It’s better to light a candle than curse the darkness. UNLESS THE CANDLE ITSELF IS CURSED! Or if you have a really cool decorative candle like the ones made by Norris Hunt Candles which you can find on Etsy, Instagram, and Facebook. And they are fantastic.
Source: Etsy.
Laura Norris used to work at the same library where I work, which is how we met, but then moved to Texas where she is now a librarian for the Texas Talking Book Program, which is important year-round, but deserves an extra plug since October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I asked how she got started making candles, and she said, “I was trying out different artsy hobbies, seeing what struck my fancy. I’m practical and we burn candles so I thought, this might be fun.” She went on to explain that her husband creates some of the designs himself and buys some from other artists. They then create a master using a 3-D printer, and, as Laura explained, “the master is like a plastic version of the finished candle. And then we pour silicone around it to make a negative space of the master. Pour wax in there and you wind up with a candle that looks like the master.“
Source: Facebook
It does seem like candle-making would be fun, and the level of artistry in these is amazing. The often dark themes also make them perfect Halloween party decorations or, if you’re like me, perfect for any time, since I spend eleven months of the year preparing for Halloween, but that’s another story.
Several are also useful for summoning up eldritch gods, if that’s your thing.
Source: Facebook
Candles are by nature an ephemeral art form. They’re meant to be used, and while it’s a shame to destroy them many of these have an extra feature: they bleed.
Source: Etsy
Source: Etsy. Check out the title of the book on top.
And when they’re gone you buy another one, so it’s a feature, not a bug. Also this is a feature, not a bug:
Source: Etsy
Not all are horror-themed, in case you want to, you know, lighten up.
Source: Facebook
Some are aimed at role-playing gamers, although I’m pretty sure the Venn diagram of RPGers and people who’d want horny little devil candle accenting their tabletop is a circle.
Source: Etsy
They also come in a wide range of scents that are cleverly paired with the designs, including dragon’s blood. Seriously, there’s nothing better than having your house smell like dragon’s blood for Halloween or, if you’re like me, any time. And now it’s time to curse the darkness.
Source: Facebook
These are so cool–she and her husband and very talented!
They really are talented and I don’t think the pictures do justice to the level of detail in their candles. I have one of the skulls on top of three books and you can clearly read the titles on the books–Hamlet, Frankenstein, and The Raven.
Wick-ed awesome! Thanks for the de-light-ful post, Chris.
I’m really glad these candles could fire you up.