kade's kandles

Market in Alliston!

2009-07-14T05:06:00.000-07:00

While the summer isn't coming on with as much heat as I thought it was going to, it is here none the less. And we have been busy!
We just got back from a wonderful weekend at the cottage with great friends and an endless amount of food. Alex is loving his new job and spending all his free time with Kade. Kade is getting ready to start school in the fall and while he is potty trained and eating better, he doesn't like the idea that mommy is going to have to start working when he is away!
I've been selling candles and black rock soap at the market in Alliston. It is very new still and is starting this weekend at a new location! For the rest of the summer, the market is going to be at The Gibson Center from 8 to 12 every Saturday morning! Please come out and show your support to your local community!
Hope you are all doing well,
Bee supportive....
Melissa

Let the summer begin!

2009-06-05T05:05:00.000-07:00

Hello Friends!

My candle making is under way! With the help of our lovely kade-sitter I've been able to make many candles faster and have a good stock pile now! I'm going to keep having her come once a week until I run out of wax and then I should have enough candles for the rest of the year!

Just a couple of updates....Alex, Kade and I are going to Feast of Fields again this year. I really enjoyed meeting people there last year and Alex really enjoyed drinking there last year so it was good for everyone! We sold a lot of candles there last year and that is very nice.

The other thing you all should know is that I've started selling my candles at markets here in Alliston. There are two...one at the Canadian Tire parking lot and the other at Moondance farm. Both are on Saturday mornings, and I'm going to be at Moondance the 2nd Saturday a month and at CT the rest of the month.

Looking forward to see you out there, I think the weather is going to be nice tomorrow!
Blessed bee,
Melissa

another sunny day....

2009-05-04T05:03:00.000-07:00

Me again, and that's right, more candles are on their way. I think I've solved the overly helpful 2 3/4 year old....baby sitter! So our sitter is on the way too!

My goal today is another 30 sticks, 4 more pillars and as many votives as I can. I've put off making globes because the wick I was using seems to not be big enough even though I should have the right one. Plus they take a lot more work!

I'm also working on a dipper that I can dip many candles at once. Which would mean I could make 5 candles in the same amount of time as I would make 1 or 2. In theory I like the idea but I'm sure there is going to be a lot of kinks to work out. I will keep you posted on the candle making goodness!

Much bee love,
Melissa

and their on their way!

2009-04-15T05:39:00.000-07:00

That's right, the wax is melting in the garage, my dad is on his way to watch Kade and I've offically pulled out my candle making sweater (which I've had since the 7th grade!)

Today I'm making mostly stick candles (hopefully 30 pairs) but most of these are already spoken for. If you would like candles, please let me know....I can start taking orders now!

Hope all is well with you, and that your enjoying the warm weather....I know I am!

Bee yourself, melissa

Still no candles, but lots of other crafting going on!

2009-03-29T05:06:00.001-07:00

So, the weather has been nice but not nice enough to spend hours in our garage making candles. But that doesn't mean we haven't been busy. Alex just finished up school, and is going to have the next week off work (prime candle making time) and I've been busy crocheting! That's right, I've put down my knitting needles and have taken up crocheting, which I love!

Right now I'm working on making a vest for the summer. I found this pattern for a round about sweater and decided to make it with out the sleeves. I just started last night so I have about 2 inch done, but when I have more I will post some pictures.

http://www.coatsandclark.com/Crafts/Crochet/Projects/Apparel/WR1774+Roundabout+Cardigan.htm

I'm always looking for things to do, so let me know if you find a good project!
Keeping beesy,
Melissa

Warm weather means candle making is upon us!

2009-03-06T16:58:00.000-08:00

I may have mentioned that we make our candles in our garage and since its been so darn cold I haven't been able to make candles since the fall. But our neck of the woods is getting warmer and today we started cleaning out the garage and looking over our stuff!

This also means that I'm going to start getting supplies. I've been thinking about buying the supplies to make tea lights. We don't really use tea lights, but I've had people say they would like to have them. What do you think?

I can also start taking orders, so if you know that you would like some hand made local beeswax candles, let me know!

Hope is all is well,
Blessed bee, melissa

The pillars of our earth!

2009-03-02T12:16:00.000-08:00

Beeswax pillar candles are a common favorite and for good reason. They last a super long time, they are easy to use and your best value for your buck.

These candles are also pretty easy to make because they are poured into a mold (the picture below) . The wick is drawn through a hole in the bottom of the mold and tied to a straw at the top. When the wax is melted I simply pore the wax into the mold and wait. As the wax cools a well is formed and the top of the candle dips in. After about 45 minutes of cooling a poke a whole in the wax and let it cool completely. Before pulling the candle from the mold I fill the well with alittle more wax so you have a solid candle with out a whole in it and then remove it from the mold. Then you flip over the candle and trip the wick and your ready to use your wonderful pillar candle.

Be sure to put this candle on a holder or at least a plate to catch any wax that may fall. It is very important to push the sides of the candle toward the wick as it melts down to be sure that you use up all the wax (you want to get the most light of your candle). It is good to let these candles burn for a couple of hours at a time and then push in the wax for next time. Oh and always remember to dip the wick into the wax to put out instead of blowing it out.

These candles are $20 each...a great value!

Bee yourself, melissa

Votives....small but wonderful!

2009-02-26T06:31:00.000-08:00

Little lovely votives! These are the smallest candles we make and the fastest. This is part of the reason I like them so much.

Once the wax is heated I pore it into tiny, votive size molds that already have a "auto wicking pin" in them. This pin leaves a space in the center of the candle that can be removed once the wax has harden and replaced with a wick. You can see in the picture to the right the candles in their molds and the pins inside. The wax when making these candles hardens really quickly so I can usually do about 50 candles every time I melt wax.

Votive candles need to be placed in a holder that is snug around the candle so that any wax that drips off will be collected and used up by the wick later.

Votive candles cost $2.50 each.

What's in a name?

2009-02-23T14:50:00.000-08:00

I recently finished a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law, "The Hive: The Story of the Honeybee and Us" by Bee Wilson. It was super interesting and a good read.

There was one passage that really hit home for me and I would like to share it here:

"The disembodied souls of man used the bodies of bees to move about the heavens. The third-century Greek author Porphyry says that the soul comes down from the moon goddess Artemis in the form of bees, which are called melissae. The name melissa-which now seems nothing more than a nice, everyday girl's name- was given to souls about to be born. It had overtones of reincarnation, fitting with the Greek belief in the transmigration of souls. Not just any soul could be a melissa. You had to be righteous. Bee souls, says Porohyry, were special spirits 'who live justly, and who, having performed such things as are acceptable to the gods, will return whence they came. For this insect loves to return to the place whence it came, and is eminently just and sober'. Hence, the special power of honey to salve the passing from life to death. " Wilson, 194.

This passage really hit home for me for the simple reason that my name is Melissa. I grew up knowing that my name ment something like 'sweet like honey' and was Greek. But it means much more then that and it is a name that I can finally say I am proud to have.

My mom and I were reflecting the other days how odd it is that I met and fell in love with a man that loves honey and bees so much. And that together we are not only making beeswax candles but also hoping to have our own bees one day. It is also really nice to be able to raise Kade around these magical creatures. We are truely blessed by the bees!

Melissa

Sticks aka tapers!

2009-02-23T07:58:00.000-08:00

Stick candles are by far my favorite! I know others call them tapers but I've gotten so used to calling them stick candles so I'm just planning to roll with it.

Anyways, these are the first candles I learned to make. Alex taught me standing over the oven at his mothers place, and it was love at first dip! The smell of the liquid gold wax is good enough to eat, and I would if it wasn't so darn hot!

These candles are easy to make but take much longer and more labor then any other candle we make. Each of our stick candles is hand dipped. First I cut all the wicks and dip them once to make starters. Making good starters is important, you need to let the wick absorb the wax so that the candles burn well and for a long time. Most starters are not straight, so you roll them between your fingers to straighten them. Then you dip and dip and dip until you have your desired width of candle.

All our stick candles are alittle different. The color is always different depending on the batch of wax and the heat of the wax at the time of dipping. The height is always different depending on the length of wick that I cut. And the width is always different depending how you like it. But with our stick candles you are always getting the same amount of wax. I weight each of my stick candles at 100g. Some are shorter and fatter and others are taller and thinner. That is the beauty of hand craftered goodness!

Our stick candles are $8 a pair.
And I should say that we have yet to master the art of making drip less candles, so make sure they are in a stand and on a old plate or something that will catch the wax when it falls (ps. save the wax and give it back to make more candles!)

Thanks for reading,
Blessed bee, Melissa

New Beginnings.....

2009-02-23T07:47:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time since I posted and a lot has changed!

Alex, Kade and I have moved from my parents house in Hockley to our own home in Alliston Ont. We love it here, the town is not too big and not too small and everything is in walking (or biking) distance, which makes getting around much easier for Kade and I.

It has been cold this winter and our garage is not insulated, so I have yet to make more candles but in January we bought all the wax for the season from our local beekeeper, Randy. If you want to get in touch with him you can check out his website at http://www.leitchshoney.com/. His bees make wonderful honey and he needs our support! Any woo, our basement smells wonderful and the wax is just waiting to be made into candles.

We are currently out of candles, and feel blessed that so many people have wanted our candles. I love making them and knowing that others are enjoying them too!

I've decided to pick up where I left off in the fall, and am going to try to spend the next few days explaining the different candles we make, how much they cost, and how to use them.

If you are interested in ordering candles from us, just get in touch and I will start a list and get them to you as soon as I can. We've decided that it is best to wait for warm weather so I can make candles safely ways from our new house instead of risking setting it on fire!

Blessed Bee,
Melissa

Our candle styles...

2008-11-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Just like other candles, our candles come in many different styles. Each of our candles are hand made with local beeswax. This week I am going to posted each day explaining how each style of candle is made and how much they cost. If your interested and in the area, I could even show you how I make the candles.
Check back soon,
melissa

Finally some pictues!

2008-11-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

Hello Hello!
I spent most of yesterday, which was beautiful and warm even for fall, making more candles. And finally took some pictures!
The first is the stick candles hanging between drying. Each of these candles are hand dipped, which takes awhile and kills my arms but they are totally worth it.
Next, is a picture of our pillars in the molds. I use straws to keep the wicks up and when they are cold and dry, I pull them out of the mold.
Then we have the votives in their molds. You will see the auto wicking pins inside of them. When they are cold, I bang them on a hard surface and they come out and I put the wicks in.
And last, our wax melter. We get the wax in large blocks which I put in the wax melter for several hours until the wax is liquid.
I am going to post pictures of our candles with a price list if anyone is interested in buying them. Also I want to post some frequently asked questions about beeswax candles. Blessed bee, melissa

busy busy bees

2008-08-20T06:26:00.000-07:00

hello everyone, or the few people who look at this anyways.

i was just about to work on a flyer for my candles when i realized i hadn't updated this blog as of late! we are indeed, house sitting again! i haven't been making candles because we've been really busy but i have so on stock and i'm going today to drop some off to a store in king city!

but i must fly, i need to work on these flyers!

blessed bee, melissa

house sitting.....

2008-07-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

and not making candles!

alex, kade and i are house sitting for alex's mom, which means i can't make any candles. this is not a total lose, since i am almost out of wax anyways. but i will be getting more when we get back and i am looking forward on make more candles.

i am also in the process of making a nice knitted bag for my good friend holly who will be coming up this month. it is taking longer then i thought but is shaping up well. here is the link to the bag....if anyone wants me to make them one, let me know....maybe we could trade!

http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer08/PATTbyob.html

alex is still working on the bee boxes and i will post pictures when they are done!

blessed bee, melissa

farmers market!

2008-07-12T06:15:00.000-07:00

we are just about to head to the farmers market in orangeville!

this is not only the place to get wonderful local produce but also where we see the local bee keeper that we buy our wax from. we usually order 120lbs of wax from him, all from his own bees! and i'm going to tell him we need more! i'm very excited about this because it means more candles to sell to our friends and family but also the local community!

but i should run....we are about to leave!

blessed bee, melissa

here we are again!

2008-07-11T10:31:00.001-07:00

it has been quite a while since i last posted and quite alot has changed!

the family has moved to hockley valley, where we set up shop in my parents garage, and are busy making our lovely bees wax candles. kade is loving spending time with his grandparents and exploring the vast land my parents own. he is growing fast, and next month he will be turning two (and will have bees wax candles on his cake for sure)!!

kade's daddy, alex, has found himself a job renovating gardens with a local company who has also agreed to sell our candles. he is also working on making our own bee boxes so we can have bees on our property!

and i spend my days playing with kade and making candles, which now come in many different styles but are all handmade with wonderful local bees wax.

my goal is to up date this site weekly, and to add pictures and fun facts about bees and their wax. so place come often and see what our family is doing.

blessed bee,
melissa

ps. above is a picture of kade and i at the hockley strawberry festival!

why use bees wax?

2007-10-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

bees wax, besides being oh-so-sweet, is also good for your home and health! with no harsh chemicals, no dye, and no toxic smoke, bees wax is the most natural choice.

our candles are each hand dipped and therefore hopelessly flawed! each candle is unique and made from a labor of love!

we use only local wax, with an intention of supporting our local bee keepers and raw honey production.

we hope you enjoy our candles as much as we enjoyed making them and that you share them with your friends and family!

our first post!

2007-09-25T06:32:00.001-07:00

hi there,
this is melissa here, kade's mom, and one of two crazy busy dipping candles!
we are trying to get our stock up and find pretty ways to display them and all that jazz and will hopefully have some pictures up here soon for you all.
i am excited to document this journey and have a place where kade, who is now only 13 months old, will be able to go and see what we were doing when he was still a wee one!
so, more to come and pictures too, so just stick in there.....
much love, melissa