Hello again
it may be that you might have noticed my lack of posts recently. Very busy at present trying to keep up with the candlemakers. they appear to be working 9 days a week at present . new scents, new candles, new customers all very exciting but slightly frenetic.
Anyhow I have great news!! I am a great aunt again as we have new family members. My niece Tess ( she is the one who is an unusual triclour spaniel ) has given birth to two beautiful black and white puppies. One of each boy and girl and their new owners have been up to see them and are very excited. They are going to be called Smudge and Maisie and I will post pics of them once they are up and about. At present they have only just opened their eyes. I swear that they are the fattest puppies I have ever seen, they look and sound more like guinea pigs!!!!
Must dash dinner is served. Pics to follow soon
Monday, 9 May 2011
Friday, 8 April 2011
We were really lucky
Well the day has dawned and the Open Day 2011 is upon us. The weather is without doubt the most beautiful it has been this year with clear azure blue skies and not a breath of wind or any dark clouds on the horizon. Guests hve been coming all day to sniff and sample and see what the candlemakers have been up to.
I have managed to put a little slide show together to show what you may or may not have missed. More cakes to bake for tomorrow and many more guests to entertain.
Ta ta for now
I have managed to put a little slide show together to show what you may or may not have missed. More cakes to bake for tomorrow and many more guests to entertain.
Ta ta for now
Monday, 4 April 2011
Trade Day 2011
We have just had a trade open day as a curtain raiser for the upcoming weekend of "Candles, cupcakes and Coffee". Very similar format but just Trade customers and loads of scrumptious cakes. Whilst the day was progressing people kept coming past with stands full of cakes. It was all too much really and I finally just snapped. I know I shouldn't have but they were being wafted past my nose and the the scent of vanilla was just overwhelming. Anyhow Carol managed to catch me in the act and as a penance I have had to confess and post the pics on my blog.
As you see they were just awesome!!
See you all hopefully on Friday
As you see they were just awesome!!
See you all hopefully on Friday
Sunday, 3 April 2011
My Birthday, as if anyone cared!
Strange things happen on April Fools Day and some say I was one of them. Made my appearance along with my numerous siblings on 1st April 1999. Now some people would say that in human years that would make me the equivalent of 84. Hah total poppycock I say. Not many 84 year olds can do 100 metres in under 10 seconds. I can. I read a scholarly piece on human/dog age comparisons and the 7 year thing just doesnt add up. I was fully grown at 18months (10 year human) could have had puppies at 10 months (6 years human) and god willing should make it to be 14/15 when the reaper pays a call (100 human) But 14/15 is not rare and 18 /19 is possible (135 human) and that is without all the medical asistance that BUPA , NHS etc. can give. Anyhow I am rambling a bit, the piece said that really the best way to compare is to take 1st year as 15 years human, 2nd year as ten years and 3 years for each year after. Seems to work and makes me 55 (same as my owner which I can live with .
On the candle front the news is that the workshop is all pretty pretty right now with bunting and a smart entrance to welcome our visitors for Trade day on Monday. As you know the theme is coffe candles and cupcakes so I will get my birthday cake and wish a little late this year. Whilst the visitors are here they could also take in the delights of spring which are being played out in the small field next door to the workshop. 17 sheep appeared on Thursday and by now 11 have had lambs. Seems they all want to share in the birthing experience as they all make their way to the holly bush at the top of the field and give birth there ( and you all thought is was the gooseberry bush that you were found under). It really is quite comical and the same rigmarole is played out. First we have "the inspection" as about an hour before the birth the sheep does a tour of the holly bush. next comes the "its my area" when a claim is laid to the ground and all the rest leave the expectant mother in peace and finally we have the "lying down grunting and straining" bit which ends every time in a pair of lily white twins. Great isnt it, Nature-Spring-new beginnings thing, I love April and not just because its my Birthday.
Got to go, thought it was too good to last, the sheep next door have actually sneaked round the back of the workshop and into the garden and are acting as 4 legged lawnmowers. Just being pressed into service as a sheepdog. Who says you cant teach an old dog new tricks.
On the candle front the news is that the workshop is all pretty pretty right now with bunting and a smart entrance to welcome our visitors for Trade day on Monday. As you know the theme is coffe candles and cupcakes so I will get my birthday cake and wish a little late this year. Whilst the visitors are here they could also take in the delights of spring which are being played out in the small field next door to the workshop. 17 sheep appeared on Thursday and by now 11 have had lambs. Seems they all want to share in the birthing experience as they all make their way to the holly bush at the top of the field and give birth there ( and you all thought is was the gooseberry bush that you were found under). It really is quite comical and the same rigmarole is played out. First we have "the inspection" as about an hour before the birth the sheep does a tour of the holly bush. next comes the "its my area" when a claim is laid to the ground and all the rest leave the expectant mother in peace and finally we have the "lying down grunting and straining" bit which ends every time in a pair of lily white twins. Great isnt it, Nature-Spring-new beginnings thing, I love April and not just because its my Birthday.
Got to go, thought it was too good to last, the sheep next door have actually sneaked round the back of the workshop and into the garden and are acting as 4 legged lawnmowers. Just being pressed into service as a sheepdog. Who says you cant teach an old dog new tricks.
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Use of Language
Sorry not to have been in touch recently. I think that the candlemakers must be reading my blog because I have actually been set the task of creating new essential oil pefume blends by them following my rant about them having no nose for it etc.etc. and have been tied up since then in product development.
Anyhow I thought I would start by researching what the opposition is doing for fragrancing their candles, "easy!" I hear you say -not so I respond. It appears that what you think you get is not actually all you get, the use of the English language is very subtle but a complete minefield for all but the very cautious.
On a Wick have always made a distinction between their fragrance oil products and their essential oil products, using only essential oils in their natural ranges. It appears others have not!!!!
Consider these statements that I have found.
"contains essential oils"
"made with essential oils"
"made with pure essential oils"
fragrances drawn from essential oils - fragrances drawn from nature
"fragranced with absolute essential oils"
What none of these statements say is "fragranced solely with essential oils" as all of the above statement's products can and almost certainly do contain synthesised fragrance. The cost of some essential oils is rocketing with poor weather and small harvests. Best quality Jasmine oil is now £2800 per kilo, Rose "Otto" even higher and you might need Securicor for a kilo of Honeysuckle. Now I have nothing against fragrance oils and many "fragrance oils" will actually contain "essential oils" as it is cheaper to use the natural oil , some fragrances are just not replicable in the laboratory so the natural oil is used, but on reading labels ask yourself is the fragrance I am getting what it purports to be.
Ask yourself if the candle advertising says "Scented with pure essential oil" why would anyone scent one with IMPURE essential oil. If you want to have pure essential oil candles make sure that the label actually tells you that it is only or solely fragranced with essential oils. Whilst virtually all of Onawick's standard candle scents contain an element of essential oils we wouldnt dream of claiming "made with essential oils" unless we fragranced it with "100% essential oils". DID YOU SEE THAT, I am falling into the dodgy advertising trap, who would use 98% essential oils. What I meant to say was "fragranced only with essential oils"
Enough of the rant, there has been a day of cupcake experiment set aside this weekend, new flavours etc and I intend to get my share. Will post photos of the little beauties when they arrive. I can now use my smart phone so hopefully more shots of me and the family and where I live to come.
Anyhow I thought I would start by researching what the opposition is doing for fragrancing their candles, "easy!" I hear you say -not so I respond. It appears that what you think you get is not actually all you get, the use of the English language is very subtle but a complete minefield for all but the very cautious.
On a Wick have always made a distinction between their fragrance oil products and their essential oil products, using only essential oils in their natural ranges. It appears others have not!!!!
Consider these statements that I have found.
"contains essential oils"
"made with essential oils"
"made with pure essential oils"
fragrances drawn from essential oils - fragrances drawn from nature
"fragranced with absolute essential oils"
What none of these statements say is "fragranced solely with essential oils" as all of the above statement's products can and almost certainly do contain synthesised fragrance. The cost of some essential oils is rocketing with poor weather and small harvests. Best quality Jasmine oil is now £2800 per kilo, Rose "Otto" even higher and you might need Securicor for a kilo of Honeysuckle. Now I have nothing against fragrance oils and many "fragrance oils" will actually contain "essential oils" as it is cheaper to use the natural oil , some fragrances are just not replicable in the laboratory so the natural oil is used, but on reading labels ask yourself is the fragrance I am getting what it purports to be.
Ask yourself if the candle advertising says "Scented with pure essential oil" why would anyone scent one with IMPURE essential oil. If you want to have pure essential oil candles make sure that the label actually tells you that it is only or solely fragranced with essential oils. Whilst virtually all of Onawick's standard candle scents contain an element of essential oils we wouldnt dream of claiming "made with essential oils" unless we fragranced it with "100% essential oils". DID YOU SEE THAT, I am falling into the dodgy advertising trap, who would use 98% essential oils. What I meant to say was "fragranced only with essential oils"
Enough of the rant, there has been a day of cupcake experiment set aside this weekend, new flavours etc and I intend to get my share. Will post photos of the little beauties when they arrive. I can now use my smart phone so hopefully more shots of me and the family and where I live to come.
Sunday, 13 March 2011
Geting good with the web
Just polished off a lunch of "amarula mincemeat tart" that I happened to find in the cupboard as I walked past, shouldn't have really but if someone leaves the cupboard door open and its at my height who could blame me. Anyhow it was really scrummy and I didnt get too much of a ticking off.
Just checked out the work that has been done on the website, fab new piccies from our favourite photographer Sian, will have to link to her facebook pics to bring you examples of her really good work. Really pleased with the new look to the website, more new products are shortly on the way.
Requests are coming in now for a invites to the open days, dont forget to email otherwise all the cupcakes might just be gone when you come along. Hope that everyone brings a friend as that just increases the number of visitors I can fuss over.
Might have some interesting familly news soon as my niece ( Tweed's daughter) paid a visit to very handsome man a couple of weeks ago and all things being well we should have additions to the family around the 3rd of May.
Just checked out the work that has been done on the website, fab new piccies from our favourite photographer Sian, will have to link to her facebook pics to bring you examples of her really good work. Really pleased with the new look to the website, more new products are shortly on the way.
Requests are coming in now for a invites to the open days, dont forget to email otherwise all the cupcakes might just be gone when you come along. Hope that everyone brings a friend as that just increases the number of visitors I can fuss over.
Might have some interesting familly news soon as my niece ( Tweed's daughter) paid a visit to very handsome man a couple of weeks ago and all things being well we should have additions to the family around the 3rd of May.
Friday, 11 March 2011
My talents are just not recognised
You would have thought that when my employers were assessing new scents for their candles they would actually use the employee with the most acute sense of smell. It is a well known fact (at least according to Wikipedia that font of sometimes dodgy information) that a dogs sense of smell is astonishing with 125 to 220 million smell-sensitive receptors. Dogs can discriminate odors at concentrations nearly 100 million times lower than humans can so why are they wasting their time when I could do the job in my sleep. (visitors to the workshop might just notice that is something I do alot)
That said they have come up with a couple of absolute belters with the new "Gardenia" and "Geranium and Patchouli" fragrances. They also have a great blend worked with Essential oils for a new trade customer but might just get it on their range of natural Soya candles. It only took them 2 days to formulate!!!! That is pretty pathetic as despite its complexity I am sure I could have knocked it up in an hour or so. You say you cant teach an old dog new tricks but I am sure I could teach the candlemakers a thing or two about scents!
Anyhow the birds are singing and the honeysuckle is just breaking into leaf, spring is just around the corner and the weekend is almost upon us, the visitors will be streaming into the village as good weather is forecast.
That said they have come up with a couple of absolute belters with the new "Gardenia" and "Geranium and Patchouli" fragrances. They also have a great blend worked with Essential oils for a new trade customer but might just get it on their range of natural Soya candles. It only took them 2 days to formulate!!!! That is pretty pathetic as despite its complexity I am sure I could have knocked it up in an hour or so. You say you cant teach an old dog new tricks but I am sure I could teach the candlemakers a thing or two about scents!
Anyhow the birds are singing and the honeysuckle is just breaking into leaf, spring is just around the corner and the weekend is almost upon us, the visitors will be streaming into the village as good weather is forecast.
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