Meadowfarmcandles

A calf is born

A Calf is Born ✨ We thought Ruby🐮was due around March 1st, so in early Feb we put her into a dry barn to get ready for the imminent arrival. We wanted to make sure we were organised and were even going to install a camera so we could check on her from the house.BUT. Last Saturday Philip was out filling her water buckets and as he opened the barn gate out she bolted, she was obviously in labour and didn’t want to be confined at that moment. She refused to go back in so we decided we’d have to let her give birth outside. At this point the calf’s feet were already sticking out and we didn’t know how long she had been pushing. We brought plenty of straw out for her to lay on and that’s exactly what she did while all the time having strong contractions. The calf was born about an hour later with a bit of help from Philip. What an incredible experience watching an animal being born! We’ve done it before with 3 puppy litters but it never ceases to amaze me how Mother Nature works. That was the easy part! (for us anyway, not sure Ruby would agree) By this time it was around 4pm, getting dark and it was raining heavily. We knew the baby needed milk and that he needed to be dry, the problem was that Ruby wouldn’t let us anywhere near him because rightly so, she was protective, but also aggressive, so we had to be careful. Long story short, we roped the kids in to help and with some tactical gate manoeuvring and lots of perseverance Philip managed to carry the calf into the barn. 💪🏾 We just assumed Mum would follow and come straight in too but she didn’t. She was stuck to the spot no matter what we did to entice her in, heartbroken that someone had taken away her calf 😭 honestly it was traumatising for her and us, but it was the right thing to do. He wouldn’t have survived a night in the rain and he needed milk that she couldn’t give to him because of how bad the weather was. Once towel dried, covered in blankets all warm and cosy, we fed the calf colostrum and settled him down for the night - yes Philip did consider sleeping in the barn - I did not. We both had a sleepless night worrying, but the next morning they were reunited … cont. in comments 👇🏾

Hole Poking

Pour, Poke, Blow 😮‍💨 If you look at the two candles above one’s completely smooth and the other has a wavy surface. That’s because one is double poured and the other is single pour. I use both techniques depending on the scent / wax / jar size and many other factors. 🕯️ Poking Holes: I don’t know why this irritates some candle makers, but it does. 😈 It’s a perfectly acceptable and useful way to ensure your candles don’t have any lurking sink holes or air pockets beneath the surface. You feel for the air pockets with a clean wooden stick (you’ll know when you feel one) then fill in the holes with the melted wax. This method is best used on single pour candles. But holes can be poked on half pour too. 🕯️Double Pouring: Pouring in two stages helps create a flawless finish as it allows the top layer to set evenly and smoothly. Wax shrinks as it cools and doing the second pour can fill any gaps or holes. The second pour always gives a super smooth surface so you won’t need to use a heat gun. 🔥Heat Gun: This tool helps smooth the tops of the candles, giving them a polished and professional look. A little heat goes a long way. Don’t go blasting a blow torch like it’s a creme brûlée. Make sure it’s a specific low heat wand designed for candle use and use at a sensible distance so you don’t burn off any of the fragrance oils. There are many variables with candle making and it involves lots of trial and error. The key thing is to burn your testers meticulously for safety reasons. Wax and wicks especially can be very temperamental, but that’s for another day …. #candle101 #candlescented #fragrance

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Heat gun controversy 😱

⚠️ 🔫 Some candles can have a rippled effect or an uneven surface once they’ve set. Some set perfectly smooth first time depending on the oil and wax used. Slight imperfections on the surface won’t affect the quality of the burn but some customers like their candles to look perfectly smooth especially if purchasing as a gift. I sometimes , not often, smooth the candle surface with a gentle heat to make them smooth, but the mistake I’ve seen some people make is using industrial sized guns and blowing the living daylights out of the wax. Applying too much heat, for too long isn’t good as it can burn off the top layer of the scent. This is why I only ever use my very gentle gun specifically designed for candles. I keep it a safe distance away from the wax and never use for longer than a few seconds. It has hardly any heat and very little power. NEVER use a blow torch - yes I’ve seen this , and never use a hot industrial sized heat gun! Our candles have an excellent scent throw so if done correctly this method is perfectly acceptable. #heatgun#candle101#candlehacks

A must watch for Autumn candle lovers 🍁🍂

🍁NEW AUTUMN CANDLES🍂 In this mildly chaotic live, with guest appearances from Pops and Taylor Swift, I’m taking you through the new candles I’ve been burning over the past few weeks (like seriously, every night AND day!). Some are limited edition brand new, some are existing but new to me. Here are the ones I’ve included and prices are all mentioned in the show: @meadowfarmlifestyle Firethorn @themaskedgarden Ancient Books @diptyque Citrouille (pumpkin) @cosstores Caban de Bois @thesilvercandlecompany Dark Tahitian Vanilla @jomalonelondon Golden Barley @nkukulife Juniper & Fir @acquadiparma Nocciola @acquadiparma Tartufo Bianco @acquadiparma Mosto @lamontanacandles Alfredo’s Cafe (at @soliflore_store Special shout-out to my beloved @diptyque Mousses and @carriere_freres Cypress [no spons or partnerships] #candles #autumncandles #autumn #autumnvibes🍁

If October was a scent

October smells good 🐦‍🔥 Hope you’re lighting all the candles this month. Lighting a candle is a form of therapy, but much cheaper. Don’t save anything for best. 🍂🍁🪾🐦‍🔥 #autumncandles#octoberfeels #coloursofoctober #cosycandles#huginamug

Why are some people so cagey and tight with their information? Who cares if you tell the world where you got your cardboard boxes from? Also, by sharing things like this you’re helping other businesses. Ok I’m not saying I give my formulas and secrets away, but when I can help someone, if it’s within reason, I will. When I started this candle business it was like getting blood out of a stone when asking people ANYTHING. Really reasonable questions, I wasn’t asking to log into to the back end of their websites or look through their top secret files. So many gatekeepers and I dont understand it at all. Luckily I’ve found lots of fellow candle makers on here now who are more friendly and open like me and happy to share their tips, suppliers and engage in general chit chat. The way it should be in my opinion. There’s room for everyone, we’re all unique and helping others is good karma too. #bekind#supportsmall #candlehacks#candleclass #candleschool

Relief holes help prevent hidden air pockets hiding in the wax, which can sometimes cause tunnelling or the candle to burn unevenly, poking these holes releases the air and you can fill them with melted wax. Another way to prevent air pockets and sink holes is the double pour. Fill the candle jar half way, let them set and then fill all the way to the top. Both methods are fine and I do both. The double pour isn’t always perfect if you have a clear jar because it can sometimes leave a line. Candle making is not for the faint hearted. There is very little accurate information out there and there are so many variables that go in to making a good one. That’s why I’m happy to share tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. Follow me for more and share with someone who will find this useful ✨✨ #candletips#candles #sinkholes#soywaxcandles #yorkshirecandles#meltedwax

WICK TIPs

WICKS 🕯️ The most important component when making scented container candles. Wicks act like the fuel pump to the flame and the size used depends on how much fuel is drawn into it. Too large and the flame will be too high and burn too quickly (over wicked) too small and the flame will go out and the candle may tunnel.( under wicked.) There are thousands of different wick types on the market. Different brands, different materials - cotton, coated, flat braid/ square braid, h**p, wooden, specialty / custom made, zinc core or lead core ( which is now banned due to safety concerns.) Choosing a premium quality brand is important and you have to do numerous burn tests to find the one that works for you and your oils, it’s not a one size fits all situation, for every scent you’re back to square one for testing. I use cotton wicks from varying brands and I also have some custom made. I prefer these as they have a clean, even burn with the least amount of sooting. We NEVER use wick cores and our fragrance oils are blended through the entire candle. More on this controversial topic another time! Remember the most important thing with candle making is to test test test. 🔥 #candlehacks#candletips#candlewick #wicks#cottonwicks #woodenwicks#burntest#candlemakersofinstagram #chandler

If you love pumpkin spice candles then this one is for you

“The perfect Autumn candle” I’m so happy so many of you love our new scent and have given me so much lovely feedback. I was panicking - as usual, that it wasn’t good enough. I think I do this every launch, even after months of extensive testing. Thank you for all your pictures and comments and I’m so happy you love Firethorn 🍂🍁🪾🐦‍🔥 #autumncandles#fallcandles#cosyszn#sweaterweather#fallingleaves #september #candlemaking #pumpkinseason🎃

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