I'm Thinking Spring....and Mother's Day!

Oh I used to grumble

about the retailers who were always 

working to the next holiday.

But now that I am in the business

of preparing for holiday sales

I have to think ahead.

So...While others are wishing

for Spring flowers I am 

smelling them daily in my candle 

kitchen....daffodil and peony

are the latest delights.

Visit either my Etsy or Artfire shops

to see the latest developments.

I'll be delighted to see you.

At Artfire you will have the option

of using a coupon to get a 

free four ounce candle of my 

choosing with every 

$30 (before shipping)

that you spend.

If you see something you want at 

Etsy that is not yet available at Artfire

just ask....I am in the process of 

filling my Artfire Shop.

I'll get it listed there for you if I can.

Fine Tuning....

Just when I think I have finished a new

candle product I test it and find ways 

to make it even better.

This is the case with these adorable 

tiny tea cups that I found this week.

I love the look of just one wick

centered in the candle....

and it would be acceptable that way.

However, 

in order to get the best burn

and fragrance throw 

I am going to redo these 

and add a second

and maybe third

wick.

Call me picky

or crazy if you like

but I want my candles to 

be the best performing

candles anyone has ever

used.

And so.....

I go against my usual

impatient tendencies 

to get them 

just right.

I've been thinking about These....

I'm experimenting with different 

colors and fragrances 

in these glass hearts.

Nantucket Briar Rose with 

Rose and White Hearts.

Nantucket Briar Rose with 

all white hearts.

I think I'll do dark chocolate 

with pink hearts...

dark chocolate with 

burgundy hearts.

How about white cinnamon 

with red hearts?

Yep!

Lots of playing to do.

I'll be listing them on Artfire, eBay,

Etsy and placing them in 

Cape Cod Crafters at 

Rockvale Square Outlets.

Fun stuff!!

Sometimes one just gets Thirsty....

Just so happens I don't like to drink

the real thing....so I made it into a

candle to enjoy while I drink ice water!

This fun Cola Candle is available 

for sale by contacting me 

directly or by 

visiting my Etsy Shop.

I'm Late to the Party

It didn't take long after I opened 

my Etsy shop for people to begin

asking for tarts/melters.

I've not been a user of 

these things so making them seemed

a bit risky.

How much oil to put in?

What size should they be??

The first person to ask got a surprise

when I asked her if she would be an 

official tester.

I would send her a couple to try

and give feedback.

Thankfully she was agreeable because

there were adjustments to be made.

Her tart melter was the kind that 

plugs in like a night light

and so it required a smaller

amount of wax.

Turned out that full sized tarts were just 

too messy to cut but I had a mold that

made them smaller.

I sent some to her.

She approved.

She had also recommended a 

bit more fragrance oil.

My pleasure.

The result 

was great, she reported.

So...since that day I have sold a whole bunch 

of melters....and have gotten great feedback.

I'm very thankful for this new friend

who helped to refine a product that I was 

not familiar with.

Last week I was in Goodwill and saw this

melter that works with the heat of a tea light.

I snatched it up.

It is my new fun toy.

I am using potpourri spice in it and love it

very, very much.

I have officially joined the

tart party.

You guys were right!

What a pleasant way to get your

home sweetly fragranced.

I now offer two sizes of 

tarts.  One for mini melters

and full size 

for melters like mine.

Candy Cane Lane Candles....

You see, within Hospitality Lane resides

a pathway.  This pathway is called 

Candy Cane Lane....

Ach, I am so full of it!

LOL

But,

I did pick up these sweet containers.

The first one is filled with candy cane.

Isn't it precious??

All of these containers will

be holiday themed fragrances

in white.

So, I am calling them the 

Candy Cane Lane line.

It simply makes me 

happy to give

them their own 

identity.

You'll find them for sale 

over the coming days in 

my Etsy shop.

Or, if you prefer,

just email me.

It's that easy!

Win Two of My 9 Ounce Candles

Angie, at The Country Chic Cottage, 

has written a feature 

about Good Neighbors Candle Co.

and we are giving away 

two nine ounce candles

in the fragrance of your choice.

She has offered many ways to enter

so I do hope you'll pop by and see 

what happens!

This is the fragrance list the 

winner will choose their 

two candles from....

Amazingly Grace (Type)

Apple Cinnamon
Autumn Magic
Black Cherry Jellybean
Blackberry Jam
Butter Pecan Pie

Balsam
Bayberry
Blueberry Muffin
Birds of Paradise
Caramel Apple
Coconut
Cappuccino
Country Bumpkin
Country Apple
Cranberry Balsam

Cucumber Cantaloupe
Cucumber Mint
Clean Breeze (Type)
Cinnamon Buns
Candy Cane
Citrus Infusion
Cinnamon Stick
Chocolate Milk
Chocolate Raspberry Drizzle
Eucalyptus
Fresh Linen

French Vanilla
French Lavender
Grandma's Kitchen
Home for the Holidays
Honeysuckle
Hot Buttered Rum
Hydrangea Heaven
Hot Baked Apple Pie
Lilac
Mulberry Spice
Nantucket Briar (Type)
Orange Clove
Oceans

Orange Blossoms
Pearberry
Potpourri Spice
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Rose Hip and Tea
Strawberry Kiwi
Spiced Cranberry
Spearmint
Tranquil Sleep
Tangerine
Victorian Rose

Wildflowers
Wisteria

The Bowl Candle - Two Gifts In One......

One has to love the practicality

and the beauty 

of a bowl candle.

This orange clove soy candle

is poured into a vintage glass 

bowl with legs.

Burning this candle until about a half inch

remains and then removing the wicks

allows one to wash the bowl in the 

dishwasher or hot soapy water 

for a wonderful keepsake.

This week I was at one of our favorite 

department stores when I found these 

bowls on final clearance.

What were originally $9.99 

each were just $1.99 each.

I knew this was an unusual opportunity

because normally a beautiful container 

like this is just too costly to 

then add soy and pass on the 

total cost....

but at $1.99 I could just charge

for the candle.

The bowl is free to you!

Love it....

Autumn Magic

 Autumn Magic is a very unusual fragrance.

It is, however, one that I love.

It reminds me of a delightful idea for a man's cologne.

Spicy and fresh.

Bllueberry Muffin

 I know those are not blueberries on the 

side of this bowl but this was a great 

excuse to use such a fun and popular fragrance!

Orange Clove

 Perfect for Fall.

The orange scent is more prominent when the candle

is cool, while the clove is 

more prominent when it

is lit.

Country Bumpkin

A light fragrance that makes me feel as if I have

just walked into a quaint country store.

Apples and spice with a hint of potpourri.

If you haven't tried a bowl candle yet...

there is still time.

So much beauty.

And it lasts.

All of these candles are now available

in my Etsy Shop.

Orange Clove in a Vintage Glass Footed Bowl

So perfect for Fall!

Now available in my Etsy Shop.

Introducing a Country Bumpkin!

A month or two ago I ordered some new fragrance oils.

One of these just wasn't all that impressive in the bottle

so I wasn't in a hurry to make it up.

However, I may coin a new phrase

about not judging an oil by its......not sure what would

go here...perhaps first impression?

Anyway, when I added this oil to the warm soy wax

it released the full intensity and sweetness of its fragrance.

They call it Country Bumpkin but I think it could

just as easily be called The Country Store.

You smell apples, nutmeg, sweet potatoes, cinnamon

and more....as if you were standing in an old

fashioned country store with button bins,

apples, jars and bolts of fabric all around.

It is yummy, I tell you.

I took four tea lights to my friend,
Mrs. Rabe.

She is my "nose" on all things spicy.

She adored them!!

I love it when my friends are so 

supportive of my creative side.

Thanks, Mrs. Rabe.

She even put a link to my Etsy shop 

on her sidebar this week.

This is what she had to say about
the Country Bumpkin scent:

"Okay people! These are the best smelling candles! 

You know that great smell in country stores? 

This is it! I'm hoarding mine for now!"

I'll make you this offer....

the first five Blogs to agree to

putting my Etsy Link on their sidebar

will receive 

a nine ounce Country Bumpkin candle 

of their own!
Sorry to limit it but blogs must be
in the United States......
I don't ship internationally yet.

Also....please stop by and "like"
the Good Neighbors Candle Co.
Facebook Page, won't you?

Have a wonderful Day!!

A Blog Feature...About My Little Shop!!

Jackie at the Christie Cottage Shop has done a feature on Good Neighbors Candles.
She chose to feature the Amazingly Grace Bowl Candle....one of my fav's....
and the Japanese Teacup with Tea Lights of your choosing.

I am ever so grateful for this feature and that if you return tomorrow to Christie Cottage
you'll be able to enter to win this set of Apple Cinnamon Juice glasses.

I've Been Featured......Woo-hoo!!

The CAST team on Etsy has more than 2000 members.
There is a CAST team blog too!
Today's post is a feature of myself and Angel, a darling
young lady from Chambersburg who makes all kinds of
adorable things for young ones and scrapbook items.

Hope you'll pop by and see the photo of the two of
us at Sight and Sound.  We had such a fun evening with
our husbands.  Then feel free to peruse our shops and
think of your Christmas list.  What would you like from there
or who do you shop for who would enjoy something we've made.

Have a very blessed day!!!

Fall Fragrances...It's Not Too Soon

Mmmm....this fragrance combines the yum of berries

with the zip of spice.

I love it!

It is just like a pumpkin pie....really!

It is a gentle fragrance that will compliment your 

home...not overtake it this Fall.

Who doesn't love warm, gooey cinnamon buns

on a crisp Fall morning?

You can smell the butter in these....

blended with cinnamon and sugar!

It smells just like you would imagine.

Slightly orange and mostly clove.

The orange takes the edginess off the clove.

Feel free to check out these candles and more

at my Etsy Shop.

Thanks for stopping by.....

Making New Friends At Work

My work these days is largely

online...

this will change in about a month

as I begin to make candles for the fund raisers

but for now I am busily getting the name

Good Neighbors Candles all over 

the Etsy site.

One of the huge blessings of Etsy is a forum

for Christians.  Over 2,000 shops are registered

to this team.  It is great to be in fellowship with 

other believers who are also attempting to 

bring in an income without leaving their 

home and children.

Many are young mothers, 

there are retirees

and 

Moms, like me, 

who are about to experience an 

empty nest and are seeking 

something to do while being available

to their teens.

Opinion here:

Teens need us every bit as much

as our toddlers did.

Every time I think of getting a job

outside of our home I am reminded 

how much time I would lose with my 

still impressionable young adults.

This is not the time we want to hand over

primary influence to friends who are just as

young and impressionable.

So, Etsy, in theory allows for a business

to grow and for money to be made
while working from home.

I say, in theory, because a lot of 

people have shops on Etsy and have 

barely made a dime.

This is because to make money here 

takes time and work.

Imagine that!

Just like the real world....

However, it has been very enjoyable

to meet a host of wonderful ladies

on our forum thread.

One of these ladies is a young mother.

We like to call her Bammy

because her shop,

shared with another talented Mommy,

is called Bam Crafty Mommas.

On Saturday, 

Angel(Bammy) and her husband Sean

came over and met Warren and I 

at Sight and Sound

to see my favorite show,  Joseph.

It was so much fun to meet both of them.

We enjoyed the show

and then went to 

Outback Steak House for a 

late dinner.

We laughed so hard and it got 

late...

Sean and Angel had a two hour drive 

to get home, not to mention

Sean had to be at church by 7am 

the next morning to prepare to play 

with his worship team.

So, dear friends, accept my 

apology for keeping you so long.

Hope you've caught up on some sleep.

Here are some of the items

Angel and her partner, Michelle, 

make for their shop.

Premade Scrapbook...You just add the photos!

Cute fabric for these bibs!

I love these burp cloths......

This photo and the next are of fabric chalkboard mats.

A very cool idea for kids on the go...at church, a restaurant, even at home....

A chipboard mini album filled with scripture and embellished with scrapbook paper.

These are just a few of the nearly 150 items in Bam Crafty Mommas Shop.

I also recommend Angel if you would like to preserve special

memories in a scrapbook but don't want to take the time to 

do it yourself.  Angel loves to create special pages

and will happily and cheerfully work with you to custom

make a precious keepsake.

I recently recommended this to a friend who was wondering

what to do with cards received after her father's passing.

My Mom, who is also a "scrapper" made a very wonderful

book doing this very thing and it is a "keeper".

Finding new friends has been a pleasant surprise

but one for which I am thankful.

They have given feedback that is helping my business

grow....they have prayed with us as we suffered the 

loss of a dear family friend and were in deep shock,

they have rejoiced with me over sales.

God has blessed me with the CAST Team.

I have not forgotten my beloved Blog

Community.  I am so thankful for you too!

One dear friend is hosting a giveaway 

of a hot chocolate

mug.....

Crystal, sister of Melissa, has educated herself

about the benefits of soy candles.

She has shared on her health blog about 

why you would want to burn soy over paraffin.

I hope you'll stop by and leave a comment for 

this lovely lady who just happens to be the new

momma of a precious baby girl.

Enter to win this candle

which retails for $10.