Creative crafters

WORKLIFE | WONDERFUL WARES Crafty & creative

A LOOK AT AIRDRIE’S AT-HOME ENTREPRENEURS

BY STACIE GAETZ

The creativity of local people never ceases to amaze us at airdrielife.

Many of our storefront businesses manufacture and sell incredible products and services, but there are even more hidden entrepreneurs that are busy crafting unique products out of their homes and selling them online.

With no end in sight for the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a better time to own a business with little to no in-person contact between the producer and the consumer.

We spoke with three local women who are working on wonderful wares and a couple are even taking the time to teach their talents to others.

Bee & Me

When her son struggled with bad eczema, Daria Geddes knew there had to be a better way to treat it than by using over-the-counter products that contained harsh ingredients.

Geddes started creating her natural Bee & Me skincare products four years ago and began selling them in Airdrie in the fall of 2019.

“I knew there had to be a more natural solution, and this is when Bee & Me was born,” she says, adding that her company sells beeswax salve, lotion bars and diaper cream.

“We wanted to introduce non-toxic handmade skincare that works.”

She adds that she is proud to make all of her products from scratch. Her skincare items are made with 100 per cent organic and natural ingredients, including non-nano zinc oxide.

“Everything we make has been tested on our family (including our young kids) and we use all of our products daily,” says Geddes.

“When buying our products rest assured they’re safe and effective for anyone. From newborns to those with ultra-sensitive skin.”

Bee & Me is also a zero-waste company with 100 per cent recyclable and compostable packaging.

“The most satisfying part of my work is to hear customers’ testimonials. Hearing them say they spent hundreds of dollars on other products that don’t work and they are beyond thankful for finding Bee & Me, that’s what it’s all about” says Geddes.

Hope Charged

Haley Janzen doesn’t just paint acrylic canvases and make clay jewelry; she “creates fearlessly.”

“When someone’s day or mood is brightened because of the work I do as a local artisan, that lights me up,” says the owner of Hope Charged.

“I’m passionate about spreading hope, joy and peace through creativity. I not only make artisan goods; I also teach others how to create fearlessly as well. When someone finds the same thrill I do when I create, I am beyond happy.”

Like many people, Janzen lost her job due to the pandemic and decided to turn a negative into a positive by diving in and making the switch to what she feels is her calling.

“I have been in the digital marketing/technology industry for the last five years and my heart wasn’t in the analytics anymore... I just wanted to create,” she says.

Janzen’s clay earring classes include an online adult class, an in-studio adult make-and-take class, the ability to book her for birthdays and other events, and clay summer camps for children and teens.

“People ask me why I am teaching my ‘competition,’ but I don’t see it that way at all,” she says.

“I’m not afraid of comparison or building competitors. There are thousands of art teachers in the world, so why shouldn’t I offer classes? I love to teach people how to create.”

Handcraft’d Luv

Alexandra Fatokun has been crocheting for five years and says she can make anything you can think of.

“Being able to see yarn turn into something useful is exciting,” says the owner of Handcraft’d Luv Crochet Et Al.

She is not exaggerating as her website shows that she makes dresses, baby booties, hats, sweaters, gloves, scarves, shawls, pillows, blankets and much more.

“It is truly amazing that you can turn a ball of yarn into something so beautiful that people use and cherish for years to come,” Fatokun says.

She also offers six-week online classes both to local people in the Airdrie area and to her students in her home country of Nigeria.

“I show people the ABCs of what to do and it is up to them what they want to do with it,” she says, adding that the class is student-led in that they decide what they want to make and she shows them how.

“I teach any skill level from beginner all the way up to expert and many of them continue to blow me away when I see their work. It is an honour to help them discover the passion that they have within them.”

She adds that crocheting is not easy, and many people don’t realize that you have to pay more for a quality product that is made correctly.

“I always tell my students not to be so quick to give up on themselves,” she says.

“I started doing this because I lost my job and it was hard at first, but who knew when I walked into Wal-Mart to buy my first ball of yarn and crochet hook that I was walking into destiny.” life

Find links to all of these local businesses online at airdrielife.com/worklife

playStay at Home

This fall when the weather brings you indoors, make plans for play for the whole family. The Store Upstairs has toys for kids, and games and puzzles for all ages.

THE STORE UPSTAIRS 209 CENTRE AVE SW AIRDRIE THESTOREUPSTAIRS.COM @THESTOREUPSTAIRS