Things Are Changing

As I’ve mentioned in my newsletter and on social media, I’ve been evaluating how I do things over here.

Unfortunately, it’s not possible for me to keep the shop open year-round; though I would love to focus on my business and creative work, the circumstances aren’t right.

So, what does this mean for Burn It Botanical Incense and jennasten.com?

My handmade incense will be available until April 17th.

If you’re a fan of my unique blends, this is your chance to make some of the final boxes yours before I close up shop.

Each blend is currently open for preorder, so I know how much to make. Stay tuned for a (very) small release of ceramics before then too.

The Future

As I mentioned, I’m changing the way I do things.

While I’m sad the shop is closing, it’s given me the opportunity to think about other ways to operate.

I plan to open for a brief period towards the end of the year, with new ceramics and incense preorders.

If you’d like to know when this will be, please subscribe to the newsletter, and follow me on Instagram for updates x

Thank you so much for your support these past few years. My repeat and regular customers have kept me going, and I’m so appreciative of it.

As always, thank you for your interest and support.

I'll be in touch soon.

Jenna x

Experimental Fresh Jasmine Tincture

I’ve been working on a fresh jasmine tincture for incense making for the past year.

One hot day in January, I neglected to remove the flowers at the time I normally would – and sadly, that tincture spoiled.

Fortunately for me, this happened after my plant had a huge growth spurt, and had lots of remaining buds.

My current tincture is sitting at over✨700✨ flowers, which is around the mark I lost the previous one.

As summer is coming to a close, my plant is slowing down, but I intend to keep adding to it until the blooming season is over.

Though it would be more efficient to use an essential oil for incense (dry jasmine flowers contain no scent), I’m specifically trying to work with the plant I’ve tended to myself.

If it works, the result will be unique to this plant, and the area and conditions in which in grows.

I’m also attempting to skip a step here, which is where the experimental nature of this tincture comes in.

Fresh Jasmine Tincture; after several hours of extraction.

Fresh Jasmine Tincture, after 24 hours of extraction. Spent flowers have been removed, and the tincture is ready to be charged with more blooms.

Traditionally, you would first create an enfleurage pomade before refining it in alcohol.

I’d love to explore enfleurage one day too, but one ambitious project at a time please (just kidding – I am already tending to more than one).

These photos were taken in the first 24hrs of extraction. I love the vibrant colour this early stage brings.

If you’d like to explore my handmade incense, you can find my available blends in the shop x

You’re looking down at one of the places I burn incense ✨

Kurrajong seed pod from my Nanna’s garden

Macadamia shell from my Poppy’s tree

Acorn from a tree on a local walking path

Pumpkin seed shells from seeds that sprouted in my garden this year

Rocks from Shelly and Main Beach back home

Roses from my garden

and incense by me

Final Order Dates for 2022

Hello there. It's not long until this year wraps up! If you'd like to gift my incense to yourself or someone else this holiday season, please keep the below dates in mind x

Standard post:

NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD, SA, TAS: Order by 11 Dec

WA & NT: Order by 6th Dec

Express post:

NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD, SA, TAS: Order by 18th Dec

WA & NT: Order by 12th Dec

As always, thank you for your interest and support.

Botanical Incense Gift Sets

Exciting news – there are now two gift sets in the shop to choose from!

The Core Collection & The Expanded Collection

These gift sets contain three (or five) boxes of my handmade botanical incense, beautifully wrapped in tissue paper, and bundled inside a reusable cotton bag – ready to present to your loved one.

Both are available for preorder. The estimated shipping date for preorders is early December.

The Core Collection includes ↓

• Oak Moss and Vetiver

• Cinnamon and Spruce

• and Black Storax and Clove
  
  

The Expanded Collection includes ↓

• All the above scents

• Plus Ylang Ylang and Orris Root

• and the limited edition blend, Chamomile and Agave

If you'd like to customise your own set, you have the option of building your own gift bag too 😊

As always, thank you for your interest and support x

Preorders are open! Chamomile & Agave Incense Sticks

After many months of testing I’m happy to report that I’ve finalised the formula of my next incense blend!

It’s light and calming, and perfect for the sunny, windows-open weather that's coming our way.

It’s the first blend to contain one of the many handcrafted tinctures I was obsessed with making last year.

It’s my favourite of the lot, and I can’t wait to hear what you think!

But I’d like to try something a little different this time around.

~ Preorders ~

Pulling back the curtain: selling items that are slowly, meticulously handmade is becoming more difficult in our current climate, both in person and online.

There are a number of factors at play here, and maybe I’ll talk about that another time; but no matter how you slice it – a girl’s gotta eat, and I’ve only got two hands 👐

I’m opening preorders for this blend so I can accurately gauge how much to make, which will help me assess how to best use those two hands!

So without further ado – here’s what to expect if you jump on board:

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Chamomile & Agave

The experience: Sweet hay, crisp air, apples in the warm sun. Calmative, herbaceous, floral.

A blend of Australian sandalwood, Australian grown chamomile flowers, handcrafted chamomile tincture, fair trade agave, artisan distilled frankincense essential oil, and plant gum.

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The estimated shipping date for preorders is the first week of October. All items in the same order will be shipped together. 

This is my most labor intensive blend yet, but also my personal favourite!

The way the tinctured chamomile layers over the powdered chamomile is truly lovely. and the agave and frankincense add a touch of sweetness and complexity to round things out.

If you'd like to get your hands on this one (and help keep me working away in the process), pop over to the preorder page!

As always, thank you for your interest and support x

Incense cones and my preference for joss sticks

I’ve been trying to work more experimentation-for-experimentations-sake into my craft.

So I made this big cone.

You can watch it burn here.

While I appreciate cones, working with this shape has made me further appreciate the humble joss stick.

Cones need to burn hotter to stay lit, and subtle scents can get lost in the extra heat and smoke. Making joss sticks is not without its difficulties, but it’s definitely my preferred playground.

My Black Storax and Clove blend burns hot enough to stay lit as a cone, but the size and shape of this particular experiment caused a lot of its complexity to be lost. This cone was equivalent to what usually makes up half a box of my incense. And speaking to what’s lost: while the experience of burning it was much smokier – it was not equally stronger.

I’ve made smaller cones with this blend before as a custom request, so I do know I can work with this shape, to a point.

Still, even smaller versions are a touch smokey for my personal preferences. Each to their own, of course – we’re in highly subjective territory here.

Smoke is symbolically important for many —myself included, but creating the opportunity to get swept up in the scent itself is the primary drive for me.

The way delicate smoke can almost smell clean, and changes as the stick burns down, is one of the most fascinating elements of formulating. This is where my creative desires lie.

If you’d like to learn more about my botanical incense blends, head over to the shop, or explore the FAQ page x

Ceramic Incense Burners, Tarot Card Holders, and More!

I've been working away on this collection for some time. In it, you'll find more of the style you love (in new colourways), as well as some trinket dishes, tarot card holders, and a 2-in-1 incense and candle burner to boot.

Here are some pics, featuring my well worn Neo Tarot Deck, a feather from one of my Nanna’s beloved Guinea Fowls, and another from a visiting Blackbird.

You can find more on my Shop page.

As usual, I made these pieces in my home, and fired them at my local community kiln.

Each one has been individually formed using hand building techniques, is made from midfire clay, and has been decorated with glaze and underglaze.

Thank you for your interest and support! x

Making Way For The New

When I’m formulating a new incense blend, each test batch of incense goes into a little paper bag. I keep them to refer back to as I move through the process, comparing each one to the last, and recording my impressions and measurements in my journal.

As you can imagine, I accumulate quite a lot of these bags.

Once I’ve finalised the blend I’m working on, it’s time to move them on. So here I am, doing a little cleaning house.

Though these bags represent hours of effort – and sometimes a few tears – I do quite like this part.

There’s a reason they’re not the final form, but they do make a nicely fragrant outdoor fire.

These are from a previous blend. But good news for me – and for you – I was in the mood to burn these because I needed space to house all the *new* test batches I’ve been making.

We’re getting close x

Update: Using Plant Tinctures to Make Natural Incense Sticks

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A post shared by Jenna Sten — Incense Maker (@jennasten_makes)

Slow burn ♡

Another test batch, working towards the new blend I’ve been tinkering with. I mentioned in my Instagram stories that the incense I’ve been making with my handmade tinctures has needed extra curing time, the scent becoming more anchored in the stick a week or so after drying.

It’s not something I’ve experienced with my other blends. I noticed it after giving an initial lacklustre test batch another go, some weeks after creating it.

It’s a subtle shift, but one that definitely impacts my assessment of how it’s developing.

This is the formulation process. Lots of back and forth and waiting time, testing and changing, until it clicks.

You can check out the natural incense I make in my shop.

Everything I offer is handmade by me in my home studio – including this sweet little burner x

Mixing Up My Handmade Natural Incense

A little mixing process video for you ✨

Featuring my Cinnamon and Spruce blend.

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A post shared by Jenna Sten — Incense Maker (@jennasten_makes)

Botanic Spotlight: Ylang Ylang

Botanic: Ylang Ylang

Binomial name: Cananga odorata. Native to India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia. 

Scent: Rich, floral, woody-balsamic. Find it in my Ylang Ylang and Orris Root incense sticks.

Function: Ylang Ylang flowers are used as an aromatic in incense making. In general, dried flowers can be used in incense, but essential oils or absolutes produce a scent closer to the fresh flower (when used sparingly).

Something you might not know: Ylang Ylang essential oil is distilled in five different grades; Extra, I, II, III and Complete. Each grade (while distinctly ylang ylang), has different properties; the first extractions are sweeter and more floral, and become deeper and earthier as the extraction time progresses. The Complete grade blends the oil extracted from all these phases.

I use Well Earth Certified ylang ylang (III) essential oil in my incense, grown in Madagascar. The Well Earth Program works with companies that use sustainable practices, and provide fair working conditions for their harvesters.

You can find more information about the sourcing process for Burn It Botanical Incense here.

Check out the previous Botanic Spotlights on Black Frankincense, Australian Sandalwood, Ceylon Cinnamon, Oak Moss, Agarwood and Vetiver.

Burn It Botanical Incense is handmade from sustainably harvested Western Australian sandalwood, tree resins, plants and essential oils – by me, for you x

Almost Sold Out! New Ceramic Incense Burners

I launched my new ceramic incense burner design a couple of weeks ago, and they’re almost sold out! Big thank you for those orders x

It was a small release to test the waters, but I’m working on more as we speak. 

Next time around I’ll be throwing in a few more colour options. The poll I did in my IG Stories confirmed that speckled white is a favourite – but the pink and green burners went very quickly, so expect to see more of those as well.

Newsletter subscribers are the first to know about new items in the shop, so please sign up if you’d like to know when they’re available ↓

Burn It Botanical Incense at Fawkner Marketplace

Big thanks to those of you who came along to Fawkner Marketplace last Sunday!

It was my first time as a stall holder, and I had a great time meeting you all. I look forward to seeing you again in the future.

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Tincturing Chamomile Flowers, Elemi, Black Copal, and Bushman's Candle

I've been experimenting with new ways to infuse scent into my incense. I've previously used powdered whole materials, essential oils and water infusions in my blends; at the moment I'm exploring tinctures.

A tincture is an alcohol extraction; typically done in perfumery with the highest alcohol percentage possible.

Right now I'm tincturing chamomile flowers, elemi, black copal and bushman's candle – and honestly I'll tincture anything else I can get my hands on (I'm thinking some pine resin from my local trees, rose petals, we'll see!).

I find it especially interesting that this process can bring fragrance notes to the front that weren't detectable before.

Tincturing can take anywhere from several weeks to several months, depending on the material; much like most things I'm doing these days, it's an exercise in patience. But I'm excited to see the results!

I've made a short slow motion video of my daily jar shaking over on Instagram if you'd like to check it out. It's pretty relaxing.

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A post shared by Jenna Sten — Incense Maker (@jennasten_makes)

I've also been tinkering away for many months now, working on my next blend. I went in several different directions before deciding on this combination. It's floral, soft and earthy.

If you're a fan of ylang ylang, I think it'll be right up your alley. Keep an eye out for it in the store in the coming weeks.

Botanic Spotlight: Vetiver Root

Botanic: Vetiver Root (Khus)

Binomial name: Vetiveria zizanioides/Chrysopogon zizanioides. Native to India, grown in other tropical regions. 

Scent: dry, earthy, leathery, murky – intense, but at the right dilution it can be wonderfully relaxing and shape-shifty. Find it in my Oak Moss and Vetiver incense sticks.

Function: Vetiver is used as an aromatic in incense making. The whole root or the essential oil can be used.

Something you might not know: Vetiver is a fragrant grass that grows in clumps, and its roots can grow 3 to 5 meters deep, making it a great plant for combating soil erosion. It’s often used in mine rehabilitation and to improve pastoral land. 

I use Well Earth Certified vetiver essential oil in my incense, grown in Hati. The Well Earth Program works with companies that use sustainable practices, and provide fair working conditions for their harvesters.  

You can find more information about the sourcing process for BURN IT Botanical Incense here.

Check out the previous Botanic Spotlights on Black Frankincense, Australian Sandalwood, Ceylon Cinnamon, Oak Moss and Agarwood.

I make incense at my kitchen table in Melbourne from sustainably harvested Australian sandalwood, as well as tree resins, plants and essential oils.

Botanic Spotlight: Agarwood

Botanic: Agarwood (Oud, Aloeswood, Agar)

Binomial name: Aquilaria genus (native to South East Asia), many species.

Scent: Woody, fruity, leathery, lightly floral; you can find it in my Oak Moss and Vetiver incense sticks.

Function: In incense making agarwood is used as an aromatic, but can also be used as a base material once the resin has been extracted.

Something you might not know: Wood from Aquilaria trees has no scent on its own. When the heartwood of the tree is infected with fungus or mould, it produces a dark resin known as agarwood. The wood is sold as is, processed for it’s essential oil, or offered post-extraction.

In the wild, many species of Aquilaria trees are classed as vulnerable or endangered due to the popularity of agarwood in perfumery.

I use CITES approved spent-charge agarwood, grown in plantations in far north Queensland. Spent charge is the wood leftover after it's been through the essential oil extraction process. It's still quite fragrant even at this stage, which is great – as it means every bit can be used.

It comes to me in small chips, and I grind these into powder using a handheld coffee grinder.

You can find more information about my sourcing process here. Check out the previous instalments on Black Frankincense, Australian Sandalwood, Ceylon Cinnamon, and Oak Moss.

I make incense at my kitchen table in Melbourne from sustainably harvested Australian sandalwood, as well as tree resins, plants and essential oils.

Botanic Spotlight: Oak Moss

Botanic: Oak Moss

Binomial name: Evernia prunastri (native to the Northern Hemisphere)

Scent: Earthy and green, yet also dry and musky; it’s a key ingredient in my Oak Moss and Vetiver incense sticks.

Function: In incense making Oak Moss acts as an aromatic, and a little goes a long way.

Something you might not know: it’s actually a lichen (not a moss), and is a common fixative in many commercial perfumes.

I buy my Oak Moss from an individual in France who has oak trees on their property, and from an Australian business that sources theirs from an individual in the US. Both harvesters only collect the moss when it’s been knocked down in high-winds, to limit environmental disturbance and overharvesting.

You can find more information about my sourcing process here. Check out the previous instalments on Black Frankincense, Australian Sandalwood, and Ceylon Cinnamon.

I make incense at my kitchen table in Melbourne from sustainably harvested Australian sandalwood, as well as tree resins, plants and essential oils.

Botanic Spotlight: Ceylon Cinnamon

Botanic: Ceylon Cinnamon

Binomial name: Cinnamomum Zeylanicum or Cinnamomum Verum (native to Sri Lanka)

Scent: warm, fruity, spiced, and lightly floral; it’s a key ingredient in my Cinnamon and Spruce incense sticks.

Function: In incense making cinnamon acts as an aromatic. Unlike some other aromatics (resin, leaves etc) it burns quite well, and can be used in larger quantities if desired.

Something you might not know: There are hundreds of different varieties of cinnamon. The most common and easiest to find in the grocery store is Cassia. While all varieties have similarities, Ceylon is the softest and most delicate.

I use certified Fair Trade Ceylon Cinnamon in my blends, sourced from Sri Lanka.

When I was formulating this particular blend, I began using Cassia Cinnamon, and while I knew I wanted its aroma, I wanted to soften its edges a little. Ceylon cinnamon was the perfect switch.

You can find more information about my sourcing process here. Check out the previous instalments on Black Frankincense and Australian Sandalwood.

I make incense at my kitchen table in Melbourne from sustainably harvested Australian sandalwood, as well as tree resins, plants and essential oils.

Botanic Spotlight: Black Frankincense

Botanic: Black Frankincense/Frankincense Neglecta

Binomial name: Boswellia Neglecta (native to Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda and Kenya).

Scent: crisp, earthy, pine-like, light vanilla-musk; you can find this frankincense in my Black Storax and Clove incense sticks.

Function: as a resin, frankincense functions as an aromatic in incense making. Like most resins, only a little is needed. If too much is used in direct burning incense (sticks, cones etc), it won’t stay lit.

Something you might not know: There are many varieties of Frankincense! They have similar scent profiles, but each variety has a slightly different twist.

I buy frankincense from a Canadian supplier, who has travelled to North Eastern Kenya to establish a direct-buying relationship with the women of the Samburu tribe. This relationship greatly shortens the chain of purchase, and ensures they receive a higher price for the resin they harvest. 

Frankincense is one of the most popular resins in the world, and comes from countries that have previously been colonised. This is important to know, because the people harvesting the resin are likely local to the area; not paying them fairly for their work is harmful on principle, but also furthers the harm of colonisation. 

Check out the previous Botanic Spotlight on Australian Sandalwood. You can find more information about my sourcing process here.  

I make incense at my kitchen table in Melbourne from sustainably harvested Australian sandalwood, as well as tree resins, plants and essential oils.