I promised I would post pictures of my studio awhile back, so here goes. I had originally planned to show pictures of my pristine studio, all clean and sparkling, but I thought it would be more realistic to show it in all its glory in the middle of production. Things tend to get a little messy during a run. After an order is completed, I clean it up, put down all new paper, wash all my molds and tools, and put them back in place. Yeah, like it ever stays that way, but that's a good thing because that means I'm busy. I always start with a nearly sterile atmosphere. I wear an apron and latex gloves to keep my hands and products clean, no fingerprints.
My studio is my haven. I love spending time there with the radio always tuned to NPR. The music and talk keep my mind active while I'm working. My melting pot is in a room just off the studio. I now have 2 pots and without them, I would be lost. I also have a microwave nearby to melt smaller amounts of wax. Some day, I may invest in a commercial wax melter.
I have a work table where I do all my work. I try to have all my tools organized and right at hand. I buy disposable pans, paper towels and other supplies at a restaurant supply store. I wash and re-use them as often as I can, but they are inexpensive, so I don't feel bad when they are completely trashed during production.
Once the candles are done, they go over to a staging area, a clean table with fresh paper. Once an order is completed, I can begin the packing process. It can take up to a few hours to properly pack a larger order.
I have yet another table set up just for packing orders. I have a closet full of packing materials, including boxes, a huge roll of bubble wrap, shrink wrap, organza bags, padding, zip bags, poly bags and packing paper. I often re-use materials that I receive from my supply orders - I get tons of packing peanuts and padding, so I don't spend a lot on shipping supplies. In addition, I moved in July, so I have an ample supply of boxes which I turn inside out and re-tape together.
So this is my studio, my haven, my workspace.
