Hello, welcome to FERN+FELL. I’m Sharon, founder, candle maker, interiors nut and life-long lover of candlelight.
I believe there is something very special about candlelight that feeds the soul. The soft illumination helps to calm & relax us and when mixed with an evocative fragrance it’s a powerful combination for the senses that creates a feeling of well-being. In a world which seems to get a little crazier every day, for me, a simple scented candle really helps cocoon me from everyday stresses and creates my own sanctuary of self-care and well-being.
I have over ten years of experience as a Chandler, in that time I've tried many combinations of waxes, fragrances and essential oils. My candle making career first started when I was inspired by the Kirstie Allsopp show Homemade Home back in 2009 which showed homemade candles made from soy wax – it was a revelation to me. I was beginning a vintage china hire events business in Manchester at the time called for the love of vintage and had a huge collection of old tea cups and glassware. In between weddings, hen parties and events I would make candles in teacup and attend local vintage and craft markets selling my candles, along with cushions and lampshades I had made from vintage fabrics to promote my events business.
When I finished this business in 2015 due to a back injury (that china was heavy!) I began an interiors business with my husband called Lomas & Lomas. We designed surface patterns for fabrics, inspired by his photography ( garrylomasphotography ) with retro and nature inspired patterns making more cushions and lampshades with our own fabrics. When we opened our gallery & interiors store in the Peak District in 2015 I wanted to create a new candle brand under our Lomas & Lomas name and they became our top sellers from the day we opened.
Fast forward five years, having worked pretty much every day for all those years I was exhausted and had been diagnosed with a nasty Arthritis at the end of 2019. We made the decision not to renew our shop lease in 2020 and move to our beloved Lake District (the week before lockdown) to slow our lives down and take back some of our life which had been completely taken over by the commitment of running our store. I continue to make lampshade for Lomas & Lomas but wanted to create something new for the candles.
So fern+fell is my new affordable luxury brand which brings you 100% natural candles, made fresh to order using a secret blend of rapeseed + coconut wax and 100% pure essential oils. My new brand is inspired by our big life change, the move to the Lake District and a quest to produce all natural, clean candles with the added holistic benefits of essential oils.
My rapeseed & coconut wax is blended in Europe and contains:
no paraffin
no parabens
no soy
no palm oil
no beeswax
no synthetic additives
no dyes
My candle range is cruelty free and vegan. All candles are handmade and hand-poured by me, in the Lake District, UK. When you shop with me online your candle is made fresh to order, when you buy from me at an event my candles have been made in small batches of 4-6 to ensure an excellent hot (and cold) scent throw and long burn time.
I'm a small, micro business so it’s me who takes your order, makes your candle, who packages it up and sends it out to you, with love, to enjoy.
At every stage of making I endeavour to find the most environmentally friendly solution. My gift boxes are made from brown kraft paper with no bleaching, I print my own labels using water based non toxic inks. I recycle all external postal packaging from deliveries I have and only use a new box when necessary as a way to reduce my consumption.
I believe that all businesses can do good and make a difference, however small those first steps may be. Rather than focus my business towards gaining stockists and working to supply retail traders, I decided to sell my candles direct to my customer only, which means I can keep costs lower and give some of my profits to a cause that’s very close to my heart.
I donate £2 from every full price candle sold through my online store to the Cumbrian Wildlife Trust who protect wildlife & habitats across Cumbria and create a wildlife haven for visitors and future generations to enjoy. Being based in Cumbria I feel that I can offer some balance to my business by being able to give something back, to help support the community I live in and a cause that helps maintain the natural balance across the region.
I do believe there is a fragrance to suit every taste in my new collection and throughout the year I will also be introducing seasonal, limited edition candles. To stay up to date with all my news do follow me over on Instagram where you can find me @fern_and_fell - do come and say hello. You can also sign up for the newsletter and be sure to never miss out on any news or special offers.
Thanks for reading
Sharon x
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