Making your own candles at home is not only a relaxing and mindful activity, it can save you money and then afterwards give you hours and hours of lovely candle scented aromas in your home.

I started making candles at home in my kitchen with the bare basics, an online brought candle making kit, a few essential kitchen utensils and a microwave. The candle was basic, but still looked pretty good and smelt ok. How things have changed since then!

Over the years I've spent hours, months and years creating really good eco friendly soy candles and then candle making kits, so I thought I would share some of my own candle making tips for when you make your own candles at home. PS Occasionally I share videos and stories over on our social media with tips and hints for when you are making your own candles, but for now here are three of the best candle making tips for you to use at home.

1. HAVING THE RIGHT ROOM TEMPERATURE - IT'S IMPORTANT

Having the right room temperature when making candles is key. It can affect the way your candles look, and burn. The temperature in the room where you are making candles in, needs to be just right. If the temperature is too low your candles can be affected. This can be because your candle jar is too cold, the wax will not adhere to the jar and cause the wax to shrink and appear motley and bubbly. If the temperature is too high, the wax can overheat and not set probably in the jar. Having your making room, candle jars and wax at the right temperature is key to making really good soy candles.

2. HOW TO GET RID OF PESKY BUBBLES AND HOLES AT THE TOP OF YOUR CANDLES

Making the perfect smooth tops on your candles is a candle makers dream. It takes time to prefect your smooth topped candles but when you do, it can be a beautiful thing! With all candles, making and testing different types of waxes, with different containers and different wicks all work together favourable with the perfect looking candles. However even the best laid plans and recipes can cause a bubble or hole at the top of your candles. We suggest using a heat gun and gently heating the top of the candle so the wax melts to create a new smooth finish on top. This is a candle makers dream gadget and one which we love to use! We recently shared this video on how to do it yourself for some extra inspiration.

3. HOW TO USE FRAGRANCE OILS IN YOUR CANDLES

Measure measure measure. You can never measure enough when using fragrance oils in your candles. There is a science in making candles, where if you use to much fragrance oil or too little your candles will not only not hold their scent, but may burn unevenly and ruin the wax. The rule of thumb is that a single candle wax to oil ratio is between 6-10% anything above or below just simply won't be affective. We use measuring jugs for all of our candles and weigh all of our oils for our candle making kits. When you are first learning to make your own candles at home, candle making kits are perfect as most of them are pre measured for you so you can just pour and stir.

Making your own candles at home is a lovely way to learn something new, spend some quality time by yourself, and enjoy time together with your family, friends or loved ones. Most of all making candles is a great way to make long lasting memories which you can remember for years to come.

Becky x (AKA Head Candle Maker at Hazel & Blue)

A Summer candle is the perfect summer accessory to have, to help you reminisce of long afternoons by the pool and evenings at your favourite outdoor restaurants and tropical beaches.

In addition Summer Candles are perfect for outdoor entertaining, hiding the aromas from BBQs smells and giving a lovely glow and ambience to your surroundings in the Summer evenings.

Here are the five reasons why candles are great in the Summer!

1. Bring your favourite beach holiday scent to you!

Scent can instantly take you to a place, a moment, a memory and this Summer with a lots of us staycationing, a summer candle scent can take you straight to your favourite summer holidays! The tropical scents of coconut, vanilla, rum and mint all rolled into one are hypnotic and remind you of sunny relaxing days by the pool! Do you love coconut and vanilla scent? Our White Sands Escape Summer candle was inspired by tropical white sandy blue beaches and smells amazing!! The perfect summer tropical holiday candle!

2. Outdoor entertaining

With outdoor socialising back on the table, the scent of a summer candle would be a perfect accompaniment for your space and leave a long lasting scent for your guests. A few summer scented tea lights, a wax melt burning in the background or a large candle as a centrepiece on your outdoor table are a great way to create a summer vibe!

3. BBQs and socialising

Summer Candles can easily help mask cooking scents and BBQs aromas with their scents. Try a citrus or herb scented candle they are the perfect accompany to the garden and indoors, the scent is citrus and clean and summery! Our Citronella summer soy candle is beautiful, handmade by ceramicist Imogen from Roundabout Ceramics

4. Ambience

The glow of a summer candle is pretty hypnotic on a summer evening. Relax and unwind with a floral scented candle or a evening Citronella candle is a perfect way to enjoy a relaxing scented Summer evening!

5. Enjoy the little things this Summer 2021

We all know that the little things we do are so important, especially after the last few years! Enjoy the little things summer at home, have a BBQ, buy a paddling pool and treat yourself with a beautiful Summer scented candle and relax and unwind!

Wishing you a lovely scented Summer!

Becky xx

By been creative, I not only found a new hobby but my passion turned into a full time growing small business.

I always thought that being a artistic person was different from being creative. I thought that you had to have a diploma in fine art, producing an intellectual abstract masterpiece to qualify.

How wrong was I. Creativity can be as simple as doing something that makes you feel good.

Studies show that the levels of the stress release hormone cortisol dramatically drops when we spend time being creative. Artistic or not, we all deal with stress in our lives and even more so over the last year. Self care and creativity is linked so strongly, why wouldn't we give it a go!

The Oxford Dictionary defines creativity as 'the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness' which can be interpreted and achieved in many different ways. It can be through planning a social event, a re-take on a favourite recipe, developing a new process in business and so on. We use our imagination all the time but the difference between being imaginative and being creative is the action you take with your ideas.

There is also a difference between purposeless creativity 'I will make this scarf following a pattern‘ and purposeful creativity 'I will make this scarf using this pattern as a guideline, but I may use a different stitch or colour pattern to do it' I love them both as I like following a process/recipe/technique and once I have mastered it, I will start to experiment and use my imagination to repurpose it to something new and this is the most exciting part!

Creativity and self care is strongly linked. Candle making was my outlet and it gives me so much more than beautiful scented candles. So I thought I would share a few simple self-care tips that helped me and hopefully you can achieve through your own creativity.

1. Freedom - No Rules

Creativity gives you an opportunity to take risks, by stripping away any inhabitations we may or may not have built up over the years, you can let your imagination go wild. Because when you create, there is no wrong or right way to do it, you can do it any way you like and that's the best part of being creative. There are no rules.

2. Self-Care

Creativity in itself allows for self-care, because when you create something, you are growing. The more you create, the more you learn about yourself, and the more you learn, the more you grow. It’s a self prophesying circle of self discovery and one which I have fully embraced and didn’t realise I would have until I started growing my own creative business.

3. Sense of achievement

When you are creating something you have never created before, it really does give you a sense of pride and accomplishment. I would find that after spending hours making and creating something new, I would stare at it for days thinking 'wow I have made that’. It’s a pretty satisfying feeling and made me feel good about myself. This in itself is everything. Truly.

4. Community

Finding like minded people that share your interests is a great way to be social. We can build connections and relationships with individuals who from a distance become online friends and sometimes lifelong friendships. There are hundreds of groups online, we share customer pictures and stories over on our Facebook page, which is a lovely way to see our creations in action!

5. Spending time with loved ones

Spending time with loved one, friends and colleagues has become more important that ever. Sharing an activity (non-digital) being creativity together is something special. Creating life-long memories for years to come is priceless.

The first ever candles I made was a shared activity with my daughter, we had fun, learning together and those memories are so treasured and will always be special to me!

Doing something creative doesn’t need to be expensive or time consuming. Writing in a journal, baking a cake, growing new plants are all quick and financially accessible things to do. Recent studies explain the many health and psychological benefits that having a creative outlet can bring; they can enable people to live healther and happier lives. Social prescribing for people with social isolation, loneliness and mental health issues is on the rise, GP's can now prescribe an art club or a writing workshop instead of anti-depressants and for me this has enormous benefits and are such an innovative way forward.

There are so many benefits to being creative, self care, a sense of purpose in the world, and treasured memories, that I will never forget. I continue to explore my own creativity all the time and now that my creative hobby has become my main job, I am currently looking for a new one. Any suggestions, are welcome!

Happy candle making!

Becky x

When I first started making candles in 2016, I was a complete novice. There were no eco friendly candle making kits on the market and you had to spend a lot of time researching different platforms to find what you were looking for! My first candle making kit was brought from a large e-commerce platform and they were made in the microwave! The ingredients were a bit suspect too and the wax was definitely not natural. But nevertheless I did make a candle!

There is no question that I absolutely love making candles, from the moment I stirred the wax and added the fragrance to my first DIY candle, I was hooked. I loved the calming and meditative aspects of making, doing something just for me and I particularly enjoyed lighting the candle and relaxing afterwards.

So true, but what you put into a candle is what you get out! We only ever use natural ingredients in our candle making kits and love all the positive aspects of using these amazing eco friendly ingredients. But not all kits have these aspects, so I've compiled a list of five things to consider when you are buying a DIY soy candle making kit.

1. It's relatively easy
2. Find a good eco friendly making kit
3. Research the background
4. Recycle, reuse and plastic free
5. Encourages happiness and well-being

It's Relatively Easy

It is relatively easy. Truly. I say to all of my candle making workshop attendees if you can make a cake following a recipe you can make a candle. The key is to have a foolproof recipe or instruction card, the best ingredients and the right kit.

Find a good eco friendly soy candle making kit

There are quite a few soy candle making kits in the market now. Following Covid last year we saw a huge increase in people making their own candles and candle making kits. When researching good candle making kits, look for kits which have natural ingredients, including a description of the wax inside the kit, is it natural soy wax? Are the wicks natural and not coated in paraffin, are the candle oils are vegan friendly? All of these aspects make the very best candles.

Research the background of the company

When I first came up with the idea of creating a soy candle making kit, there weren't that many available on the market, actually only one. The candle making kits that were available did not appear to be eco friendly and they did not seem to include natural ingredients which we love to use! I wanted to create a kit so everyone could use the eco friendly ingredients we use in our candles without spending hours of researching and finding all the different ingredients.

Look at the credentials of the business and/or candle maker, have they been making candles for a long time? Have they hosted face to face candle making workshops? I was hosting regular soy candle making workshops and had taught hundreds of people how to make their own and I cannot wait to start these face to face soon. I researched and knew that my background as a candle maker and candle maker teacher would support our kits with all my experience and knowledge.

NB: I am still hosting candle making workshops which are now virtual and have really enjoyed teaching these! I am hoping to teach face to face workshops soon.

Recycle, reuse and plastic free

With sustainability and an awareness of the impact on our society and environment, being plastic free is so important in the products that we create. In a candle making kit, maybe consider if the candle oils are packaged in recyclable glass bottles? Is the wax contained in plastic free bags? Is the packaging the kit comes in, eco friendly and recyclable? All of our kit boxes are FSC ( forestry certified) we use recyclable filler and tissue paper. We also offer refill kits so you can reuse your candle containers to make more candles!

Encourages happiness and well-being

Making candles has helped me over the years to feel happy and positive and given me a sense of achievement and well being. What started as a hobby has grown into a creative business which I completely and utterly love! Crafting is a lovely way to relax and unwind and it supports your wellbeing and encourages your own unique creativity in a safe space.

Our vision at Hazel & Blue is to spread happiness and well-being through our nature inspired candle making kits, which makes me smile and truly is so fulfilling as an owner and founder of a creative business.

I hope this guide has been helpful for you when choosing your eco friendly soy candle making kits. Our candle making kits have been included in some of the best UK magazine, newspaper and online publications and gift guides, they have been on ITV This Morning and Channel 4 and have reached thousands of people, creating happiness and a sense of well being and achievement is truly the reason I do what I do!

Happy candle making!

Becky x

Collaborating with other brands and creatives is a perfect way to share your own knowledge, as well as learning new skills and develop new working relationships. It can create a win-win situation by sharing your products within each others' audiences and sharing the creative processes together.

These are many reasons to team up with other product based businesses. An illustrator can complement a person who makes enamel pins, or make a new design for an embroidery hoop. I love seeing sweatshirts, mugs, and prints with bold and eye catching designs, that perhaps you just wouldn't see anywhere else.

Some brilliant reasons to collaborate as a small business

• Learn new skills
• Create unique beautiful products/events/things together
• Develop new working and personal relationships
• Expand your customer base
• Boost awareness

I also love seeing other brand and creative small business collaborations. For example, Sketchy Muma, an illustrator from Cornwall, recently teamed up with Bumble and Goose to make the most delicious looking biscuits with her poignant illustrations 'Sketchy Muma Virtual Hug Brownies and Biscuits Friendship Hug' . I really love the 'Get the kettle on' biscuit drawing.

I also love Imogen at Roundabout ceramics work - she recently teamed up with Shrimp's House to make a two toned lime and cobalt mug. The colours are amazing and I would love to drink from it all day long!!

We have recently started working with some amazing creatives; here are a few of those below:

Badger & Birch X Hazel & Blue - Terrazo Soy Candle/Candle Making Kit

Working with Hazel from Badger & Birch is a dream. She is probably the most hard-working woman I know with a beautiful heart and the most amazing hand made terrazzo products. Hazel and I have worked together previously in the past, I have made her some soy candles and soy tea lights, so it felt natural to team up together to create something special.

I knew that having one of Hazel's Eco resin Terrazzo candle container filled with our blended soy wax would make a beautiful vegan friendly candle! Combining her handmade terrazzo with recycled oyster shells containers with our soy candle wax and vegan friendly candle oils was the perfect match!

Our crafty customers also asked for some new bespoke vessels to make new soy candles in, so we have recently created an exclusive Badger & Birch Eco Resin Terrazo candle making kit.

Whether you prefer your soy candle ready made or the options to make one yourself, both options should be perfect for you!

The new blends for our collaboration were inspired by Hazel's hometown of Cornwall and the sea. Its a beautiful sea inspired scent of Sea Salt & Wood for the terrazzo candle and Damson Plum, Rose & Patchouli for the candle making kit.

With the candle making kit, everything is included to make your own terrazzo soy candle, including the soy wax, cotton and linen wick, vegan friendly oils as well as an optional thermometer - Badger & Birch .

Gemma Wightman X Hazel & Blue Collaboration - Couples Soy Candle Making Kit

Gemma Wightman is a fellow Not on the High Street partner and we bonded over shared experiences and a love of candles and ceramics! I had admired Gemma's work for a while as she makes the most beautiful hand thrown porcelain products, so I was really excited to be working with her! Together we wanted to create a 'Couples Candle Making Kit'. The idea was to create a candle making kit which couples could do together using Gemma's beautiful Ebb & Flow candle containers. The special thing about this bespoke kit was that when you light the two candles together it creates a new unique combined scent of bergamot and lavender. gemmawightmanceramics.com

The Crafting Kind X Hazel & Blue 'Crafting Kits'

When you see a new business on Instagram and can immediately resonate with their style and ethos, I knew that when Kathryn approached me, I wanted to work with her! Her craft kits are just so beautiful and I love the attention to detail and aesthetics she puts into her kits. We joined forces to make some of our soy tea lights for her kits. Our most recent make is for a brand new add-on extra for her kits, including a selection of soy tea lights, mindfulness postcards and crystal thumbstones - coming soon! We are crafting kind

Katie Bentley X Hazel & Blue "Shine your Light' Soy Candle

I love that certain words and phrases can instantly make you feel better, inspire you and make you feel more positive, so translating this feeling onto one of our candles was always on my wish list! When I discovered Katie's work on Instagram, I instantly knew I wanted to work with her. Her style was calming and botanical in nature and the colours she used in her ceramics were beautiful!

We chose two different phrases to be put onto Katie's porcelain candle containers, a larger soy candle for the main display table with 'All is Calm, all is bright' and a medium container with 'Let your light shine'. The scent had to be both relaxing and uplifting for the 'Let your light shine' candle so we chose a beautiful blend of citrus grapefruit, floral blooms and musky base notes for this candle, so you can feel both relaxed and refreshed at the same time. Katie Bentley/Etsy

Collaborating with other product based business is a wonderful way to make new friendships and create unique products together. It is also for a solo maker a refreshing way to work with other like-minded souls. I love this new way of working and hope that it will be a solid part of our future business here at Hazel & Blue.

Becky x

We love to collaborate with like-minded brands and small businesses. If you would like to collaborate with us, please do get in touch hello@www.hazelandbluecandles.co.uk - we would love to hear from you!

Soy Wax Melts are a candle maker's secret weapon. They are relatively easy to make, perfect for beginners, burn for a long time, smell amazing and for the most part are cheaper for customers to buy than candles!

I love that you can hold one in your hand and smell it and it just feels good! They are super tactile and lovely to touch even without melting them.

I’ve always loved wax melts, they way that they look, their beautiful aromas, and how they melt so easily. I have melted many soy wax melts over the years but up until last year I had never made any.

The first thing I needed to do was to learn how to make them myself before I even thought about creating the new kit.

I spent the beginning part of 2020 learning and refining my wax melt making skills, tesing and trialling. I wanted to create an eco-friendly sustainable melt, full of the 100% soy wax we use, beautiful essential oils and dried flowers. An eco melt.

I trialled and tested several different essential oils, different soy waxes, and then finally adding in dried flowers. By the beginning of Spring, I was confident with the soy wax melts I was producing and after much time melting and testing them I proudly listed them on the website.

The response was amazing and the feedback from our customers was so positive!

Idea for the Kit

I wanted to create a new candle making kit that complimented the soy wax making kits, that was also for beginners and used all of the eco-friendly and sustainable ingrediants we us in our products.

When designing a new kit, you have to know your recipe inside and out. So much so that you could almost make them with your eyes closed and know the recipe at the tip of your tongue without even thinking. I knew with this kit that it would be a perfect candle making kit for beginners and so with that in mind, I started the process of creating one.

When I’m creating a kit, I make lots of notes, write the instructions and test and test and test. I’ll ask some Hazel & Blue customers testers to help me test it, to iron out any tweaks, adjust and re write. It’s a long and necessary process and worth the time it takes to get it right and as perfect as you can.

Kit Supplies

To make wax melts you need a mould to make them in. In my experience wax melt moulds were very hard to come by and it took me such a long time to source. If you put 'wax melt mould' into a google search, the options are pretty scarce and limited. The different mould options were limited, there were plastic moulds available, but I couldn’t quite bring myself to make them in plastic moulds, it didn’t feel right. I also found some aluminium moulds but they were too big and only came in individual moulds which made the wax melt too big. I then stumbled across some soap moulds which were made of silicone and fell in love with the texture, the feel and the fact you can reuse and recycle them.

I spent months looking for a supplier, with no luck, I even thought about producing one just for the kit, but the price was too high, so I went back to square one. By chance I contacted the UK based company that I use for my moulds, and asked would they consider selling me some for the kits. I was so happy when they come back and said yes! They were the perfect sized moulds for wax melts, you could wash them and reuse them as many times as you wanted and you could make 15 in one go.

Dried Flowers

I love using dried flowers in soy wax melts, they give them an extra sensory scent and add a beautiful spot of colour, they also complement the essential oils blended inside them. I wanted to include them in the kit, a little pouch of dried flowers so you can sprinkle them on top after you have poured the wax. Each kit had a pouch of dried flowers included depending on the kit chosen. Lavender petals for the Mindful Moments kit, rose petals for the Calm & Cosy kit, lemon balm for the Revive & Uplift kit, calendula for the Happiness kit and jasmine flowers for the Home & Hygge kit.

Essential oils

I really wanted the soy wax melts to be special and I knew that I wanted to use essential oils. Essential oils can make a candle really stand out with the pure natural scent inside them.

Artwork

I really wanted to create a brand new box for the soy wax melts kit and knew instantly that the lovely and talented Joanne from Arnold and Bird was the person to help me design it. We also designed new labels, a new information booklet and more! I love that the new kit box has positive quotes on it, making it extra special.

Once the instructions and artwork were finalised and then printed, my amazing photographer Georgia De Lotz took new pics of them. Georgia has this amazing way of capturing the kits and concept into pieces of art and bring them alive!

Why

My love of making things beautifully scented brings me so much joy. I really wanted these new kits to give you a moment of making memories, learning a new craft and then sitting back and enjoying your creations.

Soy Wax Melts are little treasures of scent and when made with beautiful sustainable eco-friendly ingredients are truly a beautiful creation. I hope you enjoy these new kits and they give you moments of joy and relaxation!

Time will tell if the new kits are a success, but for me, creating them, sharing my passion, the eco-friendly ingredients and the memories of making is a joy just in itself.

Happy making!

Becky x

The new soy wax melts kits are available to pre-order here and will posted to you the week beginning the 12th October

Mother's Day this year will be celebrated by many, whether you are spoilt by your own family, treating your Mum, your Mother in law or for a special friend who is amazing and worth celebrating and acknowledging or remebering our loved ones.

For many years I celebrated Mother's Day in New Zealand with my Mum, but now living in the UK, I celebrate it with my own family. I do love the sentiment behind the day although I also have a slight tinge of sadness about been so far away from my own. However although my Mum is so far away I do have fond memories of Mother's Day, making handmade cards, or little gifts at school, presenting them to my Mum with a box of chocolates and some flowers.

Making people feel special and appreciated is as simple as a few kind words, or making a cup of tea for them when they are tired, but a thoughtful gift always goes a long way. Here are a few of my favourite handmade Mother's Day gifts from some amazing creative businesses this year.

Ceramic Magpie - Mother's Day 'Make Time for Tea' Mug Gift Set £34

‘Treat your Mom to the promise of a brew and natter with this ‘Make Time for Tea’ mug gift set. Comprising a beautifully hand-thrown porcelain mug, a Make time for tea post-card, a handmade porcelain spoon and an organic tea-bag for £34 (including postage). Read the story behind these gift-sets on Katie’s blog at

https://www.ktrobbinsceramics.com/blog/2020/2/25/thoughtful-and-sustainable-gifting-some-mothers-day-ideas

The Secret Crocheter - Personalised cards, crocheted flower brooch and workshops

Here’s some Mother’s Day gift ideas from The Secret Crocheter; there’s a handmade card with its very own detachable crocheted flower brooch - these cards can be personalised to say whatever you’d like on the front. Or there’s a cute little everlasting bouquet of flowers! The Secret Crocheter also runs a wide range of workshops, including Learn to Crochet sessions so why not treat Mum to a gift voucher? For more information, please email the The Secret Crocheter thesecretcrocheter@yahoo.com

Badger & Birch - 'Love You Mum' Photo Ledge £23

Hazel from Badger & Birch makes the most beautiful products and this Mother's day she has made these beautiful terrazzo photo lodges. Made from a white eco resin and embedded with recycled terrazzo mussel shell or miniature shells. The ledges are great to hold a single photo or print or can be layered to display collected prints, postcards or memories.

All of Badger & Birch’s shells are collected waste shells from a local restaurant-Hooked on the Rocks. They are cleaned and crushed and recycled into terrazzo patterns in the resin.

Every piece is hand made and sanded then sealed and finished in organic coconut oil which creates a beautiful smooth finish and smells great too. www.badgerandbirch.co.uk

Hazel & Blue - Spring Subscription Candle Box - £25

'Voted one of the top 6 candle subscription box in the UK from Muddy Stilettos' The new Spring candle box contains a beautiful selection of new citrus, zesty and clean soy scented candles, a eco linen pouch of essential oil soy wax melts, and a complimentary natural pampering gift. Beautifully gift wrapped and presented in our eco recyclable kraft box and bespoke botanical tissue paper. Choose as a Mother's day gift and we will even write a personalised message on your behalf. Delievery week beginning the 16th March www.hazelandbluecandles.co.uk/store

Hazel & Blue - Calm & Cosy Soy Candle Making Kit £25

'Voted 'Not on the High Street' Top 3 Gifts of 2019' Our Calm & Cosy soy candle making kits are for cosy homes and new spaces, create your own soy scented candles and sit back and relax and enjoy the cosy scents of your own candles. The carefully selected candle oils of cedarwood and geranium have been specially blended to create a calming cosy and inviting home. Our candle making kits are all eco friendly, vegan and sustainable, with 100% recyclable packaging and natural ingrediants. You can read the story how I made the kits here on another blog post www.hazelandbluecandles.co.uk/store

Whether you are celebrating Mother's Day or not this year, these amazing Woman led businesses, inspire me everyday with there beautiful handmade products and love and dedication to their craft.

Wishing you a peaceful and happy Mother's Day

Becky x

This last year fell into three different phases,the quiet, the planning and the busy, with each one having its own highs and lows and learning in it and here’s why:

The Quiet - January to March

At the beginning of the year, things were initially busy and I had a couple of new wholesale orders to keep me busy, sales weren’t high in my online shop. I had a few workshops planned and a new increase in wholesale orders to keep me busy. The problem was, that once I had completed the order or workshop, it was quiet, and I wasn’t used to it. In all of the employed roles I have ever had, I have been busy, or keep busy, or made myself busy. I was used to be busy.

Busy can mean likes of things to different people, you can be busy doing not much at all, but for me busy was doing something or many things consistently for the duration of my work hours. I would have several tasks to complete and I would complete it as efficiently as I could. I liked been busy, it was one of my skills to multi task effectively.

So when I had finished my task or order, I suddenly had this big gap of time which I wasn’t used to, and therefore didn’t know to how to fill it. I wasn’t used to not been busy. I also on reflection, didn’t have the knowledge or experience of realising that this free time in quieter periods is a brilliant time, to plan, to develop and to re-charge.

I would also say, that when you are first establishing a business, you are probably not at the stage to be busy, because you do not have the client base, the customer demand or the growth in order for you need to be busy. I know there are always exceptions to the rules, but certainly in my case this was the reality.

When I spoke to Josephine Brooks on her podcast in March, I was trying to articulate in our session, this exact dilemma, that I found myself to have this big gap of time which I was frankly quite uncomfortable with and felt a bit lost. After our session I learnt that I needed to switch things around. I needed to understand the flow of a seasonal business and its peaks and troughs, and to use my time wisely. I also had to learn that in this quieter times, you had the space now to plan, to think and to develop products and to adopt some self care. I didn’t see this as been busy, because I wasn’t used to it, I do now and going forward, I feel that during the quieter times, is the time adopt some self care, re-charge and reflection, it is probably the most important time for you to grow the business.

Planning and and Developing - April to July

Soon after my chat with Josephine, I launched my first soy candle making kit, which ended up doing really well online. It was during this second phase that I started to make plans to develop the kits further, to make them more professional both visually and physically. I spent the next few months planning and developing the kits, both in design, sourcing new materials, marketing and social media.

I also tested and launched four new candle scents for the Spring and Summer and had planned my Autumn and Winter range.

Developing products takes time, and is incredibly effective when done probably. The detail in planning each component is significant and involves a lot of brain space and testing. I learnt a huge amount during this phase and found the process to be both inspiring and a lot of headaches, you also need to be patient, as it can take a long time to do.

Busy - August to December

In the Autumn everything went a bit crazy, like one thing after another, and I spent the most time in the studio making during the whole year.

After the successful launch of the new soy candle making kit collection in September, I then spent alot of time, fulfilling and packing up orders. Sometimes during that period I would fleetingly think why didn’t I write book or make cards, because then I could package them quickly into a book wrap and send it on its way. With candles and the kits it’s not as easy, they are fragile and require extra care when posting, a lot of careful packaging and eco void fillers required. The kits also have 20 different elements to them, and each one can take up to an hour to complete. E.g Filling 20 wax bags takes approx 1 hour.

As orders picked up, my planning time diminished and I would spend most of my time, making in the studio, prepping the kits or packing and delivering.

I also had several wholesale orders to fulfill, and new stockists to honour, I spent a lot of October and November in the studio making, labelling and packing. I also spend time re ordering stock, putting stock away and keeping in touch with stockists.

In October and November I ran 6 candle making workshops, with each one taking about day to prep for, drive to and from and deliver the workshop. I love teaching the workshops and find so much joy doing them, and interacting with customers and new people, this will defenitly be staying this year. Although I will probably reduce them to one each season this year.

By the beginning of December I was in the peak flow of attending local Christmas Markets and fairs, again another favourite thing to do as you have the opportunity to meet your existing customers and new customers. It’s a lovely way to interact and talk about your products outside of your own four walls.

It was all getting pretty busy, when I received the most exciting news of the year that I was to become a Not on the High Street partner! Things suddenly got real. I have never experienced an increase in orders as I did for those two weeks before Christmas last year.

It was unreal.

It was amazing and I was working 14 -16 hour days, 7 days a week to fulfill the orders.

I totally wasn’t prepared for the amount of orders to come through, but being an eternal ‘doer’ I keep going, called in help and managed to get every single order through. I was exhausted by the end of it, but couldn’t stop smiling. It was the best end to my year and I still had to pinch myself that I was a partner. I learnt quite a lot by the end of it.

So this is where my new word of the year comes in - Simplify

I want to simplify things this year. I want to make everything more efficient and more effective, by putting in better processes and procedures. I want to simplify my offer to you by continuing to make high quality, eco friendly apothecary products, but with more focus. I want to celebrate both the small and big things in the business and find joy in the simple. I want to make it uncomplicated. I also (finally) want to get a studio of my dreams!

I feel I am now at the stage of the business where I know where I want to go, the reasons why and hopefully how I am going to get there. Simplify feels like the right word for me this year and is something that I want to aspire to in the business.

I read a quote from Steve Jobs recently which said ‘That’s been one of my mantras - focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains’ This is so true as you can only make it simple if you know exactly what it is you want to do.

I am super excited about 2020 and what is in install for Hazel & Blue this year, I still have a lot to learn and do, and I will continue to listen to your feedback, create beautiful products with you and always keep you at the heart of Hazel & Blue.

Becky x

Leaving my role at the end of January turned out to be the biggest driving force behind the growth of the business this year and one which I have not regretted once.

Having the time and energy to invest in your business is fundamental if you want to grow it. Snatching a few hours here and there, or a sneaky day or two is great, but I’ve found that to really grow a business you need to be invested in it full time. I could only get as far as I could when I was running the business as a side hustle, and it was only in this last year that I started to find real clarity focus and direction in the business going forward.

Here are a few things that have happened....

Support Network

Moving into self employment brings so many positive changes, most of them beneficial, however for those lacking structure or a support network, solo working can be tough. This year I have slowly managed to create a fab network of people who have provided me with much needed support in the business.

Sometimes when you work on your own, it can be lonely and isolating, so having a group of peers to lean on when needed is so important, whether it’s for advice, guidance or just a general chat over coffee. There are many formalised local support networks out there, both in person and online which you can access relatively quickly, with most free to join, but I tend to find meeting people face to face, and one to one support online most beneficial for me over the year.

Wholesale Growth

Having the valuable time this year to invest in wholesale, has enabled me to grow my wholesale sales. Increasing my offer has been key to steady growth this year, learning to lower your margins and increase your volume is a significant learning process and in return you can potentially gain a steady income stream as well as new professional relationships and colleagues. Wholesale is a long game with great beneficial outcomes, but it may not be for everyone.

Working with the right people

Choosing the right people to collaborate and work with is important when growing your business. I have been very lucky and fortunate to work with some amazing people, brands and companies over the last year. From Iggy Box subscriptions to Castle Farm, Ceramic Magpie and most recently The Positive Planners and the Brand Stylist 'Gifts for Entrepeneurs 2019. Working with the right people has really helped built my brand, and I am forever grateful for the generosity and support of these humble, kind people.

Community

This year more than ever I have had the time to really connect with people on Instagram and Facebook, this has been a major highlight for me this year. Meeting new insta friends and other creative business colleagues has provided me with a community which I cherish and value. The community of support I have gained has been extraordinary and of great value to me and I cannot tell you how grateful I am for this, thank you!

Products

Over the last 12 months I have had the space and time to really think about which products would be best suited for the business, and could not have happened as quickly without working on it full time.

Brainstorming ideas, speaking with customers and putting ideas and plans into action takes time and effort and this year I have been able to produce a new collection of eco candle making kits and a subscription gift box which I am very proud of! I have lots of new ideas and products planned for next year and all I can say is watch this space...

Finding your dream business partner!

For as long as I can remember my business dream was to have one of my products in Not on the High Street, for me this was the pinnacle of success. I would dream about what the product might be and visualise seeing it in the online shop. Fast forward to December 2019 and not only am I now a partner but I am also recently become one of the Not on the High Streets ‘Top Three New Gifts of 2019’ It really is a dream come true!!!

Consolidating and Moving Forward

In 2019 I have found clarity and direction for Hazel & Blue. I have learnt that great products take time, effort and passion, and that you cannot do everything on your own. Reaching out to other experts to help you achieve your goals and dreams are key to any businesses growth and success. I have also learnt that the strength and joy I receive from my customers and other creative colleagues are really the roots of my business.

This last year has been amazing and tough and at times lonely, but over the last year I have managed to grow the business, figure out the direction it will be going, and finally at the end of the year secured my dream stockist. I ended this year with such a high with the sales figures tripling from the previous year.

I still have a lot more to figure out and learn but I am heading into 2020 with clarity, focus and direction with Hazel & Blue, I will always be grateful to the people who have stood by my side and supported me on the way and for me you are the heart of this beautiful business of mine.

Becky xx

(PS Look out for my Word of the Year 2020 Post coming soon....)

I launched them on Friday the 27th September at 6pm. The date is forever etched in my mind as it took me over 8 months of blood, sweat and tears, happiness and sheer joy to get them to the point of the launch.

I have learnt so much over this time, from working with new creative colleagues and businesses, to learning about POS (point of sale) retail signs to the smallest detail on a thank you card.

So I would love to share with you a few things I have learnt from launching a new product as a growing small creative business.

There Is No Manual

Before I started Hazel & Blue I worked as a Nurse for most of my adult career and subsequently when learning a new procedure or a skill, I automatically look for some written guidelines to use which is normally based on expert high quality research. However in a small independent business, there is no such guidelines or manual to adhere to or work with. When working for yourself, you are on your own and are left to navigate and learn new skills independently.

There is something very energising about this though. Any new skills you learn are entirely on your own basis and own path that you choose. The down side is, you have to research a lot and filter out the noise till you get to the good stuff you need, and even then there is no right way to do it.

Some days during the last 8 months, I wish there was a 'Launch a New Handmade Product Manual' out there! That may be a future business idea for me and someone out there somewhere....a joint project maybe?

Outsource as much as you can

I would say in my experience there are two types of launches for a small handmade product based business. Low level and high level. A low level launch I would describe as launching a new handmade business, a new seasonal candle coming out etc. A high level would be more like a new website launch, new branding, a brand new collection, or a brand new product. I have had experience of the both, having launched my Hazel & Blue as a side hustle in 2017 and a website and new collection in 2018.

However I have never had experience of launching a new product having invested so much blood, sweat and tears in as much as I have had for the soy candle making kits.

I suspected that the kits were something that my customers liked as when I launched the first edition kits in April 2019, they were popular with my customers and had a great response both verbally and in actual sales.

However I knew they could be better. I wanted to design and create a product that I could see in in big online stores and in bigger retail shops, that was my dream. I knew I had the basis of a good product, but it needed to look better, feel better and be better.

It was time to invest.

I knew I wanted to work with someone who had retail experience as well as product development, as I was lucky enough to be recommended by Therese Ortenblad to the lovely Joanne Griffin from Arnold & Bird, who not only had previously worked in Not on the High Street but had experience in product development.

Joanne helped me to work out what the kits would do, who they be aimed for and what they would look like as well as directing me to think about them in a much more customer and retail focus. working with Joanne really helped me focus on the retail and aesthetic look of the kits and was fundamental in the both the branding and the design. This was one of the best investments I made and worth every penny!

I also wanted the kits to look the best they could and although I love taking photos, here in my make shift photography studio, in my office, they wouldn't look nearly as good as a professional photography would be able do.

I knew immediately who I wanted to use - Georgia De Lotz. Georgia De Lotz is a Bristol based styled based photographer and social media creator and I was lucky enough to previously work with her on her 'Capture my brand' campaign in 2018. Georgia did the most amazing photos of the kits and understand my brief perfectly, and when I received the kit photos from her, I think I cried because I was so happy with them and couldn't believe they could look so professional. This was another brilliant investment I made for the launch of the kits.

Design your product through your customers eyes

Detail, detail, detail. It was all about the detail and everything that would go into the kits was thoroughly analysed and picked apart. Every component had to fit into my four key non-negotiable components, they had to be:

• Eco friendly and sustainable
• Ethically and UK sourced
• Looks beautiful
• Smell amazing

I spend days looking at each of the individual kit components from the size of the labels on the essential oil bottles, the texture of the paper for the thank you cards, to the right sized eco friendly cotton wicks. I tested and tested each one vigorously until I was satisfied and it felt right. I remember the last thing I worked on was the kit box sleeves and spend a much longer time than anticipated finding the right printing company to print them on the glossy paper that they needed. (in the end I used my local printers who where so brilliant and made them look so amazing!)

Marketing and Social Media (the long game)

This was one area, I really wished there was a manual. There was so much to consider/to put into action when thinking about marketing a new product launch. I scoured the internet, listened to several podcasts, social media experts and Facebook groups to find some/any advice on what to do when launching a new product. Thankfully along the way I picked up some really useful tips and advice to put into place.

The most useful thing I took away and put into place was to start talking about and showing the development of the kits behind the scenes, in my posts, in stories on Instagram, and in my monthly Hazel & Blue newsletters. I also found setting a date and then announcing it on social media, gave me a goal to work towards and provided me with the accountability I needed.

I also wanted to gauge if there was any interest in the kits, so talking about them behind the scenes gave my customers an opportunity to respond and let me know what they thought. This was so beneficial and really gave me a boost when I needed it.

The last thing I wanted to do was offer a discount or a special offer to customers who generously offered to purchase a kit during the launch and so I offered free shipping to everyone who pre-ordered.

The Launch

On the eve of the launch I actually felt sick with nerves mixed with excitement. I was petrified that the launch would fail and nobody would like them, or buy one. The fear was real.

I strategically set the launch time for 6pm on a Friday, keeping myself busy and distracted all day so I wouldn't fret. As the minutes lead up to 6pm, I knew I had to take my Daughter to her ballet lesson just before 6pm and by the time I got back, I had minutes left to hit share on my Instagram post, so with sweaty palms and a huge amount of nerves, I hit share at 6pm. It was now in the hands of the universe.

I need not have worried because after I hit send, I had the biggest amount of orders online I have ever had. I was ecstatic, in a state of euphoria and beaming from ear to ear, but most of all I had a huge sense of pride and relief. 8 months of planning, creating, designing, working and I had done it!

Self Care After The Launch

Ask anyone after they have launched a new product, whether it is product or service based, and they will tell you it’s exhausting. Don’t get me wrong, the euphoria afterwards is second to none, and you will hopefully have a good outcome. However, be prepared to be emotionally and mentally spent afterward.

It’s really important to factor in some much needed self care after the launch, perhaps a day or two off, a day trip somewhere nice, or treat yourself to something for you e.g buy that dress you’ve had your eye on. Josephine Brooks 'Make it Happen' Mentor advocates this a lot and messaged me soon after with these exact words. So I had a few days off a week later and brought a new Boden dress! It’s really important to celebrate your achievements whether you hit your targets or not, because afterwards you need to pick yourself up and move on to the next thing.

Lastly

I am so proud of the kits and I really couldn't have done it without the help of so many other experts around me. Some times I pinch myself when I look at them and can't believe that I actually created them. But I know the proof will be in the pudding, my customers will tell me, and the sales will dictate the overall success of them, I am under no illusion. However for now I am going to celebrate the launch, because as someone very wise once told me (Fiona Barrows) 'Just launching anything is a success in itself.' And this my dear readers is the truth.

Hazel & Blue Eco Soy Candle Making Kits

As a special thank you for reading my Kit launch post here is a discount for FREE SHIPPING if you fancy purchasing a kit for yourself! Use KITLOVE at the checkout here www.hazelandbluecandles.co.uk/store

Selling at a market, a fair or an event when you are first starting out with a creative small business is very valuable. Not only do you learn to talk about your handmade products but you also learn a lot about yourself and your business.

You learn to talk about your products

When you are first starting out, your customer base (besides your partner and your Mum) is probably quite small, which is totally normal and to be expected. By selling your handmade products at a market, you will have your first opportunity to fine-tune your product conversations with 'real customers'. It doesn't matter if you don't have the answers straight away but it will be good practice for you to learn and have some good takeaways for you to practise and learn for your next market.

New customers are naturally inquisitive about your products and love that you have made them, so here is your time to shine and really explain to them what is unique about you and your products. I actually really enjoy answering questions and love that customers are wanting to know about me and my business. With time and practice the answers you have to these questions become a part of your natural conversations with people/customers. Soon you will become an expert at these questions and in fact, the tables will turn and you will even start conversations with new people and will be happy to do it too!

Helps build your small business brand

At the beginning, when you are first starting up, you may have a couple of products to start with, ones which you have really enjoyed making, and you are looking forward to seeing how they sell and what feedback you will get. In the beginning you may not have a deep grasp on what your small business brand is or will be, you may have a baseline of what it is you would like to achieve but this will evolve as you navigate through your new business.

I may be completely wrong on this and you may have it all sorted, but in the beginning, I certainly hadn't really thought about this too much and just selling at a market felt huge and purposeful.

I found was that by selling at markets and having conversations with new customers and other new people at markets, I was able to slowly build a picture of what my brand was. By that I mean, through conversations, I worked out that I only made scents which were from nature (this truly was not on my mind when I first starting making candles), I just loved the scent and chose what I liked, and luckily lot of my customers did as well. I also learnt that I used natural ingredients and loved to use them because of the benefits; again this was subconscious in the beginning. I figured out what my key values were: sustainable, nature inspired, eco-friendly, seasonal scents and customer focused.

You work out who you are

There is something to be said about standing behind a market stall, in the middle of a cold hall, on your own, nowhere to hide, no distractions, the focus really is on you and at first this can feel quite vulnerable. Selling at markets enables you to quickly learn how to hold yourself in a new space, to communicate effectively, to be as friendly and as approachable as you can. On the flip side you have to face rejection as people may not like what you do and some unwanted attention if you are not used to it! However the communication skills you learn through attending markets will be really useful to take forward in your everyday product-based business life. I found when I started selling at markets that my alter ego would come out, I could happily talk to customers all day about my candles and felt really energised by it. I learnt that, although I am a happy introvert, selling at markets brought out the best communicator in me, that I enjoyed talking about my products immensely and that I was an extrovert when selling my products at markets.

Gives you lots of juicy information

I cannot tell you the value of having your customers stood in front of you at a market. Not only is this a great opportunity to talk about your products, but its also a great time to ask your customers some juicy questions. If you have an engaged customer, why not ask them about how they found you? What is their favourite product? Is the candle for you or a gift? These nuggets of information can be so useful to you and your business when you are starting out and will start to shape the direction of your business going forward.

My hope is that I have given you some good reasons to try a market if you are just starting out, equally if you haven't done one in a while. The value of attending a market is high and the benefits are so positive for your business, think about how you and your business can benefit from selling at a market/fair/event nearby.

Josephine is someone I have followed and admired for awhile and find her way of working really inspiration. Josephine is a planning and productivity mentor following a recent previous career in project management, you can find out about her work here.

In our conversation: Managing your time after you take your side hustle full-time we spoke about how I have transitioned into my business to a fulltime role, how I was lucky enough to secure new stockists and commissions at the beginning of the year, the launch of my new DIY candle making kits, and my future plans for the business.

The episode is available to listen too on iTunes and Stitcher and all the usual places.

I had so much fun recording this podcast with Josephine and really enjoyed discussing my transition from a side hustle to a fulltime role in my business. Josephine has so much knowledge and experience with planning and productivity in all areas of a managing a side hustle business.

I hope that the podcast gives you an insight into my business, and for those of you who may be thinking about starting their own business one day.

If you would like to see some more of what I do you can find me over on Instagram and Facebook.

Becky x

So what does this mean? Have I hit on some magic formula? Or can we afford to walk away from our business for a few days, knowing that the right foundations have been built in place, so that it still functions effectively without us? I am going with the latter.

I've been pondering the reasons why and I have come up with a few thoughts of my own.

So, to put this all into context, and before I explain my thoughts, here are a few things you may or may not know about setting up a small business from a hobby.

Running a small business can sometimes be all consuming, it can remain in your thoughts day and night, and becomes your complete focus for awhile.

In addition I have recently transitioned from a side hustle to a full-time business. You also have an additional pressure in believing that if you don't spent every waking hour growing your business you will fail, the business will not be successful.

This is so not true.

I have now been working on my business full-time for three months and I feel that it is only now I have felt able to take my foot off the peddle, to catch my breath and to take stock. I must admit for the last three months I've been working so much on my business, trying to sustain it and grow it that I haven't taken the time to take stock and actually look at what I have been able to do and achieve.

Here are a few things which by having a break have helped me in my business:

Catching your breath

Taking unsolicited time away is important and necessary for anyone, whether you are in paid employment, looking after children or adults or self employed. It's essential to take time out and not think about work for a bit, to recharge your batteries and catch your breath. I know that when you run your own business, this can be difficult, but experience shows me it that it is essential and having time away will be well worth it.

Before I went on my mini break, I thought that I would write endless blog posts, tweak my online shop, think about new products etc, but it didn't happen. Instead I was surprised with how my brain decided to think about something else.

It actually thought about nothing.

I stopped posting on social media

Ok, so I posted once in my mini break. I didn't really have a plan on whether I was going to post or not, so I was surprised to see that I was quite happy to not post and to be honest it freed up a lot more time.

To be totally transparent, I don't actually have a routine with social media, I am not consistently consistent. But this very much suits me and for my business.

I enjoy using social media and I want it to stay that way, so for me I do not want it to become a routine, a chore, it suits me that I post when it feels right. Interestingly I didn't lose any followers during my mini break and my one Instagram post didn't bomb....such food for thought.

Doing and thinking about other things

Having this mini break away from my business, actually enabled me to think about other things, like my family, my relationships, my love for all of these things. I also read books, and I started to take an interest in myself, I had my nails done, I wore summer dresses and I sunbathed. These might sound normal things to some people, but when you are running a small business they can sometimes take a bit of a back seat and slip down the priority list. All of these things made me feel very happy and good about myself.

I felt more motivated and re-energised

It was only on my return home, that I suddenly felt more motivated and re-energised about my business. Not that I wasn't before my mini break, but what I found once I was home, was I actually missed working on my business, not in a human way but in a work relationship way (ok, maybe in a human way too!)

I've started thinking more broadly, more CEO type of working, about my next steps, my new products, and my wonderful customers.

I have come to the realisation that you do not need to do more to sustain your small business, you just need to put the time in to build the right foundations to ensure your business stays upright if you have to take a few days away or you go on a mini sun break!

Most importantly, I have come to my own thoughts around following my own path, leaning in on my intuition, my thoughts and my plans. I am at the beginning of my full-time journey and I am very happy with what I have achieved already and I am also excited to see what the future holds for this beautiful candle business of mine!

Becky x

My Mother was a young female raising her children in NZ in the 80's, when society grasped the concept of freedom and democracy for females. I remember going to the rugby apartheid marches in the streets of Wellington City in the 80's holding banners and shouting out '1,2,3,4 who do we speak for'

So having my own business never seemed that unachievable to me, it just took me a long time to come to it, to achieve it. I have always had an internal desire to run my own business, whatever that would be, as I had no idea what it would be, I just knew it was something I wanted to have.

I remember over the years, spending hours whilst raising my children, on holidays, dreaming about business ideas, but they never came to anything, they were fictitious dreams or thoughts which lay dormant.

Elizabeth Gilbert in her novel 'Big Magic' describes these as ideas floating around waiting for the right person who is ready to accept then and only then will those ideas infuse into that person.

I can resonate with that and only recently when listening to the founder of Darjeeling Express, Asma Khan, on Conversations of Inspiration podcast describe it as 'destiny is something that someone else has planned for you, that the path will open to you when you are ready, so till then do your best' that it fermented solidly into a conscious thought.

Fast forward a few years and my Mother's words have continued to stay with me. I was always ambitious, I worked hard and would always progress quickly with all the different healthcare roles I had. This was never a conscious plan, it just seemed to happen and I never really analysed the reasons why I wanted to do more in all the roles I was in.

On reflection now, I believe it was the recognition that I was looking for, the gravitas of being someone of importance, was what was pushing me forward. All of the roles I had previously were in one way or another a steeping stone to where I am today. I learnt an incredible amount about myself, what I was good at and what I wasn't so good at. However, the roles I had were never enough for me, I was never fully contented or felt fulfilment from these achievements. I would even say I felt a bit of the 'imposter syndrome' of someone doing the work but it was never really me doing it. This was until I created my own business, my own thing.

Starting a small business takes time, grit and determination alongside the greatest achievements and celebrations of satisfaction. Being self-employed and having the ability to manage your own time, make decisions and create your own pathway is both satisfying and rewarding. It doesn't happen overnight, you don't suddenly become successful, but you achieve a lot, you learn so many things, and as I've mentioned before its a self discovery of yourself.

Recently I have been personally surprised to have been approached by individuals who are just starting their own small product based businesses, asking for advice on how I was able to grow my own business in the early stages and I have really enjoyed offering my own advice to them. Because it is so important to give back, to support my peers and encourage other women to do the same, to reach their dreams, and live the life they have always wanted just as I have done.

I will be writing more on how I started my own product based business over the coming weeks, and will be doing a Q&A post. If there is anything you would like to ask me about my small business journey, email me here hello@www.hazelandbluecandles.co.uk and I will do my best to include it in the post.

Becky x

At times it can feel like a rollercoaster with its highs and lows on a bit of a regular basis, but alongside it comes the most extraordinary self discovery and fulfilment like no other I have experienced in my work life.

Self Doubt Coach Sas Petherick recently described this on Josephine Brooks Podcast 'On the Make' as 'the self development program you never signed up, the endless invitation to look at yourself, because suddenly we are in charge' This is so true, having a creative business is a self discovery in itself. You are constantly learning about yourself because in this self employed world you are the boss, there is no one to say 'do it this way' or 'the policy says this' you have to rely on yourself and there lies the discovery of the person you really are. This is a true revelation.

It's been 9 weeks since I've taken my business fulltime and here is what I've learnt so far:

I am motivated by the stick

This is based around the traditional motivation theory 'Are you motivated by the stick or the carrot?' I have figured out that I am motivated by pressure and pull and it seems to generate the most productivity. It would be great to be more productive with the prospect of treats and gifts but no this doesn't seem to work with me (although I wouldn't say no to a treat!)

I tend to do the good/easy stuff first

I have also noticed that I like to do the good/easier stuff first, I like to ease myself in to the harder stuff. So for example I like to make and design products in the morning and do the admin/finances in the afternoon. In a recent Instagram post I asked people what they thought there working pattern was and the majority said they prefer doing the harder stuff first.....so looks like I am in the minority on this one but that's ok, because at the moment this works for me, it may change though and time will tell.

I'm not good with routine ( I like variety)

With only 9 weeks into working fulltime on my business, I've noticed that I don't have a strict routine. I actually like variety and find that this is what keeps me interested and focused on tasks. I tend to react to orders and will work constantly on them until they have finished, whether it is in the morning or in the afternoon it doesn't really matter. I know roughly what needs to be done and I will do it. My next steps are to introduce a set time each week for doing a dedicated task whether that is for example marketing, pitching or wholesale.

I love making candles

I really do. In fact working fulltime in my business has reinforced this. Making candles relaxes me and makes me feel good. I love the techniques, the process, the scents and the finished products. Phew its reassuring that I am in the right job! Over the last few months I have created a new Spring candle Ginger, Lemongrass and Rosewood as well as starting to work on a new Summer Scent which I will be launching over the next few months.

I love designing and creating new products and scents

Having the space and time to create new products and scents has really made a difference to my creativity and output. Before I would definitely struggle to fit in dedicated time to do this and I would tend to design any new products and scents in my Holidays and evenings. I've noticed that my output has been better too, recently I decided to create a new DIY Candle Making Kit after requests from customers and my retail stockists. Normally this would take me weeks, even months to do and with focus and planning I was able to create and launch a new DIY Kit for my online shop in a week (give or take!)

I actually like working with people and company

I love the Instagram community around me and it continues to be so supportive and encouraging. I have really enjoyed connected with other like minded people over the last few months, who all continue to inspire and encourage me as we support each other through our businesses. I have really grown to lean on this support, especially when you are having a rough week or feeling you need a lift. I have continued to work on my word of the year connecting and still go back to it every now and then.

Here are some things that have really helped me over the last few months and I hope you find them useful too

The Insta Retreat - Sara Tasker Me & Orla

Planning and productivity for side hustlers - Josephine Brooks

Small business copy writing workshop - Fiona Burrows

Small Business wholesale Mentor - Therese Ortenblad

Whether you have dreams of running your own business or your are working on your business on the side, part time or fulltime, I hope you find this useful!

Becky x

Here is my step by step method for you to follow to make your own natural soy wax candles

Need

candle containers ( these could be recycled candle containers, charity shop glass containers etc)

soy wax

fragrance oil or essential oil

wicks and wick stabilisers or a glue gun

wooden pegs or a lolly stick

heat Source for e.g a Double Boiler , Bain Marie or a homemade method by using a large pot and a smaller pot that fits inside. Fill the larger pot with a few inches of water and place the smaller pot inside, pour the wax flakes into the smaller pot and heat on a medium heat until the wax flakes melt)

electric Stove/cooker

cooking thermometer

pouring jug

stainless steel stirrer e.g spoon

Soy Candle Making Instructions

1. Pour your soy wax into a double boiler

2. Heat the wax at a medium temperature, not too high as will disturb the wax.

3. Pop in the thermometer and stir occasionally. The wax will melt from solid wax flakes to a golden liquid.

4. Whilst the wax is melting assemble your candle containers. Insert your wick stabilisers onto the bottom of the wicks. Centre your wick inside the candle containers in the middle of the bottom of the glass. Set aside.

5. When the thermometer reaches the appropriate temperature for your wax, take it off the heat

6. Pour the fragrance oil into the melted wax and stir, ensuring the oil is evenly distributed within the melted wax.

7. Pour the fragranced liquid wax into a pouring jug and pour carefully into your candle containers

8. Stabilise the candle wick with the wick stabiliser (wooden peg)

9. Transfer the candle carefully into a room temperature room (warm) for at least 24 hours.

10. Once set, trim the wick approximately 1cm using a wick trimmer or nail scissors.

11. Light and enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed reading and following my soy candle making tutorial! I would love to see your handmade soy candles over on Instagram so please tag me with #myhazelandbluecandles so I can find you!

I have had so much fun writing this for you and I hope that you find my DIY Soy Making Kits easy to follow! I love making candles and it has become one of the best things that I have ever done in my career, I hope that you enjoy it as much I do!

Becky x

The decision to take the leap wasn't hard, it just took me a long time to make it. Over the last 2 years I have seen my beautiful creative business grow and flourish from a kitchen hobby to a sustainable and profitable small creative business. It has thrived but so have I both in my confidence, focus and self awareness.

The time feels right for me to focus on Hazel & Blue fully and wholly and interestingly I have already seen the benefits of doing this since I made the decision. I am more engaged, I feel more connected to it and to people around me.

My decision to leave my day job is not about luck or privilege, it is about hard work, juggling two jobs, grit, determination and a huge amount of passion. Because Hazel & Blue makes me get of bed in the morning, it puts a spring in my step, it makes me feel whole. I am at my most happiest.

It just feels right.

For me having a side hustle was advantageous, it enabled me to grow my business slowly and at a good pace, I wasn't starting from scratch and so I was able to hone my new skills in a low risk and financial way. A recent research piece in 2017 suggests approximately half of all millennials have some type of side hustle, the trend is growing and for me I cannot advocate it strongly enough.

Over the last few years I ran Hazel & Blue as a side hustle. I learnt to manage my business really well, I prioritised tasks, I would work quickly and for short periods. As I only had one day off a week to work on the business, I had to be efficient and effective so I worked with intention. It would also mean working in the mornings, in my lunchtime breaks, at weekends and in the evenings. But it never felt like a struggle it made me happy and it fulfilled me like no other work had.

In other ways I would be quite selective with any new potential work for the business, turning away potential business if I could see no real benefits, I would say no to markets or fairs if I thought it wouldn't be a valuable use of my time, I would say no to potential collaborations if I couldn't plan in the necessary hours or the thinking space. I was able to sustain this quite effectively over the last 18 months as I watched the business grow slowly and sustainably.

I was managing quite well, but then things changed at the end of last year. The Christmas markets started and things stepped up a notch. Hugely. My website went haywire, my candle workshops sold out. Business enquiries came flooding in and I reached out to retail and started my wholesale journey because it felt right and I was ready.

But by the end of December, things caught up with me and running both jobs became too much. I was exhausted and I couldn't stop crying. I was emotionally and physically spent. I was encouraged to take a step back, and I paused and spent the time reflecting. I spoke with close family and friends round me, and slowly my mind started to breathe and I finally came to a conscious decision, it was like a light had been switched on.

I read recently that when you are on the cusp of a life changing decision you have probably subconsciously already made the decision, that somehow it was never a choice but rather a realisation that the decision had been made. I think more so and particularly when you are involving the concept of leaving your comfort zone, its normal to feel hesitant or fearful at the prospect. Sometimes the 'right choice' is the 'brave choice' because it can have a positive change, an opportunity to develop new opportunities and lifelong happiness and contentment. The decisions you make today, defines your future.

The decision to focus on my business was not hard nor did it take a long term, I did not agonise over it. It felt normal, like it was softly and patiently waiting for my permission to accept it.

I am looking forward to the next few months ahead, to focus on Hazel & Blue fully and intentionally, and with purpose. I have an opportunity now to really grow the business, but also to connect with myself and with others around me.

When I was writing this post and during my time growing the business, I found these people and articles really helpful and useful:

Katye Ferris - Simple & Season Soulful Creative Marketing Mentor and so much more. Katye's podcast 'Grow with Soul' provides value and content in baskets and spades and she has one of the most calming voices I have ever heard.

Josephine Brooks - If there is anything to know about a side hustle Josephine is your woman, she is a huge advocate for side hustlers and an expert in planning and productivity she also has a podcast dedicated to side hustlers called 'On the Make'

Fiona Barrows - Fiona is real and honest, she is a website copywriter and brand strategist for creative businesses and she lives locally to me! She has her own podcast called 'There are other ways' with real honest meaningful conversations. Fiona is so relatable and inspiring as she talks from her own experiences, something which I have huge admiration for.

Sara Tasker - Me & Orla Sara is an Instagram Guru not only providing practical tips she shares her expert knowledge and skills on growing your business online, she is on point, a brilliant business woman and a wonderful mentor for new creatives.

If you are feeling inspired to start a side hustler or even take the leap to full time business yourself, I would say do it and start small, because the small things lead to bigger things and that's where the magic happens and you never know where it might lead.

I still feel I have a long way to go with Hazel & Blue but this year feels more purposeful than ever, I have a lot of new projects, products and collaborations already in the pipeline, but for now I will settle in, take a breath and embrace the moment. I am so excited I feel like I have been given a gift.

Because this is something that has been bugging me for a long time, whispering in my ear, nudging my thoughts and making me feel a bit uncomfortable and inadequate. Connecting.

I've been looking into the benefits of having a word of the year appose to setting goals which can be more short term rather than having longevity. I see it as a way of guiding you through the year, making you accountable, the way writer Nicole M Gullota puts it, is 'choosing a word of the year doesn't negate your specific hopes and dreams. Instead, it supports them by allowing yourself space to grow, change, and make adjustments along the way'. Writer, photography and blogger Jessica Rose Williams describes it in her recent Word of 2019 Acceptance post as a 'basket of breadcrumbs to use as a guide or a follow throughout the year' which is such a great way to describe it. Rather than setting goals which can make you feel a bit inadequate if you don't achieve them (we've all being there) or some type of tick box exercise, a word of the year can be something much more tangible and achievable.

A word of the year can be something that focuses you on several different elements which you can do over a year at different occasions. I see it as a guide, a role model even, where it can be your biggest supporter and constant companion as you navigate through the highs and lows for the year ahead.

Strangely when I started to think about my word, it almost came to me instantly like it was always there, and was waiting for me to invite it to come out. So I stuck to it and started to mull it over and it pull it apart and the more I did that the more it fitted.

Really well.

My word for 2019 is Connection

I've always had a slight thing about connecting. Finding it uncomfortable to connect to some things and others (including myself) I tend to connect to things that are controllable and easy, instead of letting go and taking new opportunities which can bring much more richness to its core. Don't get me wrong I love to connect especially with my business, with people around me and it makes me feel so happy, but I could connect more fully and in more depth.

Before I connect with anything new, I tend to think about how I would feel or what if the person doesn't like me, or I don't like them or it might be to much effort, or the rewards aren't big enough or I don't have the time. What I am trying to explain is the fair of rejection and been vulnerable. The failure of not be wanted is strong, and big but I am learning to embrace it as I get older and as start to feel more comfortable in my own skin.

I know that this is, what it is, but I also know that been able to connect on a higher level, is not only good for you, but it can potentially bring you so much more to your life, and that without trying you will never know the richness that it can bring.

Connecting was something I haven't nurtured as much as I could have, over the last year. Working constantly between my day job and my creative business left me little time to reach out and connect.

Properly.

Yes, I could connect with customers at a market, or meet a friend for coffee or comment on a post no problem, its the deeper connection I would like to create next year. The follow on, the opportunity to connect fully afterwards.

Connection is to fully engage with things, with people and with life wholeheartedly. To welcome new opportunities to connect. Previous in the year I was noticing that I was saying no to new opportunities, no to growing as a individual and as a business owner, I was generally disconnected with myself. On reflection this was partly due to working in my day job too much and not focusing on the business as I really wanted too.

I have slowly started to change this, with small steps and started to see and understand the strength in connecting. This last year I have seen so much growth in my business, the launch of my website, developing new products, launching my sell out candle making workshops, investing in self development with coach Katye Ferris, getting into wholesale/retail, and finally identifying what it is I really what to do and what I want to be. The business is connecting and I now want to be fully connected to it, to myself, and to the people around me all in one.

Here is what Connection means to me:

Connection means to fully enage with things, with people and with life wholeheartedly. To welcome new opportunities to connect.

Connection to myself

Connection to the people around me

Connection to new people

Connection to new opportunities

Connection to the present

This year I will embrace new connections, not only in my business, but in my daily moments, with the people around me, I will not be afraid of rejection because rejection is not about me is it about other people. I will dare to be vulnerable this year, because with vulnerability comes much magic and true courage.

Brene Brown wrote in her book 'Daring greatly' 'that by having the courage to show up and been seen when we have no control over the outcome, is not a weakness, its our greatest measure of courage'

I am looking forward to embracing the concept of connecting next year, as next year marks a huge change for Hazel & Blue, an opportunity to really grow the business and connect with myself and others. This amazing business has enabled me to live the life I have always wanted and I really couldn't have done it without the people around me.

When I was researching my word of the year I found these pieces really helpful and useful to understand it a bit better:

- Jessica Rose Williams My Word of 2019 - Acceptance

- Susanna Conway Unravel Your Year

- Nicole M Gulotta The Benefits of Choosing a Word for the year - Instead of goal setting

Are you thinking of having a word of the year for 2019? I would love to know what you have chosen.

Wishing you a year filled with new chances, discovering your dreams, and year full of things that have never been before. Happy 2019! xx

Candles can bring an ambience, a presence, a state of mind and a feeling of relaxation and calmness into any room. Whilst been portable you can move them from room to room, they are natural and sustainable soy candles can be exquisitely scented and make the perfect gift for yourself or for loved ones. I must point out as this stage that I am a Candle maker so you could argue that I am perfectly placed to advocate for them, but I am also pretty bias!

I started making Soy Candles 2 years ago whilst looking for a new craft to make with my Daughter, and I fell in love with making them from the moment I melted the wax to creating the candle label. I am self taught, putting in a ton of practice, testing and time to perfect the perfect soy scented candle, to the point where I can now make candles with my eyes shut ( not literally) and with no written recipe at all. But I started simply and easily and the rest just came with time and experience.

I have been lucky enough to teach candle making workshops for beginners over the last year and during the workshop I love to share all of my top candle making tips with the attendees during the workshops alongside my DIY Soy Candle Making Kit, here are my top 3 tips if you are thinking about making your own candles in your own home.

1. It's pretty easy

I am not going to lie, making candles can be pretty easy, you don't need to research too much, or buy a candle-making manual or book to start it you can find a YouTube clip this is mine, look for a candle making post on Pinterest and just follow your nose. There are all types of candle making lists and techniques you can follow and they are all slightly different, but trust me if you can follow a recipe, then you can follow a candle recipe and you can make your own soy candles effectively and efficiently.

When I first starting making candles, I actually made them in the microwave, I brought a beginner candle making kit from eBay which had all the ingredients you will need in it and a recipe to follow, the only fault I would say is that the wax in these kits is paraffin wax and therefore not very good for the environment or your home. My simple natural soy making kits are full of natural ingredients and are all eco friendly

2. Candle Making Kit

When I first starting making my own soy candles, I made them in the microwave and used baking tools from my kitchen. (Although I did invest in a thermometer as I didn't want to used our used one!)

You do not need to buy too much kit when you first start. Honestly not much at all. Depending on whether you want to make them in the microwave or in a double boiler you will need a microwave jug, a thermometer, a stirrer, a few wicks, some fragrance or essential oils and a candle container and that is it. The majority of the kit can be brought easily and quickly and they can be all made in the kitchen of your home. TOP TIP: Avoid putting candle wax down your sink - disastrous trust me I managed to block our kitchen sink when I first started and it didn't go down to well!

3. Candle Containers

There are so many types of different candle containers you can use for making candles when you are a beginner and starting out. When I first started I used an old glass tumbler and a used candle vessel which was perfect as a beginner. Alternatively you can buy some second-hand glasses or those ceramic teacups you find in Charity shops or even purchase some new ones in a larger homeware store. If you are reusing your candle containers, give them a good wash in the sink or dishwasher making all the residual wax is gone and they are good to go.

TOP TIP: To get rid of any residual wax, boil you kettle and pour in boiling water, leave for a few hours and the old wax will rise to the top of the glass and harden. You can then remove the wax and wash in hot soapy water.

Making candles at home is both rewarding and relaxing and when you are first learning just have fun and enjoy it! Starting a new hobby or trying something for the first time is not without its ups and down but my advice is just give it a go!

Making candles at home can be relatively easy and not expensive and the rewards are big, your candle can last for ages and is a gift that continues to keep on giving for hours and hours.....

Becky Avery is a Candle maker and Creative business owner of Hazel & Blue Candles, based just outside the historic City of Bath in Wiltshire. Becky runs candle making workshops in Bath, Wiltshire and Somerset and creates all of her nature inspired soy scented soy candles and eco friendly home fragrance products in her garden studio, inspired by seasons and nature all of Becky's products are sustainable and eco friendly.

www.hazelandbluecandles.co.uk

I find my inspiration comes all year round: new seasonal flowers in Spring, long sandy blue beaches in the Summer, freshly cut wood in the Autumn, or spicy oranges and eucalyptus in the Winter I love them all.

There are several reasons why lavender is a great natural ingredient to use to relax and unwind and I have listed my favourite ones below:

1. Calming

Lavender is calming, soothing and relaxing. I could finish there but if you type 'The benefits of lavender' into Google you will be inundated with pages and pages of different articles on all the amazing natural benefits it has. The calming effect is one of my favourite and love that within seconds you can instantly smell the addictive aroma it has. If candles are you thang alternatively you could use Lavender essential oil, and rub a few drops on your feet, temples or wrist for an immediate calming effect, or even pop a few drops into your bath water for a instant effect.

2. Helps you sleep

Another favourite is to use Lavender to help you unwind and sleep. Lavender can help you relax and unwind and get a goodnights sleep. I make a Lavender based Botanical Mist spray, and can be used to help you sleep, the spray is fine enough to spray on your bedding, clothes and surrounds and has a lovely lavender and amber scent, to help you go to sleep.

3. Good for your Skin

There are some amazing lavender remedies for helping dry skin for example lavender moisturisers mixed with shea or coconut are perfect for applying to your skin, Lavender is also used to help eczema, burns and insect bites and can be used to relieve dry itchy scalp and dandruff.

4. Lavender Candles

The beauty of using Lavender oils in a candle is that is not only smells pretty good, but it is also a great natural way to help you unwind, relax and feel calm. Lavender candles are perfect in any space particularly one in which you want to relax, like a living room, bedroom or bathroom, it is also a natural fragrance that can be used all year around.

I like to rub a bit of the cooled candle wax onto my skin especially if it needs soothing ( only suited for soy based candles) which feels great and makes your skin glow afterwards.

Calming

Helps you sleep

Good for your skin

Candles

I would highly recommend a lavender 'hit' any time of the year, but particularly if you need a bit of relaxation or unwinding.