Small Business Spotlight

Skye and Skulls

This month we are highlighting a wonderful LGBTQIA+ owned business that specialises in stunning resin and mould pieces, Skye and Skulls.

What inspired you to start Skye and Skulls?

I was scrolling through Etsy during the first round of lockdowns last April (2020) and I came across a coffin shelf. I noticed that it was made of resin, which then led me down this long rabbit hole of all the different things you could do with resin. I was very intrigued by all the different moulds I saw, and since I’ve always been an artsy person, I decided to give it a go.

Do you have a favourite piece that you have created? Or a favourite to make?

It’s hard to pick a favourite piece because that keeps changing, but I love making any of my coffin shaped ones (coffin shelf, incense burner, large tray, etc.)! My favourite thing to add in are moths from Moth & Myth, along with the vintage fairies designs I have in my collection.

This issue focuses on Pride and this is something we know you’re passionate about. Can you tell us more about your Pride themed creations?

Since last year, I was just starting out my business. I wasn’t able to really launch a Pride update. This year I decided to make up for it though! My style is often dark and spooky, so it has been a lot of fun playing around and experimenting with rainbow colours! However, I did try to keep up the spooky theme, but Pride edition. I wanted to offer a variety of pieces to be able to hopefully fit into everybody’s budget, no matter how small. There will be incense burners, celestial goddess trays, and an array of spooky jewellery - all of which are bursting with rainbows!

We saw that your business recently turned one year old, congratulations! What kind of things do you have planned for the future?

Thank you! My current plan that I’m working on is expanding the mould side of my business. The tarot board mould I recently came out with was a huge hit and I would love to offer more styles of them. Also, there aren’t that many mould makers in Canada, so I would like to be able to provide Canadians with a variety of spooky moulds.

What advice would you give to other artists and creators starting out with small businesses?

Definitely do your research for whatever type of medium you want to work with! Make sure you have a full understanding of all the risks that may be involved. Also, follow and engage with other artists and creators on Instagram and Tiktok. You’ll be able to build relationships this way and you’ll be surprised at how much you can learn through them. Lastly, not everyone is going to want to share trade secrets with you, and that’s okay! For every one person who doesn’t, there will always be someone who does.

How do you celebrate Pride?

Even before the pandemic, I wasn’t much for going out to big events for Pride. I love to hang out with my partner and shower my queer friends with queer themed gifts. I am very grateful to have a lot of supportive people in my corner these days and I’m very proud to be a part of the rainbow.

Is there anything you want to continue the voice on?

I want to thank you so much for this opportunity! I am truly honoured to be chosen as your small business of the month for your Pride issue.

Where can our readers find you and your creations?

To shop, you can find me on Etsy. To see what I’m up to between shop updates, you can find me on IG, TikTok, and FB.

Interview by Hannah Matheson