A bit of a throwback for Day 3 of Instagram #marchmeetthemaker where todays topic is 'How you started'. I dont know when exactly I started creating candles, I remember watching one of the popular kid's TV shows in the 80s that I was addicted to, it was maybe Blue Peter, Make and Do, or Art Attack, and they showed you how to melt old candles and crayons in a tin can over a pot of boiling water on the stove, using old 1 pint milk cartons as a mould, and some ice cubes were added which would melt as the wax set leaving artistic holes in the colourful candles. So I was about 6 or 7 maybe, when I first did that, and I began to recycle old candles and crayons this way. As I got older and hippier, my love for candles grew, but I found that heavier scented candles would give me a headache. I accumulated a lot of half used candle jars and wanted to reuse them somehow, and as I would already make a lot of my own skincare lotions and potions for myself, as I have and my babies had very sensitive skin, I decided to try my hand at making some candles from scratch sourcing as many natural ingredients as I could, I played around with different waxes and fragrances settling on eco-soy wax and instinctively blending pure essential oils. I would run out of old candle and coffee jars to recycle and so started to use old china tea-cups and even created coffee candles in old coffee cups, with real coffee! In 2010 I then took these candles to my beloved local craft fairs where they regularly sold out because not only were they a cute gift, but a lot of people I met there actually suffered with headache from scented candles and perfumes too. These recycled tea-cups and glass jars have now evolved into the candles range it is now, including glass tumblers, tin candles and wax melts and hopefully I have a lot more left to develop and create from here on into the future!

Today's Drogheda Cottage Market has been moved to next Saturday March 10th due to #StormEmma snow and bad weather. We'll see you then!

#StormEmma is the very reason I haven't called this our Christmas Collection, we all know that the Winter 'Season' in Ireland can last long into March and even April. Our Seasonal Collection is still widely available, and includes oils like Orange, Ginger, Frankincense, Pine, Eucalyptus, Spearmint and Tea Tree with reputed aromatherapy benefits beyond their wonderful scents. www.emmas.ie

A snow day well spent! Our Rianna has hand printed some canvas shopping bags with our logo, she's been working on this project for a while now after doing a wee course in @creativespark_printstudio for her art portfolio, and we're very happy with the result! Canvas bags will be available online and as part of our Eco Mart pop-up at craft fairs.

It's too cold in my workroom, even though it's attached to the house, so I've taken my work in here to the living room by the stove, can you blame me???

Are you on Twitter? Join in with #LouthChat tonight February 20th 2018 between 8 & 9 pm, I'm StarBiz as #EmmasSoNaturals so use both hastags to be in with a chance to win our 5 piece candles hamper!!!

I'm thrilled to share this UK based business started by my cousin who is positively and bravely taking on a number of social issues like food waste, processed convenience foods and employment for those with disabilities! Well done Suzanne O'Hara plus I love that you are including vegetarian options on your menu!