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

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:  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

1.  What’s your name & Your Company Name:  Maile Kalus, Mai Creations

2.  Why did you decide to go into business?  What was your motivation?  How long have you been in business? I just started this business at the beginning of this year. I have always had the dream of owning my own custom candle shop in the small Southern Oregon town I was born and raised in. I am a single mother of a 12 year old son and would like to give him stability of knowing a trade, how to run a business and how to always make candles.

3.  What products do you make and sell?  I currently make Nag Champa Soy Candles and Oil.

4.  What are your business goals?  To sell candles and oils at local shops and Farmers Markets throughout Oregon until I can open my own custom candle shop on Main St in Klamath Falls, Oregon. I would like my shop to be full of scents so customers can create their own special scent, jar and wicks while we pour the candles in-house.

5.  What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?  Nag Champa fragrance oil, soy wax flakes, wicks. Tins & lids.

Your Website: http://mai-creations.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mai-Creations-Nag-Champa-Soy-Candles-Oil/102772589911701?ref=hl

1.  What’s your name & Your Company Name:      Mary McKnabb   /   Motherly Lights Candles

2.  Why did you decide to go into business?  What was your motivation?  How long have you been in business? I am a full time caregiver to my husband who had 4 brain injuries in a 6 month period of time. This happened in Sept, 2006. I was always looking for a candle that had a strong calming scent in order to help keep my husband calm without medication. But was disappointed in how it burned and the scent throw.  ( keep in mind these were grocery store candles)  In 2010 I started searching the internet on how to make candles. I came across Natures Gardens website and found everything I needed to make my own candles, even steps on how to make candles. Finally in 2012, having free time and extra money, I decided to start a candle business. It was something I could make a little extra income doing at home so I could still be with my husband.  My business started in Sept 2012.

3.  What products do you make and sell?  The products that I make are 13.5 oz and 6 oz container candles.  Tea Lights and tart melts. I have more ideas that I will be doing in the near future.

4.  What are your business goals? My business goal is just to produce a high quality candle that burns good and has an excellent scent throw to please my customers.

5.  What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?  Just about everything that I use comes from Natures Gardens. I use Joy wax, fragrance oils, wicks, coloring.  My favorite products is the fragrant oils.  Never new there were that many scents.  I also love the Joy Wax that I purchase from Natures Gardens.  With these 2 products I can make a high quality candle.

Your Website:   http://www.motherlylights.com

1.  What’s your name & Your Company Name:  Potting Shed Candle Co.

2.  Why did you decide to go into business? What was your motivation? How long have you been in business?  I started my candle business just last April. It’s been a long time dream of mine to start a line of good quality candles. My husband is in the military and we got orders to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 2011 and I thought this was the perfect time to start, considering there isn’t much here for entertainment. It has given me plenty of time to get it all up and running. So far it has taken off great! What’s even better is I get to supply a product to my military community wherever we go.

3. What products do you make and sell?  I make soy blend candles in all different sizes and also specialize in making candles in unique containers. We offer a huge variety of wax melts and room sprays. I use high quality oils to give you the best possible scent to fill your home. I hope to offer a much bigger variety once we make it back to the good ole USA this summer.

4. What are your business goals?  This is just the start for me, I have created my candle line to sell online and at festivals and craft fairs but I am on my way to my own shop located in my hometown of Saint Mary’s West Virginia once my husband has retired from the US ARMY.

5.  What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?   I use all of my waxes and oils strictly from Nature’s Garden. They were the first ones I tried and I thought I would have to try many different ones to find a great quality but I haven’t even considered anything else. I love them! I would say my absolute favorite item would be the Blueberry Muffin fragrance oil. It continues to be a best seller of mine.

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pottingshedcandleco

What’s your name & Your Company Name:  My name is Katrina Wood and my Company is called Innascents.

Why did you decide to go into business?  What was your motivation?  How long have you been in business?  I love Scented Candles.  After our first daughter was born in 2006 I became more aware of the chemicals that are in different products being used around the house.   After researching alternatives for scented candles I stumbled onto SOY.  That’s when my company INNASCENTS began in 2010.  The vision is to create an eco-friendly candle that burns clean, doesn’t leave a carbon footprint and changes the world one soy bean at a time.  All of our candles are proudly hand crafted in Guelph, Ontario. We only use the highest quality SOY, cotton cored wicks and premium, uncut fragrance oils that are free of added “fillers” and pesticides.

What products do you make and sell?  Currently we produce and sell Soy Container Candles and Cube Wax Melts in a variety of fragrances.  We attend the local Guelph Farmers Market every Saturday and offer “refills” of our container candles at a reduced cost.  We will also be attending the Made by Hand Show at the International Centre in Mississauga on April 20^th.

What are your business goals?  The business had paused for a bit after the birth of our second child but is now back and looking forward to the future.  Our goal is to continue informing consumers about the benefits of Soy and creating a brand that people can trust.

What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?  Some of the very best fragrances we use come from Natures Garden.  Some of the best sellers are the Sacred Sandalwood, Aloe and cucumber and Baby Powder.  We look for high quality fragrance oils and that is what you can find with Natures Garden’s products!!!

Your Website: www.innascents.com

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/innascentssoy

Twitter: www.twitter.com/innascents

1.  What’s your name & Your Company Name:  Prolific Candles

2.  Why did you decide to go into business?  What was your motivation?  How long have you been in business?  I have always been a born leader. Entrepreneurship has always been apart of my life. I took Business Management in High School and went on to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in Management. My motivation for starting my own business was the changing economy. I always wanted to run my own company & be my own boss. In addition my love for candles & designing creative arrangements inspired me to go into the candle-making business. This coming May I will have reached my first year  milestone as a business owner.

3.  What products do you make and sell?  I specialize in customized drink candles. You can customize your scents, colors, & styles. I carry martini & wine glasses but also have simple glasses. You can choose something simple or “Jazz Up” your candle with ribbons &/or rhinestone. I also sell basket arrangements and most recently added a few “Prolific”jewelry pieces to the the line. In the upcoming months body butters will be added.

4.  What are your business goals?  My ultimate goal is to expand my line & create more “Prolific” items. As always I am looking for new loyal customers. My slogan is Unique, Creative, Abundant & I plan to continue to follow that quote.

5.  What are some products you use from Natures Garden; what are your favorite products from Natures Garden?  I buy mostly all my candle supplies from Natures Garden. The scent selection is the best!!!!! Not only is there a wide variety of scents but the scents are very high powered. Great buy and high quality products. I wouldn’t go to another supplier if the items were free. Natures Garden is a reflection of my work. The great high quality products carried helps me ensure I can create high quality products.

Your Website: www.prolificcandles.com

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/prolificcandles

Twitter: @prolificcandles