My Short Visit to the Chautauqua Institute

I took a couple days off this week to make a quick trip to the Chautauqua Institute to visit my daughter Carla who is an Young Artist (Opera) for the summer season which is a great honor.  Only 20 some singers are selected out of nearly 700 applicants.  http://opera.ciweb.org/young-artists/ 

Below is Norton Hall where most of the opera programs are held.  I attended the Opera Scenes on Thursday afternoon.  http://opera.ciweb.org/young-artists-scenes-programs/  Amazing talent! 

Chautauqua Institute is a small community promoting the arts and religion, and there are seminars, lectures, discussion groups and artistic performances every day.  It is a place for many divergent beliefs and cultures to exchange ideas, and I felt the presence of the intellectual community in my wanderings.   People relaxing in the shade, reading or discussing today's lecture, musicians practicing, the sound of a quartet rehearsing in the early morning, a minister's sermon... 

flowers everywhere carefully tended in front of the small cottages and home, nestled in quaint side streets leading to the lake.

I woke up early Thursday morning to meet Carla's opera mom Jane for breakfast.  She is a patron of the opera who lives at Chautauqua during the season and in NYC the rest of the year, and she watched over Carla offering advice and encouragement, and meeting any other needs she might happen to have.  I immediately liked her and wish I could have had more time to spend with her.  I am thankful that Carla had someone like her to depend on, and I'm sure they will meet again in NY.  Jane is an absolutely lovely person. 

Wednesday evening I saw an amazing dance program by the North Carolina Dance Theatre in Residence.  I saw some of their rehearsal in the afternoon and decided to attend the perfomance that night. 

There is an art center for visual artists including studios for printmaking, sculpture, painting, andwhen I walked through, the smells and aromas reminded me of my art school days.  There are dance studios and an opera center on the grounds. It's an amazing array of talented artists from all walks of life. 

Even the housing is comfortable, even though I got a ticket for parking in front of the opera dorm for the night.  Oh well, it's for a good cause. 

So Carla leaves to return to NYC tomorrow morning, and I'm sure it's a bittersweet time for her to say goodbye to some astonishingly talented but lifelong friends. I met so many wonderful people during the short time I was there, and I'd like to think I will return for a longer time to absorb all that Chautauqua has to offer. 

It was a good visit. 

The Broome County Fair, Whitney Point NY

Well, I think I am finally recovered from the week-long Broome County Fair.  It was exhausting, yet exhilarating.  I have never done more than a 1-day show in the past, and I thought I would die once at a show that went until 8pm.   Well this one was from 10 am through 10 pm, so I prepared myself mentally as best I could, and it's wasn't as bad as I thought.  In fact, the days went by and when the week was over, I wondered where the time went. 

The fair started on July 27 at 5 pm, so we had all day to get set up.  I arrived about 10 am to drop off the first carload, went home, showered, packed more stuff and returned around 3pm to finish my set-up.  I didn't get my new banner until Tuesday, but I had it for the rest of the week.  I am so proud of the work my daughter Nina did designing my banner! 

The show ran for 12 hours every day and ended Sunday around 8pm.  During the weekdays, it was slow in the afternoons, but picked up during the dinner hour and througout the evenings.  I was lucky to meet some terrific vendors which made the time pass pleasantly.   In addition, I made significant inroads locally, educating the general public about the benefits of soy candles.  

My good friends!

Night-time set-up

After 6 long grueling days, it was finally time to pack up and say goodbye to all my new friends.  I don't know where the time went, because the week was over in a flash.  When I told customers I was new to the area, I received many leads for area shows and am planning to finally buy a show tent with walls so I can vend at many upcoming shows in the area.  I plan to return to the Broome County Fair next year and hope to see many of you there.  I also got a ton of names for my fledgling newsletter through the raffle and sign-up sheet.  

All packed and ready to go home

I can't believe I got it all in the car in 1 trip!

I ended the fair with some deep fried pickles and Oreos.  Yum! 

sickeningly good

See you at the next show!

I am finally finished making tins for the Broome Co Fair

Honestly, I have been working 12 hour days since supplies started rolling in on Wednesday.  I ordered 32 dozens 6 oz travel tins, my best sellers, and have about 6 dozen left for sell-outs.  Not that I'll have time to make anything during the week, but I'll try.  Maybe. 

I'm not eating well, but tonight I had a healthy meal, compliments of Shelly who has been helping label everything and take up all the slack.

I'm not sure how I'm going to survive a week-long show, but coffee and fattening food, along with interaction with the public will get me through.

I made a total of 307 travel tins since Wednesday, plus countless soy breakaway melts and sachets.  I plan to display my wedding candles for future orders and have a good time connecting with new local customers.  OK, so off to make more labels and continue with my to-do list. 

I'm doing the Broome County Fair!

I just found out last Sunday that I was accepted as a vendor at the Broome County Fair!  It was a last-minute decision to apply, so I'm killing myself this week getting ready and making oodles of inventory.  The fair kicks off Tuesday 6pm-10pm and the rest of the week from 10am - 10pm and ends Sunday afternoon.   Needless to say, I'm going to be tired and cranky by the end, but as long as I wear comfy shoes, I'll be fine. 

I must say that this is the biggest show by far I've ever done.  I've got enough inventory for 1 or 2 day shows, but it's difficult to predict what will sell over 6 days.  I'm going heavy on the Fresh, Citrus and Floral fragrances, but I am putting aside enough supplies in case I get a run on certain products so I can make them when I get home in the evening.  I really don't plan to sleep much.

While I'm waiting for wax to set, I make most of my own wicks.  I make my own since I haven't always found the right commercial wick that works withevery type of candle. 

I'm sorting everything into big boxes so I can replenish during the week:  Fresh, Citrus, Floral, Exotic, Herbal/Garden and Misc categories.  I've found from experience that customers generally have a favorite type of fragrance, so by categorizing, it makes the shopping experience easier. 

My daughter Nina designed a new business card for me and they arrived yesterday, all 7 lbs of them.  It took about 2 days from design, to ordering to receiving from GotPrint.  I also ordered a banner for my table which should arrive early next week.  It looks very similar to the business card she designed:

I've been obsessed with how I can add height to my display table and a visit to the local grocery store has solved my problem - corn crates!  They are just the right size, rustic and best of all, free. 

  

So I'm making progress and am right on schedule.  I need to make all the Misc, Herbal/Garden and a few Essential Oil candles tomorrow, then Monday I'll be attending to last-minute details, like printing up coupons, making up a wedding candle display (for future orders) and making sure I check off everything on my to-do list.   

Already, town is abuzz with activity as people are already descending on the community (mind you, less than 1000 residents!), parking their travel trailors and setting up show tents at the fairgrounds.  I can feel the excitement in the air.  I work from home mostly, and look forward to shows like this so I can meet my customers and neighbors in my new town.  It's going to be a blast!

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. 

Gardening

It's so much fun to peruse seed catalogs in February, planning and dreaming about your summer garden, but reality sets in pretty quick, especially with a new garden.  I picked an area that had previously been a playground for the previous owners which was covered in mulch.  I had my daughter and her boyfriend scoop up the mulch (saved for other uses) and netting underneath.  Fine so far.  It sat vacant until last week after some good rains.  Seems as if the rocks in the soil floated to the surface, so I had a job to do, for sure before I could plant. 

This is, unbelievabley, after it was roto-tilled by my neighbor!  And sorry to day, I almost ruined it with all the rocks - I actually saw sparks spewing from the blades. 

Ok, I know you're bored by now, but I gradually dragged rocks out of the garden space and made a border around the edges.  I have now planted tomatoes, peppers and lots of other stuff which I will post in the next couple days.  Each year will get better.  I keep telling myself. 

Survived Memorial Day weekend craziness

I've been too busy filling orders to blog this past week, but that's all behind me as I shipped off 3 boxes today and 2 yesterday.  Whew!  But I'm not done, because I have a bride who wants more stuff. 

I took some time off during the weekend of Memorial Day and had a wonderful time.  The weather cooperated beautifully.  Carla, my youngest daughter arrived Friday afternoon, and the rest of the gang got here later that evening from Philadelphia.  We cooked a half turkey on the grill that day, and it was demolished before our eyes!  so good!   The next day we made chicken Spiedies ( a local favorite).

Saturday, most of the gang headed up to Ithaca to shop and hang out.  Others stayed behind to relax in the sun. 

Sunday some of us went to Greenwood Lake and rented a boat.  It was truly great fun!  I was planning to just relax under a tree and read, but at the last minute decided to go out on the boat.  I felt like a kid again. 

 

 Monday afternoon, everyone left to go back to Philly except Carla, who stayed until Tuesday morning.  That evening, just she and I sat out on the deck chatting and enjoying the night air.  At least until we heard something rattling around in the recycle bins downstairs and we hightailed it back into the house!  We got a report that a bear is in the neighborhood, so we weren't taking any chances. 

 The weekend was stupendous with great food, and even greater relaxation.  I took the day off Tuesday after I took Carla to the bus depot, then it was back to work filling orders on Wednesday.  I just finished up the other day, and spent yesterday packing and printing shipping labels.  Now I need to start working on the garden.  A neighbor roto-tilled it the other day, but it's literally full of rocks.  Oh, what a pain, but I have to get some veggies in the ground soon or I won't have anything to put up this fall!  And I still have flowers to plant, and landscaping to prune and clean up.  So much to do!