Meet the Maker"s"- MCC Quilters

Some Members of the MCC Quilters: Anne DeFehr,Anna Neufeld,Teri Dreger, Gerda Klassen, Helen Krahn, Elfrida Penner, Judy Prokopchuk,Tina Quiring

Today's Meet The Makers are the lovely ladies from the MCC Store Quilters located 445 Chalmers Avenue in Winnipeg. This group of volunteers make quilts using donated materials that are then generously donated to refugees. Some of the quilts are sold locally but most are shipped overseas to people in need of a warm safe blanket.  

Each quilt is given to it's new owner in a 5 gallon pail (to use for water after), some toiletries and sometimes even a sewing kit. 

These handmade blankets give hope,comfort and warmth and a tangible message to people in Syria that their needs are not forgotten. 

Some of these un-sung hero quilters include Anne DeFehr, Anna Neufeld, Teri Dreger, Gerda Klassen, Helen Krahn, Elfrida Penner, Judy Prokopchuk, and Tina Quiring but there are many more quilters and volunteers at this location whom were not present at the time of the interview. 

MCC Stores nation-wide have provided 45,443 blankets just last year alone to places such as Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Haiti, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Ukraine, Serbia, Iraq, Canada, the U.S. and more​ . 

The Chalmers MCC Store in Winnipeg alone have handmade 1261 blankets this year and of those sold 129 in store. Proceeds of all quilts sold go back into the organization which will help so many people. 

If you would like to get involved or have material to donate contact 204-668-0967. Be sure to visit the North Kildonan MCC stores facebook page or visit the MCC Canada Website.  

Take a minute to watch this video about Quilts for Refugees

                                        

What is Makers Move Manitoba?

Makers Move Manitoba was created by 2 proud Manitobans, Mandy Johnston and Brandy Sylvestre. 

We wanted to create a platform to showcase the MANY incredibly talented makers and shakers, located right here in our amazing Province while fostering a community of like-minded people who know the value and importance in shopping local and supporting small business.

We are passionate about connecting local artisans, hand-makers, crafters, and farmers with each other as well as a new stream of local customers and admirers.

In order to ensure that we do our best to spread the word of this fabulous community, we have developed a presence on both Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; Please be sure to check them out and like and share them to help us continue to grow the community.

Fellow Creative Souls and Founders of Makers Move Manitoba

 

Want to be featured by Makers Move Manitoba?

We love nothing more then spreading the word about awesome local businesses!  If you are a SELLER of some sort, whether it be a maker, a baker, a crafter, a painter, a farmer, an upcycler, a vintage curator, an antique dealer, etc etc etc.....we would love to hear about what you do, and we will tell you what we can do for you!

E-mail us at makersmovemanitoba@gmail.com and include the word BLOG in your subject line!

Photography by Kelly Allison Photography, photo's taken at Blacknot farm,logo by  Pareair Custom Designs, word blocks by Jbirds & Sonshine, frame and chalkboard by Chalk It To Me, Brandy's boots by Northern Heart Designs, Mandy's scarf by Ashley Erika Designs, Mandy's earrings by Universal Abundance, Brandy's scarf by XOXO Knits, Brandy's earrings by Souvenir Handmade 

Watch and SHARE our promo video!

Saturday Showcase - Brown Sugar scrub from Collage Body Care

This Week, Makers Move Manitoba is Showcasing a beautiful product from Collage Body Care, an all- natural Brown Sugar facial scrub that can also be used over the entire body.

The best part of this  Brown Sugar Scrub is made up entirely of edible ingredients! It's delicious and actually tastes like cookie dough.

A few years ago when Mandy, from Makers Move Manitoba was trying to switch to natural products in her household for both cleaning and body products, someone told  her that a good rule of thumb was to "only put food on your face" and since then she has been heading this advice which is why she just loves the ingredients found in this facial scrub; you don't get much more natural then brown sugar and coconut oil!

I absolutely loved testing out this product - it smells absolutely delicious and after using it my entire bathroom smells like brown sugar!

The maker behind Collage Body Care told us that the Brown Sugar used in this scrub is softer than white sugar therefore is gentler on the delicate skin of the face.

The Brown Sugar Scrub exfoliates while hydrating with coconut oil, leaving the skin soft and nourished.

This product retails for $15 for a 6 oz container or $25 for a 10 oz container.

Collage Body Care was founded by Candace Alarie of Niverville, Manitoba. Candace wanted to rid her life of harmful chemicals and when she looked at her daily skin care products she started to notice the many chemicals in her soaps and moisturizers thus inspiring her to create Collage Body Care. All Collage products are made from scratch in Candace's home.

Candace's product line is always growing and developing. Her current line includes the Brown Sugar Scrub, Shea Butter Lip Balm, Shea and Lavender Lotion Bars, a variety of Goats Milk and Olive Oil soaps which are combined with activated charcoal and red kaolin clay which absorbs toxins in the skin.

Check out Collage Body Care on Facebook and Instagram

Collage Body Care can be found at most Niverville Farmers Markets which are held every Sunday from now until Christmas located at the Niverville Heritage Centre. Her Booth can also be found:
Niverville Fall/Winter Craft Sale October 25 (Niverville Heritage Centre
Niverville Winterfest & Market Saturday Nov. 21st (Niverville Collegiate)
North Kildonan  Community Club November 28th

We are also hosting a giveaway on our Makers Move Manitoba Facebook page for a jar of this awesome brown sugar scrub, so if you would like a chance at winning - head on over there and enter to win!

What is Makers Move Manitoba?

Makers Move Manitoba was created by 2 proud Manitobans, Mandy Johnston and Brandy Sylvestre. 

We wanted to create a platform to showcase the MANY incredibly talented makers and shakers, located right here in our amazing Province while fostering a community of like-minded people who know the value and importance in shopping local and supporting small business.

We are passionate about connecting local artisans, hand-makers, crafters, and farmers with each other as well as a new stream of local customers and admirers.

In order to ensure that we do our best to spread the word of this fabulous community, we have developed a presence on both Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter; Please be sure to check them out and like and share them to help us continue to grow the community.

Fellow Creative Souls and Founders of Makers Move Manitoba

 


Want to be featured by Makers Move Manitoba?

We love nothing more then spreading the word about awesome local businesses!  If you are a SELLER of some sort, whether it be a maker, a baker, a crafter, a painter, a farmer, an upcycler, a vintage curator, an antique dealer, etc etc etc.....we would love to hear about what you do, and we will tell you what we can do for you!

E-mail us at makersmovemanitoba@gmail.com and include the word BLOG in your subject line!

Photography by Kelly Allison Photography, photo's taken at Blacknot farm,logo by  Pareair Custom Designs, word blocks by Jbirds & Sonshine, frame and chalkboard by Chalk It To Me, Brandy's boots by Northern Heart Designs, Mandy's scarf by Ashley Erika Designs, Mandy's earrings by Universal Abundance, Brandy's scarf by XOXO Knits, Brandy's earrings by Souvenir Handmade 

Watch and SHARE our promo video!

Video by Jeremy Morantz

Meet The Maker Monday - Sew Dandee

"Sew Dandee is a plethora of creations from the twisted mind of Andee Penner, handmade with love and a good dose of snark".

Sew Dandee on Etsy 

Sew Dandee was 1 of the 20 local businesses who lent us products to use in our BLOG LAUNCH photo-shoot in October. See more photo's from this shoot on our social media accounts.

Photography by Kelly Allison Photography, MMM logo by Pareair Custom Designs, Card by Sew Dandee, dream catcher by Norther Hearts Designs, Manitoba shirt by Whistlepea, Louis Riel shirt by Sew Dandee, and bison shirt by Little Orchard Co.

Meet Andee Penner of Sew Dandee

I'm Sew Dandee and making is my thing. For the past twenty some years I've been delving, dabbling and peddling my handmade items ranging from reworked clothing to crocheted legwarmers, pinback buttons to recycled sweater mitts and as of late, silk screened kids wear and kitchen wear as well as my ever expanding line of snarky cards for all occasions. 

I'm a one woman show who had a shop in Osborne Village for eight years and as of last year left that crazy rent behind to work out of my home here in Winnipeg. You'll find me and my wares at a handful of local markets, in a handful of local shops and a few outside of our fine city as well as online in my Etsy shop. 

What part of Manitoba did you grow up in?

I was born and raised in the Wheat City! Brandon, Manitoba. I moved here to Winnipeg when I was 19, back to Brandon for a couple years in my early 20s and then back to Winnipeg when I was 24 so I've been here almost twenty years now.

Why did you decide to start doing what you do?

I've been a maker for as long as I can remember. My Mom is a self taught seamstress and made her own business from home at the tender age of 17 as a young wife, mother and all around amazing woman. There's no doubt that she was and still is the biggest inspiration for me as I always felt a pull towards having a creative based career in one way or another. It's always been in me in a very natural way so you could say making is in my blood. 

What is your favorite product to make?

Since I've scaled back the MANY mediums I've dabbled in to mostly now just silk screening, sewing cards and doing some random sewing projects and alterations here and there, I find I'm able to really enjoy each item I work on. But I'd have to say that my cards still make me giggle and really are a kind of therapy for me in a strange way. Coming up with a new phrase that I think is too ridiculous or 'out there' and then finding a customer who sees it and says, 'This card is PERFECT for..' warms my snarky heart to the core. That's when I really love what I do. Nothing beats making someone laugh.

Check out Sew Dandee on Facebook and Instagram. You can also view more products from Sew Dandee on Etsy.

Win this pair of Sew Dandee cards!  

Check out @makersmovemanitoba on facebook to enter to win!

Saturday Showcase - menu chalkboard from It's Personal

This week's SHOWCASE SATURDAY features a personalized chalkboard menu!

This ingeniousness creation allows families to communicate more effectively without ever saying a word. A standard board is approximately 19 x 25 and retails for $40. 

This product is one of It's Personal's most popular products, which helps keep the entire family organized and saves parents from the endless barrage of "What's for dinner", that all parents face on a daily basis!

Makers Move Manitoba's, Mandy Johnston had this menu board custom made for her dining room and has been using it for the past 2 weeks. "I love it because it forces me to plan my meals which pushes me to plan a corresponding grocery list every week because if I don't my kids will be on my back about nothing being on the menu!".  

It not only has helped her to be more organized in terms of mean planning, she said that it is a great focal point of the dining room and it's always a conversation starter when people come into the house!  The whole Johnston family love their new chalkboard menu planner by It's Personal!

In addition to the menu board displayed here, Tasha, the woman behind It's Personal, also creates other custom items that "help you become more organized and have more time for the most important things in life - family", such as personalized and custom vinyl decals, decor and signs.


Tasha had always loved crafting, as well as giving a gift that means the world to somebody. She says that "by being able to create and customize an item, it sometimes means that much more to the person receiving it." 

Please be sure to visit It's Personal on Facebook and also like and share to pass on the word about these amazing Manitoba Makers!

Meet the Maker Monday- Ashley Erika Designs

 

Buy this now on Etsy

Today Makers Move Manitoba is proud to present fellow Manitoban Ashley Erika, from Ashley Erika Designs. Ashley picked up a set of knitting needles for the first time when she was about 5 years old and thought the blanket her grandma was making was just the coolest thing. "It was a very passionate hobby for 5-year-old me" says Ashley. It wasn't until she finished her first scarf and moved on to other projects that she realized her love of crocheting. 

Buy this now

As Ashley got older she decided to pick up a crochet hook again, and never looked back. She tried knitting again and fell in love, and as the items began to pile up, she decided it was time to share her creations with the world!

Her favourite things to make are infinity scarves. "They're simple but so lovable and cozy, and I think it's one of the things in my shop that is great for just about anyone", says Ashley.  Infinity scarves were the first things she started selling, and is certain its something that will never go out of style. With many different styles, the infinity scarf is so versatile.

Ashley grew up in Winnipeg, but two years ago moved to Lockport. With a love of the outdoors, Ashley enjoys the country life in Lockport.  "I love Manitoba for the sheer beauty of nature that we have here. It's so full of life, especially when you step outside the city. I'm a huge fan of camping, and Manitoba is the ultimate place to do that. You get to step outside of your busy world and see the world, even if you're only a few steps away from home."

Buy these on Etsy now

Besides running her bustling business, Ashley has a love of Europe, particularly London, England which holds a special place in her heart, right next to her crochet and knitting needles. Ashley fell in love with Europe soon after becoming a huge Beetles fan at the age of 15.

Check Out  Etsy Store to see her collection of different products or Message her on Facebook.

Ashley Erika Crafts Scarves used in our
Maker Move Manitoba Promo Shoot

Showcase Saturday - decorative chalkboard from Chalk it to Me

   

Todays SATURDAY SHOWCASE ITEM is a beautiful upcycled frame that the artist has turned into a chalkboard.  Just shy of 5 ft tall, this beautiful piece functional art is a true conversation piece. This beauty came from a Charity Art Sale (Art from the Attick).This item painted with straight white and antiqued with gold to give it a beautiful aged finish that is oh so trendy right now.

Chalk It To You is unique in that they always use salvaged frames! Vintage frames are so classy and intricate.  Chalkboards are a neat way to organize your household, celebrate an event or use as a photo prop.

Currently Chalk It To Me sells through their Facebook page and by special order. Visit Chalk It To Me on Facebook for upcoming shows/retail locations.

        Check out Chalk It To Me on Facebook
        Email Kristen with your Custom order ideas at Kristenlaxdal@gmail.com

Chalk It To Me

Chalk It To Me