bugs rock

welcome!

bugs rock is an online shop where you can look at and buy candles and other wares that i've made by hand. my name is jenn, by the way, hello!

the name "bugs rock" came about when i was building a website and wanted to use something more unique than "hello world" in some placeholder copy. it went on to become a personal mantra in finding both the opportunity to learn and an appreciation of the environment - be it from chaos in the code or uninvited critters in my city apartment. the name "jenn" comes from "jennifer".

bugs rock is my way of sharing my creative practice and chandlery with the world while leaning into the exciting and terrifying challenges of running a small, sustainable art business on my own after leaving a career of software development and marketing.

xoxo jenn

credits

i'm proud of not just the work i do, but also how i do it, who i do it with, and where i get my materials to do it. in the spirit of transparency, education, and my love for helping others find their creative passions, the following are the tools, sites and suppliers i use for my own!

for my fellow web developers...

i built and designed this website using eleventy for site generation, p5.js for the interactive background, ecwid as the ecommerce engine, and digital ocean (affiliate link) as the host. my editor of choice is nova.

for my fellow candle-makers...

i get all my candle-making materials (wax, wicks, vessels, dyes, fragrances) from candle science, lone star candle company, and fragrance2u. i get silicone molds from let's resin, pastry chef and blick. i do not use amazon, temu or similar low-price marketplaces.

for my fellow painters...

most of my art supplies come from blick and small art supply shops i encounter on my travels. one of those shops is case for making, who then introduced me to kremer pigments where i learned to make watercolors.