Waxwonderful

Mystringdolls.com - String Dolls & Voodoo Dolls

2010-06-16T14:46:00.003+01:00

String Doll Story

String Dolls, Voodoo String Dolls and Voodoo keychains - where did they come from?

There are lots of stories describing the origins of the String Dolls, Voodoo String Dolls and Voodoo keychains. Most stories speak of these originating in Northern Thailand. Nowadays, String Dolls, Voodoo String Dolls and Voodoo keychains are one of the most popular must have accessories all over Asia and the USA.

We think the UK and Europe will be the next territories for String Doll, Voodoo String Doll and Voodoo keychain domination!

How were they made - then and now?

The original manufacturing method for String Dolls, Voodoo String Dolls and Voodoo keychains is full of charm. What we can piece together from speaking to local contacts is that, in their spare time, farmers in Northern Thailand would create doll like figures from pieces of straw. These would then be given to loved ones as tokens of affection and lucky charms.

Over time, and with textiles production becoming more sophisticated, straw was replaced with string and the modern String Dolls, Voodoo String Dolls and Voodoo keychains were born.

Each String Doll, Voodoo String Doll and Voodoo keychain is made from a single length of continuous cotton string, which is carefully wound to create the classic string doll body shape. No wire frames are used as a template for the body so each wind has to be perfectly accurate. Each String Doll, Voodoo String Doll and Voodoo keychain is then adorned with distinctive accessories to create particular characteristics. Many of the these accessories are made from off cuts of materials and textiles which would otherwise be thrown away. Very little goes to waste!

String Dolls, Voodoo String Dolls and Voodoo keychains - should I be concerned about voodoo?

Our String Dolls, Voodoo String Dolls and Voodoo keychains are a bit of fun and should not be taken seriously. They make a fun lucky charm, accessory for your keyring or bag, wedding favour or decorative item for your home or car (we also think they will look great hanging from Christmas Trees).

Selection and arrangement of home decor candles

2010-02-10T19:22:00.001Z

February 2010 - Selection and arrangement of home decor candles

I'm sure all of us have a few candles sitting around at home. Whether used for relaxation purposes or to create soft light to dine under, few can say that we don't love candles. This article seeks to suggest ways to select and arrange your home decor candles to maximise your enjoyment.

Selecting Candles

Before you choose your home decor candles, have a think about what you want to get out of them. If you want your home decor candles to be an aid to relaxation then scented candles may be just the ticket. I can think of nothing more relaxing then sitting back in a hot bath with candle soft light projecting across the bathroom and the smell of a favourite scent filling the warm air.

If you are looking for home decor candles to decorate a table for your dinner guests then scented candles may not be your best bet. If the scent is strong you would not want your guests to be distracted from the lovely smells of your carefully prepared dishes! As such, one would probably go for a non scented tapered candle. These are classic and elegant and elevate the level of sophistication at any social gathering.

Depending on your taste, you can use home decor candles to be a mood enhancer or you can use home decor candles to act as a talking point and focus for you table decorations. While the classic tapered candle is elegant and sophisticated it tends not to draw too much attention from your guests. An unconventional set of candles can be a good talking point and one to get the conversation going in the right direction during those all important first few minutes after taking your place at the table. Unconventional candles some in all shapes, designs and colours and the more unusual the more likely it is that your guests are going to talk about it.

Arranging Candles

For self relaxation purposes, you can pretty much arrange your home decor candles as you want as long as your method is safe. I'm a big fan of having a few tea lights sitting on the side of my bath, for example.

For formal gatherings, you would probably want a set of matching home decor candles placed at even intervals along your table. Depending on the type of candle you are seeking, you may also need a candle holder to support you wax wonder. A favourite arrangement is to have home decor candles arranged as trios and placed on the table at regular intervals. On a practical level, this allows for an even distribution of light. On a decorative level, a trio of home decor candles makes quite a bold statement and acts as nice focal points for your table decorations. Of course, that suggestion is fairly conventional. Depending on one's tastes, you could use mismatched candles on the table. Like using mismatched furniture in the home or a restaurant, a set of mismatched home decor candles can look great and very unusual.

The nice thing about home decor candles is that you can say quite a lot about yourself and make a statement about your event without saying a word! Home decor candles are one of those decorative items which stand out and everybody notices. Of course, the more unusual your selection and arrangement of candles, the more likely your guests are to say how much they appreciate them.

New Prducts

2010-02-08T11:28:00.004Z

Well after some careful selection, we have some great new products for Valentine's Day. It take quite a while to soft through all the different products before we decide which ones to feature on the site as we only like to feature the most unusual of all the ones we take a look at.

We think that the Black Jasmine Scented Heart Candle is one of the most unusual candles we have seen. While the idea of a heart at Valentine's Day might be a little conventional that deep black colour distinguishes this product easily. It also smells great and comes in an attractive bag with a tie.

We have also sent our our newsletter which you can find and read at the following address: http://www.waxwonderful.com/page37.htm

That's all for now. Have a look at our home decor candles for inspiration and wedding candles.

Something very special

2010-01-23T00:16:00.003Z

Well, we have spent a fair amount of time looking for new products now we are in a new year and we think we have found something very special indeed. Not only have we found some great new candles but we have also found the most beautiful fairy lights. Very pleased to now feature these. Have a look when you have a moment:

http://www.waxwonderful.com/

http://www.waxwonderful.com/page4.htm

http://www.waxwonderful.com/page5.htm

Until the next update!!!

Site re-designed and up

2010-01-01T22:59:00.001Z

Some time off over Christmas allowed me time to update the site with new a new design and new products. I am really pleased with the product shots and the whole site now sits together really well. Check it out at www.waxwonderful.com

Happy New Year!

Candles and why we should throw out convention

2009-12-14T21:54:00.002Z

Candles and why we should throw out convention

These days we are all under pressure to be save energy. Whether its further insulation on the house or screwing in those energy efficient light bulbs, we constantly hear reminders that we need to be more wary. It is those energy efficient light bulbs that I don't like. The light they project is cold and harsh and they just don't hit the spot. How about going back to the old school and light up a few of those soft light candles instead?

Candle fact: the word candle comes from the Latin "candere" meaning to shine or glow.

We all know that many years ago candles and variations thereof were the only practical way you could avoid tripping over yourself at night. However, since then, candles have become less of an essential item and more of a decorative joy. Instead of candles being in every corner in the house, we now commonly have candles in the bath room (for those long and relaxing hot baths), the dining room (to create the right atmosphere for your dinner party) or in the sitting room (to create that all important relaxing atmosphere). It is interesting that when we seek to enhance an atmosphere we resort back to the most basic of lighting arrangements.

Candle fact: according to the Guinness World Records, in 2007 the record for the largest collection of candles belonged to a German individual with 1,820 different candles.

Having trawled through the web, it seems that scented candles are one of the most popular styles out there. This is all quite understandable as you would like to have the benefit of some sweet and attractive smells as well as the soft light that candles produce. One thing that struck me was that the designs of these scented candles tended to be quite conventional. It was common to see that scented candles were cylindrical in design and housed within a tin or ceramic pot. While it is a good thing to have a candle mounted in a stable holder, it is a shame that a versatile material such as wax should be so constrained. I think that part of the beauty of candles are the design and an attractive candle should be shown off at all times. In that way, not only are you enjoying the soft light but you are also enjoying the design acting as the source of that light.

Candles come in as many designs as it would be possible to fit into this page. From the classic and elegant tapered candle sitting proudly at your dinner party to the most exotic of floating candles, it is important to show off the beauty of the design. Handmade candles may attract a premium compared to machine manufactured units but, for a few extra pennies, handmade candles can more than pay for themselves in terms of the satisfaction they deliver to you. Instead of a conventional cylinder, how about impressing you guests with a hand sculpted work of art put together with a skilled pair of hands? It is bound the get the conversation going at any party if you can show off your great taste in candles.

The author runs www.waxwonderful.com and seeks out exotic and unusual candles for you to enjoy.

Day 2 - Things are maybe taking shape

2009-12-11T17:24:00.003Z

Well it is day two of waxwonderful.com and I have had a fair bit of traffic to the site. The main challenge is to get high up on Google. I think this will be difficult and will need a lot of work. Still, I am willing to give it a good try. Have had a couple of orders too so that is a good start.

I have had lots of good feedback on the site so far and lots of nice words on the candles we have.

First Blog - Candles

2009-12-10T17:27:00.005Z

It has been a lot of funning putting my site together. I'm not an expert on html so have adopted some software called Mr Site to simplify matters. It works pretty well although there are one or two features I would like it to do better.

Anyway enough of the technicals. My interest is candles. When I was younger I went through s stage of making candles at home. My basic process (and this is very basic) was to find an interesting mold (my favourite was a Buda) and then heat up a fair quantity of wax pellets. Next was to add some stearine (makes the candle set harder) and dye and let it all melt down.

After that, it was time to thread the wick through the end of the mould, invert the mould and place it in a holder. Next wax was poured in and it was left to start cooling. I needed to add wax every now and again as the liquid was contracted while cooling. After a few hours a fantastic candle appeared out of the mould.

So interests nowadays are selling candles rather than making them. The more unusual the better.