Guest Author – Regina Walker
Howdy! I’m so thankful you are here with me today.
First and foremost, I’d like to thank the incredible ladies behind Petticoats & Pistols. I appreciate you allowing me to post here and interact with your readers.
I previously wrote a post about how writing historical Western romance gave me a new appreciation for my own family history. You can find that post here: https://petticoatsandpistols.com/2022/06/23/regina-walker-insists-genealogy-isnt-such-a-bore-after-all/
Through writing, I am able to experience many different walks of life. I get to put myself (or my characters) into the shoes of another. I can be, do, see, or say any of the things I may not get to in real life.
Candle-making is one such venture. I’ve always loved candles and the process of making them seemed simple, albeit fascinating. I cannot enjoy candles the way I would like, as I have a very sensitive respiratory system, but I knew I could write a candlemaker into one of my books.
Enter Calvin Clark, the chandler in Central City, CO. As the story between Calvin and Eleanor unfolded, my interest in candles sparked even more.
I gathered up my kiddos and asked if they’d like to make candles for the farmer’s market. As soon as they said yes, I tippity-tappity-typed my fingers right over to Amazon, loaded my cart with candle-making goodies, and completed my order. With nothing to do but wait for said supplies, I returned to writing the book at hand, A Christmas Candle for Eleanor (free on 4/14/23 only).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098BSD3LH?tag=pettpist-20
I had to go back into the story and add more candle-ish bits because once I placed my Amazon order, I fulfilled that curious part of my mind. The kids asked me a few times when the candle goodies would arrive. We don’t have a Prime subscription, so we have to wait a little longer for our packages.
We spent a weekend making candles and had a blast doing it. We also figured out that it’s not simple, even though I thought it would be. The wax can’t be overheated or underheated, you have to mix the oils in at just the right temperature. Essential oils don’t do as well in candles as fragrance oils. It takes many wax beads to fill a small candle jar once they’ve been melted.
The kids and I had a lot of fun even though the scents triggered a migraine for my son. But, despite having so much fun, the kids never wanted to try again. That’s okay. Some things are fun to try but don’t need to become a well-developed skill.
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I’d like to thank you again for being here with me! I would like to award a signed paperback to one lucky reader who leaves a comment here on the Petticoats & Pistols blog. (This drawing will happen randomly. Available to US residents only.)
To make commenting easy, I have a question for you:
Have you ever tried something and found it to be more difficult than you assumed it would be?
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You can find me in my reader group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/reginasreaders
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Regina Walker crafts interesting characters facing some of life’s hardest challenges. Her heart’s desire is to always point toward Jesus through the way her characters face challenges, relationships, and adversity.
Regina is an Oklahoma import, although she was born and raised in the beautiful state of Colorado. She likes to curl up on the couch and binge-watch crime shows with her hard-working husband. When she’s not wrestling with a writing project, she can be found wrangling their children, riding their horses, or working around their small hobby farm.
Candle and soap making.
I also made some lip balms from a kit. The little orb cases looked like a store brand, but the texture of the balm was a bit softer. They were fine for using at home, but too soft for carrying in a purse.
I want to try my hand at soap making, but the lye makes me anxious.
you can make glycerin-based soaps and pour into molds, which is more akin to candle making.
Remodeling a house. I found out my carpentry skills weren’t nearly as good as I thought they were.
Oooo, yes. My mom has always loved old houses – including the run down ones. She can visualize the potential. I cannot do that.
Sewing – it is so hard for me to sew.
I love the idea of sewing, and I have a very fond memory of sewing a shirt with my Grammy, but I can barely keep my machine working let alone actually sew something to wear or use.
I will try anything! I bet you had a blast making those candle with children! They are the best type of helpers learning a new hobby or try it! I do understand them not wanting to do the craft again. Many times learning a craft, you decide not do do it again! I would know! However, I think you learn your talents. I can’t seem to master abstract painting or drawing. My husband says just splat paint on a canvas or lines and you are done! LOL As you can tell, he doesn’t have an artists eye! My problem is accuracy. And a detail to what I see and make it as real as possible. I love abstract art, however, I have resigned myself to just enjoy what others do with it than try it myself.
Thanks for dropping by! I enjoyed your post!
You are so right. Kids are the best helpers. Their enthusiasm is contagious and they really help me release the need to do things perfectly. I’ve always wanted them to try many things. Not because I think they should excel at or be experts of many things, but because there is no other way to know what you love and loathe.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment!
I enjoy making candles and using them.
Do you have a favorite fragrance to use when making candles?
what a fun post. thanks for sharing and being here today. our two kiddos didnt want to try making candles. not really sure why. but they wanted to make soap. we invited my sisters daughter over (age wise she is between our two) and we just had a blast using different molds and scents and plain. we put them in pretty boxes and gave everyone in the family and friends two for christmas that year. we have tried many different things while they were young. now my niece (my sisters daughter) makes soaps and sells them. they are so pretty. some have scents, some dont. I always have one of her pretty soaps out for when we have company
I love this so much. Exploring the world with kids is the best. I wish my sister lived closer so our kids could grow up together.
I tried candle making years and years ago. I ended up with 1 candle and never again. I also tried knitting and could not get the hang of it. I’ll leave the knitting and crocheting to my daughters and granddaughters. That way I get the benefits without the frustrations.
I am no good at knitting, but I do love to crochet a little. I’m not a professional by any means, but it is soothing to my soul and helps me unwind.
knitting was my biggest fail as a child – it was too tight and impossible to do! My great aunt loved to knit!
Knitting is very difficult. I am no good at it, either.
I cannot knit. I have tried it with absolutely no success. However, I used to be able to crochet lots as well as doing latch hooking rugs and also cruel. I did one and my husband did a much bigger one than me but they matched in themes. It was very nice to share a hobby with my hubby. Lots of me will not do something like that for fear their male friends will laugh at them. My husband is a very stable person and had no regrets regarding what he did in the way of crafting. All these crafts were before arthritis set in. Now it my fingers are too stiff. BUT, they are just fine for reading a book or holding my iPad air to read!
I love that you and your husband shared a hobby like that. That is precious.
Books are such a great way for us to still have adventures and experiences in the midst of limitations.
There is a lot of things I have tried that I thought was to hard. I never could knit and I thought I would like that also crocheting but nope it just wasn’t for me to do. I use to sew a lot and piece quilts and I got pretty good with that, but my sister had to quilt them on her quilting machine because I never could use her machine, it just wasn’t in the cards I guess.
I cannot knit either. I’ve never even attempted to make a quilt, although I’d like to.
I have made candles before and used them. I enjoy trying different crafts.
It is fun to learn what we are capable of and really get a taste for the hands on aspect of creating something. Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve dipped candles & carved candles (once each just to see what it was like), & it was fun,but I’m perfectly willing to just buy mine from the store! They weren’t hard to do, but they were messy & time consuming!
One hard thing I’ve done is to take ballet! I’ve always wanted to be a ballet dancer ever since I was little & I finally got the opportunity to take a class in my mid 40’s! I loved it & took class for about 10 years, & then had to give it up due to arthritis & age. It was definitely weird taking class with college kids who were all younger than my own children, & it was HARD, but I loved dancing!
The very hardest thing I’ve ever done is to raise those children of mine! It’s still hard, but it’s also the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done!
Wow! What a way to be brave. You are inspiring!
Raising kids IS hard. Ours range from 6yrs-24yrs old and each age and season comes with hard stuff and blessings together.
Knitting is my problem child. I crochet all the time and then had a friend tell me that if I could crochet I could knit. not!!! if was awful.
Lavonda
Hi Lavonda! I’m with you. I love to crochet but I cannot knit to save my life. They are not the same.
not really
Thanks for stopping by today!
Hello Regina Yes, I always wanted to knit but never got the hang of it although a friend of mine tried to show me how too Have a Blessed weekend
I tried making braided rugs once. I finished a piece big enough for a hot pad and quit 🙂 Even with the cone shaped device that’s supposed to turn raw edges in I couldn’t get the fabric strips right. I went back to crocheting rugs using yarn.
I tried knitting. and tatting but could not get into it. I can crochet.
I love fabric and sew quilts but I don’t think I could use a long arm to quilt the quilt. I have never attempted to use one but it seems intimidating to me. I do quilt simple quilts but leave the long-arm quilting to someone with a long-arm machine. It sounds as though you and your children had a fun time! Now you will have the beautiful memory of making candles together! Those memories are so important not just for you but for your children too. I am sure you all will laugh about it someday and remember with happy hearts doing it together.
I have tried making my own candles…I learned that I need to buy them ready-made.
Interesting maker story. I find getting the hang of my sewing machine much harder than I think it should be. Maybe it’s because I expect perfection or I’m overthinking it…or perhaps it’s a little of both. I need to figure out some way to use up all that pretty fabric I bought, though. Thanks for the chance to win a book.
Love this! Crocheting! I never could get the hang of it! lol!
Sewing. I think the last time I used a sewing machine was back in Home Economics class in high school years ago.
I have tried a lot of things and had pretty good luck with most of them. The one thing I wish I could do that really didn’t work out was painting. The one semester of art I did take in college, my professor informed me I had the ability of a first grader. I am afraid haven’t improved any since. I think drawing an painting would be so wonderful to do well, but I just can’t do it. I tried tole painting with no luck. I have done stenciling walls to decorate them and stenciled other items, but that isn’t the same at all. Maybe some day when I have nothing else to do, I will take a class and see if I can learn to do better.
I tried knitting and was terrible at it. Some people find it relaxing. I just found it frustrating.
We ventured into some candle making as part of our history curriculum a few years ago & it was definitely not as easy as it looked! ?
For me, it’s knitting/crocheting. My grandma crocheted & she made it look so easy! (I wish I’d gotten her to reach me before she passed away!) My daughter’s have friends that knit & I’m continually abscess at what they can create. One of their friends in particular makes stuffies, human & animal without any patterns ? she’s 15 & amazing!
Good morning. I have tried knitting and crocheting not to good at either one. I found a loom to use for knitting and that has been a dream for me. I find it very relaxing. Now just need to find the time again to do it. I work at the VA and donated the hats to homeless veterans. Have a great weekend all.
Hey Regina! I’m not very good at knitting, but haven’t given up.
Another thing I tried just this weekend was cleaning the gutters up on the roof of my house. OMG that is one thing I will never ever do again. Thought I’d have a heart attack once I was up there and did alot of praying and saying “what the heck was I thinking” and then praying some more! Never again!