Armadilla
Wax Works
 Stepping into Armadilla Wax Work’s 5,000 square foot
flagship store in Prescott, my senses were met
with all the mandatory charms that come part and
parcel with novelty candle shops. Large, airy and
well-lit, the massive store space features an array
of colorful eye-catching displays, many of the
candles winking and flickering as flames release
tantalizing aromas from their paraffin prisons.
But I didn’t come to the shop to just see, smell
and buy candles. I came to do, or rather dip, them.
Up until this point, I had thought that watching
a hapless kid baptize a once-appetizing cake in spittle
to extinguish a batch of them was about as interactive
as candles could get.
Not so, according to Denise Jenike. “Candle dipping
is for kids of all ages, “ says Jenike who, along
with here husband Kent Butterman, began Armadilla
Wax Works in 1971. “And I do mean kids of all ages,”
she emphasizes. It seems that children, their parents
and grandparents alike manage to get in on the action
when they visit the store.
The candle dipping workstation, located toward the
back wall, is comprised by large and small vats of
colored liquid wax. The first step in this artistic
process is selecting a canvas. Choices consist of
an array of white candles molded into a variety of
creatures.
I selected a pair of wax doves and, heedless of
warnings against over-dipping, began recklessly dunking
the lovers in the vats of green and yellow wax, attempting
to achieve the perfect shade of pear. To finish off,
I accented the tail feathers of my over-waxed and
slightly drippy avians in red and fuchsia.
 My friend Julie had better luck dipping a miniature
elephant. All was well after his first dive into
the blue wax. But she ran into trouble when she decided
her adorable Dumbo deserved a pink paraffin pedicure.
After his trunk fell into the pink, it took a baptism
by immersion to cover the booboo. The result: a very
pretty purple.
Once we completed our creative endeavors, we had
a chance to explore the work of the true artisans.
Jenike and Buttermann design signature collections,
combining complementary colors and scents around
a theme. They even created a signature firebead texture
featured on a wide selection of their candles. Almost
all of their merchandise is made at their factory
in Prescott Valley.
Their Aspen Collection combines serene blues, browns
and golds, with the layered scents of vanilla, cassis,
cedar and autumn spice bleeding into one another
to blend the aromas. The warm-toned Copper Canyon
blends patchouli, orange slice and sandalwood.
But ultimately, it was the smells coming from yet
another display that ended our visit. The rich aroma
of coffee oozing from the Bistro collection ushered
us from the lovely store, masterpieces in tow, primed
and ready to search out the real thing in Prescott’s
nearby historic square.
Photos courtesy of Julie Wood
If you go:
Armadillo Wax Works
Prescott:
2225 E. Hwy 69
928-778-2095
Flagstaff
21 E. Aspen Ave.
928-779-2308
(equipped with a scaled-down candle dipping station)
Online
ArmadillaWax.com |
