Desertrose

Thanks Kitn and Dwarfie. Tracy

Thank you!

This is what I would like to do.....sell the small bottles of oils with the crystal potpourri. If I were buying it myself I think I'd prefer to have the top up oils with it. All the hessian smells here, even the tighter knit stuff you can buy in the fabric shops. They must treat it with something? I've considered other fabrics as well but worried that with the high humidity it might sweat and stain the fabric? Suppose I should give it a try though and see. Tracy

I think what you call burlap is what we call hessian here? Only problem with that is it seems to have a smell all of it's own which doesn't smell nice. Usually we find hessian in the gardening section of hardware stores here. Perhaps if I washed it really well it wouldn't pong as much. Tracy

Disappointing isn't it when you strive to be creative and give them something different and it doesn't sell well. Some people I suppose just prefer "safe". Our plain unscented palm Christmas pillars have sold really well. They are our cheapest pillar though. In general pillars don't seem to fly off the table but the Christmas ones have kept us busy this year. Our jelly jars with palm container wax have been the LEAST popular. People think they are jam! We're finding it hard to educate people as to what palm container candles are. They know soy so prefer that it seems. Our tin tie bags of melts are probably one of our most popular sellers. We do a mini tart size and there are 20 in a bag for $10. Pretty good value really and we still make a decent profit. Our grungied Christmas tins were slow to take off but they too are doing well now and that's satisfying because there is a fair amount of work that goes into those! Tracy

Glad you like 'em. Time consuming yes. Drives me bonkers waiting for each layer to set. I know they're not very country and certainly not prim but they're eye catching on the stall. Besides, I'd go nuts if all I could make were jars and melts. Shops are so safe.....that's all they want are jars and melts. Bugger them, I'll sell my hippy pillars at the markets! Tracy

Thank you Michele

Thank you for that! I don't do the labels for our tins (I just find the pics I like )...putting them together is Richards department but I'm sure he would love to play around with that one. I'd love him to anyway, lol! Tracy

So do you get that kinda burnt look around the edges of your labels using photoshop?

How cute are they! I bet they would look nice sitting all together on a plate. Tracy

They look great! Love the graphics. Simple but eyecatching. Tracy

"Dug it up out of the ground"....that made me laugh Very nice job! I'm not as game as you guys are actually grungying on the edges of the labels themselves. I like that look though. Tracy

Thanks so much for all your kind and encouraging comments! Mistakes? lol! There are PLENTY of those. My biggest down fall is impatience. I can't begin to tell you how many pillars I have unmolded too soon and had wax dribble out when I've removed the wick pin. No salvaging those! (I really need to buy more molds so I don't get tempted to take the candles out too soon in my haste to make more!) Tracy

Thank you! You don't think the pics are too buzy do you? I just grabbed whatever remnants of country decor I could find in the house - some of which are just junky "bits" we actually found in the outback! Geez, talk about rusty rustic stuff out there! Tracy

Wow, we could only dream of that! If only to not have to pack it all up and cart it all home again. Congratulations!

I love this one. Deep rich rustic colours!

We decided to do small melts in these preserving jars. At the moment we just get them from the supermarket and I grungy up the lids. I like them better in the jars than in the paper tin tie bags but it does make them a little more expensive for people to buy.

The cookie jars are from a glass supplier here in Australia. I'd have to get Richard to tell you who they are.......he's becoming good friends with them!

Here are some pillars and layered votives I've been working on. Some of them are a bit "out there" but oh well.......I like different, lol!

I thought I'd try and learn from some of you here and make my photo's a little more interesting by staging them with "stuff". Hope they look ok? Richard doesn't know I've taken these yet but I'm sure he'll be happy to share with you his jar fetish. Currently they are taking over the house (literally!) and it seems that he just can't make up his mind which to use! These are the current ones that have been tested but there are more yet to be trialed. One day he'll make a decision!!!

Good luck with doing your first market stall! I reckon, take whatever you've got and try and make your stall attractive. I've seen so many candle people who don't even bother with even a cloth on their tables! Show pride in your product EVEN at a flea market! The good thing about flea markets/trash and treasure, is that there always seems to be a lot of people milling around. Ok so yeah, a lot of them ARE looking for "cheap" but there will be people if they are into candles who will stop and take a look ( and hopefully buy too!) Think of it as advertising, that way even if you don't make a whole lot, well, you don't get so disheartened. I used to sell country woodcrafts at a trash and treasure market. I went every week and before long I got my "regulars' and ended up making quite a bit from it. That's the thing I think....finding the right market where you can be there regularly! This may not be the right one, but then again it could be. You won't know until you try! Tracy

Thanks. He's got lots of "friends" now but they're going on the market stall tomorrow to hopefully be adopted! Tracy

Very warm and toasty looking! I like them! Tracy

Thank you!

That's beautiful! I think the pom poms just make it! Tracy