Had better luck this weekend. The trick birthday candle works much better that the tea light. I placed the candle flat on a piece of bark at the bottom of the tinder pile (shredded bark) and built a teepee style fire using dead twigs and more peeled bark.

The key is to start with sticks the size of a pencil lead and work up slowly. Having a base that separates everything from the ground helps as well.

Chris