Author: VEC

Lisa (Mompreneur) and Madison (Kidpreneur) from Periwinkle Designs are local makers from Vancouver, BC.

This duo create eco-friendly products that includes beeswax food wraps and bags, unpaper towels, reusable face masks, and reusable sandwich and snack bags. Lisa and Madison are very passionate about their products. With the support of their entire family they are excited to continue this journey together creating a positive impact on the environment one product at a time.

We stay creative at Periwinkle Designs because our work is never done!
Nothing beats a good challenge and we are always up for one! Whether we are working on improving existing products and processes or potential new products we are always creating, designing and putting our new ideas to the test.

Lisa’s full time jobs are being mama to her two kids Madison and Cole and working the business.

While working on the business, Madison also keeps busy as grade 5 French Immersion student and competitive diver.

We were both born and raised in the Vancouver area.

Oh boy! That’s a really tough question! We truly are thankful and grateful for all of our customers and supporters!

Let’s use our beeswax food wraps as the example. In the beginning, it took a lot of trial and error to achieve the right recipe for our wax mixture that we were happy with. We wanted it to be pliable and tacky to closely mimic plastic wrap since it is the main single use plastic product beeswax wraps replace. Once we had that figured out, we worked on curating high quality 100% cotton fabric. We cut our fabrics down, wax them, QA the products and then package them up.

By far our favourite part of this process, is curating unique, fun fabric to bring to our customers.

Marketing and Social Media.

Periwinkle Designs did not start out as an eco-friendly product based business.
It took trying different products and services over the years to come to where we are today.
We are proud to say 100% of our products are designed, created and packaged in house by our family.
We feel so blessed to have found a business we are passionate about that we can do together.

It starts off as a creative neat space and quickly turns into a beautiful mess!

Hi I am Rachel and no my last name is unfortunately not actually Rainbow. I started Rachel Rainbow as a creative outlet from my structured design job in children’s wear in 2013. I have a degree in Fashion Design and Technology and have always preferred to design for children. I love colour and sparkly things and rainbows and unicorns and these do translate better into a younger market. Although I am always on the lookout for the adult versions for myself. I think minimalism is beautiful, but I personally am attracted to a more eclectic style.

Enticed by nostalgic details and fanciful colours, Rachel Rainbow is created for pretending. Designed for children age 3+, each Rachel Rainbow piece is created to bring delight and to be treasured. Each piece is designed and handmade from a nostalgic place of fanciful things with care and attention to detail in Vancouver, BC.

Oh jeeze, I hate these questions. Sometimes you just have to force yourself to be honest. Schedule in the time and start to play. I wish I had a more whimsical answer. Pre-covid, I found going out to live local music and artist shows was always inspiring. I also find being outside can help me when I am stuck or any form of movement in general.

I bought a seriously run down doll house this month. I’ve always wanted one. And no, I do not have kids, this is for me. I want to refurbish it and make it into my mini dream home. Because, let’s face it, doing this for real in Vancouver is perhaps unlikely in the foreseeable future. So I suppose having creative outlets outside of Rachel Rainbow is what inspires me most. I LOVE to cook and feel that this is one of my greatest creative expressions.

At one point I had hoped Rachel Rainbow would be my full time job. However, in 2018 I started nannying part time and I loved this position so much and the balance it brought to my life. I went back to school full time in March this year so I am currently juggling school, my part time nanny gig and Rachel Rainbow!

I was born and raised in White Rock, BC, a suburb of Vancouver. I moved to Vancouver in 2012 after graduating from University. I always wanted to be in the city to be close to live music, amazing food and the many beaches (not that White Rock was lacking in beaches).

I have so many amazing and loyal customers. It truly is a privilege to have customers returning year over year to support my business. From small to large orders, I celebrate every single one. I especially love creating custom orders as there are less limitations in creating one of something vs twenty plus.

I design and assemble all Rachel Rainbow pieces in my one bedroom apartment in Vancouver, BC. I love sourcing new beads and charms and putting these together into whimsical combinations that I hope are unexpected and delightful to my customers.

The bookkeeping, taxes, admin side of things I dread. I want to make and send out orders and share photos and chat with customers in person at markets. The other less creative side of this business is where I struggle. I know I could/should hire someone, but I am one of those people who tends not to outsource if I can do it myself.

I guess that this is a small operation out of my home and now a super part time gig. It helps me pay for my groceries and for my tuition. I love when people email me and “my team” which is essentially myself, my cat, Dori, and my very supportive partner. I think what I’ve learned over the years is that running a small business brings the highest highs but also some very low lows. It brings me so much joy to create something that as a child I would have adored.

It is a bit of both. Because I work in essentially my living room and dining room my space is cleaned up and put away when I am done. But, when I am working on designing new pieces I spread out and take over the entire room and it is organized chaos.

My name is Clara, the creator of C Yarn Hut. I have huge passion for knitting and crocheting. Every free moment I have, I would pick up my needles and a ball of yarn to create something that I love. Like many others, my first knitting technique was taught by my mom and gradually I began to explore crocheting and learning about new patterns. I am fascinated by the unlimited possibilities that a single strand of yarn can create, is like the needle is my wand and before I knew it, I am under the magic spell of this art. C Yarn Hut started with a passion of creating something unique that filled with love and inspirations. We knitted and crocheted an array of projects. Our creations are delightful and simple. With a thread of yarn, we let our imaginations come to lives.

I believe a “simple mind” can make my stay creative. And of cause friends and other artists have inspired me, to stay creative, to come up something new and fun ideas.

This not my full time job. I am a dental assistant during daytime and crafter at night.

I born in Hong Kong and moved into Vancouver when I was in high school.

I always build a good relationship with my customer, most of them are being my friend, instead of ‘just a customer’. They trust me and appreciate my work. They tell me my work inspired them, but they inspired me at the same time.

My product is made with yarn/ thread, I love to create my product with other materials. (3D paint/ wood/ felt…etc)

My favorite part is Creation, from nothing to something with my own design.

The most challenging part of my business is time management. Because I have a day time job, so I need to manage time on C Yarn Hut. Need to find a balance on my job, C Yarn Hut, and also my personal life.

C Yarn Hut started with a passion of creating something unique with yarn. All of our products are of original design and are handcrafted in Vancouver BC. We knitted and crocheted an array of projects. We specialize in amigurumi and handknitted accessories. I wish my customer love and smile when they see my work, hope they will love it as much as I enjoyed making it.

My workshop is neat and tidy. And of cause it is a beautiful mess for the show prep :p

Hello! My name is Elena and I’m an artist. I mostly use watercolour to create my artwork, which I often transform into art-prints, stationery, magnets, even sweatshirts.

I find my inspiration in the beauty of nature and wildlife that inhabits my new home. For a wave of creativity I don’t need to go far, I often meet wildlife just outside my home in Maple Ridge. I always paint something very special after a trip to the mountains or lake. Luckily we have so many breathtaking places around here in beautiful British Columbia and I’m very grateful for that!

I quit my full time job a few years ago when I got to the level where I needed to make a decision – to continue growing my small business or stay where I am. I will never regret my choice! Now I can stay home with my kid and do what I love.

I was born and raised in Russia (south part of Siberia) where I studied art for 13 years, and came to Vancouver 8 years ago. I just got my citizenship, and I feel so honoured to officially be a part of such a great community! No other place ever felt like that, I’m finally home!

My favourite customer is someone who appreciates the beauty of nature and connects in some way to the portraits of the animals that I paint or the landscape views. I put my heart and soul into each piece of art that I create, and I hope that my favourite customer can glimpse it in those watercolour splashes and strokes.

Selling the art-prints of my paintings, the most important and my favourite part is creating the actual artwork of course. I start by sketching the ideas of one or the other animal, imagining them in their natural habitat and me being that animal, trying to understand their feelings or see the world through their eyes. It’s a fascinating process! It’s very challenging at times to find that balance of the animal shape versus the landscape view, but it’s also what keeps it very interesting. Then I pick my paints and start visualizing that idea on paper. Watercolour is so magical! You can never 100% predict how the artwork will look like at the end and I love it!

Right now the most challenging part is to find that precious time to create new artwork because I have no help with my son. He is almost 3, a very energetic and active boy and he wants 100% of my attention during the day. I’m sure many stay at home moms and dads who also run small businesses would understand me in this situation, and now even moms and dads who have their kids home due to COVID and have to work from home at the same time. I really feel for you guys! We are in this together!

I wish they knew how much time I spend on each piece before the brush in my hand touches the paper. I wish they knew how much every artwork means to me and how thankful I am to see them go to their new beautiful homes.

My space is a mix of a beautiful colourful mess of paints and paper and some very organized and neat shelves where I keep my final product and shipping supplies.

Sore Legged Potter was born out of my love for creating unique handmade pieces that invoke a special emotion through form and function, or design.

Why the ‘Sore legged potter’?

My husband and I usually spend our weekends in the backcountry, trekking on multi-day hiking expeditions. We push our bodies so hard that come Monday morning when we’re sitting at our office desks, our muscles hurt in places we didn’t even know existed! I usually do pottery in the mornings or evenings after work and because I was hobbling around like an old grandma he jokingly called me the ‘Sore Legged Potter’. The name stuck- and here we are today!

 

I read once that a creative’s ideas are like fishing in a pond. You have to stock the pond, in order to catch something. Much like art, stocking the pond with things that inspire you, like art, illustration etc. will bring you lot’s of references to draw upon as an artist helping you stay creative.

I’m a project manager by day, and a dabbler of clay by night.

Growing up in a rural lobster fishing community in Nova Scotia, I always had a craving for adventure and creating things with my hands. I was forced to find ways to entertain myself: with access to only 2 TV channels, dial-up internet, and 4 family members to share these devices with it was always a fierce competition for the TV remote control, and computer. Being the youngest in my family, I found myself at the end of the pecking order. This forced me to entertain myself in other creative ways, like building forts outside, painting rocks, and exploring nature like visiting the animals on my neighbours farm.

As an adult, this love for the outdoors continued to grow. My husband and I moved across the country to lay down roots in beautiful, British Columbia – where mountains are minutes away. A project manager by day, and a dabbler of clay by night, I took my first pottery class at a local studio on Vancouver’s seawall four years ago. I instantly fell in love as it brought me back to my childhood- creating with my hands. Soon enough, I ran out of space for all my pottery creations and friends and family grew tired of receiving pottery for every occasion. This is when I turned to Etsy. It’s a space to share my love of ceramics with the rest of the world! I hope you enjoy these one of a kind pieces handmade by me. Inspired by the outdoors. All pieces are designed to invoke a special emotion, whether that’s through paint, illustration or form.

 

Depending on the piece, I use a pottery wheel for clean shapes, and hand building techniques (without a pottery wheel) for more raw organic looking shapes. I use all kinds of decorative techniques such as hand painted glazes, underglaze transfer decals, watercolour underglaze paints, underglaze pencils for fine line detailed work. My favourite part about creating a piece is that each one is truly unique and the experience of creation is almost always different.

Handmade items require time to make from scratch. Keeping up with the ‘I want it

now’ mentality of online shopping can be a challenge.

I take custom orders! So if there is something you don’t see on my site, but would like me to make, message me and let’s chat! Visit my Instagram profile @soreleggedpotter.

Both! Depends on the time of day you visit.

We’re Kitty + Jeffrey, the co-creators of SCHMEAR Naturals. We are a natural skincare company, using real food and plant ingredients in our line of vegan and cruelty-free skin nourishing goodies.

We draw a lot of inspiration for our products from food and holistic nutrition. So staying on top any trending ingredients, experimenting in our kitchens (both for cooking and testing out new skin nourishing concoctions), and knowing when to step away and take a breather.

Kitty + Jeffrey has a combined 14 years experience working in the natural foods and wellness industry. Kitty started working on SCHMEAR full time near the beginning of this year, while Jeffrey continues innovating with food and plant ingredients (both for SCHMEAR and for his day job)

Both Kitty + Jeffrey grew up in Vancouver, and can’t get enough of the PNW!

There are a few customers who we know will be back for our Rosehip + Sea Buckthorn Face Oil every 3 months because it has become a staple in their skincare routine. Yet every time, they will still leave us a review on our Etsy Shop. It’s so nice to see their continued support; they really just want to see us grow and achieve our vision of

creating wholesome skincare made from real food & plant ingredients.

Hi! My name is Amanda and my business is ‘…and then again’. My signature pieces are hand-stamped, vintage, silver-plated spoon, forks and knives. I curate vintage silverware from all around the lower mainland and make the pieces modern again by hand-stamping various quotes, phrases and intentions in to the surface of the pieces. Sustainable gifts to be used daily that bring joy and nostalgia. My business sort of started by chance. Originally we had collected vintage spoons for our wedding 13 years ago. The spoons were twisted into napkin rings for each place setting. A few years later, I still had a bag of silverware left over and decided to see what I could make for gifts for Christmas for my friends. I read a blog post about hand-stamping and made some herb markers. The recipients loved their gifts and wanted to purchase some to gift to others, and the rest is history.

My intention is to live a full creative life and to find the creativity in most everything I do. Cooking, gardening, decorating, gifting, photography, styling…it all fills me up. My practices of yoga, meditation, movement and getting out in nature are integral to this as well. I am a curious person who wants to learn and try it all, and I find constant inspiration in so many areas. I recently signed up for some online art classes and am learning new techniques in collage and paint. Who knows how I will incorporate this in the future!?

I have so many amazing customers who keep coming back for more gifts, I really could never nail it down to one person! I love when customers share with me about the stories behind their reason for gifting a particular piece or why a phrase resonates with them. I am so grateful to help people connect with their loved ones in times of joy, struggle, gratitude and grief. In particular in 2020 I have been sending out so many pieces with messages of love or hope. Two pieces that I have stamped hundreds of are the ‘love you mom’ and the ‘a spoonful of strength’ spoons. My love language is gifting, so helping other with their gift-giving is the best part of my business.

absolutely love this little detail!

While I would like to think that my studio and my office spaces are tidy, most of the time they are a beautiful mess. A bit of organized chaos but I do know where to find everything. The one spot that is always organized is my shipping station. It is where I keep all of my shipping supplies and have orders laid out as I am working on them.

Hola! My name is Belen, and I’m the maker behind Belentina’s Workshop. I’ve been crafting stuff since I was pretty young. From dresses for my dolls when I was a kid to presents for family and friends. I make cute little things for cute little ones, adding a modern touch to all my creations.

This shop is my side-job. I have an almost-full-time job at UBC. I work there 4 days per week, which leaves me one full day to work on the shop-related stuff.

Coming all the way from Madrid, Spain! I moved to Vancouver 7 years ago, intending to improve my English. But I fell in love with this wonderful city and its people. My (now) hubby is probably one of the other reasons why I decided to stay here 🙂

My favourite part of making products is picking fabrics. Trying new combos, textures, patterns, etc. It’s just so much fun! I also love to see the final results when all pictures are uploaded on Etsy. It’s such a great feeling after all the hard work!

Probably trying to balance all the tasks that mean running an online business. I’m grateful to have help from my family and friends, but organizing all these tasks can be a little tricky sometimes.

Taking photos and getting outside help to keep me creative as well as surrounding myself with my supplies and seeing which way my materials take me.

The great thing about being a business owner and maker is that the business can change as your life changes. Luli Designs as gone through waves of being my full time business to being part time because of other small businesses and it has also taken a back seat when things have changed in my life such as when I had my two daughters. It has always been there for me to ramp back up when life has allowed it to again.

I was born in England and we moved to Vancouver when I was a small child. I have also lived back in England again and also lived in Toronto and Montreal.

My favourite customer is someone who appreciates the creative process of making a handmade piece and likes to chat about design, colour and life!

I have used various different jewelry techniques in my work over the 15 years of having my business. At the moment I am really focused on beadwork pieces as this technique ties in with my love of sewing and my education background of going to Fashion School at Ryerson in Toronto. Beadweaving is a process of using beading thread and a needle to weave together beads. There are so many colours of beads to chose from and the possibilities of shape, pattern and colour

combinations just seem endless which I love.

The balance between family and business is very challenging for me. I have considered giving up my business a few times because I have felt like my two daughters need me more. When this comes up I am always reminded that my business is part of me and I would be losing such a huge piece of myself if I were to give it up. The stress of balancing the two is always outweighed by the benefits that creativity and sense of self that my business gives to me and also makes me a better mother and role model to my girls.

My business is a part of me and has been such a big part of my adult life and jewelry making has been part of my life since I was a child.

My workspace is a beautiful mess…ok, not always so beautiful! I try to keep it tidy but it always gets piled up with my current projects, unfinished projects, my daughter’s artwork and craft projects, household paperwork and props from photo shoots. I have just learned to work within the mess in the knowledge that one day I will finally tidy it up but for now this is how I work.