The scents haven’t been so heavenly in the candle-making business because of the economy, but Deby Smith isn’t ready to extinguish the flame that has inspired her for 13 years as owner of Heavenly Scents.
She makes 90 percent of the items in her store at 354 Woodland Drive. Although such a talent is unique, she said it doesn’t seem to matter in the current economic climate.
“It used to be special to buy someone a gift from a local crafter, but not so much anymore,” Smith said. “There are too many things brought in from China to these other big companies. I don’t have the advertising budget to compete with them.
“I love what I do. My heart and soul are in this store. It just breaks my heart to think of having to close.”
Smith owns the building, which she, her daughter and son-in-law refurbished seven years ago. It needed extensive repairs.
“I had to borrow money to stay open all last year and part of the year before,” she said. “I have incurred so much debt just trying to hang in there that I don’t know if I can ever get out of this.”
Heavenly Scents is a cornucopia of fragrance that waft like the Balm of Gilead throughout the novel business. And the smells are all unique because Smith mixes and matches her scents to the nth degree.
She starts with a wax melter. Stacked above the melter are different color chips, such as apricot, lime, ivory, rust, burgundy and butterscotch. And to the right are containers ripe with 150 different scents.
Once combined, she makes such scented tarts as apple jack, clean cotton and sun-washed linen. She also makes them in fruit and dessert flavors, with her favorite being coconut cake.
But the scents are just the tip of Smith’s talents.
She makes purses, ceramic votive cups, storm jars (which contain candles and matches for when the power goes out), apothecary jars, soy-waxed jars and soy-dipped bears.
Among the dessert candles are those that look like an ice cream sundae, a huge bowl of strawberries, ice cream and a gigantic blueberry cake.
Soy candles have a “high scent” but burn cleanly, Smith said.
The wax is squeezed out of the bears.
“The soy-dipped bears are wonderful if you need a nice aroma but don’t want to light a candle,” she said. “You simply open the bag, take it out and enjoy it. These work well in an office or room where you can’t burn candles.”
Smith is the first to admit she’s a workaholic.
“I’ve got to stay busy,” she said. “If I’m not working, I’m not happy.”
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