2009 was a year most retailers would like to forget and the shops at Mattick’s Farm certainly were no exception.  Indeed, 2010 seems a little soft in the Victoria area, so far, as well.  This has made our loyal clientele more valuable than ever and I would like to say a heartfelt “Thank-you” to all of you who found your way out to us over the last months.

Business being a little quiet is no excuse for the store to be boring, we have been cheerfully chugging along as usual, looking for interesting new items and keeping the candle selection second to none!  We have added a new line of fancy tapers made of Danish wax by the “Old Time Candle Company” in Vancouver, at a special introductory price of $3.99 a pair, and are inviting feedback from our customers. Yes, you get to be “Beta-testers“!  We have also added a popular line of “Molca” candles from Holland, in pillars and floaters that have been very well received.  Our “Flatyz” candles from Lithuania have also been a great conversation piece.  They are a great decorative gift item, though, we cheerfully admit, not the greatest idea for practical burning during a power outage!

We have also augmented our selection of Danish glass vases and bowls from “Dansk Glaskunst” with new shapes and sizes and added a new line of locally made pottery from “Dragon Pottery”.  Our paper napkin selection has grown, too, with the addition of “IHR” and “Home Fashion” serviettes from two premier German makers.

The best received new addition has been the beautiful collection of glass hummingbirds and dragonflies by Victoria’s very own Mark Bateman.  We have been delighted to watch them fly out the door!  Add the new cards from local photograhper Stuart Clarke as well as fresh colours in our handwoven placemats from Lori Davies on Saltspring Island and the store is as cheerful and interesting as ever.

The Mattick’s Farm Tenant’s Association has been busy planning summer entertainment and events to brighten your summer weekends.  Check out the Mattick’s Farm website for details.

Leslie, Mary, Betty and I are looking forward to an entertaining Summer and hope to see you at “The Farm”.  Mention that you read this post and we’ll give you a pair of “H4″ Danish taper candles with any purchase adding up to over $20.00!

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As you plan your wedding, the question of centerpieces, table decor and decoration is bound to come up!  Candlelight can play a big part and at The Ladybug Boutique we know our candles…

The first thing you need to do, though, before even thinking of a lighting a match, is to check whether or not you are permitted to have candles burning at all.  When you rent a hall, book a hotel ball room or arrange for any public venue ask about the Fire Regulations! We have, on numerous occasions, sold a great selection of candles for an event only to have the wedding planners discover that candles are not allowed.

If the event is in a private home, or the rented venue will allow candles, we can advise on what types will burn well and safely, in various settings.  We have all kinds of ideas for centerpieces and displays and can explain how much attention each application requires.

Should you decide to, or need to, go flameless we have a wide selection of battery powered options to consider, as well.

Best of all, when you order well in advance we offer quantity based discounts!  Ordering well ahead also enables us to obtain special colours to match the decorative theme. Of course, we always have a good stock of basic white or cream available if time is an issue. We may also be able to fill orders for many other colours as well, in many of our basic items.  Just ask and we will see what we can do!

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Always trim the new wick to a length of about ¼ inch or ½ a centimetre.  Too short and your candle won’t light.  Too long and it will sputter and smoke.  Always remove the excess wick before re-lighting your candle.

Candles don’t like drafts.  If you see the flame bouncing about and flickering there is likely a draft in the room.  Even if the windows are closed, there are sources of drafts throughout your home:  The air circulation from an open flue or heating registers, or from a stairwell leading from a colder part of the house are all likely suspects.

• REMEMBER: Even the best candles will drip and run in a draughty location!
• ALWAYS keep lit candles out of the reach of children!
• NEVER leave a burning candle unattended.
• ALWAYS have a protective surface under candles.
• ALWAYS extinguish candles before they burn down to their holders or the flame nears decorative candle rings.

Do not leave wick trimmings or foreign matter in the wax.  This may cause uneven burning as they may re-ignite or cause the candle to become too hot.

Candle Care
While a high quality taper candle will just disappear as the flame consumes the wax as fuel, pillar and three wick candles require a little extra care:

• Always burn a pillar candle for a number of hours each time it is lit.  This enables the candle to melt enough wax to create a pool that reaches almost to the edge.  The edge will then be soft enough to curl over into the candle.  You may need to help this process along by curling the warm edge into the candle after extinguishing the flame.  If one edge is thinner than the other or looks like it may burn through, extinguish the flame and push the wick gently to the thicker side of the candle with the end of a spoon (while holding on to the candle, of course!).  A little nudge is enough.  That way, when you next light the candle, the flame will be a little bit closer to the thicker side and will even out the edge.
• 
  Three wick candles need a little more care to get going properly:  Light each wick once and let it burn by itself for at least an hour or until it has formed a nice little well.  Put it out and let it cool.  Then repeat the process for the same length of time for the other wicks.  When you have a nice clover-leaf pattern on the top, you are ready to burn all three wicks at once.  If you don’t do this the heat from all three wicks will cause the top of the new candle to run over and you will just get a big mess!

Grouping:
While it is fun to decorate with candle arrangements, you need to keep them well spaced when they are lit.  Too many candles too close together will generate too much heat and the convection currents can make the candles run or cause neighbouring candles to melt.

Scented Candles:
Any pillar candle can be made into a scented candle!  Just add a few drops of your favourite essential oil to the molten pool of wax, and the next time you light it you will have the scent.

Floating Candles:
Because wax is lighter than water, all candles float.  However, unless the centre of gravity keeps the wick out of the water they will not all burn.  Floating candles are usually cup shaped and will burn until the wick falls through the bottom or water seeps over the sides.  One way or another they will drown eventually, and by design always leave behind a shell of wax. While burning candles in water is an excellent safety feature, remember to keep the flame away from overhanging glass if the bowl has concave sides.

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The Ladybug Boutique started out as Scandinavian Weaving in Market Square on Johnson Street in downtown Victoria some twenty-five years ago.  A very nice Swedish lady named Victoria decided, in 1985, to open a small store to sell her weaving.

About a year later an equally nice Danish lady named Birgitte joined her and a great partnership was born!  Over the years the ladies expanded into Candles, Giftware and Scandinavian Specialties’ from Christmas Nisser to craft-paper, flags, mugs, Danish iron and glass, cookbooks and traditional Swedish, Danish and Finish jewelry.

With the move twelve years ago to Mattick’s Farm in Cordova Bay the name changed to “The Ladybug Boutique” in honour of Victoria’s lifetime fondness for lucky ladybugs.

After three years of operation in Vancouver as well, the two decided that retirement might be worth contemplating, so on the day of the twentieth anniversary the store officially passed into the safe hands of Michael.

Birgitte and Victoria spent a year bringing Michael up to speed and have remained great friends of the store, appearing at Christmas time and regularly stopping by to visit.  (We suspect they like to keep an eye on their “baby”!)

The familiar faces of long time staff members Leslie and Mary, along with the addition of Betty, four years ago, ensure that customers are welcomed to “The Ladybug” with enthusiasm and good cheer.

Customers will find everything they have always enjoyed, mixed with new lines of glass, pottery, jewelry, candles and candleholders.  So much to tempt the pocketbook!

As we always say:  “If you can’t find the perfect gift, at the right price, in this store, you’re not looking hard enough!”

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