Pam Designs is a home based business in it's 15th year. Specializing in only gel candles for our first 8 years, every gel candle related product was tested, and as new items are introduced, continual testing is performed. 50 samples of every candle design, regardless of the wax used, are test burned for optimal quality before making them available to the public, assuring safety and that only the finest materials are used. The new paraffin novelty candles line of unique candles not only look great, but are burnable! Designs are carefully chosen to insure long, safe burning with minimal to no spillage. And they are the only novelty candles that you can purchase custom fragranced, if desired. All products are handmade, one at a time, as they are ordered. Pam Designs doesn't want to be the biggest - Pam Designs wants to be the best, so the best is what is used for all products produced. One person does it all - buys materials, formulates designs, tests, takes pictures, maintains the website, manufactures, packs, ships, and interfaces with customers. Me! Marilyn.

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Pam Designs has been selling thousands of quality gel/paraffin candles/tarts, soaps, and air freshener products worldwide, strictly through word of mouth.  I strive to make your purchase a  delightful experience! I will not sell any product I wouldn’t proudly and safely burn in my own home, or personally use! Offering a HUGE selection of styles gives you lots of variety. Products are made fresh, at the time your payment clears. They are not mass produced.

 A SPECIAL NOTE

I ship hundreds of candles, gel tarts™, soaps, body products, and air freshener products weekly, around the world. Each product is made by me in my home based shop WHEN YOU ORDER. None of my products are made and on the shelf.
This is a full time business, and I try hard to keep the lead times down, but with the volume of orders processed, it’s not always possible. Additionally, some items can take up to two and a half weeks to complete. I cannot rush your order and ship you a quality product.
It is your responsibility to read the lead times (listed at the top of every page), individual Category and/or product leadtimes(if any), and payment leadtimes; and realize any additional time, depending on the shipping method you choose, if a holiday falls after you place your order, etc.,  to determine if you can wait for your shipment.  Your order is begun the day after you place it. For this reason, if you decide to cancel ANY order, there will be a restocking charge of 25% .  Order placement is acceptance of these terms.  I work 7 days a week to insure you are receiving the finest products possible. So if you desire to purchase quickly, please ask first if your request can be accommodated. If I can’t help you, perhaps you should consider a store in your area, or I may be able to refer you to someone else on the web. Thank you.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

- Why are these candles so expensive?

Prices include cost of materials, collectibility of containers/embeds, complexity and time of manufacture. Of all the different types of candles, patented Penreco HP gel(the only gel Pam Designs uses) is rapidly becoming the most expensive wax, and is directly affected by oil prices.  HP gel is as much as 3x the cost of soy wax, and 2x the cost of paraffin wax. This is the major reason gel candles are so expensive. Most designs cannot be mass produced. They are labor and time intensive, and costly due to the additional items added and techniques used.  And they burn so much longer than comparable sized candles made in the other various waxes, 2 -3 times longer; that the value is still a bargain.  Even the floaters are made in several stages of multi colored gel, or are painted. They are not cheap imports. Many popular brands at chain stores and other websites have shorter burn times, and chain store imports may still have lead wicks, hand mixed unsafe gel, etc., as they are all made in countries with less stringent safety requirements.  Products on this site are all custom made here, in the USA, in our shop. All candles with wax embeds are entirely made in the home studio, including the wax embeds. You cannot find the unique designs, or such a long burning floater, anywhere with all the custom options available.

- Are gel candles any worse or better for you than paraffin, soy, palm, beeswax, or other type candles?

No. A properly made candle in any wax will produce the same amount of miniscule soot, whether it is black or white(making it harder to notice, but is still there). Waxes are all made in a process that utilizes techniques that add nonorganic elements. And as much as you may like a highly scented candle, once you add fragrance the candle is no longer organic, no matter what wax is used. The wax a seller uses is based on their personal preference - cost, marketing hype, what they think will sell, properties, etc. We add the following link to the National Candle Association's website so you can read the true answers to your questions:  www.candles.org/about_faq.html  We use gel, paraffin, and our own formulation of the two for design capabilities, length of burn, and increased fragrance load.

- If I buy a large quantity, can I get a discount?

Each discount request is evaulated individually, but in most cases, discounts are available. 

- Why does it take so long to get my items?

There are several reasons your order can take awhile to receive. First, if you pay by credit card, regardless of when the charge shows on your account, it takes 3 full business days to clear into our account. That is when your order is put in full production. Due to the high incidence of internet fraud, we want to make sure that you actually did order the products. Secondly, if we are very busy(and this can change daily), your order can take longer than stated leadtimes. Please remember we are a home based shop, not a factory and there is only so much room for products in process, plus they are all handmade, one at a time; not mass produced. I am the only one that makes all the products you see. No one wants to get your order out to you in a timely manner more than I do. Thirdly, some designs and order sizes take additional time to make. And fourthly,regardless of the shipping method you choose, I cannot control how long the shipping service takes to get the items to you. 

-Why has shipping gotten so high?

All shipping services continue to raise their rates. We DO NOT try to make extra money on shipping charges! Shipping is the actual amount by weight, plus a minimal handling charge to help defer the cost of purchased packaging/insulation materials, and gas.  A special note:  Our shopping cart has no way of knowing  whether the products you order will fit in flat rate box or not. If you contact us first, letting us know what you'd like to purchase(designs/quantities) and your zipcode, we can let you know if we can save you some shipping dollars by setting up a custom order for you with flat rate shipping. If you do not contact us, and place your order and pay, we cannot refund you the difference, as all processors, including PayPal now charge additional fees for partial refunds. If shipping to any state but Nevada, there is no sales tax.

-Why don't you offer free shipping like so many other online candle stores do?

We do run specials from time to time that offer free shipping when a particular dollar threshold is purchased; however, we cannot offer free shipping on a regular basis as most of our candles are heavy, large, and/or oddly shaped and require additional packaging and larger boxes to get them to you safely.