Any Chocolatiers Here?

[Ratty2E]

Can you recommend a supplier of equipment/ingredients or website with such info. I would like to have a go at making rose and violet creams for a Christmas present.
Any other chocolate making advice welcome as most of my experience of chocolate has been in the consuming rather than the manufacture. Thank you for your time.

[woofgang]

I have tried making chocolates a couple of times and, apart from solid moulded shapes, its very difficult indeed, and if you take into account the purchase of the equipment, as well as the ingredients, its more costly than buying them from a decent shop unless you intend to make thousands. If you want to do it for amusement then go ahead but be prepared to struggle. You will also need to consider the ambient temperature of your house and kitchen.
You an make simple chocolates by making the good old peppermint cream mix of egg white and icing sugar but flavouring the mix with things other than chocolate, allowing them to set and then dipping them in melted chocolate, but they won't taste as good as shop bought. Your local Waitrose sells decent couverture and other ingredients, and you can get the rose and violet flavourings here
http://www.cupcake-world.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=144&sort=20a&page=9

[EcclesCake]

For this kind of thing I always use Squires, very helpful and pretty much a one stop shop for everything you'll need.

http://www.squires-shop.com/uk/catalog/chocolate

[Ratty2E]

Thanks to you both, I know it might be cheaper and certainly easier to buy them but I'd like to try and make them myself because I want it to be a special gift. That said if they end up being disgusting I'll be looking for somewhere to get ready made ones lol