Welcome!
Hello! I’m Beth, the founder of Beldamia, a small candle making company in Fort Collins, CO and the co-owner of a shop in Old Town called Makerfolk!
The name Beldamia (pronounced bell-dame-ee-ah),is a made-up word with witchy roots. Beldam is an old word for witch, and to me, Beldamia is a place where I can explore magical things while sharing my love of fragrance and candle-making with the world.
My love for making candles began as a hobby about 15 years ago. I’ve always been crafting and creating, but I immediately fell in love with making and burning my own candles. In 2016 during an Artist Way bookclub, I decided to start Beldamia and take my candle-making to the next level. If you need a little artistic or creative push, I highly recommend that book!
All of my candles are made with soy wax, a little beeswax, pthalate-free fragrance oil, and cotton wicks. I use soy because it burns cleaner and lasts longer than paraffin (a petroleum by-product). My scents are all vigorously tested so they have the best scent throw. I’m partial toward floral, sweet, pretty smells but am always expanding my fragrance repertoire.
To get the best scent throw, always trim your wicks (1/4 in) before each burn! And burn until you get a full melt pool (approx. 3 hours).
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A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME:
Practical Magic is my favorite movie. I love the book too. Often, I imagine having a greenhouse and little shop like the ones pictured in that movie. I definitely took some inspiration from that movie to develop Beldamia, and when I do markets and craft shows, I like to recreate the Practical Magic aesthetic on my table and imagine myself as an Owens sister.
I have two cats, Beatrix and Bellatrix. They are currently chasing each other through the house being terrors. I’d have many more kittens (like 100) if my husband would agree to it. Recently, I’ve been thinking about fostering rescues, but until that happens I will just support my local Cat Rescue whenever possible.
I’m originally from Grand Forks, North Dakota and every time I see someone with a ND license plate, I have to fight the urge to follow them and introduce myself. I’ve also lived in Oregon and Washington, and miss the lush greenness so much sometimes, but nothing beats the Colorado sunshine.
Books are one of my biggest passions. I worked for a nonprofit publishing company for 12 years before opening Makerfolk. I also volunteer for nonprofit city-wide reads program called Fort Collins Reads. Reading has saved my life (or my sanity) more than once since adolescence and I really should have that Borges quote about paradise being a kind of library tattooed somewhere. But instead I have a quote from Little Women about not being afraid of storms. It’s metaphorical, but I also LOVE storms. One day, I’d love to (safely) go tornado chasing or experience hurricane-like winds on a coast somewhere.
Other passions include learning new crafts, crocheting, reading tarot, nature walks, birding, and being involved in my local community. If you live in Fort Collins, stop by Makefolk and chat with me about candles, books, or outdoor adventures.
You can find my candles in these shops:
MAKERFOLK
326 Walnut
Fort Collins, CO
BOOKSTORE ON THE SQUARE
113 Linden
Fort Collins, CO
ESSCENTUALS
142 South College Avenue
Fort Collins, CO
GOLDEN POPPY HERBAL APOTHECARY
223 N College Ave,
Fort Collins, CO
TERRARIUM TATTOO
706 S College Ave
Fort Collins, CO
Wholesale, consignment, and custom order inquiries can sent via the contact page.