As promised, soy taper candles, all my secrets revealed

Well, not pure soy, because that's impossible.   Have you ever heard of a soy taper candle?  Do a search and I think you'll find that they don't exist.   Even the harder pillar soy wax is too soft for a taper, so I concocted a soy/paraffin blend which seems to work well.  I make them for my soy unity sets which are very popular.  I've tried all kinds of additives, but found that a simple blend of pillar soy and high-melt paraffin work just fine.  Your taper will still look like soy in texture and coloring, but the paraffin gives it enough hardness to prevent massive dripping which occurs in a pure soy taper.  And even though there's some paraffin in the mix, it's still more eco-friendly than a pure paraffin, burning with less soot and fewer irritants. 

So now, on with the secrets.  I'm telling all, in great detail. 

Ingredients:
Pillar Blend soy wax (I use EcoSoya PB which is the hardest soy wax, http://www.ngiwax.com/products/ecosoyaproducts.html
Paraffin wax.  I used IGI 4625 pillar wax in the past, but switched to a higher melt wax, 160 melt point. The higher the better.
Wicking. The tiniest you can find.  I use WR2000, 6/0, a square braided cotton wick.
http://www.candlewic.com/store/Product.aspx?q=c61,p598&title=Square-Braided-Wick-Spools  This is the smallest wick I've found anywhere. 
Molds.  You can buy molds in 1 pair on up.  I bought a 4-pair mold which makes 8 candles at once
Plumber's putty  - buy in any hardware store

Melt paraffin in a pot in simmering water bath until the pot is about 1/3 full.

After the paraffin is melted, add soy wax gradually until the liquid is doubled.

Meanwhile as the wax is melting (keep an eye out so the water doesn't boil away!), prep your molds.   Using a long thin florist wire, double the length of your mold, fold it in half to make a threader.  Insert in the tiny hole, push all the way to the other end, thread your wicking through the end, and pull back through the hole, just like you would a needle and thread.  It might be tight, so make sure your wire is small.   Leave a couple inches on each end.  continue until all molds are threaded.  Then carefully tye the open ends onto a wooden skewer and pull tight.  It takes a bit of juggling to get them lined up and centered.  At the pointed end, pull each wick tight and secure with Plumber's Putty to prevent leaks.  Place molds in a metal tray to protect your counter and catch any leaks.  Keep a glass of water nearby just in case.

Now that your molds are ready, check to make sure your wax is at least 180 degrees, but not over 200.  Transfer melted wax from large pot to smaller glass measuring cup, and proceed to pour wax into each mold.   Pour full and don't worry if they overflow.  Tap the sides of each mold gently with a butter knife to release any bubbles.

The wax will almost immediately start to set.  Poke holes in the wax to release pressure.  The wax will form a pit under the wick, which is fine.   After about 1/2 hour, do a second pour with hot wax to refill the holes, and set in the fridge until completely cool.   Cut off the skewers,  remove plumber's putty, scape off all the wax overflow and dump it back into the melting pot to use again later.  If you have a butane torch, you can smoothe off the bottoms.  The candles will probably just fall out.  If not, tap them lightly.  They will look like this:

Ah, but we're not done yet!  You do want them to fit in holders, don't you?  Well, here is the secret that will make your candles look finished and professional.  Think:  19mm 12 point socket!  It has to be this size or it won't work.  You can get one at your local hardware store.    Oh, I'm sure seasoned chandlers know this secret, but I'm sharing anyhow since it's such a clever solution.

Here's how to put a professional finish on your candles.  Line a pan with heavy foil and place the socket on the foil.  When it is hot, push the taper down into the socket for form a scalloped base.  Some of the wax will melt onto the foil, so keep the heat low.  You can also use your butane torch to heat the socket, but this takes more time. 

voila! 

And here is the finished product, burning brightly with hardly a drip, but if they do, break it off the drip and continue burning.  Be sure to place something underneath to catch any melted wax.

These tapers will give you many hours of enjoyment. 

 

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.  I can sell some of the components, such as wicking in smaller amounts.  You can buy soy wax in small amounts and paraffin in 10 lb blocks.  Contact me if you need further information, sources or have any questions.   If you have any suggestions to make these candles even better, I'd love to hear from you. 

Little Show in Lisle NY Today

As you probably know, I'm still a newcomer to this area of the state.  I moved from Manhattan last summer, so by the time I finally got settled, it was time to start thinking of the holidays and settling in for the winter.  I've done a couple shows in Utica, but nothing really local until today.  I'm starting to look ahead to the upcoming show season in my new neighborhood. 

I was perusing our local shopper newspaper (we call it the Weekly Reader), and noticed a small announcement for venders at a local flea market.  I called and reserved a table for a whopping $10.00 for today.  Well, let me tell you, it was fun and down-home and I made a lot of friends and contacts in the area.  I didn't expect to make buckets of money, but I made my table fee and more than I expected. 

The show was hosted by the Rebekah Lodge in Upper Lisle NY, a rather rundown building a couple miles from my home.  It was advertised as a flea market, bake sale and luncheon with homemade soup, sandwiches and hotdogs, and it was pretty well attended.

I had the lucky spot right inside the entrance with the show mascot sitting right across from me.  I think folks noticed her first!    She was just a bit creepy, but I got used to her.   The sale ended at 2 pm, so it was nice to have a rather short day.  But in that time, I felt welcomed as most of the other vendors came over and chatted with me, and many customers seemed to like my products.  I made up complimentary samples of tea lights which went over very well.

I'd like to thank the ladies at the Rebekah Lodge who made me feel welcomed, and I hope to meet many of you soon at future shows.  All in all, it was a very successful day, meeting many nice people. I can't wait to get out and about again soon, but I have work to do since inventory is getting low!

Oh, and watch out for stray cows! 

Spent the past few weeks rebuilding my website, not by choice

A couple months ago, I bought an external hard drive to save all my pictures and files since my computer was pushing 10 years old.  I knew it was going to die soon, so I thought I was doing the right thing, saving all my business and personal files and a few thousand pictures. 

So the computer did die, and I think it was fully infected with worms and viruses and what have you.  All our protection was even infected we suspect.  So we went out and bought a new pc that day and destroyed to old infected hard drive.   So I go to use my external drive on the new pc and it suggested I put a password on it, so I did and confirmed it twice (it's an easy password).  Right after that, the new pc stopped recognizing the password, so all the files and pictures I had saved are now inaccessible.  Rest assured, I have consulted many teck geeks and stores, and have called Western Digital many times, to no avail.  There is no way to reset the drive or transfer the data.  My only choice is to reformat the drive if I want to use it again, but that's not even an option.   Every day I remember something else that is on that drive and it makes me ill.  It's important to note that the new pc also corrupted the password for the router too, but we could fix that. 

So you see, I had to rebuild my website since I couldn't update it without my web files.  And pictures.   I've managed to lift pictures from here and there to rebuild the site.  It's been a major pain in the rear, but on a positive note, I think it's the best looking site I've ever built!  http://dewonapetal.com/

I've also started a newsletter which I intend to use infrequently for important announcements only.  I hope you'll consider signing up for it.  I promise you won't get daily or even weekly emails. 

In other news, business is a little slow right now, so I have time to work on other projects like getting my garden ready, planting shrubs and trees, and doing some business bookwork.  A couple major projects are in the planning stages right now.   I'm also working on a new line of Essential Oil candles, so I'm pretty excited about that.  The summer show season is fast approaching, so I hope to be out and about to meet my customers soon. 

I recently vended at the Indie Garage Sale in Utica NY which was a huge success.   Shows can be a lot of work, but the effort is always worth it when I can meet my customers.  I tried a new table set-up this time, but I still need some taller display shelves.  And eventually, I'll need to buy an outdoor tent, preferably with sides for upcoming outdoor shows. 

So things are good.  Need some candles?

A little catching up to do

As they say, feast or famine, and it's been a feast the last few weeks.  Labor day was barely over when I started receiving wedding orders.  Everyone is getting married in October!   I've completed 2 orders and the last one is almost finished and should ship out this Saturday. 

At the last minute, I also received a call from a repeat wholesale customer for a rush order for the Atlantic Antic show 

http://www.atlanticave.org/  I participated in this show last year, and although I won't be there this year, my candles will be.  They will have someone else's name on them, but my old logo, so if you see something that looks vaguely familiar, you'll know why!  So to all my NY crafty friends, I'll be there in spirit. 

Life is going on.  I finally unpacked my boxes from work the other day.  They've been sitting in the closet since July, so I decided it was time to see my former work life again. Actually, I needed sheet protectors and post-it notes, but let's be a little more dramatic here.....It was kinda sad... 32 years of my life in 3 boxes.  Pretty pathic, huh.  The mementos I keep are usually small, some stones, small gifts, a few pictures.  My cube was pretty spare.  Oh sure, I have boxes of documents, stacks of awards, ancient paystubs (I wonder how I survived on that paycheck?) but I shredded stacks and stacks of papers before I left.  I've moved around so many times, that I never took anything I didn't need.  So this stuff is still sitting right where I left it.  One of these days, I'll put it away somewhere, maybe when I'm snowed in.  

Today had its moments. We finally had our new hot tub delivered.  For some background, when we bought this house, it had a hot tub, a super top of the line hot tub.  Unfortunately, the previous owners left last summer and they didn't winterize it, so it developed a small leak and one of the filter pumps was frozen.  Over Labor Day, we had a houseful of kids, and it was disappointing they couldn't use it, so since the deck is customized and built around the spa, we decided to buy a new one instead of getting this one fixed.  The spa is situated on a raised deck, about 5' off the driveway, so it took 4 guys and a forklift to get the old one down and the new one up.  It was pretty amazing to see these guys working in the drizzling rain.  It's all set, as soon as we install another supporting post underneath the deck and get the electical situated.  So come snow and freezing cold, you know where I'll be.  A few candles, of course,  to light the way, boots and a warm wrap, I'll be basking in the next snowstorm. 

Replacing the spa was a secret from my kids, so I posted the pictures on my FaceBook page, waiting to see who would see them first.  My daughter in Philly saw them first and said she almost had a seizure.  My other daughter in NYC heard about it from her sister, so they're both ecstatic.  Our family does surprises, and I could tell you a few stories! 

So there you have it, a little update on my life and times.  Tomorrow is shopping, Lowes and working in my studio.  Some day, when it's pristine, I'll post some pictures of how it should look.  Right now, it's a private haven for me to work, create and contemplate.  It's my life, and I like it. 

I'm Officially Back!

I am officially open for business! I worked and worked and worked, and I'm finally finished unpacking all my business supplies and it feel great! It took 2 entire days to unpack, arrange and get everything set up, and none too soon. I had an inquiry the other day for a wholesale order, and I hate putting customers off. So I'm ready to make up a sample pack and send it off this week.



I have big plans for marketing, researching local shows and markets, and gearing up for the holidays. I think it's going to be great to be able to make my candles and fragrance products as a fulltime business, with no day job getting in the way.



I re-opened all three of my Etsy shops this evening: http://DewOnAPetal.com (jewelry and thread crochet, vintage jewelry), http://DewOnAPetalHome.etsy.com (soy candles and home fragrance) and http://DewOnAPetalToo.etsy.com (imported Bali beads and jewelry supplies). I still have to re-open my Artfire and 1000Markets shops. I also plan to heavily work with WeddingWire. I certainly have my work cut out for me.



Unpacking is going pretty well, but we are making arrangements with another moving company to transport all our stuff from storage in PA up here, hopefully within the week. Then it starts all over again. When we moved to NYC, we couldn't take everything with us, so we have a washer, dryer, freezer, more furniture, workshop, gardening tools, sleds, and who knows what else. So I'm not done yet!



As you can see, my studio has an entrance right off the driveway, so if I ever decide to make a shop open to the public or use it for consultations, I have the space and privacy.

I have an entire room for my studio now - it doesn't seem like a lot in the new studio, but it was crammed into my Manhattan apartment, inching us out of living space. So take a look now, it won't stay this way forever!

I keep giving stuff away!

Well, what a person to do? My daughter is going to Boston this weekend to sing at a friend's recital, so of course, she needed a thank-you gift for her mother. And she always comes to me for an assortment of candles all wrapped up pretty with a bow. I can't blame her. I kind of give her the run of my box, letting her pick out whatever she wants.

I worked most of the day making tins and tea lights for the Brooklyn Flea this Sunday. I also have a couple wedding orders on the front burner. One of them is for 120 votives which I am taking to the Brooklyn Flea this weekend to deliver. At least my load will be a lot lighter when I return home!

Doing a craft show in New York City can be a challenge, expecially if you don't have a car. I started out with a rolling suitcase, but soon abandoned that in favor of a hand-truck and plastic bins with lids. Candles can be awefully heavy, so I've tried to lighten the load and eliminate jars and votives. I find that travel tins sell especially well, so I take lots of them and boxed tea lights which also do well. I try and take a sampling of other candles and encourage people to contact me for custom orders which I will make up and bring the next time I'm at the Flea.

The real challenge is travelling to Brooklyn from upper Manhattan. I start off around 6:30 am and wheel my truck up to 168th St subway stop. There's not many people out and about that early in the morning, so I gently bump by cart down the steps. There's an elevator down to the platform, so that's helpful when it's working. When I finally get to the Brooklyn stop, usually around 8:00 am, the real work starts. It's much harder pulling my hand-cart up the gazillion steps to the street, but sometimes I get lucky, and some nice strong guy will take pity on me and help me carry it up to the street. I never turn down an offer. Returning home is usually easier if I've had a good day. The more often I do the Flea, the easier it gets. I might start looking at other shows to do in the future. I could actually get used to this! Not only is this a chance to sell my products, but I get to meet the nicest people!

I'm at the Brooklyn Flea http://brownstoner.com/brooklynflea/on June 1 and 15th. I'm with the NewNew group http://thenewnew.blogspot.com/ which has a permanent spot every Sunday. We are a great group of crafters and artists, so stop by and say hello!

I have been off work since last Wednesday, and this long weekend just flew by so fast. The weather has been gorgeous, and luckily I got out and about yesterday with my daughter, who has her own apt just 2 blocks away. We took the bus up to Ft Tryon Park in upper Manhattan where the Cloisters is located. The park is just lovely, especially this time of the year. The flowers and gardens were absolutely gorgeous, and made me realize how much I miss the country. There were a lot of people out and about, but not so crowded as Central Park. Fortunately, a lot of people think the upper reaches of Manhattan is a no-man's land, which is fine with us. We don't want everyone discovering how beautiful it is up here. We walked around, took some pictures, then walked down a few blocks and had lunch on the back patio of Bleu Evolution, a cozy little restaurant in Inwood. We had a few glasses of wine, chatted it up, then decided to walk home instead of taking the bus. So, we ended up walking from 191st St to 160th on Broadway and had an absolutely fantastic time.

So the rest of the weekend, I've been making candles like crazy every day. I'm filling some large orders, plus trying to make inventory for next Sunday. I vend at the Brooklyn Flea about twice a month, and I don't have a lot to sell right now. I sell with a group of people who live in the NYC area and who also sell on http://www.etsy.com/

I recently tweaked my website also this weekend, trying to make it more inviting. I tell ya, this business is starting to take over my life, which is good! So much so, I'm considering retiring from my day job next year.
This weekend made me realize more than ever, I need to put down my work and get out and enjoy living in the city.