Monday, November 29, 2010

I thought I would post another little update on what’s been happening with us.  We had a very nice time at the Festival of Trees event a couple of weekends ago.  We met and had a chance to talk to many new people, had good sales, and thoroughly enjoyed looking at all the different trees that were up for auction/sale to benefit ESM.  We almost purchased one of the trees ourselves because the idea of having a completely decorated tree all ready to go was quite tempting!  Michael and I were both feeling quite worn out after two days of standing on our feet and looked forward to the Thanksgiving holiday break. 

Thanksgiving was wonderful, spending the day together with great friends and great food.  We were both very thankful for a day of rest and relaxation.

We have been able to rest just a little bit in the last few days, but every day there’s been some kind of candle business work to do.  (And there’s been much catching up to do on home things that have been neglected during these busy times.) 

We have been working on finding out about shipping costs for our customers, dealing with inventory updating and more figuring of material costs, looking for further craft show opportunities prior to Christmas, creating various spreadsheets to keep up with different types of information, looking for some other suppliers of fragrance oils hoping to find more natural fragrances, and ordering some new essential oils.

Unfortunately, we have discovered that shipping costs are running quite high these days.  The best shipping costs we have been able to come up with are with shipping one candle in a 6x6x6 box or using the post office’s medium size flat rate box in which we can fit two to four candles, depending on their size.  The flat rate box is a great deal because the cost is based on how much you can fit inside the box no matter what it weighs.  That is great for candle shipping!

This week, we are back to full throttle with our regular daily routines along with making more candles and preparing for more craft fairs.  We have two fairs coming up this weekend; both in Monument.  On Saturday, Michael and I will be at different locations across the freeway from each other.  On Sunday, we will both be at the same place.   Come by and see us and smell the new fragrances we will have available.  As always, “Smells are totally free!”

Time to start the day!

Friday, November 19th, 2010

We had a great craft show at Liberty High School last weekend.  We were incredibly pleased with the organization of the show and how there were students everywhere helping the crafter’s set up and take down.  I was taking care of our booth by myself for most of the day, so I really also appreciated how often someone came to check on me to see if I needed a bathroom break or anything else.  It was an amazing service by the people of Liberty High School!  We were very grateful. 

A big thanks to the customers who purchased candles from us last weekend; we hope that you are pleased with your purchases and will be repeat customers in the future.  Thanks so much also to our friends who dropped by our booths to say “Hi!”  It sure was great to see your familiar faces and get to chat. 

We are looking forward to this weekend's shows at the Festival of Trees at the Doubletree Hotel and the Holiday Craft Fair at Family of Christ Lutheran Church.  It's been another very busy week here in our household with much candle organizing and making.  There is more to having a candle business than just making candles.  As we experience expanding our inventory, participating in the craft shows, and having more sales, we learn that some methods of doing things work and others don't.  I spent the earlier part of my week recounting and sorting our inventory of candles and creating a better spreadsheet in Excel so that I know where each of the candles are in the many boxes.  This is not only important when they are here at home, but also when we are at a show and a customer wants a particular fragrance in a particular size.  Keeping up with inventory is also a bit more confusing at the moment due to having two shows taking place simultaneously at different locations.  But it’s all a great learning experience, and I’m enjoying the adventure.

Our delayed supplies order containing the smaller jars will arrive mid-day today and I will attempt to make a few more batches of candles and have them all tagged and ready to transport by 5:30 pm this afternoon.  At that time, we will load up and go do an early evening set up at one of the locations for tomorrow’s shows.  Michael and I will also attempt to go to bed at a “decent” hour tonight, because we will be rising around 5:00 a.m. tomorrow morning to pack the car for the other show and leave the house by 6:30 a.m.  Michael will help me set up at the other location, after which time he will leave to go “candle-man” his booth at the other location.  Busy and exciting weekend ahead!

We hope you’ll drop by one of our booths and come say “Hi!”

I better get to work now!

Fragrance Oils List for November 2010

The following is an updated listing of the current scents we have available.  This list will be updated on a regular basis as we make more scents available.  Please check back regularly.

Almond Biscotti – Fresh baked out of the oven. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy.

Apple Pie – Sweet, fresh baked apple pie with a touch of cinnamon.

Asian Sandalwood – A tad sweet with calming wood and pepper notes.

Baby Powder –  Smells just like the real thing.

Banana Nut Bread - Smells like the real thing baking in the oven.  Yummy!

Baked Pie Crust - Just like a golden-brown pie crust fresh from out of the oven.

Bartlett Pear – Captures the flavor of crisp Bartlett pears.

Bayberry - A favorite for the holidays. Bayberry has piney, woodsy, and sweet berry notes that characterize the holiday season.

Birthday Cake – The aroma of freshly baked cake. Perfect for a special someone on that special day. 

Blackberry Sage - A fragrance smelling of sun-ripened blackberries and a hint of sage.

Black Canyon - Deep musk with light floral notes and a touch of sandalwood and patchouli.

Black Raspberry Vanilla - A blend of black raspberries and smooth vanilla. Smells similar to the Bath and Body Works scent.

Blossoming Fruits – An orchard aroma of apple and pear balanced with the freshness of lily, pear blossoms, and sweet orchard nectar.

Blueberry Scone - Smells just like you have a fresh batch baking in the oven.

Bubblelicious Melon - A wonderful combination of sweet melons with a hint of cucumber.  My daughter says it smells just like watermelon flavored Bubblelicious gum, hence the name.

Bunches of Pears - A smooth and calming scent, just like a bunch of freshly picked pears.  (Not skin safe.)

Cantaloupe - Smells like fresh, ripe, juicy summer time cantaloupe.

Cappuccino Mocha – Smells just like a fresh poured cup of cafe mocha.

Caramel Apple – Crisp apple covered with gooey caramel.

Cedar - Fresh, woody scent. Like walking through a cedar forest.

Cinnamon – Spicy and fragrant, like the real thing. (Not skin safe.)

Cinnamon Apple Slices – Ruby red apples and a touch of spice.  Scent similar to Claire Burke’s Apple Jack n Peel fragrance.

Cinnamon & Balsam - Warm cinnamon with hints of balsam fir. A great holiday fragrance.

Citrus Delight - Tart cranberries, juicy red grapefruit, tangy tangerine, sweet orange, and lemon-lime.  

Coconut Banana Smoothie – Like being at the beach with a fruity drink full of fresh coconuts and bananas.

Coconut Crème Pie – The only thing that can top this one is my homemade coconut crème pie made with coconut milk.

Coffee – Just like a fresh pot brewing.

Cool Citrus Basil - A zesty and clean fragrance of cool citrus and fresh basil leaves. Smells similar to the Bath and Body Works type.

Cottony Vanilla – Southern cotton flower blended with ylang petals and lily of the valley, undertones of white amber and vanilla orchid wrapped with a touch of musk.

Cranberry Apple Marmalade – A blend of crisp apples, peaches, oranges, spiced cranberries and cinnamon.  Along with some notes of black currant, cassis, clove, and vanilla spice. 

Cranberry Spice – A fragrant blend of fresh, tart cranberries with added spices.

Creamy Vanilla – Sugary and buttery sweetness.

Downy Fresh - Smells like April Fresh Downy.  One of our favorite “fresh, clean scents”.

Evergreen – Smell the coniferous trees of the mountains.

French Vanilla - A wonderful, sweet-smelling scent with buttery overtones.

Frosted Carrot Cake – Like fresh, sweet carrot cake with creamy icing.

Fruit Slices - A citrus fragrance abundant with fresh oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, ripe melon, peaches and kiwi, sprinkled with a touch of sugar.

Genuine Leather – A realistic fragrance making you feel like you are in the Wild West.  (Not skin safe.)

Georgia Peach - It smells exactly like a basket of fresh peaches. A soft fragrance.

German Chocolate Cake - Chocolate cake topped with coconut frosting. (Not skin safe.)

Grand Lake -  A clean, fresh, masculine scent.  Similar to the Mountain Lake Yankee candle scent.

Harvest Fall - Slightly spicy with delicious dried fruit tones.

Harvest Season – A perfect fragrance representing the season.  Smells similar to the Yankee candles Harvest scent.

Holiday Blend Coffee – Special spice blend of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger wrapped around a buttery almond accord with a sweet vanilla and maple.

Holiday Eggnog – A scent of the holiday drink which is rich and creamy with eggs, sugar, milk, cream, and a touch of rum.

Home for the Holidays – A blend of spruce, lightly sweetened bakery notes, cinnamon spice, and candied fruits. 

Juniper Breeze - A fresh evergreen with notes of delicate jasmine and rose petals, enhanced with subtle notes of apples and peaches.  Similar scent to the Bath and Body Works type.

Just Peachy - A nice blend of juicy peach with a touch of ginger spice.

Lavender – Calming lavender.

Lemongrass & Sage - A fresh and strong lemongrass/citrus fragrance with just a hint of sage.

Let It Snow - Perfect for the holidays.  Includes warm notes of cinnamon, clove, vanilla musk and mulberry. Hints of cassia root, eucalyptus, amber, fir balsam, pine, and cedar are included in this refreshing blend.

Lime Verbena - Zesty, tangy limes with just a hint of coconut.  Refreshing and energizing.

Love Spell - A romantic scent, mixing light fruit, citrus, and florals.  Similar to the Victoria’s Secret type.

Mandarin Plum - A sweet blend of fruity plum and citrus.

Mango Papaya - Sweet, fruity, and tropical with a hint of citrus.

Midsummer Night - A masculine scent similar to Drakkar; clean and uplifting.  Similar to the Yankee candle scent.

Oh Christmas Tree – Like a fresh cut spruce Christmas tree with a hint of citrus.

Paris Sunset – A bit of a romantic fragrance.  This one is hard to describe.  Citrus blended with sweetness.

Peppermint Candy – Smells like sweet, peppermint candy canes.

Pomegranate - A fruity, sweet fragrance that smells delicious.

Pumpkin Bread – A wonderful mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutty pumpkin, and brown sugar, along with a hint of vanilla and orange peel.  (Not skin safe.)

Pumpkin & Spice - A warm blend of pumpkin, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ground cloves. 

Raspberry Truffle - Indulge in the chocolate and raspberries. Like chocolate truffles filled with sweet raspberry, raspberry liqueur, and whipping cream.  

Red Clove – Smells like the real thing.

Spring Rain - An awesome floral with a hint of spice.

Sun Bathed - A unique, clean fragrance with subtle floral and spice undertones.

Sweet Pea - A delightful fragrance of sweet pea flowers, violets and sun-ripened berries.  Similar to the Bath and Body Works type.

Tropical Forest – A tropical blend of strawberries, pomegranates, vanilla, and coconut with hints of rose petals and soft jasmine.

Tropical Fruit Craze - A refreshing blend of tropical fruits with a twist of citrus and a hint of coconut.

Twilight Woods – A combination of the scent of ripe forest berries and soft sensual musk, with middle notes of sweet mimosa flowers and apricots, along with subtle hints of oak and juniper.  Similar to the Bath and Body Works scent.

Vanilla Hazelnut - Vanilla complemented with toasted hazelnuts.

White Lily & Amber – A soft background of white amber and musk provide a comfortable backdrop for crisp top notes of cyclamen and smooth mimosa with middle notes of white lily.

The Process of Making Our Candles

In this post, we will detail step by step our process of making candles.

It all begins with choosing the right fragrance.  The fragrances we use are purchased from a couple of excellent candle supply companies.  Upon deciding the fragrance, I must also decide how much of it to make.  For each pound of soy wax, I will typically use one ounce of fragrance.  This can vary a little depending on the strength or weakness of the fragrance.  How much to use differs if I am making aromatherapy candles using essential oils.  In that case, I will use about 400 drops of pure essential oil or 4 teaspoons for each pound of wax.

After selecting the fragrance, I decide how much wax to melt for that particular batch.  I calculate the pounds of wax I will be melting and how many containers of various sizes that amount will fill.  After choosing the right amount and size of containers, I must select the right size of wick to go with each one.  There are different sizes of wicks, and it depends on the diameter of the container which wick will work best.  If I don’t choose the right wick, the candle will not burn correctly.  If the wick is too small, it will not create the right burn pool and there will be a lot of wasted, unused wax.   If the wick is too large for the container, it will cause it to become dangerously hot when it burns, and it will also burn the wax too quickly.  (Any time I get a new type of container I’ve not worked with before, I must spend time figuring out which wick will work best for it.  I perform “trial candle burns” with the container, using two or three different possible wicks and seeing which one is the right match.)

Once I have all the containers I need and the right wick to go with each one, the next step is to mark each container at the exact center point where the wick must be placed.  Before making that mark, I swab the bottom of the container with alcohol so that the surface is squeaky clean and the wick will not have any problems adhering to the glass and staying put.   When I skipped this step in the past, it only caused problems.  If there is any dust residue or skin oil on the part of the container where the wick goes, and I stick the wick on without prior cleaning, when I pour the wax in, the wick will come lose.  The candle will then have to be re-poured, and I have wasted a lot of time and effort.  After swabbing the bottom of the container with alcohol and letting it dry, I can make the center mark.  I have created different templates for each one of the containers regularly used.  I align each container on the correct template and mark the center point on the bottom.  If I do not mark it accurately, the wick will be off-center causing uneven burning of the candle.

Following the center marking, I place a sticky glue dot on the bottom of the wick and stick the wick onto the center mark.  I press the wick down well to make sure it adheres properly. 

The next part in the process is my favorite.  Not!…Just kidding!  It is actually my least favorite part because it is tedious, although very important.  I place a centering wick tool on the wick and measure its distance from the edges of the container to make absolutely certain it is in full center.  Once again, if I do not perform this step as accurately as possible, the wick will be off-center and the candle will have a poor burn pool.  I have had to purchase a variety of wick centering tools to work with the different sizes of containers that I have in stock.  Some of the tools work better than others, and sometimes this step can feel quite time consuming.  My goal is to make sure the wick is centered right because I want to be certain that I am selling to my customers the *best* candle I am capable of making for them.  My family knows they are not to get near candle containers after I have spent the time getting the wicks set just right.  If they are bumped, I will have to spend more time re-measuring and re-checking the centering.  (And yes, I use that green “Chuck E Cheese” ruler in the picture.  It’s my favorite for candle-making!)

With wicks centered and containers ready, I proceed to work with the soy wax.  In the past, I used to begin melting the wax prior to preparing the containers.  But this proved inefficient for me because I am such a perfectionist getting those containers and wicks ready.  I would be in the middle of preparing containers and the wax would be ready and in need of attention causing me to feel hurried and flustered.  So now, I wait until containers are all ready to go before I begin working with the wax.  I pull out the melting pots and measure the amount of wax I want to melt in each one.  The wax comes in flake form, and I easily scoop it out of a 50 pound box.  I typically only melt up to 2 ½ pounds per pot because that is all the wax the fits well in the pot prior to melting.  I weigh the wax in the pots on a scale to be sure that I have the correct amount.

Wax weighed and pots ready, I put the melting pot into another cooking pot that has a small amount of water—like a double boiler method.  One should never heat the wax directly upon the stove because it can get overheated and become a fire hazard.  I begin the heating process and continuously watch the wax, stirring occasionally, waiting for it to completely melt.  This happens once the soy wax reaches 160-180 degrees.  I stir with a whisk to break up the clumps of wax and distribute the heat throughout.

As soon as all the wax has fully melted, I turn off the heat and remove the melting pot from the pot with the water.  I add the appropriate amount of fragrance along with a little bit of UV inhibitor additive.  The UV inhibitor helps the candles keep their color.  Exposure to light does begin to change the color of the wax, colored or not, and the UV inhibitor delays this process.   After candles are made, while they are still in my possession, I keep them in a completely closed box to keep the light out.  With the whisk, I mix in the fragrance and inhibitor and set a candy thermometer into the wax.  It is now time for the cooling process.  This can take a long while depending on how much wax is in the pot.

When the wax cools down to about 115 degrees, I pour it into the waiting containers.  After pouring, it is absolutely critical that the containers are not touched or moved until the wax solidifies completely.

I leave them alone for many hours, usually overnight.  During this time of waiting for things to set, I clean up, prepare the warning labels for the containers, write down how many and what kind of candles were made (to keep up with my ready-to-sell inventory), and also update how much fragrance has been used and no longer on hand.

When the candles have set, I remove the wick centering tools, trim the wicks down to a one-fourth of an inch, apply warning labels, place appropriate lids on the containers, and fill out information tags attaching them with jute, ribbon, or latigo lace.  The candle is now ready to sell.  I pack it safely into a closed box until it is time to sell it.

  

The candle making process takes a few hours to complete.  If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

soycandlesoftherockies@gmail.com 

(719) 660-4177