What's New These Days?

Autumn is in the air and I’m really looking forward to the upcoming season of dormancy. Halloween is right around the corner. Then comes Thanksgiving and the entire Christmas season. I say “entire” because at our house the season begins the first week in December and lasts through the first week of January. I’ve got some new holiday cookies I hope to bake, and I may even have a little candle party at some point during the holidays.

I’ve been thinking of some new ideas too. In fact, I’m testing one as I write this. I’m not a container candle maker, but I’ve decided to try something out in the way of a filled votive cup. The decorating possibilities of the cup alone are enough to want to dive right into the project. For now I’m testing the wax. I want to make this a really long-lasting candle, and one where the wax burns all the way down without leaving residue along the sides of the glass. A seasoned container candle maker would probably know exactly what to do, but making do with what I have and hoping for the best. I was inspired by a filled votive cup in a catalog that said 100-Hour Candle. I don’t know if that candle truly burns for 100 hours; after all, it’s only about three ounces of wax. But if I can get a votive to burn more than 15 hours and go as long as 30, I think I could count that as a great selling point as well as something I’d like to burn in my own home. Then come all of those cup decorating ideas. Fabrics, papers, paint, gold leaf – I tell you, the possibilities are endless.

The bottle cap drink charms are going to take a heavenly turn, as well as a healthy one. Some new sets are in the making and hopefully will be ready for the gift-giving season.
I need a little motivation when it comes to taking pictures of my products for the shop. I need practice in that area too. Perhaps the winter will bring some time when I can put together a light box.

Keeping up with business paperwork, correspondence, and custom orders takes a lot of my time too. Of course the paperwork and correspondence come last as making things for other people the orders is actually fun.

And guess what? I decided that instead of doing business production at the end of the day while I take in a TV show or two I would take up a project just for me - a small and relatively simple crochet project. Crochet holds a special spot in my heart as it is the craft that made me realize years ago that I like to make things from nothing. So for a little relaxation over the next few weeks I’ll be working with a thin piece of thread and an aluminum hook to create a thing of beauty. I hope. I’ll keep you posted on that project.

For now I’m going to blow out my experimental votive turn off the computer. I’ll put on my flannel jammies adorned with a playful penguin pattern and slip under the blankets and quilt into bed. Tomorrow I’ll wake up to another day filled with more experiments, new possibilities, and hopefully some more inspiration.

And that’s what’s new these days.