Natures Garden Fragrance Oils & Supplies

What’s your name & Your Company Name:  Creatively Handcrafted

Why did you decide to go into business?  What was your motivation?  How long have you been in business?  I started candle making over 12 years ago as just a hobby.  I love candles and wanted to give it a try.  I enjoyed making candles, however, life got in the way & I ending up taking a hiatus for about 5 years.  Only making candles for certain people.  I recently restarted with a whole new look, new name and all new candles.

What products do you make and sell?  I make all types of candles as well as wax dipped critters.  Recently I have tried my hand at some soap making & bath melts.  Thanks to Natures Garden for the recipes and ideas to try.

What are your business goals?  My new goals are to build my business with regular repeat customers.  I want to provide a quality product that people can enjoy just as much as I did when I created it.  I am currently working full time trying to get my business restarted.

What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?  I always get my fragrances from Natures Garden.  I find that they are reasonably priced and always excellent quality.  I recently purchased items for bath melts.  I would have never even thought of trying to make anything else but with the recipes it seemed too easy not to try.  I can’t say that I have a favorite because I have not received anything I didn’t like.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CreativelyHandcrafted?ref=hl

1.  What’s your name & Your Company Name:  Ashley Thompson  Thompson Traditions

2.  Why did you decide to go into business?  What was your motivation?  How long have you been in business?  I decided to go into business after years of teaching preschool.  I came across candle and soap making while finding crafting projects for the children and I got hooked.  I have been in business for 7 years and did nothing but research and test for 2 years prior.

3.  What products do you make and sell?  I make and sell a range of bath and body items, air and carpet fresheners, and a variety of wax melts and candles.

4.  What are your business goals?  I strive to have not just great products that people can truly enjoy but great customer service as well.

5.  What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?  Some of the products I use from Nature’s Garden are their waxes and fragrance oils; both of which are constant must haves for me. Nature’s Garden is my “go to” supplier and always will be! I love Natures Garden fragrance oils; they are awesome quality fragrance oils and they carry a large variety.  My current favorite is Frozen Margarita (in fragrance and flavor oil)!

Your Website:  www.thompsontraditions.com

Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Thompson-Traditions/110063969987?ref=hl

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ThompTraditions

1. What is your name and Your Company Name: Marlene Nicosia/Spa Girl

2. Why did you decide to go into business? What was your motivation? How long have you been in business? Meeting at a crossroad several years ago with decreasing demand for what I had been doing for the previous 35+ years (medical transcription), and also going to be relocating to the Chicago area as my daughter was having a baby and I would be full-time babysitter, I met with a couple of ladies who had successful soap companies and was awestruck by the concept of making handmade soaps from oils and lye. I had always been in love with essential oils and natural products and this was a perfect fit. I began my journey in 2009 into handmade. Although I have seemed to find my niche with bath bombs, my goal is to continue to add a KidSpa and SpaPure line that is fragrance-free with natural colorants, essential oils and beneficial clays.

3. What products do you make and sell? Bath bombs, luxury soaps, Kids Spa line including sugar scrubs, cupcake soaps, bubble bombs, glycerin soaps.

4. What are your business goals? We are working on our website and hope to have it ready in the next few weeks. I would also like to establish wholesale accounts for handmade soaps including our SpaPure natural line of products.

5. What are some products you use from Natures Garden? What are your favorite products from Natures Garden? I love the products, pricing and service from Natures Garden. We carry over 50 fragrance oils from Natures Garden. I love to check out the Best Sellers section and know when I’m adding them to my line; they are guaranteed to be received well by my customers and will become my best sellers. I have purchased soap molds, soap making supplies, and always pick up a few new fragrances with every order.

Your Website: http://www.spagirlsoaps.etsy.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/spagirl.soaps

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpaGirlSoap

1.  What’s your name & Your Company Name:  Denise R. Scott and Cindy Stroupe,  Denise’s Creation

2.  Why did you decide to go into business?  What was your motivation?  How long have you been in business? I met my friend Cindy Stroupe when we worked together about 7 years ago. My motivation occurred after my conversation with Cindy.  Cindy told me she made handcrafted soaps and I knew the soaps in the store irritated my skin. After using her handcrafted soaps I was sold. So smooth, fresh, and the scents were awesome. Since I work I knew my coworkers were looking for natural products for skin and good smelling items for their homes.  Cindy makes an anti-bacterial soap for acne and our customers love it.  Also I promote and sell handcrafted  purses, wallets, baby blankets, curtains and more made by Venessa Shoup.  Venessa made me a purse and the rest is history. People love the handcrafted purses. They can be washed and are 98% cotton. By schooling, I have a marketing degree and love to talk to people. I knew these items could sell well. Together Cindy and Venessa make the handcrafted items and I sell. Also I market by word of mouth and established the facebook page. So totally we have been in business for seven years.

3.  What products do you make and sell?  Handcrafted candles, soaps, purses, wallets, baby blankets, curtains. There are other items on my facebook page that is not handcrafted, oil burners and plug ins, but many our customers love the oils from Natures Garden for their burners. Also I use designer oils along with the bottles to make body spritzers.

4.  What are your business goals?  I currently work and this is a home base business I would love to have a small shop myself or collaborate with someone to put the items in their store.

5.  What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?  All our fragrance oils, designer fragrance oils and bottles for the spritzers.

Facebook page:  http://facebook.com/dwisecarverscott

1.      What’s your name & Your Company Name:  Liz Holding, L.H. Soaps & Sundries

2.      Why did you decide to go into business?  What was your motivation?  How long have you been in business?  I decided to go into business for a silly and simple reason… I love to make soap, and I am really addicted to it.  If I didn’t share what I make, I would probably drown under bars and bars of soap!  I also love the spectrum of fragrances, playing around with different things, and seeing what I can come up with.  Motivation?  Well, I have always loved to make things with my hands.  As long as I can remember, I have fiddled with various things… I have always had a right-brained curiosity for art, design, and creations, yet as I got older, I developed a very left-brained analytical mind as well.  One year, I channeled this energy into mischievously cross-breeding my mom’s favorite rose bushes into an odd new breed.  From there, I knew I had a love for science.  I got a degree in chemistry and got my first job as a formulation chemist.  I learned how to make soap in my college chemistry class, and I learned all about emulsion science in my formulation job.  Since then, I have honed my soap making skills, and because of my knowledge of emulsions, have been able to create an incredible set of lotion formulas.  Soap making is the perfect craft for a right-left brainer, because it allows me to stay artistic while using science and analysis.  I actually learned how to make soap back in 2002 during chemistry class.  I have made batch after batch since then, and decided that I have sufficient knowledge of the craft to begin selling.  10 years after beginning, I began to seriously sell, so I have really only been in business for maybe a little less than a year.

3.      What products do you make and sell?  My shop has a few staple items in it, such as soap, lotions and creams, lip balm, shower gel, etc.  However, I am always experimenting and have been known to pull out some custom creations including sugar soaps, bath syrup, face masks, and more.

4.      What are your business goals?  Ultimately my goal is to be able to quit my day job and focus on L.H. Soaps full time.  I would like to procure several wholesale accounts and attend many more craft fairs and events than I already do.  I love custom creations for special occasions as well, which is another aspect of my business that I would like to develop more. 

5.      What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?  I have actually only ever gotten Nature’s Garden fragrance oils, because I have heard so many wonderful things about them.  The extensive reviews and testing for each fragrance is so incredibly helpful.  Currently, I am loving the Vanilla Pear and Vanilla Bean fragrances, although every single one I received is amazing.

Your Website:  http://lhsoaps.weebly.com

Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/lhsoaps

Blog:  http://lhsoaps.weebly.com/blog.html

What’s your name & Your Company Name:  Misty Baker  ~ Bath Sweets and Body Treats

Why did you decide to go into business?  What was your motivation?  How long have you been in business?  I have been in business for 5 years now.  It started as a hobby, making things for family then expanded to family and friends and their friends and finally I just took the jump and decided to make a go of it and never looked back!  It is so nice to have control what goes on your skin, I use the best ingredients available and keep things as natural as possible.

What products do you make and sell?  I make all kinds of unique bath and body treats as well as candles and other gift items.  I thrive on special orders and personalizing gifts to make it a one of a kind item people will treasure.  I love a good challenge and it really keeps things interesting doing unique and very different products.

What are your business goals?  Someday I hope to be financially stable and expand the business with all my family involved.   And a beach house would be really nice also!!

What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?  I have used everything from Natures Garden…They actually have EVERYTHING!   I love the waxes, cosmetic bases, soap base, the packaging is wonderful but what caught my eye to Natures Garden years ago was the selection of fragrance oils not to mention the quality and prices, which helps a small business, survive in these times.

Your Website:    http://www.bathsweetsandbodytreats.com/shop/

Facebook page:   https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Bath-Sweets-Body-Treats/317166493200

1.  What’s your name & Your Company Name?  Robert M Vendetti & Spencer C Pilon, Spunky Bobs Candles

2.  Why did you decide to go into business?  What was your motivation?  How long have you been in business?  I started with candle kit online, my girlfriend wanted soy wax candles.  It turned out I had extra candles and gave them to friends.  They started asking for more and more candles and a month later I was making 30 scents. Time was motivation, and friends asking for more scents too.  We have been in business since January 19^th

3.  What products do you make and sell?  Soy wax candles four different size jars and tins.

4.  What are your business goals?  To make great smelling soy candles for everyone, and be successful at it.

5.  What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?  Many different scents:  Green Irish Tweed Type, Lick Me All Over, Patchouli, Lavender, Black Raspberry & Vanilla, Twilight of the Woods, Fresh Cut Roses, China Rain, Butt Naked, NG Clean Linens, and others.

Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/Spunkybobscandles

1.  What’s your name & Your Company Name:  Lori Barrow, Windsor Hills Wicks & Lather

2.  Why did you decide to go into business?  What was your motivation?  How long have you been in business?  I’m a stay-at-home mom and needed an outlet for my creativity that would earn extra income. I was working on the lines that I would carry for a candle and soap business when our daughter got sick in 2010.  At that time, I started taking a closer look at the products that I was bringing into my home. Thankfully, her illness wasn’t as severe as originally diagnosed and I opened my Etsy based business in 2011.  I’ve always loved candles, so I set out to start making stylish, high-quality candles that my friends and I would like and use.

 3.  What products do you make and sell?  My main product line includes my crafty soy candles (canning jar containers with decorative handcrafted covers), wax melts, wax luminaries, body butter, spa salts & nail polish. I rotate out other products such as incense, burlap wall art, glass luminaries, facial masks, smelly jellies, salves and children’s bubble bath.

 4.  What are your business goals?  I would like to grow my business from a home business to having a store front in our historic downtown that showcases locally made candles, soaps and crafts. We have a lot of insanely talented artisans in my area and I would love to own a shop that showcases them all, and offer the occasional class in crafting. I would also like to own a small manufacturing facility so that I could take on larger orders that I have had to previously turn down.  Every candle that I create is an investment in not only my future; it’s an investment in the future of my family and this town that I grew up in and think of so dearly. It might be a struggle to achieve my dream, but I’m in this for the long haul and I can’t wait until all of my friends and everyone in this town try my custom container candles.

5.  What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?  My favorite products from Nature’s Garden are the fragrance oils and essential oils. Egyptian Dragon is heavenly, it is my best seller! Vanilla Spectacular is one of my favorite scents. People who normally don’t care for vanilla love Vanilla Spectacular! Another of my favorites is “Cashmere & Silk,” because it is an incredible scent! The essential oils that I have bought from Nature’s Garden have been great, I really love the patchouli essential oil and tea tree essential oil.  In addition to the fragrance and essential oils, I love the variety of herbs and spices that you carry! Many of the body recipes that I make require the use of powdered herbs or spices and they are very expensive to buy locally. I’m very thankful that you carry the herbs and spices that I need. Your incense supplies are phenomenal!

Your Website:  www.WindsorHillsWL.etsy.com

Facebook page:  www.facebook.com/WindsorHillsWL

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/WindsorHillsWL

Blog:  www.windsorhillswl.com ( I blog on my products and give craft DIY tutorials)

1.  What’s your name & Your Company Name:  My name is Amy Williams and my company name is Awahali Candles.  Awahali (ah-wah-ha-lee) is Cherokee for Eagle and was my husband’s Cherokee name he was given on the reservation in Cherokee, NC when he was born.

2.  Why did you decide to go into business?  What was your motivation?  How long have you been in business?  I have been experimenting with my business since 2010.  I quit my job of 14 years to start another business in 2009 and was not happy with what I was doing.  I wanted to get my creativity out so I started experimenting with different types of candles.  The beauty of experimenting with candles is if you don’t like it you can just melt down your wax and start again! I really enjoyed what I was doing and decided to try a different approach to candles and I have managed to acquire a lot of customers because of all of my options..

3.  What products do you make and sell?  Awahali Candles makes customized candles.  We will personalize them, customize them, and we also do refills!  Refilling has been a huge chunk of my business.  I have customers bring me their empty candle jars and I clean them up and refill them with the customer’s choice of type of wax, wick, color(s), fragrance(s), and design.  I have a set refill menu for them to choose what they want.  A lot of customers choose a candle color to match their décor even if they do not like the fragrance.  I allow people to choose their combination for their candles so they get exactly what they want.  This opens a lot of business for weddings and promotional candles.  I will also give customers a choice of various types of glassware I have available if they do not have anything to bring me.  I will also add any design to their container(s) . . . .pictures, company logos, any design they want on their glassware I can put it on there.  The beauty of creating a customer chosen design is once it is empty they can bring it back and I will refill it so they always have that keepsake candle!  They can choose a new color or fragrance every time they refill!  I have some customers that will purchase glassware with their company logo on it and then send it to me to fill it up with their choices to create promotional candles for their customers.  I have the usual stocked candles that customers can just pick up and go or add a design to if needed in a rush.  At the moment my main focus is candles.  I am working on branching out to other products eventually.

4.  What are your business goals?  Right now I am working towards opening a store by the end of 2013.  I do not want to be a huge candle factory.  I want it to remain a small business-type of company and keep that face-to-face customer service.  I want the customer to have a unique experience building that perfect candle.  I want to make sure to keep all of that glassware out of our landfills.  I have had people bring me boxes of empty candle jars that they have stacked to the ceiling in their closets.  I want to set a standard to recycle that glassware . . . why not?  They paid for that glass jar so why not refill it and keep from paying for more when you already have mountains of them in your closet just taking up precious space!!

5.  What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?  The big attraction for my business is the fragrance choices.  I allow the customer to smell what I have stocked or choose from a list of what is available.  Nature’s Garden has by far the largest selection of fragrances and they tend to be the best smelling.  I put the highest scent load in my candles so the customer gets the ultimate fragrance loads the fill their homes and businesses.  My customers have told me that my candles smell more intense and fill up their environment better than any other candles they have ever purchased.  The wide variety of fragrances that Nature’s Garden only opens up the endless choices I can offer to my clientele.

Your Website:  www.awahalicandles.com