Wow! I totally want these. I however, do not want 80 cartons of them, which seems to be the smallest amount that I can find them in.
They look like normal tea-lights, yet you can see the flames are a variety of colors.
The exporter's website is at http://www.glittercolor.com/Productslist.html
If anyone knows where to get these stateside, let me know!
For Easter, my mom always gives us random trinkets she thinks will amuse us. This year, one of my surprises was a LED candle. Mine is not nearly as cool as these I found over at ThinkGeek.com. These actually let you turn them on and off by blowing on them!
They look a lot better than many LED candles I"ve seen before, and the price is actually comparable (or less!) than what you'd pay for a pillar candle (they are 3' in diameter and run 3-6 inches tall. The cost is $12-$15.
I admit that I liked the title of this, being it's quite similar to what I picked for this blog. The En-Light-ener Candle Making Newsletter is a monthly newsletter put out by Candlewic, an on-line supplier of candle making supplies. I found one fact mentioned in this month's newsletter quite fun.
Ancient Egyptians recognized the value of beeswax as a preservative, and early Romans fashioned coins from beeswax to pay their taxes. Invention of the candle dates back to about 400 B.C., but the idea to use beeswax to form candles didn't emerge until the Middle Ages.
The general site seems to be aimed at semi-serious hobbyists and small candle making businesses that can't find the right supplies at their local craft store. I played around with their custom wick making, but since I know nothing about this, shouldn't try to order custom wicks. What would I do with 500 custom wicks? I'm not really sure, but if I was making something for the holiday craft fairs, I could call their 800 number and have someone help me out with the order, which I thought was a nice touch!
I've taken to burning candles this weekend with the rain and all. I thought these were neat, and not as obnoxious as most of the holiday candles one ever sees.
I am not having Thanksgiving myself, but would probably be hard-pressed to find anything in the store right now as the grocery store already has up Christmas merchandise. That's just wrong.
But, if I was going to go buy holiday candles, I would be tempted to order these.
I remember making punched tin can luminaries at camp as a kid. We never mastered anything quite as remarkable as this though. A quote from the website as to why these are better than mass-produced luminaries from China:
The edges of these luminaries aren't sharp and are coated with enamels so they should last several years outdoors before they need to be repainted. The artist is John T. Unger and while he usually works (and is best known for his mosaic art), he dabbles in other areas as well, currently working as a full-time artist.
Link: http://johntunger.typepad.com/artbuzz/2005/06/cantren_faq.html
All of the local papers are brimming with outdoor decorating ideas. One of my favorites was this mahogany candle lantern from Crate and Barrel. The slats are all adjustable and it has a hole for the heat to escape at the top so you don't have to worry about burning down your new $56 lighting accessory (or the rest of the house!). It is available either at Create and Barrel stores coast-to-coast or on their website at http://www.crateandbarrel.com
While searching for somewhere that sold beeswax for a project I'm working on, I came across a Seattle shop that sells candle making supplies. Zenith Supplies also sells raw supplies for soap making, essential oils, molds, wicks, and has recipes for your perusal.
Well, I remember lighting Advent candles as a kid as well as reading advent calendars and so on. Most people probably know that Advent is the 24 days before Christmas that commemorate the preparations for the coming of Jesus. I never knew that they had meanings though. This is one person's interpretation:
Advent Candles
Advent candles may be any color. The most traditional choice is three purple and one pink candle. Purple is the color of repentance, an appropriate attitude when preparing for Christ's coming. The pink candle represents joy and typically is lit on the third Sunday. White candles, which we use, are also common. The center Christ candle usually is white regardless of the colors of the other candles. Over the years, Christians have assigned various meanings to the Advent candles. Here are some examples.
First Candle: Prophets, Faith, or History
Second Candle: Angels, Joy, or New Birth
Third Candle: Shepherds, Love, or Jesus' Second Coming
Fourth Candle: Wise Men, Hope, or Peace Candles are usually lit on Sundays with the final central candle being lit on Christmas eve.
For more information on this tradition see http://www.cresourcei.org/cyadvent.html
The candle category has been neglected for quite some time now. As I was browsing the web, I came across a great glass candle-holder importer. Siena Julia is a high-class importer.
This is a Chech Hand-blown Glass candle holder that I was quite fond of! What fun!
Their description: Hand-made Bohemian glass candleholder of translucent orange glass gracefully twisted and topped with a vibrant blue. This striking candleholder is sure to make an impression long after the candles have gone out. Imported from the Czech Republic.
Of all the things I never envisioned, I guess this is one of them. It’s not really that strange, I guess being there's a professional association for everything. The National Candle Association has some neat information including facts like consumer sales of candles is $2 billion annually and that 94% of candles are bought by women. They also have a media center and a nice short history of candle making.
