Making Space

Four women makers on the rise in Boulder County

story Holly Bowers  »  Photos Chris Marley

There’s no shortage of reasons to love Boulder County, from the mountains to our 300 days of sunshine. But it’s the people who really color life here — the independent business owners, farmers, and artisans, and the way the community supports them.

In that spirit, we’re profiling four local craftswomen to watch.

Kym Terribile, Candlemaker

Kym Terribile grew up watching her grandmother make candles for friends and family, but she herself had negative reactions to strong scents—she recalls getting migraines from big-box candle stores as a girl. Fast forward to 2016, when Kym was working to remove toxins from her life. She realized she could make her own candles free from the chemicals that made her sick. 

She started researching and experimenting with soy wax. Her first attempts were admittedly messy, but she loved the creative outlet. She launched Wax Crescent in 2019. In the years since, Kym has hired a full-time team and opened a storefront in downtown Longmont, where she offers candle-making workshops and showcases other artisans. 

All of Kym’s candles embody intention. “Candles allow us that moment to slow down and connect with self,” she says. Her scent combinations come from important moments in her life, such as a family recipe or a trip to Joshua Tree National Park. She enjoys sharing her experiences through scents, and she loves watching the feelings they invoke in her customers. More than anything, she hopes her candles remind people to “honor their light.”

Visit Wax Cresent at 525 3rd Ave., #101 in Longmont or online at waxcrescent.com.

Alison Blair, Metalsmith

“Simplicity is the key to beauty” is one of Alison Blair’s mantras, and it defines the custom jewelry she crafts at Alison Blair Studio in Boulder. Knowing when to stop is an important creative lesson, says Alison, one she learned from her artist father. 

Alison takes inspiration for her jewelry designs from her home in Colorado. “The natural combinations of color and texture we find everywhere around us certainly influence my art,” she explains, as do her connections with the artisan community here. She’s in awe of the creativity that other makers put into both their products and running their small businesses.

Community is a pillar of Alison’s work. She provides pieces to fundraisers and silent auctions to help raise funds for local organizations, and she donates a percentage of her sales to charities. “Especially now, it’s so important to keep in mind that while I’m in my cozy studio, the rest of the world is moving along and often struggling,” Alison says. “I don’t ever want to lose the awareness that we’re only as strong as our weakest links—and we’re all connected in one way or another.”

Learn more and shop online at alisonblairstudio.com.

Jamie Commando, Ceramicist and woodworker

You might say that fate intervened to lead Jamie Commando to sculpture. Always an artist, Jamie planned to pursue drawing and painting until a college class she needed filled up. She took sculpture instead and fell in love. “I like the idea of people being able to physically hold something, touch something, experience it,” she explains.

Jamie went on to study industrial design, which led to a job making furniture. Woodworking full time, however, Jamie found that she lacked time and energy for her own art. To spark her creativity, she started ceramics classes at Groundworks Art Lab—now she teaches there, in addition to serving as the assistant manager, and focuses her own work on functional ceramics. 

She’s learning to lean into the unpredictability of ceramics. “There’s so much that goes on that you have basically no control over,” she says, because the kiln ultimately decides how a piece will turn out. “The whole process is not about being perfect.” That can lead to interesting, one-of-a-kind pieces, like the lamp stands that Jamie is crafting out of ceramics and wood.

Find Jamie’s work at NoBo First Fridays, OZO Coffee | West Pearl or online at jamiecommando.com.

Susanne Ducker, Clothing designer

An early obsession with recycling and a lifelong love of design have finally wed in Foxlilie Studio. That’s where founder Susanne Ducker designs small-batch, sustainable clothing for women and children, handmade in Lyons.

At Foxlilie, Susanne is focused on slow fashion. That means small batches of clothing. It means carefully sourcing renewable, biodegradable fabrics. It means designing pieces that serve multiple functions, because her customers wear multiple hats. It means crafting timeless pieces that are made to last.

From the beginning of Foxlilie, Susanne has wanted to create beautiful clothing that people can feel comfortable in. As she has learned more about the ways that fashion contributes to the climate crisis, however, the sustainability aspect of her work has become even more important. The UN Environment Programme estimates that 11 percent of plastic waste worldwide comes from textiles, which can take hundreds of years to decompose. 

Susanne hopes that her clothing shows people that there are better ways to buy clothes that don’t contribute to the crisis. “I always joke that I wish I could solve climate change,” she says, “but maybe I can do something with clothing.”

Learn more and shop online at foxlilie.studio.