make it easier for any retail outlets to sell and display.

I have also scored some yummy new fragrances (it's like an addiction I tell you!!), that I can't wait to try out at the markets and get some feedback.

Lavender Vanilla: an earthy, musky blend of herbal Lavender flowers teamed with the soft overtones of Vanilla. A soft, subtle fragrance, that reminds me of an old fashioned linen cupboard with crisp, starched linen and the aroma of yesterdays.
Mulberry Tree: a fruity, berry blend with cherries, apples, peaches, strawberries and tangerines, and a hint of vanilla. You can almost see the purple mulberry stains on your fingers!

Lime Spritzer: this tropical citrus and fruit blend begins with notes of tart lime, refreshing orange and crisp apple. The fruity floral heart is a rose and black currant fading to a sweet vanilla plum.

I've made up some of the new melts with these fragrances but haven't had a chance to do too much else.

I am back at the Civic Homespun Markets this Saturday (13th) from 10am till 3pm and am looking forward to catching up with the other stall holders and chatting to the people coming through.

See you there!!

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.

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.

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.

Batty about Bottles!

These just arrived on my doorstep... so exciting!!!

They are the new bottles for my lotions and potions - I stumbled across the packaging company in a magazine and then again a few weeks ago at the Sydney Spa & Beauty Expo (which gave me an opportunity to see the bottles in the flesh). They cost a little more than my previous containers - but I think they are so worth it!

I wanted simple but elegant and I am really happy with these little guys. For the upcoming Civic Homespun Markets on the 12th Sept, I am planning on doing up my Vanilla & Marshmallow Extract Lotion, as it has been popular before. Plus two new ones: Frankincense & Lime and; Ylang Ylang, Bergamot & Lime. That's the plan at this stage anyway!

New pots

These are the new little pots I have made up with candles. I am waiting to hear back about the simple round containers I have been using (all my suppliers have been sold out), but for the interim, I think these guys are quite cute.

Still waiting on my new fragrances to arrive - looking forward to playing with them when they do!

Am also having a play with a beautiful white glass (kind of retro) container that Rachael from Ruby Pear gave me to make into a candle - I hope to have that poured and into the store for her to burn early next week - will try and get a piccy of it before I take it in.

New Fragrances and Containers

Have just finished labelling a new batch of soy candles for Ruby Pear in town. The lovely round frosted glass containers I have been using are out of stock and so I have gone to a cute little jar that comes complete with a lid. They are called 'bulb' pots and although I still prefer the other containers, these are great in the meantime.
I have done up Jasmine, Lemon Myrtle, Vanilla-Pomegranate & Black Currant, Red Tea & Lychee and White Tea & Ginger. These all sold really well at Niche.
I also put an order in to restock my fragrances and as well as getting the above fragrances I have also used some of Uncle Kevins' Stimulus Package to buy a few new ones - Orchid, White Magnolia, Rhubarb and Lemon Verbena - can't wait to smell them all!
Ruby Pear was covered in an article in this weeks Examiner - a good photo of Rachael and the store. Loz & Dinny got a mention so that was nice to see. Fingers crossed this means more traffic through the doors.

New packaging

Have just finished batching up some hand and body lotions ready for an upcoming 2 day Market here in Lonnie (Niche - but more on this later). I have been having trouble with purchasing the great little bottles I had been using (and were really happy with) and so have gone a different route with the good old amber 'boston rounds'. Still playing with what I will do for labelling, but these guys should get me out of mischief for now.

At this point I have done up batches of Lavender and Rosewood (yum), Frankincense and Rose (deep and heady) and Vanilla and Marshmallow Extract (very soft and feminine). The pictures aren't showing the colours at their best, but the Vanilla and Marshmallow is at the bottom and is a really lovely soft pink - very marshmallowey though that's not what the extract is! The Frank and Rose is in the middle and has come out an almost light ochre from the natural pink clay I have added.

At the top is the Lavender and Rosewood and with adding ivory clay, the colour has gone to a very slight off white. Still debating what else I might make up or if I will leave it as just these three. Thinking of making up my Chocolate and Fig body scrub perhaps. Hmmm....we'll see.

Am still waiting on the rest of my ingredient orders so I can finish the candles and the soaps I have planned. I am actually closer to most of my suppliers then when we were in Brisbane, but it takes just that little longer! How funny.

red bamboo rides again!

Today was the first time since we moved to Tassie, that I really got into some product creation. I mentioned a handmade shop opening in town a few posts ago, and we are gearing up to open this Saturday! I don't have a lot of ingredients here (sold most of them off before packing up our house in Brisbane), but I have been able to get some soaps batched up and curing (Lavender & Sandalwood, Organic Honey & Poppyseed, Moroccan Rhassoul with Nutmeg, Cinnamon and Orange in it), and spent the rest of the day playing with soy wax making candles.
I am using a new wax, fragrances and also these great frosted containers. I did look at doing the colourful mosaic containers as well as the stainless steel tins that I have used in the past - but I thought these would look stylish and fit any decor. I am playing with dyes as well, but am didn't use them with this first lot as I am still learning concentration ratio's and such.
I made up five different candles with fragrances of: Jasmine, Magnolia, Lemon Verbena, White Tea & Ginger and Vanilla, Pomegranate and Black Currant (my new favourite!). I was happy with how the labels came out and I just hope that they sell well in the shop. Tomorrow it's more soap and into the body lotions time permitting!
Ciao!

Getting ready for Market

There seems to be a Market happening every time I look around right now! It's still a lot of fun, but it is also a challenge to keep my stock levels replenished and ordering the right amounts from my suppliers.

I have been blessed to be given an order from a lovely lady by the name of Carol. Carol owns and runs an online Gift Hamper business called 'hamperme.com.au' (well worth a look) and she came across my stall at a market a few months ago.

As these things happen, just as I go to fill Carols' order, my suppliers change two of the containers I have been using since last year - and they are two that Carol really likes!!
I also have a few orders coming in from some of my Clients at the Spa I work at and another one from the wonderful Raylee (my hubby's Mum!) for friends and colleagues as well.

So, I have been making batches of soaps, lotions and lip balms the past few weeks and thought I would make an effort to get some photos to show some of the process.














Yes.. this is my kitchen table! These are some of the products I have made up in the past few weeks awaiting labels and wrapping.














The 'tottles' (upside down bottles) are now white instead of clear bodied. I am hoping to be able to get the clear ones back as I think they look better (and I can see which lotion or body polish is which!), but unless I buy 10 000 of them in one go..... the chances are slim!