About Us

Hello!  I'm Eileene.  In my day job I'm a care assistant, and there's a lot more to me than my job!  

I've always thrown myself into different side hustles.  I did photography, then nail art, and at one point I even got all set up for making designer outfits for my beloved skiing!  The one constant in my life was always my older sister Susie, who I looked after for thirty years.  Susie had Down's Syndrome, and she was a bundle of joy and laughter who brought out the funny and absurd side of life.   Susie passed on to a better place in 2019 and I had to find a new centre in my life.  I don't know where it came from, but in 2020 I started making candles and it grew into a real passion.

I'm not a natural scientist so I had to work hard to understand the chemistry and precision to get the perfect balance for the best product.  Seriously, if you could see all my notebooks and tests and charts!  I was tearing my hair out but I got there in the end.  What pulled me through is the love of scent and the meaning that scent can evoke.

I love gardens and flowers and I live near the sea, and everything about nature and the seasons inspires me.  The calls of the geese as they migrate to the salt marsh flats locally, the power of the waves in the winter storms, the crack of bonfires as we arrive into autumn, the comfort and haven of home at Christmastime, and then the freshness of the first green signs of Spring.

I know that at last I've really found my niche for my future, and I'm bringing my past with me because I've named my business as a loving tribute to Susie Boo.  I took the first two letters of her three Christian names - SUSAN MARY MARTINA - and SUMAMA was born.

I hope you'll love these hand-crafted products as much as I love making them, and you'll help me to continue this brilliant adventure!