Northumbrian Candleworks

New Look Website

2012-01-27T01:42:00.000-08:00

Our fresh new-look website has just gone live!

Not only do we think it looks great but navigation of the site should be easier with the main page categories now displayed across the top of the page with drop-down menus.

We've also added a new option in our shop to 'Shop by Fragrance' which should make selecting a favourite fragrance or fragrance type much easier and quicker. Shoppers can choose from our four main types of fragrance - floral, fruity, herbal and spicy!

And some of our pages have been updated too. We're still in the process of updating the 'Stockists' page which may take a little longer but will hopefully be completed soon.

www.northumbriancandleworks.co.uk

We're taking the colour out!

2011-11-18T02:33:00.000-08:00

After much deliberation, we have decided to take steps to withdraw the use of coloured dye from the pure soy wax we use in our candles. This will mean that some of our candles that were previously coloured will now have a creamy yellow or white appearance instead.

Why have we done this? There are several reasons why we think it's a good idea to stop using colour is our soy candles - the main ones are...

Soy wax in its natural, colourless state is attractive and, unlike other waxes, doesn’t need to have colour added to enhance its appearance.
Some dyes contain petroleum-based elements and so are inconsistent with our policy of producing pure soy wax candles.
Soy wax can develop a white frosted appearance when exposed to fluctuations in temperature and colour can accentuate this effect.
Colour is an artificial additive that can affect the way the candle burns, causing more soot to build up during burning.

We have not changed anything else in our candles – the fragrance is exactly the same and the amount of fragrance we add has not changed so there is absolutely no difference in the quality or depth of fragrance either when the candle is burning, or when it is cold. Our customers should not notice any change to the lovely fragrances we offer.

We believe that this slight variation will enhance our candles and, for those who stock them, improve sales! The lovely coloured packaging will stay so each fragrance can still be identified by it's signature colour!

Our first fragrance to undergo its face-lift is French Lavender - check it out on our website.

A successful trade show!

2011-07-26T04:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our stand at Harrogate Home & Gift - we had a very busy few days. It was really nice to see some of our regular customers there (some of which I hadn't met before) and to meet some new ones who liked our products and placed orders there and then! Some pictures of our stand are shown below.
As we're going to be very busy over the next few weeks this will push our lead times out a bit but we'll aim to give an accurate turnaround time for all enquiries and orders we receive.
As ever our candle tins proved to be the most popular line and our 3 new fragrances were very well received.
So all in all after the hard work leading up to the event I think I can say it was very successful for us. Next stop is Autumn Fair at Birmingham NEC 4-7 September. Look out for us on Stand 5M29.

End of June and thinking of Christmas already!

2011-06-30T02:06:00.000-07:00

So...it's that time of year again when most of us are thinking about our summer holidays but retailers are looking ahead and planning what stock they need to meet the buying frenzy in the lead up to Christmas! We're the same!
We've got two large trade fairs coming up over the next few months and are hoping to attract lots of new customers who want to stock our products over the festive season.
First up is Home & Gift at Harrogate 17-20 July. We'll be there for the second time this year and we're putting the finishing touches to our products and displays now in preparation. We're in the Intro North sector of the show which is specifically for small and new businesses so offers a range of quirky and unusual products, many of which can't be found at other shows this year. We're on stand E19. We're adding some new fragrances to our range which will be available for the first time there. Can't Wait!!!
Next is Autumn Fair at Birmingham NEC 4-7 September. A much bigger show and we'll be in the General Gifts Hall (Hall 5) stand number 5M29 - Looking forward to it!!!

Gift Bags have arrived...and other things

2010-10-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

It seems to have taken me a little while to get round to writing this post - 27 September was the last one!

So...what has been happening since then? Well, for one, the gift bags I mentioned earlier are ready now. There are two available - an English Garden set which contains 1 French Lavender, 1 English Rose and 1 Honeysuckle Jasmine small soy candle tin. There is also a Fruit Basket set which contains 1 Juicy Peach, 1 Honeydew Melon and 1 Fresh Green Apple soy candle tin. The candles are presented in a lovely silver glossy gift bag with rope handles which is tied with black satin ribbon for an added touch of luxury - piccys attached.

The gift bags are in the process of being added to our website and wholesale price list so they will be available both for direct and wholesale purchases very soon.

At the weekend I had a stall at the Holistic Harmony Festival - the first event organised by Sharon and Beth who run Holistic Harmony (a holistic treatment centre) in Ashington. I have to say that the event went really well. There were lots of varied workshops and stalls offering free treatments and interesting alternative therapies. I wished that I could have left my stall to go to the belly dancing workshop which looked great!!! But alas I had a constant stream of customers to attend to so couldn't. I did manage to squeeze in a short bamboo massage though which was very relaxing.

Last night I did a talk on candle-making at Greenhead WI which is a small village on Hadrian's Wall. They were a very nice group of ladies who made me feel very welcome and took a great interest in what I had to say - the tea and scones they provided at the break were delicious too!

Next event is 30 October - Newcastle Grainger Market is celebrating its 125 year anniversary so are marking this with a week of events. An arts and crafts fair will be held between 9am and 5pm - victorian costume is compulsory for exhibitors!

What are Soy Candles?

2010-09-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

I do get asked quite regularly 'What are Soy Candles?' and although the popularity of soy candles has increased rapidly recently it seems that lots of people still haven't discovered the benefits of using soy candles and the advantages soy wax has over paraffin wax. Paraffin wax candles still form the vast majority of candles available on the market.

Soy wax is a natural plant-based wax that is created from soy beans - the oil is extracted from the beans, purified and then put through a process to harden it and turn it into a wax and that's it! No nasty chemicals or additives are present in pure soy wax. Paraffin wax, on the other hand, comes from crude oil. This, for me, is a good reason to use soy candles rather than paraffin candles but there are lots of other reasons why you should buy soy. So...read on!

-   Candles made from soy wax burn more cleanly than paraffin wax candles which reduces the amount of soot and smoke emitted from the candle - so no more unsightly black streaks up your walls!
-   A soy candle can last up to 50% longer than paraffin wax candles of the same size therefore you get more for your money.
-   Research has shown that soy candles do not emit the same toxic fumes as paraffin wax candles so they are a healthier alternative.
-    Soy wax is biodegradable therefore kinder to the environment.
-    Soy wax is easy to clean up with soap and water so spills are quickly removed leaving no trace.

Also, at Northumbrian Candleworks we only use soy wax that has been grown without herbicides or pesticides and is produced without genetically modified material. Our products are all vegan-friendly too and are free from animal testing.

So there it is...a quick summary of what soy candles are and hopefully an explanation as to why more and more people are choosing soy candles over paraffin candles.

Monday Morning

2010-09-20T00:16:00.000-07:00

Busy week ahead!
I'm expecting a delivery of fragrance oil today which means I can get quite a few orders finalised and despatched. I've been waiting for the Lavender oil in particular for a long time!
Started to think about Christmas too - only 96 days to go! Planning to do some candle gift sets which should go down well at the events we're doing - just need to decide on presentation and packaging.
Well...must get on!

Getting Started

2010-09-17T00:51:00.000-07:00

That social media course definitely has a lot to answer for! 1 month ago I didn't know a Tweet from a Hoot and wanted to find out how social media could benefit my business. Now here I am blogging for England!
Hopefully this won't be just a passing fad and I will keep this blog updated but it can be quite time consuming to sit at your laptop thinking of interesting things to say. So I apologise if what I write here is not always funny, entertaining, emotional or even barely interesting but I will always try to write something.

So who are Northumbrian Candleworks? We are basically a small business based in Hexham that specialises in the use of soy wax to create lovely handmade soy candles. We are supplying a growing network of stockists across the UK with our candles - mainly specialist gift and home accessories shops - but anyone who likes our products and would like to stock them, whatever their specialism is welcome to get in touch.

Check out our website for more information... Northumbrian Candleworks