A Local Collaboration............

I am a huge advocate of buying local, anyone who has read my blog for any length of time knows that. So when I was approached last week by Paul of Island Lights Candle Co. of Wheeling, WV about a collaboration of our two products, I was definitely interested. And after seeing Paul’s products, I was convinced.

I’ll admit it, I know absolutely nothing about making candles. I know even less about soy candles, but Paul gladly offered up a wealth of knowledge about his process and products. Soy candles are green (always a plus), the materials are grown in the U.S., so they support American farmers, they burn cleaner, longer, and cooler than paraffin wax, they hold their scents better, and the wax almost completely burns away when the candle is gone.

So we sat down and came up with a list of my pots that would be great to pour soy candles into. For now, we’re keeping it limited to a few different vessels, mostly large and small mugs, tumblers, and small cylinders, but our list will hopefully grow to include lidded vessels, bowls, and other products. The really great thing about this collaboration is that after you burn the candle, you can throw the vessel in the dishwasher and use it everyday for your coffee, tea, or whatever you’d like.

The scent list that Pauls has is quite impressive, he has recently started an Etsy shop, and I will put a link to it here as soon as he has it up and running. For now, you can purchase out collaborative pieces through my Etsy shop.

Well………I’d better get back into the studio.

It's Been a While

So I just realized that I've been neglecting my duties as a blogger. I've had a pretty crazy week and a lot has happened. The handsome fellow that you see to the left is my dog Caesar. This week I took him to the vet after I discovered he was bleeding and after an exam I was told that he has a tumor which may be breast cancer (which is rare in male dogs). So tomorrow morning at 8:15 am I'm taking him in to have his tumor removed, as long as there is no cancer that has metastasized to his lungs. Hopefully, everything will. Caesar, even though he's almost 14, has been the model of perfect health. Just last year I was told that he has the heart of a 7 year old.

On the business side of things, this month has been crazy. Business has skyrocketed allowing me to live like a relatively normal person. I've picked up a few spots in which to put my pots and I've decided on the markets and fairs that I'm going to be attending this season (stay tuned for a list!), and I've decided on a budget to put forth for advertising purposes. Now all I have to do is crank out a whole buttload of quality work over the next few months to keep my stock up. I've started making a few new forms in the studio, I'll be sure to post them up here once they're finished and I've tested them to make sure they're not crap. Anyways, until then, stay dirty!