Marcie Latham
Two Ladies and a Bunny got started 3 years ago in Jan, when I got laid off from my job as lead programmer on a team that developed and supported an application that tracked computer assets. I was just shy of my 15th anniversary and had survived a number of economic down turns and the layoffs that went with. I spent the next 6 months looking for work, realizing that I was too young to retire, but a little older than many employers were looking for. After 6 mos I was able to find work programming, but during that time Two Ladies and a Bunny was born.
While I looked for work my husband asked me to make a few candles for emergency use. I read up on the subject and poured a few candles. I decided that wasn’t too hard and mentioned to my husband that it would be cool to do the carved candles that we had seen while on vacation in Gatlinburg years before. My husband knowing that I need projects to keep me sane made the mistake of saying, “well get some of the stuff and try it”. The entry price for “real” equipment was high so I searched around and figured out how to make do.
My youngest daughter had just started her first job at a pharmacy in Cincinnati. She was coming home most weekends and we started making them together. She also started taking them back to work with her and actually selling them. In February we got an invitation to setup a table for Valentine’s day and that was pretty successful. I also opened an Etsy shop and started getting sales there too.
As all of this was going on we not only got better dipping and carving, we also upgraded the equipment. Now we can do up to a 12.5” candle. We currently have 18 colors and are planning on adding 6 more for fall of 2014. This will allow us to better match some of the trendy colors and add depth to our candles.
I believe that the main thing that sets our candles apart from others like them is the range of colors and my daughters dipping style. The colors range from bright to subtle and the patterns vary from shading to intricate strips.
About The Artists
A brief overview of our story
Jerry Michelle Latham
I am a water plant operator for the state of Ohio. Currently I am studying to get my class II license and I hope to be ready by November for the exam. I have my bachelors degree in Biology from the University of Cincinnati.
Even though I spend most of my days working in the lab I enjoy doing art in my spare time. I have dabbled in many different medias thoughout highschool and college. Other than candles painting is my favorite.
A few years ago my mom started working with wax and making these candles. I was fascinated by it and decided to get involved. We ended up with a LOT of candles in no time. Way more than any one person would ever use so I started selling them to friends and co-workers. Everything else since then is history and now it's a buisness. Maybe a slow growing one but one that we love.
Each year we do this we learn more and more. Sometimes it can be stressful but we enjoy it so it's all worth it in the end. I hope that you take the time to look around and we can work with you to make the perfect candle!