Friday's Favorite: Gabriel's Aunt

Nikki Sherritt is the master candlemaker behind the Etsy shop, Gabriel's Aunt. She is my featured Friday's Favorite shop because her candles smell like heaven, and burn forever! Here is her shop interview:

Gabriel's Aunt is a company I started about 6 years ago in Dallas, TX after a store I bought soy and essential oil candles from stopped making them. I thought to myself, "I can do that!" and started buying a bunch of different oils with which to experiment. There weren't many companies making all-natural candles at the time so it was a very new thing still. I have added natural perfumes to my product line and they are doing very well so I am excited! I have an Etsy shop that I opened in Fall of 2007: Gabriel's Aunt on Etsy I have a website too: Gabriel's Aunt Website



I love, love, love making candles and perfumes. I wake up in the middle of the night sometimes with a new scent idea. I love getting new oils in the mail too. It is so fun to play around with the natural oils and create something pleasing to smell.

I touched on this above, but I started my company after a trip to Europe where the living there is so much more natural and in harmony with the earth. It really stayed with me. I came back and started buying the soy wax and lavender candles and just loved them. The company stopped carrying them and so I started! I added the perfumes about 2 years ago.



I am currently working on a brand new candle line based on my natural perfumes and I am hoping that I am able to add many scents to it by next year. I also want to expand my perfumes, carrying both jojoba oil based ones and organic alcohol blends. I would love to have 4 or 5 more blends ready by next year. Other than that, I just want my customer base to continue to grow and for my candles and perfumes to be considered the best!

Other candlemakers might find that MoonGlow Supplies and CandleWic are great sources for supplies and information: MoonGlow Candles and CandleWic

For beginning candlemakers, my best advice is to make candles that are unique and have nice packaging. Creating nice labels says you are a professional and not just making some candles in your kitchen part time (even if you are). For those who want to open an Etsy shop, take good pictures and write good fun descriptions of your scents. Make them available in different sizes too. List often and daily and that will get you good exposure.

Another Etsy shop I would recommend is Bazil Essentials. She also makes natural candles and I love them so much. It is nice to be able to burn another candle other than yours sometimes. They also make amazing soaps and perfumes so, technically, we are competition. But Bazil has great customer service and I buy from them all the time.

© 2008 Gabriel's Aunt
All Rights Reserved. Images or wording may not be used without permission. Product names protected under Trademark Laws. Please do not copy.

Thanks for that great interview, Nikki! Everyone else, check out her shop and please leave a comment here if you read the interview.