Finally, at long last, we are moving the web-site into the 21st Century! Thanks to my friend Tina and Bohdan at Interconnect Communications, we are preparing to sell, first, our very popular taper candles and, soon, our Norse Museum jewelry.  We should be up and running over the next few weeks. We are also preparing our Facebook page, so you can "Like" us there!

While all of this is going on in the cyber-world, I am setting up a small satellite store in the new Antique Mall on the Langley Bypass in the Langley area, south of Vancouver.  The store is called Antique Concepts and the Antique Mall part should be fully ready and stocked by mid-November.

At the Ladybug at Mattick's Farm, we are preparing to set up for Christmas. Over the next two weeks our little Elves will be taking over and spreading a Nordic Christmas through the store. We are adding a lot of linens and new glass to our lines, so look for new treats amongst your familiar friends.

I have promised to be better about up-dates, so keep an eye on the blog!

Well, I have to admit that the blog seemed like a good idea when we redesigned the web site, but actually using it has been something of a challenge!  I often wonder were people find the time to have things like blogs...perhaps they are avoiding other tasks? 2009 was a year most retailers would like to forget and the shops at Mattick's Farm certainly were no exception.  Indeed, 2010 seems a little soft in the Victoria area, so far, as well.  This has made our loyal clientele more valuable than ever and I would like to say a heartfelt "Thank-you" to all of you who found your way out to us over the last months.

Business being a little quiet is no excuse for the store to be boring, we have been cheerfully chugging along as usual, looking for interesting new items and keeping the candle selection second to none!  We have added a new line of fancy tapers made of Danish wax by the "Old Time Candle Company" in Vancouver, at a special introductory price of $3.99 a pair, and are inviting feedback from our customers. Yes, you get to be "Beta-testers"!  We have also added a popular line of "Molca" candles from Holland, in pillars and floaters that have been very well received.  Our "Flatyz" candles from Lithuania have also been a great conversation piece.  They are a great decorative gift item, though, we cheerfully admit, not the greatest idea for practical burning during a power outage!

We have also augmented our selection of Danish glass vases and bowls from "Dansk Glaskunst" with new shapes and sizes and added a new line of locally made pottery from "Dragon Pottery".  Our paper napkin selection has grown, too, with the addition of "IHR" and "Home Fashion" serviettes from two premier German makers.

The best received new addition has been the beautiful collection of glass hummingbirds and dragonflies by Victoria's very own Mark Bateman.  We have been delighted to watch them fly out the door!  Add the new cards from local photograhper Stuart Clarke as well as fresh colours in our handwoven placemats from Lori Davies on Saltspring Island and the store is as cheerful and interesting as ever.

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The Mattick's Farm Tenant's Association has been busy planning summer entertainment and events to brighten your summer weekends.  Check out the Mattick's Farm website for details.

Leslie, Mary, Betty and I are looking forward to an entertaining Summer and hope to see you at "The Farm".  Mention that you read this post and we'll give you a pair of "H4" Danish taper candles with any purchase adding up to over $20.00!

One of the problems with being a "one man band" is that there are always so many things to do and, thus the poor website is the last thing on the list! We have had a better than anticipated Spring and Summer season and are very grateful for the community support and the tourists that find their way to Mattick's Farm.  Thank-you all very much!

As always, our popular lines have been supplemented with interesting new items to look at and buy:  Dichroic Glass earrings and pendants by local Victoria Glass Artist, Renate, are a huge hit.  Dichroic Glass was developed for the American space industry as a method of bounding metal oxides to glass under high temperatures.  The result of variations in the process is a shimmering glass that reflects myriad colours.  Each piece is unique and is like wearing a little work of art.  Renate is prolific, so our selection is ever varying.  Well worth checking out.

We have also added Mark Bateman's handmade glass Hummingbirds and Dragonflies.  These delicate little creatures add sparkle to any window and offer another opportunity to showcase local talent.

Geoffrey Lane has added Soy Wax to his candle line as well as a Beeswax blend to his main line.  These premium candles from North Vancouver compliment our huge selection of imported Danish candles.  Unscented, as always...

It being August, the Christmas orders are all going in to our Danish suppliers.  As well as the much anticipated new colours from our favorites candle makers, we are looking forward to new Glass from Dansk Glaskunst.  Our popular patterns will be augmented with a few well chosen (I Think!) pieces of their "free-form" glass in  their new colour ranges.  We are also restocking our Norse jewelry from Kalevala of Finland and Neils P Design from Denmark.  For fans of Celtic and Viking Age design these lines are a "must see".

New ornaments from Denmark and Sweden will round out our collection of "Nisser" and "Tompter" (those cute little Elves that live in the back corner of our store) and a new collection of wooden "pyramids", hand crafted in Germany, emphasize a traditional, European Christmas.

Leslie, Mary, Betty and I are happy to welcome Bonnie back from sick leave and are looking forward to welcoming all of you to the store over the Fall.

Finally, in answer to the numurous queries, we have been working on adding a mail order component to this website.  So some time before Christmas we will list the ranges of candles we always have in stock, so that our customers outside the Victoria can replenish their supplies!

Hello Everybody! Here we are into the New Year.  I hope the transition from the feverish activity of the Holidays to the regular grind was smooth and free of extra pounds!

The snowfall before Christmas was not very helpful.  Mattick's Farm is far enough out that inclement weather is a real problem.  To those of

you who made it out, a heartfelt "Thank-you".  To those who were trapped at home or otherwise wary, we hope to see you throughout the year and next Christmas.

The Spring stock is coming in already:  Bright new serviettes, fresh pottery from both Sue Clarke and Marilyn Henderson and sooner than we think, Easter candles and egg cups will be sliding in too.  A Valentine's display will be out first, in the third week of January...a few nice candles for that romantic dinner, perhaps?

Over the next weeks we will see a new line of napkins, mugs and placemats in the store.  I have been looking at this line for a while and am pleased that the supplier has offered it to me.  I'm sure it will be a welcome and complimentary addition to our selection.

I'll try to post more often in the next weeks, so watch this space!

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Greetings Everyone! Yes, once again, the Christmas Season is closing in!  Currently, the big order from Denmark is somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, due to arrive in Vancouver on the 3rd of November.  Give us a few days to bring the shipment to Victoria and clear Canada Customs and the new stock will start to appear for the weekend of the 6th.  All of the goods from our domestic suppliers are already on the way in, so early Christmas shoppers can find all manner of treats.

The store will be officially ready on the 12th of November as the Christmas window goes in that day.  We are looking forward to seeing many of our friends over the holiday season and hope the store fulfills everyones expectations.

Please join Leslie, Mary, Betty, Bonnie and myself over the last two weekends before Christmas for a warm spiced apple cider and perhaps a guest appearance from Victoria and Birgitte, as well.

I'll keep updating this site over the next weeks so check back!

Cheers,

Michael