All Lit Up by Jules was established in 2015 and is my labor of love. I create hand-poured Pure Soy wax candles in mosaic and colored glass designs. These candles are made with love, and every one of them is unique.

The candle glass is mostly all large, and the,ir burn time exceeds 60 hours. They are also presented beautifully gift-boxed. Over the six years, I have been successful in creating 5 of my fragrances – Tahitian Kumquat, Hibiscus Thai, In Memory Of, Fijian Tango, and Paul’s Favour. Tahitian Kumquat is my best seller. It has a delightful citrus flare with a hint of lime, which makes you feel like you are on a tropical island.

Hibiscus Thai presents scented notes of coriander and orange with a splash of lime, which is the personal favorite of many. Memory Of is comprised of sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla, and a dash of lavender for calming. Fijian Tango is a personal favorite. The scents- pineapple, coconut, passionfruit, and lime – sound like a cocktail you could drink!

My latest creation, Paul’s Favour, was a challenge from my brother-in-law, who loves candles but wanted one that was more ‘manly.’ This has blends of leather, tobacco flower, oak, musk, and ancient sandalwood. This was a challenge indeed. There are many other fragrances to choose from, too.

In my spare time, I am a nurse working part-time in General Practice, so this candle craft is my Zen. This is particularly so over the last 18 months of Covid. Having this business and creating my candles has kept me balanced. I also love recycling my candle glass and love bringing old used candles back to life. What once was old is new again. Customers will often come to me to recycle their very rewarding candle glass. I ensure it looks brand new by the time I’ve completed the creation progress.

How did you begin your business, and why?

I was a trainer for my son’s junior football team for many years, but when he finished playing at this level and started playing more serious footy, my trainer services were no longer required. This meant I had free time on Saturdays.

My youngest son was into collecting old furniture that, of course, would benefit from a makeover. I found myself searching for upholstering courses on the internet. I had no luck finding this, but while searching the internet, this candle course kept coming up. It started to get annoying, I must say – because I really wanted to learn how to upholster old furniture to bring it back to life!

In the end, I decided to give candle-making a go, and I have not looked back ever since. My candle teacher, Frosa, is a very talented candle creator extraordinaire, and I have loved it from the get-go. Frost was and still is a wonderful teacher and a great mentor.

By the end of 2015, after lots of practice and giving candles to my family and friends, I found myself deciding if I was going to take this hobby to the next level. And that’s just what I did. By the end of 2015, I had a business name thanks to my sister, Lea, who came up with All Lit Up. I added the “by Jules” so I could get an ABN. The rest is history.

My first break into the market scene was in Trentham at the Trentham Railway market. When I started, it wasn’t easy to get into the market scene with candles. I was very fortunate to get my big break by being accepted into the Williamstown Craft market several years ago and, more recently, into the Woodend Lions Club market and the Ballan Lions Club market. I recently got my very big break being accepted into the widely renowned Flemington Racecourse Market but, sadly, have not been able to attend yet due to Covid lockdowns.

Where does the inspiration for each piece come from?

I had a wonderful candle teacher, Frosa. She was and still is a great teacher and mentor. It takes lots of practice to perfect the art of candle making. There is a real science to it. Even the weather and the conditions where you are creating your pouring process can affect how your candle turns out.

I particularly love color, and I adore mosaic glass. The art of creating a peaceful, harmonious Zen is my biggest inspiration. I love burning candles, and with each candle I make, I endeavor to make to perfection.

What sets your designs apart from other stalls?

When you walk into a room filled with a glorious scent and glow, it’s the atmosphere that hits you and can make all the difference to how you feel and the experience you have.

When creating my fragrances was lots of fun. Blending different scents and marrying them up was exciting. Writing the “recipe” was important – so you could replicate it again and again. As I mentioned earlier, I love color – the brighter, the better for me, and I loved adding the little touches of gift boxing to complete the elegant look I was after.

What do you love most about being a stallholder at CMA?

It’s exciting. I can’t wait to be there in person at Flemington or Hanging Rock. As I have only recently been offered a stallholder position during lockdown, I have yet to attend an actual market. I have joined to be a part of the Virtual market, which is a great opportunity to stay connected to the market life.

Describe your experience of being a small business owner in Australia.

It’s an incredible experience. I am so proud of what I have achieved with my candle craft, managing a business, working as a nurse, and being a wife and mother of two young adults still living at home.

I could not do the market scene without the support of my wonderful husband. It’s a heavy gig and one that I can achieve with his help and support. The most important thing to me is I love creating to give others the joy of receiving a beautiful candle piece of pure delight.

What are the challenges and rewards of being your boss?

I think my biggest achievement has been fundraising for two very amazing organizations. Last year, I did a fundraiser with my pink candle for the McGrath Foundation, raising money for breast care nurses. We raised over $600 with the help of my customers purchasing a pink candle. $10 from every pink candle purchased was donated to the McGrath Foundation. This year I did the same but with my blue colored candles. We raised over $240 for Beyond Blue.