Blog

Muna Berroa, Glass Painter

12/2/2019

What do you create?
I love learning all sorts of new mediums, and am currently painting on glass for faux stained glass creations.

How did you get started and what motivated you to start?
I’ve always loved crafting, and when I see something interesting, I want to try it for myself. I like taking on challenges, and will often take inspiration from my customers’ suggestions.

What themes do you pursue in your creations?
I love poppies, cardinals, birch trees and feathers.

Where do you work on your creations?
My dining room table - I don’t want to be off on my own when I craft, and haves large surface space for my materials. I don’t like to have to put everything away for big family occasions.

How do you occupy your mind while working
TV or music.
What's the most difficult part of the process?
Finding the time and space for crafting, in between my 9-5 job, and life in general.
What is your favourite piece of work that you have created?
My poppies!

Meet Muna on Dec 7th at Mark Street United Church (90 Hunter St East) in Peterborough, 10am-2pm!

MixedElementals Jewellery

11/27/2019

What do you create?
Metaphysical Jewelry to help Heal the World. All of my jewelry is created with Light Conciousness in mind, with purpose and Intention. From Malas to rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings - each piece is infused with love source energy. Made with wire, semi-precious healing stones, glass, mixed metals and fabrics, I put my own unique spin on jewelry that you may not see everyday. I have been told by others that these pieces seem to have their own energy, their own power - and that is what attracts one to wear one of my pieces.

How did you get started and what motivated you to start?
It all started with my love of crystals and how they make me feel. I started collecting them a couple of years before making jewelry. It was when my workplace was getting stressful that I found an escape in “tinkering” with crystals and wire wrapping — that was my first love. Cloaking a crystal I love within a beautiful wire setting. It just felt so complete! Shortly after I began tinkering, I lost my full time job - they moved a longer commute away, so after helping them with the transition, I decided this was a new path for me. And I haven’t looked back!

Which item do you have the most fun creating?
Oh - that’s a toughie! I love creating all of it! It’s so hard to choose one - but if I did, I’d have to choose 3. Mala’s, the wire wrapped bracelets, as well as the wire wrapped pendants. I love working with crystals, and it makes me feel so good. I enjoy working with the crystals and wire the most — although I do not wrap them as soon as I purchase them for my creating. They tell me - yes - I want to be in a piece, but after I get home, they may say “not yet”. But when they do tell me, I have an image in my head and I go from there. The crystal tells me what it would like done with it. That is what I love. The energetic connection between the piece I create and me. That’s why sometimes it can be so hard to put them up for sale!

What themes do you pursue in your creations?
Natural, with a touch of the elegant. I love the boho feel of the materials I work with, but I am still a bit of a “princess”, so I do love to bling them up a bit. It is either that, or I make them chunky and primal. I love earthy elements, and I do love my skulls (although I don’t put skulls into everything I create). I don’t think there is much of an “in-between” with me.

Where do you work on your creations?
I work from my home. This is what I do, full time. The creating, the marketing, the packaging, the supply shopping (my favourite part besides the creating), and minding the home. I have a room upstairs that I use as a studio, but at the moment, most of my work is done on the dining room table where my dog can be right with me. It’s a little hard for her to go up the stairs, and since she is blind, I make sure she is nearby, and I am easily accessible to her.

How do you occupy your mind while working?
Oh, this is an easy one! I always have meditation music playing — mostly with Solfeggio Frequencies that activate my Chakra’s. Before working, I either meditate, and/or play a singing bowl to cleanse the area and my Spirit. After each piece is created, further energy is infused into it via sage or incense. Creating is my form of meditation and healing - that’s why I love it so much!

Where do you get your inspiration?
My mind. I know that sounds funny, but often I receive images of pieces that I should create. These include what crystals I should use, what their healing purpose/properties are, and the colours. I also see inspiration from nature - the colours that are combined within are incredible. Some designs come to me like “popcorn” - they pop in the mind - and those are the ones that the Universe is telling me that I should create. Sometimes I don’t know why, but there is a reason for each piece I create. And there is a home for each one, out there somewhere.

What's the most difficult part of the process?
If I’m in an energetic slump, it is hard for me to create. Hard for me to market, and hard for me to do the background business things needed to do. The hardest part of the process for me would be the marketing and putting myself out there. This is getting slightly better, but there is always room for improvement.

What is your favourite piece of work that you have created?
Oh my goodness - I have so many. But I think my favourite would be a commission I did for someone with some Amber. She had all these pieces of drilled Amber from a Great Aunt in Poland, and apparently all these beautiful pieces came from one necklace! I ended up doing 1 Statement necklace, 3 simpler necklaces with wire work, and 4 memory wire bracelets and 3 smaller bracelets for her grandchildren. All of these were from one necklace - it was incredible, and the Amber was an amazing energy to work with!

What memorable responses have you had to your work?
The most memorable was with a Reiki practitioner who came up to my table and told me he can definitely feel the energy emanating from my pieces. This felt so good, and verified that I was on the right track with my work.

What are you doing when you're not creating?
Belly dancing! I’ve been dancing for almost 13 years (I think- I often loose track), and I love dancing to different music - my favourite being Symphonic Metal! One may not put a connection to the two, but I do.

I also love going out for drives with hubby, and morning snuggles with my dog, Roxxy - an almost 13 year old Cockapoo.

What else should readers know about you and your creations?
Each piece is created with an intention. Before, during, and after the work is completed. I try my best to use materials that are ethically sourced, so that the authenticity, uniqueness, and energy radiates from my work.

Where else do you sell your creations?
My online shop: www.squareup.com/store/mixedelementals
Facebook and instagram links are on my shop page.

Sacred Quest, (The Purple House), 118 John St., Whitby. Www.sacredquest.ca (also on facebook)

The Bent Willow, 54 Simcoe St. N, Oshawa
www.facebook.com/the_bent_willow

Charmed, 82 Simcoe St. S, Oshawa, www.charmedstore.ca

The Artisan’s Nest (within Bubbles & Gems), 52 Walton St, Port Hope www.bubblesandgems.com (also on facebook as The Artisans Nest of Port Hope)

You can meet Shari on Dec 7th at 90 Hunter St East, 10am-2pm.

Ember Junkin, Woodburner

11/12/2019

What do you create?
I do pyrography! Also known as wood burning. I also dabble in needlepoint and other similar hobbies.
How did you get started and what motivated you to start?
I've always been into art, so naturally, when i was browsing around Michaels one November day looking for that next thing I didn't really need, but would soon decide it was life, I stumbled upon one of their little wood burning displays. I though it looking pretty cool and desperately needed to try it. That Christmas i had one bought for me, and the rest is history.

Which item do you have the most fun creating?
I actually have the most fun creating larger pieces. Ones that challenge my skill, as well as are very intricate. The more challenging and time consuming the better!

What themes do you pursue in your creations?
I wouldn't say i have any particular theme to my stuff. I burn for the sole purpose of I enjoy doing it, so whatever strikes me to do, is what ill do. I've done plenty of comic related work, portraits, fantasy, logos,landscapes, animals and so forth. So what I choose to do really just depends on me going, "Hey this moves me right now, lets do this!."

Where do you work on your creations?
I work in my art room! I took over a bedroom, made it a nice calm space and all my art and crafty stuff lives in there.

How do you occupy your mind while working?
I have two methods. My usual is to just have my music on. I also have a metronome that I use when I'm feeling more like silence, but am just looking for something to calm the noise. I always have a candle or some scent in the burner going though.

Where do you get your inspiration?
I wouldn't say there in any one place where I get inspiration. I create when I "feel the itch." as I say. It comes and goes, there could be months where I don't do much art, and then months of going to work, burning, and going to bed.

What's the most difficult part of the process?
The start. I find I have zero motivation to actually get the wood, cut it, prep it, then draw the designs on it, as well as the after of again, prepping the wood to be sealed for life after. I usually do several burn preps at once to avoid my "starters motivation." That way there is always burns readily available to do if I just want to burn. Several burns get drawn 3-4 times before they ever get drawn onto the wood to even be burned, and even when that's happening, I'm still tweaking designs while burning them. The actual burning I feel like is the smallest part of the whole process.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?
Ive done a couple of pieces for memorials over lost love. These people made me feel like I was apart of their family. The joy and sincere thanks I got from them was overwhelming. I also did a burn for a gentlemen of one of his cars from when he was younger, that man carried that burn with him to the cottage and back. He also went out of his way to frame it all nice and cut out where i had my signature and the date it was completed so that he could always see that and be reminded.

What are you doing when you're not creating?
Pretty much working, eating, reading, sleeping ... then general everyday life things one must do.

What else should readers know about you and your creations?
I wouldn't really say there is much else you would need to know about me and my creations. I burn because i enjoy it, and I do it cause I want to. I don't set out to make things people may want, or is in fashion at the time, because that takes the fun out of it. But burning also takes up a bunch of space once you have a bunch of these laying around, so why not get out there into the world and see if there is someone who may enjoy a particular piece just as much as i did making it.

Where else do you sell your creations? Please provide links and addresses where appropriate.
I sell my stuff through Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pineandneedlecraft
As well as I can be followed or contacted through my Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/pineandneedlecrafts

Yandy Zuo: Thoughtfully Handmade

11/4/2019

What do you create?
I make and sell handmade cards, bookmarks and gift tags!

How did you get started and what motivated you to start?
Since 2016, I’ve strived to provide uniquely handmade cards, bookmarks and gift tags to help people gift more thoughtfully and save them from awkward gift-giving situations. I chose to start my own business because I was (and still am) sick and tired of the impersonal, mass-produced cards in the market today. I'm sure you feel the same.
I love helping my customers spread positivity. It's another reason Thoughtfully Handmade exists! What better way to spread positivity than with cards? I mean, you don’t give someone a card for a negative reason, right? Let's all start being more thoughtful and intentional with our actions!

Which item do you have the most fun creating?
I love creating my tag cards- they’re just so much fun to make!

What themes do you pursue in your creations?
I only use scrapbooking techniques with my cards. So that means it’s all paper, stamping, inks and embellishments!

Where do you work on your creations?
I make all of my cards at home in my study.

How do you occupy your mind while working?
I always have a TV show or YouTube video on while I create. Recently, I’ve been re-watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine since it’s one of my favourite shows!

Where do you get your inspiration?
I get most of my inspiration from pretty pattern papers and colours.

What's the most difficult part of the process?
The most difficult has to be translating the image in my head into paper. Sometimes, there is a disconnect, and what I create with paper doesn’t reflect the design that I thought of. For example, some colours and designs seem to work in my head but in reality, they clash!

What is your favourite piece of work that you have created?
I created a card series with __karonn__ who writes poetry promoting self-love. All of my cards in the Positive Change series are my favourites. Maybe it’s because I used a lot of purples and that’s my favourite colour!

What else should readers know about you and your creations?
I choose to put hours of hard work and thought into every single card, bookmark and gift tag that I create. By buying one of my cards, not only are you supporting a small business and a crafter, but you are also helping Seniors With Skills. They are a new non-profit organization dedicated to preventing seniors from social isolation. Ten cents from every item that I sell will be going towards their operational costs.

What are you doing when you're not creating?
I’m a full-time student at the University of Toronto pursuing a double major in Criminology and Philosophy!

Where else do you sell your creations?
I have a website where you can find a full collection of my cards: thoughtfullyhandmade.com. You can also find my cards at the Oakhill Marketplace in Brantford (https://www.facebook.com/oakhillmarketplace/) and Dini and Co in Georgetown (https://www.diniandco.com/).

Meet Yandy on Dec 7th at 90 Hunter St East in Peterborough, 10am-2pm!

A River of Yarn ...

10/29/2019

What do you create?
Hand crafted blankets, baby items, clothing & accessories.
How did you get started and what motivated you to start?
A River of Yarn has been a dream that came to fruition four years ago. It is currently a part-time yarn studio & online store. You can find me participating in many yarn and fibre shows throughout Ontario. I am always creating something new to highlight a yarn in stock. Many finished items are on display and for sale.

Which item do you have the most fun creating?
I love knitting the bulky blankets at the moment. They work up fairly quickly and keep you warm while you work.

Where do you work on your creations?
All items are made in the A River of Yarn studio located east of Keene, Ontario. We are just north of Hiawatha.
How do you occupy your mind while working?
Many of the items are created while visiting with friends or watching television.

Where do you get your inspiration?
My inspiration comes from the various yarns in the studio, and what is trending in the current fashion scene.
What's the most difficult part of the process?
The most difficult part of the process is finding the time to create what I want to create. As I am still working full-time, I find it hard sometimes to set aside my making time.

What is your favourite piece of work that you have created?
Usually the last item that I have worked on is my favourite. I am always looking forward to my next project & learning something new.
What memorable responses have you had to your work?
"I just love the blanket. We use it every day!"

What are you doing when you're not creating?
I work as a secondary school Family Studies teacher during the day. The night time is my 'making' time.
Where else do you sell your creations? Please provide links and addresses where appropriate.
Mostly at the Artisan fair each year. My creations can be seen and purchased at A River of Yarn studio. Current part-time hours are Wednesdays 3pm - 7pm, Fridays 4pm - 7pm, and Saturdays 10am - 1pm.

Meet Tracy Minnema and buy one of her comfy creations at The Artisan Fair on November 2nd, 10am-2pm! 90 Hunter St East.

BobCob Creations' Totes and Purses!

10/23/2019

What do you create?
I create one of a kind bags, purses and pouches.
I seek out interesting fabrics and use them in a creative way to fashion unique and practical items.
I also enjoy working on custom orders.

How did you get started and what motivated you to start?
I’ve been sewing since a very young age. I sewed clothes for myself and later for my home and family ... even make my.husband’s clothes.

Which item do you have the most fun creating?
I thoroughly enjoy sewing purses and bags.

Where do you work on your creations?
I work from my home sewing room.

How do you occupy your mind while working?
I occasionally watch TV but mostly work in silence, except for the hum of my machine.

What's the most difficult part of the process?
I like to apply all interfacing in one ironing session so that I can then move on to the creative assembly process.

What memorable responses have you had to your work?
I find it rewarding when women tell me that the purse or bag which they have purchased has brought them many compliments.

On Nov 2nd, 10am - 2pm, you can meet and buy from Colleen Hartlen, the creator! 90 Hunter St East, Peterborough, ON. RSVP on Facebook

Anne Brandly, Knitting Queen

10/16/2019

What do you create?
Hand knitted accessories, Nordic style with a modern twist. I create headbands, hats, socks, and mittens for the Canadian winter.

How did you get started and what motivated you to start?
As a child I started knitting, and fell in love with the craft. I tried other creative endeavours such as painting, weaving, needle felting, candle making, hot glass beads, and jewelry over the years, but always came back to knitting. Now I like to create my own designs, drawing from traditional Nordic patterns with a modern twist such as fingerless mitts.

Which item do you have the most fun creating?
I specially enjoy making socks because there are so many different ways to use colours, and stranded knitting techniques.
These days I am knitting a lot of fingerless mitts which seem to be quite popular.

What themes do you pursue in your creations?
Mostly colour work with contrasting colours. My favourites are black, grey, red and white, which are seen in many of my designs.
I love to do animal themes like dog paws headbands for dog walkers.

Where do you work on your creations?
I work at home in my small, cozy apartment.

How do you occupy your mind while working?
As knitting colour work requires concentration, l Ike to work in quiet stillness. Mindfulness is my goal as I blot out distractions.

Where do you get your inspiration?
Inspiration comes from Nordic designers, books and Internet.
I love to use the ecologically friendly pure wool, which connects me to the earth which we share with all creatures. Acrylic yarn does not appeal to me because it is petroleum based.
Nature and animals inspire me too

What's the most difficult part of the process?
The most difficult part of my knitting is concentrating so as not to make mistakes! I love to dream up new patterns and colours, so that is easier for me than actually knitting my ideas. But it is all part of the process. There is great satisfaction to the finishing of the project, but I remember always, that the destination is the journey,
We live in the here and now, not knowing about what lies ahead, so why worry about it.

What is your favourite piece of work that you have created?
That is a hard question to answer. As I am creating something, it is my favourite, but when it is finished, I go on to something new to create.
Amazing what potential lies in just sticks and thread!

What memorable responses have you had to your work?
Many people say they love my work. I have recently been invited to open a pop up store in a local business.

What else should readers know about you and your creations?
I use only quality wool.
Belong to Kawartha Hooks and Needles Guild

Where else do you sell your creations? Please provide links and addresses where appropriate.
Etsy: etsy.com/store/DunravenKnitwear
Instagram: dunravenknits
Facebook: dunravenknits

What are you doing when you're not creating?
Reading fiction and non fiction books, active in my faith community, going for walks in nature, living a simple lifestyle.

Meet Anne at The Artisan Fair on November 2nd, 10am - 2pm at 90 Hunter St East in Peterborough! Join us on Facebook

Linda Patterson, Dollmaker

10/4/2019

I create Fine Art dolls in several mediums; polymer clay, air-dry clay, cloth and needlefelted wool. All my dolls are one of a kind, completely handmade by me. No patterns or molds are used. I began my dollmaking journey in the lineup at Michaels, when glancing through an issue of Where Women Create I saw the most beautiful doll I had ever seen. Seized with a desire to make that kind of doll, I went online and discovered the world of the fine art doll and the tutorials their makers generously shared with the world.I have been learning and creating ever since.

Every doll I make teaches me something. I love making every one! I am usually seized by an enthusiasm for or interest in a particular time period in costume when I make a doll. Either that, or I am working on how to get the doll to look or move a certain way. Sometimes I see a doll online and am inspired to create one using the same technique, as in my Izannah Walker historically referenced dolls. Making dolls is all about solving problems.

I work in a small spare room, overlooking a park. It is insanely cluttered, but it is my happy place. While I work, I listen to classical music, or books on disc from the library.

My inspiration comes from the doll itself. I always start with the head, then draw a plan using the height of the head to determine the proportions of the rest of the doll. Once I am into making the doll, it tells me what it wants to be. Many dollmakers have the same experience. Sculpting the face and limbs in proportion can be very tricky. If the intention is to make a doll that is quirky or unique, it takes its own course. Trying to make a doll that looks like a tiny human is much more difficult.

I love all my dolls, but I am proudest of my piece The Little Match Girl, which was published in the last issue of Art Doll Quarterly. I sell my work in my Etsy store www.etsy.com/ca/shop/ArtsOfDelight
You can also contact me directly at pattersonlin@sympatico.ca

I read a lot and knit for pleasure in the times I am not creating.
Meet Linda at The Artisan Fair on November 2nd, 2019 at 90 Hunter St East in Peterborough, 10am-2pm!

Heather Oerlemans, Jewellery Artisan

4/25/2019

"I create wire-wrapped jewellery such as pendants, necklaces, rings, earrings, and bracelets. Each piece is handcrafted with authentic crystals in rough or polished form. Every creation is unique just as each crystal is unique and every individual is unique. The choice of wire, design, and accent colours are inspired by and chosen to enhance the beauty, personality, and individuality of the focal crystal. I believe it is an honour to work with the treasures of the natural world.

I absolutely love working with wire and crystals! I have always felt a deep connection to crystals and minerals so my career as an amateur Rockhounder (rock-collector) began when I was a child and wearing my latest 'find' was a natural extension of that hobby. I believe crystals can be a reflection of our inner feelings and an extension of our inner being. We are often drawn to specific crystals and minerals based on our own moods and emotions. Crystals can help us express those feelings with more clarity, acknowledge buried emotions, release emotional and energy blockages, and work with our chakras to balance energy.

As an Artisan, my favourite items to create are solitary pendants. Each crystal has its own personality ... the weave pattern, thickness of wire, type of wire (copper/silver) and the overall design are chosen to complement the personality of the stone. I have the most fun creating pendants for that reason and my hope is that my designs will help others' appreciate the beauty found in the earth.

I have a studio in my house where I work on my creations. On nice summer days, I will sit outside enjoying and being inspired by nature while I work on my jewellery. The natural sunlight allows me to see more clearly and fully appreciate the colours of each crystal. When I am wire-wrapping, I find myself completely absorbed in my work to the extent that anything could be on in the background and I wouldn't notice it. That being said, I often have the TV on in the background (Netflix).

I get my inspiration from the stones I wrap as well as individuals when I create custom pieces. As a Reiki practitioner and Certified Crystal Healer I create pieces to balance energies. For example, I create Chakra pendants made with 7 different crystals that represent each of the 7 major Chakras. When I create a custom piece, I choose a crystal based on the energy imbalances of the individual and the colour they are drawn to. Through conversation, I get a sense of the person's style and try to incorporate that into the piece.

When I finish a piece, I hold it, examine it, and I think ... this is my favourite piece. That is until I make the next one. Each piece is unique and each piece is my favourite for a different reason, much like my children.

My most memorable response occurred when I made a custom pendant for a woman whose mother had recently passed. She wanted a crystal that would represent her bond with her mother. I selected a piece of Charoite and wrapped it in silver wire with copper accents. When I presented her with the piece she began crying. All of the tears she has been holding back throughout the viewing, the funeral, and to 'stay strong' for the rest of the family were finally being released because, as she stated, she 'felt a deep connection with the crystal and thought the piece captured her mother's style'. She felt like the piece connected her to her mom.

When I am not creating I like to rockhound, geocache, and spend time with my family.

I sell my creations through my online storefront. The website is:
www.thecrystalvein.net I also sell my creations out of my studio, by appointment only.

Meet Heather at The Artisan Fair on May 4th, 10am-2pm in Peterborough's Evinrude Centre!

Katharine Grace, Jewellery Artist

4/24/2019

After 35 years within the confines of the commercial art field Katharine yearned to produce art that was an expression of her instinctive creativity ... a joyful bound into the realm of purposelessness … art with no other purpose than to be pleasing to the eye, the heart and the soul. The result is a line of jewellery that celebrates the depth of feminine beauty. It is simple and elegant in its joyful purposelessness: an expression of emotion, playfulness, courage, joy, strength and spirituality to be worn for no other reason than to be enjoyed. Each piece is created in the mindful space of the heart that each woman possesses and is blessed and cleansed with the magic of light and love.

"I like to use natural stone and crystals in my pieces, matching their inherent energy to the vibrations of the beautiful women I encounter as they visit and browse my booth. Each woman is her own vast well of wisdom and emotion that inspires my selection of the perfect stones, symbols and forms to heal, enlighten and empower."

Meet Katherine on May 4th in the Evinrude Centre of Peterborough, 10 am - 2 pm!