Sustainable letterpress greeting cards for Burdalux
We share a passion for sustainability and elegant, minimal design, so I was delighted when Dace approached me to chat about creating some letterpress greeting cards for her brand Burdalux. Together we created an embossed Christmas card that could accompany the beautiful eco-conscious candles in her festive gift boxes.
Dace, tell me about your business and what you do!
I create natural, vegan, eco-luxury home experiences, consciously crafted at our candle studio in Ascot, England. Our aim is to evoke the senses and elevate your routine, so our candles are hand-made using only 100% natural ingredients and essential oil blends. Cultivating good habits, creating momentum, and keeping you motivated throughout the day, were all key objectives when creating the scent blends for our natural eco candles.
Our candles work in harmony with your body’s circadian rhythm so there are scents for specific times of the day. Kick start your morning with 7 AM, our energising, citrusy blend, or give your afternoon that extra boost with 2 PM, our uplifting, warming blend. And of course, there’s our calming 8 PM evening blend with top notes of lavender. We also have 1 AM, our unscented blend crafted for those prone to a little sensitivity, and ideal when burning multiple candles without overwhelming the senses.
Our scents are inspired by tea infusions, so for the full experience immerse yourself in our beautifully curated Spotify playlists and with a perfectly paired Clipper tea cuppa, that matches each blend.
There’s a strong family history behind your brand. Did that inspire you to start your business?
I have always loved candles and as a child had made some at a local fair. It was several years later when my sister and I, back at home for Christmas, decided to repurpose old tail ends of candles by remelting them to create new ones. We had no understanding about the precise technique that candle making required, but it was at that moment I realised how much I enjoyed the process and the joy it brought seeing and enjoying the finished product. That day I knew I needed to do something about it and lockdown brought the time and opportunity to make it happen.
My family is a bunch of incredible, talented and creative people and they inspire my work a lot. It was my sister Aija who truly inspired me to start BURDALUX in the first place, as she was the initiator of our impromptu candle making many Christmases ago. And from that moment onwards BURDALUX was born.
How does it feel to be your own boss and what's been your proudest moment so far?
It’s the best and the worst thing at the same time, being your own boss. I always say it’s all about balance, and that is what I try to achieve every working day. Having said that, when you own a business, every day is a working day as you never truly stop. But really, it’s about defining moments to pause and reflect and enjoy things outside of your little world. I constantly try to be my best cheerleader but can also be my own worst critic.
My candles are currently sold in a couple of shops, and both of these opportunities came through a friend of a friend. Setting up my mini display in a store in Camden was probably the highlight of last year. Seeing it all ready, for everyone to experience the scents in person, felt like a true achievement from where I started all those years ago in my mums' kitchen.
And your biggest challenge?
I do think it is the work-life balance. Doing something you love but also it being a point of income – both to sustain a living and to keep buying the materials to create the next batch of beautiful products. From the use of something as small as non-paraffin coated wicks to sourcing fully bespoke custom-made lids made in Portugal, every step was a very conscious decision about creating a truly unique and sustainable experience. Not letting the challenges of this process stop me. Never settling for less and believing in a vision.
Your candles are so beautiful. How would you describe your brand and style?
Honestly receiving kind feedback is the main thing that keeps me going, so thank you for that. I knew from day one I wanted to create a brand that is minimal, contemporary and sustainable. But it was never just about creating a brand or product. It was always going to be about creating experiences and evoking your senses. Trying to create or improve your existing routines and BURDALUX becoming a part of it.
I did not want to create just another pretty scent. It had to work holistically and I had to make sure that what I created could be repurposed or recycled, bringing new life into my creation. For example, the glasses are whiskey tumblers, but with the great addition of the cork lid, it makes a great little storage container for anything in your bathroom or kitchen cupboards.
I grew up in Latvia which is a Baltic state in the north-east of Europe. It has very clear Scandi influences which I believe comes through in my style. Having lived most of my adult life in London, I have developed quite an eclectic taste. But I think my origins brought it down to the design being clean, unfussy, and with meaning and purpose.
I'm always curious about the creative process of other makers, what does your process look like?
As with most things, it is a long process with many steps that you have to take in order to get to the final product. Starting from sourcing all the right materials from different suppliers to cleaning every glass, making sure each wick is dead centre in the glass to then melting the wax to the absolute perfect temperature. That’s before we even talk about essential oils and the blends I created for my scent collection.
I ended up taking a course in aromatherapy to truly understand the best way to create balanced scents, making them work for the different times of your day, and making the most of the aromatherapy benefits for your well-being. This was key in the BURDALUX concept that probably took the longest time to develop.
The physical process of making a candle has many time-sensitive steps. Once the wax is melted, you need to let it cool before you can apply your essential oil blend which then needs to be cooled even further before you can pour it into the preheated glasses. So yeah, it takes a while as there’s maybe another 10 steps before the labelling and packaging. It’s a true labour of love, from receiving the orders to them being sent to our customers.
I know you share my passion for sustainability. How do you make sure that your products, and business as a whole, meet your eco-conscious values?
The simple answer to this is research, research and more research. Unfortunately, I’ve learned that you cannot take things for granted. You often need to request confirmation in writing about the contents and ingredients so you know 100% what’s in your final product. I know that I cross-referenced every single element before I was happy to progress and for it to become part of BURDALUX.
We printed some greeting cards together. Why did letterpress printing feel like the right choice and what do you feel letterpress stationery brings to your brand?
I have always been very passionate about stationery. Since childhood, I have always been obsessed with letterpress printing. I think it’s the true simplicity, and style that comes with using this unique antique technique. I think it also shows the craftsmanship of it being handmade, rather than a card being printed by a machine. So after seeing your work online, I knew you were going to be the best person who could execute my vision for the BURDALUX cards.
And a quick this or that round, just for fun!
Biscuit or cake? Cake
TV show or movie? Movie
Dogs or cats? Dogs
Night in or night out? Night out
Coast or countryside? Coast
Sunrise or sunset? Sunset
Family time or me time? Family time
Buy it or DIY it? DIY it
Podcast or playlist? Playlist
Coffee or tea? Coffee (ironically)
Any top tips for others who might be at a similar stage in their business journey?
I think the key thing is to keep going and not to give up, even when things don’t go to plan. I do believe I haven’t been in this business long enough to be the best to give advice. But for me, consistency is key.
Finally, if people want to learn more about your wonderful candles, where can they find you online?
BURDALUX is more than just a candle brand. We share tips and tricks on our social channels, as well as some daily motivation and hopefully, a source of inspiration.
You can follow us @burda.lux on Instagram and Facebook
As well as on our website www.burdalux.com
