free·wheel·ing

/ˈfrēˌ(h)wēliNG/
adjective: freewheeling; adjective: free-wheeling
characterized by a disregard for rules or conventions; unconstrained or uninhibited.

Freewheeling Craft was born from celebrating the makers who go against the grain. Our city is beaming with talent and we’d like to highlight that. Welcome to our series, Maker's Hustle, where once a week we share a little more about the brands in our shop and the Maker's behind the brand hustlin'.

Blackett & Co.

Maker: Kristy Hesketh

Q: How did you get into your craft/business?

A: My husband works at Shopify and had the opportunity to start an online store and somehow that turned into me learning how to make candles and run a side hustle! I chose soy candles as a business venture because I had recently learnt about the benefits of burning pure soy wax instead of paraffin wax, which is a by-product of petroleum, and I liked the creativity aspect that would go into developing fragrances.

Q: What does your creative process look like?

A: It can be loooong. I’ve recently been working on new candle fragrances in new packaging and because this is a side hustle it has taken the better part of the year to bring my plans to fruition. It usually all starts with a moment I want to capture in a fragrance, I write it down, create a story, and then I test scents until I have a little moment of "oh yes, this is it!".

Q: Where do you draw your inspiration from?

A: My fragrances are all inspired by experiences, moments, and a strong sense of nostalgia. Our sense of smell is tightly connected with our memories, I love smelling a fragrance and being transported back in time. One of my favourite things is to see people’s reactions to my candles fragrances and hearing their stories that were evoked by the fragrance.

Q: What do you love about Ottawa in general and the craft community here?

A: I love the amount of sunshine there is in Ottawa, that’s not something you get on the East Coast where I'm from originally. On days when there is a bit of fog here I get very nostalgic and long for the foggy rain back home. But really I prefer all of the sun here! Being part of the craft community in Ottawa has been a great way to meet people and make connections in my adopted city. It’s an incredibly positive and supportive community!

Q: What is your ideal day in Ottawa?

A: I live in Hintonburg and love to walk around the neighbourhood and browse all of the shops like Trove and Maker House and then pop into the Tooth and Nail for a pint. Sitting on their sunny deck with a pint of Discretion is the best! 

Q: What is your favourite candle scent from your line?

A: Oh this is a hard one! Maritime Salt is the first fragrance I blended to capture a little bit of home in a jar, but I also love Hinterland and this time of year I just get so excited to blend the Spiced Pumpkin Hollow scent.

Shop her collection HERE (with delivery or free in-store pickup). Or shop the collection in person at our shop at 432 1/2 Preston st (between Pub Italia + La Roma)