Candle shapes and styles

There are a lot of different shapes and styles of candles.

Most of the candles that have a shape are pillar candles.  These are candles that are placed on a candle plate on a flat surface away from anything that can catch fire such as paper, curtains, flowers or any cloth.

Some of the shapes of candles are round, square, octagon, pyramid and diamond.  Even these shapes can have different styles.

Round, square and octagon shaped candles can have either a flat top or a concave top (which is a sunken top).  Most candles have the flat top instead of the concave top.  In addition to having a concave top as a style, these candles can also have scalloped edges giving the candle a look of bamboo.

Pyramid and diamond shaped candles usually have straight corners.  You can find some that have a more rounded corner, but these are not as common.

Another style of candle is the container candle.  These are candles that are in jars, times or other types of containers.  These containers have lids that can be used to extinguish the candle.   These containers can come in various looks.  You can have a clear glass container where you can see the color of the candle or a tin candle that can have a design on the tin.  The tins are usually customized toward a season such as Christmas or Halloween.

There are container candles that are in various types of glass such as wine glasses, champagne glasses, coffee glasses or a variety of other types of glasses.  These glasses can also be reused after all the wax has come out of the glass.

Another style of candle is the votive.  These candles are smaller, usually 2-3 inches tall.  They can either be a pillar candle or in a container.  Even the votive candles can have different shapes.  They can have flat tops, rounded tops, triangle top or a top with some kind of design.  They can also be cupcakes, pumpkins, ghosts, leaves, flowers, etc.  You can get just about any shape of a candle you want.  Just ask the person making the candle if they can make a specific shape.

Great Summer Scents

With summer here, people will be opening their windows to let in some fresh air and the lovely scents of summer.  There will be the sweet aroma of freshly bloomed flowers, the smell of fresh cut grass, the clean fresh air and the tasty aroma of people grilling.

Not only will you get these great scents, you will also get exhaust fumes, insecticides, fertilizer and a variety of other scents that are very well liked.

How do you keep these aromas out and the fresh floral scents of summer?  It's easy.  Please a few great scented candles around the house.  This will help with any unpleasant odor or freshen up the house.

If you like floral scents, honeysuckle, rose, lilac and lavender are just a few of the summery floral scents.  You will get the same great aromas from these beautiful candles as the flowers from outside.  With any of these scents, you will be able to bring the outdoor scents indoor without the bugs.

Don't want any floral scents?  There are food scents such as fresh coffee, red velvet cake, pumpkin pie and chocolate, just to name a few of the yummier flavors.  Each of these scents will fill your house and people will thing you just made a fresh brewed pot of coffee, a freshly baked red velvet cake, a spicy pumpkin pie or had some chocolate.

There are also some great fruity scents associated with summer as well.  There's the clean, fresh aroma of lemon, the citrusy scent of a fresh picked orange, the sweet juicy scent of a peach and the tropical aroma of kiwi.

You also cannot forget the scents for outdoor living.  Probably the most famous or well known is citronella, which is known to help keep mosquitoes away.  Other little known bug repellants are eucalyptus and lemon.  If you like spending time outdoors, these fragrances will help in reducing the amount of bugs that bug you.

Any of these scents can be combined with any scent.  You can either have a candle that has multiple layers, each with a different scent or a candle that has a combination of scents together.  Now is the time to get creative with the scents you want in your house.  Find what you like and keep some handy.  Not only will they give your house the freshness of summer, but they will also add to your decor.

My daughter has Asperger's Syndrome

My daughter has Asperger's Syndrome.  For those who don't know, a short definition is it is the social and behavioral aspects of Autism.  There are children who have this and are high functioning while others are low functioning.  If the child is high functioning, they seem to be very bright, intelligent.  Low functioning can have a lot of other issues such as not talking for example.  Luckily, my daughter is high functioning and extremely intelligent (ok I'm mom, what do you expect?).  Actually, her school said she has one of the highest IQ's they have seen in awhile at the school.

Asperger's Syndrome is characterized by not looking people in the eye, disliking routine changes, don't understand changes or tones in voices by other people (ex recognizing sarcasm), not recognizing facial expressions,  or talking about their favorite subject.

My husband and I first noticed something was different about our daughter.  A few things we noticed is she would not look us in the eye, always talked about bugs, wouldn't know if we were joking or not and would get upset if her routine would change.  For awhile, we thought she would grow out of this and be a normal little girl.  One day at church, a friend of ours came up and said she suspected something was wrong with our daughter and should have her tested.  She is a principal that deals with special needs children.  She explained that our daughter should be looking people in the eye when speaking, but wouldn't no matter how many times you asked her to, called her name or anything.

Our daughter was tested and was placed in a special needs preschool.  Her teacher called my husband one day and told him she thinks she figured out what was going on with our daughter.  She said she suspected she had Asperger's Syndrome.  The teacher said this is the best news out of all the news she could be giving us.  She went on to explain about how some children have high intelligence even though they would have social and behavioral problems.

Before we found this out, my husband and I couldn't figure out why she would not listen to us, would do the same thing we told her not to do, wouldn't talk to other kids, etc.  Now we found out why.  We didn't know what to do to help her except try to understand.  There were times, it would be World War 3 around the house trying to get her to listen, behave or anything.

After our daughter started school, she was mainstreamed because if she was in the autism program at her school, it would be below her intelligence and do more harm than good.  For awhile, she was ok with interacting with some children.  I think it was some time in first grade she started having major problems.  At this point, I told the school to get her an aide.  About a week or so later, she had an aide and this seemed to help.  As she went up in grades, her behavior got worse.  It was nothing to be called to the school a few times a week because of her behavior.  She was suspended several times because of her behavior.  This was while she was in second and third grade.  During third grade (this year), it was required she be removed from this school and placed in another school that could handle her.  She went there for a visit and after class, came up to me and said she wanted to go and loved school.  This is the first time I have heard this from her.  She has started that school and really likes it.  We don't know how long our daughter will be attending this school, but we are hoping it is a while and will not return to her old school.  They didn't want to deal with her even though according to the state they were equipped to deal with her and handle her problems.

Just because someone has Asperger's doesn't mean they can't do anything or become anything.  There are some very famous people who have Asperger's or suspected of having it.  Some famous people who have or suspected of having Asperger's include: Dan Aykroyd, Darryl Hannah, Bill Gates, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, Al Gore, James Taylor, just to name a few.  Look at what all of these people have done.  A lot of amazing people and amazing things.

Fast Selling New Items

Over Christmas, I made a few candles as presents for people.  What I did was create the candles in various types of glasses.  I also did a few other decorative things to them.  The people I gave these glasses to, came back and ordered some to give as gifts.  They thought they were great looking, cute and different.  I can't believe how fast they are going.  Some of them don't even make it to art fire.  People will ask me what I have and I tell them, then they snap it up.

I love having this kind of popularity with an item.  It is a good feeling to have.

Here are few of the items I have sold in the very recent past.


This is a very nice chocolate ice cream sundae.  On the top, it has some "whipped cream" that is drizzled with red similar to strawberry syrup.  I have 2 orders to make these great candles.  I had listed this on art fire, but I showed some people the pictures I had taken with my phone and they wanted to buy it.  It lasted about one day on art fire.

This beauty is a coffee scented candle in a glass coffee mug.  On the top, is some whipped cream just like a latte.  The color is very close to what a cup of fresh brewed coffee would be.

If you love martinis, you would definitely love this watermelon coconut scented candle.  It is in a clear glass martini glass.  The red color is a bright red and around the rim of the candle is a ring of "sugar and salt".











I still have a few items like these listed in my shop.  I am hoping they go as fast as the others have.  There were some people at Girl Scouts yesterday who were admiring a candle the troop leader purchased from me.  They are interested in purchasing some of these candles also.  It looks like I will be busy in a good sense.

Holiday Season

With the holiday season already upon us, it is time to start or finish your holiday shopping.  Start your shopping with some great handmade items.

On artfire, you have a wide assortment of handmade items.  There are earrings, necklaces, cards, candles and a whole lot more.  You will be happy with the handmade gift items and so will the person you give them too.

Here are some great handmade Christmas finds.

These beautiful earrings are by DesertCreations.  They are an amethyst dangle earrings.  Just look at the colors shine and sparkle.

If you are like most people, you never have enough cards for the holidays.  This great winter themed card is by Laurascrafts.  It has a cute snowman on the front.  Nothing says winter or holidays better.

This golf towel is personalized with Dad on the front.  This is the perfect gift for any golfer.  It is in Polkadot Orchards shop.

Does anyone on your list need a new scarf?  The CrochetCubby has a great selection of nice handmade and warm scarves.  This is a lovely purple and white one.

Of course, you will need a table runner for when you have family over.  You want things to be perfect and this snowman s'mores table runner by PutnamLakeDesigns will definitely give your table the perfect look.

In addition to making your table look nice, you will need to give the bread basket a little extra too.  This handmade lilac gingham bread basket liner by UniquelyHandmade will definitely give a lot of extra.

Don't forget you will need something to sit all that deliciously hot food on something.  This hot pad, by Handmadegiftsbybarb, will definitely get some use.

These are just some of the wonderful handmade gift ideas available on artfire.  There are lots and lots more.  You will not be disappointed.   There is something for everyone.  Don't forget to get something for yourself this holiday season also.

New Items in my Shop

I recently listed a few new items in my shop.

Some of these items are perfect for Halloween.  There are ghoulish green fingers, white scary skulls, black skulls and orange pumpkins.

The ghoulish green fingers have an apple scent.  It has the sweetness and tartness a green apple would have.

The white scary skulls have a spiced cider scent.  The spiced cider has a spicy clove and nutmeg scent.

The black skulls have a hazelnut scent.  This scent has a blend of vanilla and the richness of the Italian nut.

The orange pumpkins have a nice spicy pumpkin pie scent.  The ultimate fall scent.  Everyone looks forward to a pumpkin pie in the fall.

There are also white votives with the same spiced cider scent as the scary white skulls.  The black votives have the same strong scent as the black skulls.

I have also listed 2 grab bags.  One is for tarts and the other is for candles.

The first grab bag is made up of tarts where there is some damage or there aren't enough to make up a complete set.  They all have the same strong scent as the other tarts in my shop.

The other grab bag is made up of various shapes, scents and colors of candles.  There is a little damage on some candles.  They are little nicks, dents or marks.  These candles also have the same strong scents as my other candles.  A few of the candles I am not sure of the scent.

In both grab bags, I choose the candle and tarts.  It is a great way to get a strongly scented candle or tart and a surprise.

Everyone loves grab bags because you never know what you get.  It is a nice surprise and a great gift to give.

Halloween items

Halloween is a few days away.  Artfire has a lot of ghosts, goblins, witches, and other ghoulish Halloween items.

There are earrings, tarts, necklaces, bracelets, candles, cards and a lot of other items.

Here  is a ghostly necklace from The Singing Beader.  This is sure to get a fright.  Would you be scared?

For people who would rather have a pair of earrings instead of a necklace, here are some scary skull earrings from Shadowdogdesigns.   Now all you need is the skeleton costume and you would be all set.

If you aren't interested in scaring anyone, how about a cute little pumpkin pin from Bluemorningexpressions?  Isn't this cute?

All these items are handmade with quality material.  None of it is mass produced.

For people who aren't into jewelry, there are a lot of other great items.  Here is a little stuffed ghost for the young ones.  This is made by Daisydoodleembrodery.   This is something the little ones would treasure for a long time.

You can't forget candles.  A nice pumpkin spiced candle will surely remind you of Halloween and holidays beyond.  This one is one of my candles.  (I had to get one of mine in the listing).

Don't forget the costume.  You can't go out on Halloween without one.  Here is a great little mask by Eirewolf.

Don't be afraid to buy any of these items.  They are all handmade and well worth having.

Getting Studio in order

I have been working on getting my studio back in order.  My husband had done some work in the basement and a lot of the items got shoved into the little work room where I do my work.  I did some work also trying to get things organized.  I cleaned out a closet and put some items in there so the room would be a little easier to navigate and work.

Now I'm trying to get all my candle making equipment and supplies together.  It seems some of the supplies are shoved under a bunch of other boxes and some of them are in my work area.  I will have to figure out how to get things together so they can be used.

My next candle project is to make some more tarts.  I have some I need to make for halloween.  I think I have some skulls and some fingers.  These would make great tarts to be placed around the house.  They are both perfect for a little scare.

After that, I would like to make some pillar and votive candles.  I haven't decided on the colors or the scents yet.  I have even thought about making fire starters out of pine cones.  These make really nice fire starters.  Not only do you start a fire, but you get the nice scent of pine.  This would be a great Christmas scent to have coming out of the fire place.

It looks like I have some work ahead of me.  I hope I can get it done in time to list for the holidays.

Trying to catch up.

I have been working on my shop and trying to get things updated and added.  In the very near future, I an planning on making some more candles, tarts, and votives.  I have to do some work in the area I work in before I can do anything.  It's a little of a mess.

One thing I have done is made my daughter a mattress pad for her bed.  We were having a hard time finding ones that would fit and stay.  This one worked great.  It is made similar to a fitted sheet, but in the middle it has padding.  It is also a nice pink color and it also has princesses on it.  It wasn't really hard to make.  I was actually surprised at how it turned out.  There are a few little "flaws" in it, but it works.  One is the padding is not 100% centered.  To her it doesn't matter.  The first day I put it on her bed, she didn't want a sheet over it and slept on the mattress pad.  She said it was so comfortable.

I also made her a nice little fitted sheet for her bed.  This for some reason was a little harder.  I did use different type of material for it.  Instead of a fleece type, I used cotton.  I didn't realize the fitted sheet would have to have about 20 inches added to it to fit over the fitted sheet.  Oh well.  I got one made for her.  I don't have pictures of either of them.  One day, I will take pictures.

I have thought about making customized mattress pads and fitted sheets, but not sure how well they would be received.  Also, the cost would be more than going to the store and getting them.  I don't know if anyone would want to pay about $50 or more for a customized mattress pad or not.  Maybe I will make one and list it to see how it goes.

I have a few new items listed in my shop.  They are mostly bias tape and a few little key chains or zipper pulls.  This is part of my shop I have been trying to get done.  I keep finding things I haven't listed.  I guess I am a little unorganized.

Ready for fall collection

Here is a beautiful collection of handmade fall items.

Ready for Fall

  Curated By: shymouseecrafts

ArtFire.com

Handmade Gifts

Ready for Fall?

It's almost fall.  It won't be long before the leaves are falling and changing colors, the nip of cold is in the air and the holiday season will be upon us.

This is a listing for your fall items.  It can be anything fall related.  Please list as many as you want.  The more the better.  Please share this with others as well.

What I have been up to

It's been awhile since the last time I listed anything on my blog.  I have been a little busy.

Since the last posting, I lost my job.  I was part of a reduction in force from a government contract.  I was on various contracts at this one location for over 14 years.  The company I worked for was a major computer manufacturing company that has a government contracting division.  I have been looking for a job since.  I have had a few interviews, but nothing definite.  It seems like most of the people I get contacted by are head hunters or resume collectors.  They advertise they have a job and you apply.  They call you in and then inform you there is no job, but they expect some coming up really soon.  After this, you never hear from them again.  I hate dealing with them.  They get your hopes up only to dash them really quickly.

On the good side, I have had some promising interviews from a few companies.  I am waiting for them to call me back.  The good things are none of them are for a head hunter or a company that has a government contract.  I don't  think I want to go back to do contracting for the government.  It is unstable.  Every 3-5 years, you could be out of a job.  I was one of the lucky ones that stayed working for an extended period of  time.

I have also been working on my artfire studio and my web page.  I have been retaking pictures and editing them to make things look a lot better.  I have also taken quite a few pictures of some new items. I have them listed.  I have made it up to 180 items on my artfire page.  Once I get the web page done, I will be listing some more items on artfire.

I am hoping the next few months things will improve.

Artfire Artists

If you have never checked out artfire, you really need to check it out.  There are so many great artists there.  Everything by these artists are handmade.  They have great quality and design.

Cardsbylibe and Gingers-Garden are featured today.   Cardsbylibe makes great handmade cards for any occasion.   Gingers-Garden makes amazing handmade soap, shampoo, lotion, and other bath luxuries.

With Mother's day coming up, Cardsbylibe would be the place to stop by and pick up a card for your mom.  These cards are handmade and absolutely beautiful.   

Wouldn't your mother love to get a beautiful handmade card that is unique and nobody else would have?  This Cardsbylibe card would be the perfect card for her.  Just look at the beautiful colors on this card.  

Do you need to have some blank cards for any occasion?  Cardsbylibe has some of those too.  

Here is a blank card with embossed roses with purple and white color.  This card could just say hi or hello to someone you haven't heard from in awhile.  What better way to reconnect to someone?  Send a handmade card instead of a generic email.

Gingers-Garden makes amazing handmade soap.  These soaps are very luxurious and relaxing.   Don't forget Mother's Day.  I'm sure you can find something your mother would love.

How about some citrus orange soap for a Mother's Day present?

This soap would be the ideal item for a mother who loves the invigorating scent of citrus.  Not only does it have a great scent, but it is also beautiful with the hummingbird design.  Maybe your mother would think these are too beautiful to use and just display them.

If your mother would prefer shower gels, Gingers-Garden has that also.  

Here is some relaxing lavender shower gel and body wash.  What mother couldn't use some relaxing after a hard day at work and family?  Your mother could just wash all the stress from the day away with this fabulous shower gel.

These are just some of the artists that are on artfire.  The items you see are all handmade and no two items are exactly the same.  If you are interested in purchasing these items or seeing what others are available, please visit the shops and look around.  I'm sure you will find something.

Artfire Artists

I have started creating these blogs for some of the shops on artfire.  I try to have similar shops together.  Today the shops being featured are carolesjackets and UniquelyJenQuiltCreations.  Both shops make great products that will keep you warm on cold days.

Carolesjackets makes beautiful embroidered jackets. They can be worn at any time and with anything.  

Here is a basic yet classy black jacket.

It has a nice colorful flower design at the bottom of this jacket.  The flowers stand out and give this jacket a touch of spring.  If you are a little chilly on a spring day or night, this jacket would be something to keep you warm, but not overly warm.  You will also get some comments about the beauty of this jacket.


















Do you want some pink?  Here is a light pastel pink jacket.  

This pastel pink jacket has some very nice iris flowers on both sides of the top of the jacket.  This jacket is a light color pink that will look great with a pair of jeans.  You could probably even wear it as a shirt.














UniquelyJenQuiltCreations makes unique quilts.  She does not follow a pattern.  She creates her own patterns.

Do you have a baby or a baby shower to go to?  This quilt would make a great gift.

Just look at this beautiful quilt.  It has a lot of nice bright colors.  It will keep any little one warm on a cool night or out and about.  This will surely become a keepsake for years.


















How about a beautiful quilt that would be a really nice piece of art to hang on your wall?  This would be perfect.

Look at the quality of this quilt.  It is a piece of art.  This would be a very nice piece to hang in the living room.  It is very welcoming and cute.














Check out these artfire artists along with the many others that make handmade items.  They are all quality made products.

Artfire Jewelry Artists Part2

I tried writing this a few minutes ago, but my computer decided it didn't want to work and locked up on me.  Now I get to start from scratch.  I really need to get a new computer.

Since my last blog post about the wonderful jewelry artists on artfire, some people have asked if I could feature them on my blog.  Today, the artists are Metal_Artistry, DesertCreations and DianesDangles.   Each of these jewelry designers have beautiful pieces of jewelry.

Metal_Artistry makes wonderful jewelry out of metal.  The metal is shaped into some of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry you can imagine.  

The first piece is a mixed metal landscape pendant that features mountains, moon, snow and river.  When you look at this pendant, you can see the full moon shining down over the snow capped mountains and the river.  

Absolutely beautiful.  A perfect picture of nature for the perfect necklace.












Do you like rings?  Do you like sterling silver?  If so, this ring is for you.  This ring is made of sterling silver and has a mountain range forged on it.  Every time you look at this ring, you will feel as  though you are in the mountains.

Just look at how beautiful this ring is.  Very shiny and eloquent.  Bet you can't resist.














DesertCreations makes amazing jewelry using polymer clay, beads and wire.  I'm sure there is something for you.  Take a look.

This is one of the many pieces of handmade jewelry DesertCreations made.  It is a pair of copper glass on copper earring wires.  Aren't these earrings great?   These could be worn for any occasion.

Look at these earrings.  There are 3 different shades of copper.  The copper from the wires are a bright copper, the first bead is a little lighter color of copper and the last bead is a dark copper.  














Do you have a sweet tooth?  Take a look at this bracelet.  Nothing but sweet items.  What fun this bracelet is.

Popsicles, cupcakes and dougnuts.  What more could you ask for?  At least with these sweets, you don't have to worry about your weight or cavities.















DianesDangles has a wide variety of brilliant colors and jewelry pieces.  You will probably find your favorite color in her shop.  

For the people who love blue, here is a piece you will probably love.  It's a bright blue Swarovski Crystal with a silver bead cap.  

As you can see, the blue is very bright and is highlighted by the bead caps and the cute little swirl at the bottom.














Here is a piece of money for the people who like to wear money and unusual items.  You will get a lot of compliments when you wear this pendant.

You know you want it, just buy it.  How many people can say they wear money?


















If you are interested in any of these pieces, they can be seen on artfire.com or you can click on the images and be taken to the item.  

Be sure to support handmade.  These items are not mass produced.  They are made by hand and are unique.  You will not find anything in the commercial stores with the same quality as handmade.

Artfire Jewelry Artists

I have made several references to my shop on artfire.com.  Artfire has a lot of people who make great and beautiful handmade products.   You should check them out.  If you are looking for jewelry, candles, clothes, pictures, cards, photos or just about anything, you will find something you love on artfire.

Today, I am showing some of the people who make the fabulous jewelry you see on artfire.  Some of the people who make jewelry are shadowdogdesigns, bluemorningexpressions, and thesingingbeader just to name a few.

Shadowdogdesigns makes jewelry for just about every occasion.  She has some for the holidays, casual and more formal occasions.  The jewelry Shadowdogdesigns makes are all full of colors.  There is nothing dull in her shop.

She also uses a lot of different types of beads, gems and shapes.  This piece she used Swarovski crystals.  Doesn't it look very bright, cheerful and colorful?

These earrings could be worn to an evening out.  They are gorgeous.

















Shadowdogdesigns also has some fun items in her artfire shop.  Take a look at these Halloween earrings.

Now don't these put you in the Halloween spirit?


















Shadowdogdesigns has a huge selection you should check out.


Bluemorningexpressions also makes fabulous jewelry.  She makes jewelry along with polymer clay items.  Some of these items will become part of her jewelry pieces.  When you browse her shop, you will see the magnificent pieces she makes.

Here is a great example of Bluemorningexpressions polymer clay items and jewelry.

These are perfect for Easter or any fun occasion.  I bet you can't resist these earrings.

















Want to make your own earrings/jewelry?  Bluemorningexpressions has polymer beads you can use to make your own creations.  Here are some raw purple and yellow striped flower cane.

Aren't these colorful? They would be great for a pair of earrings and matching necklace.














TheSingingbeader has some beautiful musical themed jewelry along with a variety of other jewelry.  She has some sterling silver pendant neckaces of musical instruments that would be a very nice compliment to any outfit.

If you play guitar, you would love this sterling silver guitar pendant.

Just look at how shiny this beautiful guitar pendant is.  Visit her shop and you can get it before anyone else does.
















Thesingingbeader also has non-musical inspired jewelry.  Here is a lovely ruby red crystal pewter bracelet.

Doesn't the heart look great with these beautiful red crystal beads?
















These are just 3 of the great jewelry designers on artfire.  There are many, many more.  If you like jewelry, take a look at artfire and the jewelry designers.  You will surely find a piece you will love and will have to have.

If jewelry isn't your thing, there are other great artists on artfire.  Don't forget these are handmade items or supplies.  They are not like the cheaply made items you find in most stores.  They are quality handmade items.   These items are not mass produced, but made one at a time by hand.