Update: Sadly, this company is no longer in business.
Original post:
Want to make someone smile? Give them one of these unusual candles.
We've seen candle 'lanterns' and candle holders made of wax. We've seen modern candles, candle jars and votives out the wazoo.
But Ablaze candles are different. Unlit, they are nothing short of wax scupltures and lit, the give more than light, they give ambiance.
These candles look good enough to eat, which is no surprise given that a Culinary Chef began the company. You can read more about that at the bottom of this post.
Their site, although not beautifully designed, is incredibly functional and allows you to see all of their creations, lit and unlit as well as enlarged.
Given the price of scented candles these days, these pieces of art are very reasonable and with many shapes, sizes and categories, you can be sure to find a gift for anyone.
They have every theme imaginable from wildlife animals to seashells. And every style from centerpieces to small cubes to outdoor columns. Too many to show you them all, so here are just a few of my favorites:
Below is taken directly from their site:
Unlike the mass production methods used by other candle makers, our beautiful candles are made in a completely distinctive, artisan-style tradition. We do not purchase the standard molds everyone else uses to make the same old shapes you’ve seen over and over. Instead, we create our own molds that impart a beautiful sculpted design to every candle we make. Into these molds we pour a special wax to create a beautiful, hard shell with the look and shine of polished marble. We provide a crystal votive holder and votive candle that rest on a clear protective disc embedded inside the bottom of the candle. When you light our decorative candles, the entire wax sculpture glows brilliantly.
Our Decorative Candles Last a Lifetime
The flame from the votive candle remains centered inside the sculpted outer wax shell and will not melt it. Once the votive candle is consumed, another votive candle, scented or unscented, can be used as a replacement. This ingenious candle design, one candle burning inside another, creates a glowing luminary that will last a lifetime. Dust build-up can be easily removed by washing this unique candle right in the kitchen sink with warm soapy water. Rinse all the soap off and buff dry with a soft towel. Not only will you remove accumulated dust from these unique specialty candles, you will also restore the natural luster that makes our decorative candles so attractive.
Note: Scented votive candles usually last 15 hours and are popular because you can change the fragrance more often, unlike the 150 hours of one fragrance you get from large scented jar candles.
Advantages of Luminary Candles
* People "light" these candles!
* You can burn the fragrance of your choice in Luminary Candles.
* The candle is truly permanent, it will last a lifetime.
* You can wash a luminary candle like you would fine china. They are impervious to water.
* Some Luminary Candles can be used with floating candles. (Straight sided candles only)
* They look great all the time (no irregular wax pool and wick debris) and compliment furniture and interior decor better.
* They glow better.
Ablaze™ Candles Make Unique Gifts
Perhaps you are looking for a unique gift idea to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, wedding, holiday, or those special occasions such as Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Maybe you are looking for that special something which will add a perfect decorative accent to your home or office. Quite possibly you just love candles in all shapes and sizes. Whatever the reason, we are confident that our specialty candles will delight and amaze your loved ones, serve as a beautiful focal point in your home decor, and become a valued and distinctively unique addition to your candle collection. We invite you to enter our web site and light any of our 230 uniquely handcrafted candles, sit back, and enjoy their spellbinding glow!
And here's a little trivia about them:
Did you know the founder of Ablaze™ Candles is a chef? In 1984, Dominic Palazzolo, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, established Culinart, Inc., a company specializing in the production of culinary artwork for professional chefs and restaurants all over the world. Chef Palazzolo created a wide variety of elaborate sculptures made from wax combined with food ingredients like chocolate. These beautiful creations appeared on buffet tables and in food presentations at the finest hotels, restaurants and resorts in America.
Encouraged by the food industry's growing demand for his culinary artwork, Chef Palazzolo applied his skills and imagination to the creation of glowing wax sculptures that could be displayed on buffet tables. With the idea of incorporating the natural light of a flame into his sculptures, Chef Palazzolo labored two years to perfect the burning qualities of his wax luminaries. The result was the creation of a candle that far surpassed ordinary candles in beauty, quality and burning performance. Those who saw his creations were not only amazed by their extraordinary detail and luminosity, they wanted his glowing sculptures for their homes. Deciding to make his candles available to the public, Chef Palazzolo named his luminary art, "Ablaze™ Candles," obtainable only on the Internet.
Chef Dominic Palazzolo is a member of the American Culinary Federation and has lectured nationally at seminars specializing in the fine art of tallow sculpting. His innovative sculptures have graced the buffet tables of hotels, restaurants, resorts, and cruise lines around the world. If you are interested in seeing the culinary artistry available from Culinart, Inc., just click here.
Visit Ablaze Candles and buy them here. (the site no longer exists)