When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When it hands you a lockdown, launch a brand new business! That’s the awesome attitude taken by several of our Barrydowne Paint team members who maximized the pandemic downtime to start up their own creative endeavours.
“As entrepreneurs ourselves, I can’t tell you how amazing it feels to see members of the Barrydowne Paint team branching out and starting their own businesses beyond the incredible work they do for our customers on a daily basis,” says company owner Kelly Scott. “We couldn’t be more proud of their entrepreneurial drive and the imaginative products they are bringing to market.”
In our eyes, you really can’t call it a “side gig” when you’ve invested your whole heart into what you do. So please join us in supporting our team members’ whole-hearted ventures and discover how each of these inspiring entrepreneurs are making our community better and more beautiful.
In these days of instant or virtual messaging, it’s time to get back to more simplistic but meaningful way of communicating with each other. Teena Baas of Baas Collections gives customers the ability to express themselves perfectly through natural, pretty, and wholesome touches in cards, stationery, gifting tools, sweet details and custom invitations.
“I adore making people feel happy about their homes and creative choices,” says Teena, who applies her background in interior decorating to creating pretty things, upcycling everyday materials and gifting homemade items for the enjoyment of others.
“Opening up a small business in a creative market has always been a bucket list item I wanted to explore. The opportunity and excitement to share my knowledge and ideas with the community is something that gives me a sense of accomplishment and makes my heart happy.”
Find her on Instagram: @baascollections
Learn more about Teena’s business Baas Collections here.
Spending more time at home has put a renewed focus on furnishing living spaces in style and comfort, and now feathering your nest is easier than ever with Lennox & Lamb’s hygge-perfect, handcrafted home décor.
Among their most popular items are cozy, oversized chunky knit blankets, but the artisans also offer an impressive array of acrylic paint and resin art, seasonal yarn décor (cute pumpkins and adorable snowmen), holiday accents, ornaments and customizable gift items.
“We started our making blankets and keychains, but our passion for creating and trying new things is never ending,” say Brooke and Vanessa, the hands-on business partners who make everything they sell. “A great deal of time and effort goes into lovingly creating each item we make, and our items are priced appropriately to reflect the care and attention to detail that goes into them.”
Find them on Instagram: @lennoxandlamb
Learn more about Brooke and Vanessa’s business Lennox & Lamb here.
The thoughtfulness behind giving a personalized, one-of-a-kind gift is something that is appreciated in the moment, but is cherished for a lifetime. Kat’s Embroidery specializes in a wide range of apparel featuring uniquely customized hand embroidered, machine embroidered or heat-transfer vinyl messaging. “I’m always open to new ideas and making your dream sweater a reality whether it’s funny, sentimental, holiday themed – anything!” says owned Katrina Proulx.
In addition to garments including t-shirts, hoodies, crewnecks, zip-ups and jogging pants for adults, toddlers and babies, Katrina has recently introduced personalized Christmas stockings, toques, towels, baby bibs, canvas bags, socks and embroidery hoop keychains.
“My business has come a long way since I started, and I’ve since learned so much more and upgraded my machine to provide bigger and better designs to my customers.”
Find her on Instagram: @kats_embroidery
Learn more about Katrina’s business Kat’s Embroidery here.
