In this week’s Meet the Maker Makers Move Manitoba is pleased to introduce Deb and Clyde Raven of Raven's Custom Keepsakes.
Deb and Clyde's customers provide them with photos of themselves or a loved one they want replicated. The process begins with a generic sports figure which receives a base coat of paint followed by custom made decals, airbrush painting and hand painting until the figure becomes a mini replica of the athlete standing roughly 7 inches tall. Once the hand painted figure is complete, it is mounted in an acrylic display case that is locally manufactured. The acrylic case’s background and base can also be personalized to include things like field turf. In addition to the hand painted figure, those who select a larger case can further personalize by adding items such as a puck or a mini football helmet.
If you haven't seen one of Raven's Custom Keepsakes, you need to check them out as they make the perfect personalized gift for any current, former or wannabe athlete. According to Clyde and Deb, they have made specialized displays for athletes of all ages, in fact they recently made one for an 80 year old.
The cost for a display varies depending on what sport, but ranges between $239.00 and $319.00. The turnaround time for one of these amazing personalized creations is 3 to 5 weeks on average.
Why did you decide to start doing what you do?
As an athlete, sports have always been a big part of my life. My favorite sport is Football and I played competitively for many years. I also have an artistic flair and took 3 years of fine arts training in school. About 10 years ago I wanted to create a special keepsake to remind me of my Football days so I decided to make a replica figure of myself. It turned out great so I started to do them for friends and family. They were a big hit. I ended up doing one for a former Professional Athlete and he liked his display so much he told me that I needed to turn my skill into a small business. That’s how Raven’s Customer Keepsakes was born.
Tell our readers something interesting about yourself?
I (Clyde) have been a Police Officer for 34 years. 30 years with the Winnipeg Police Service and the last 4 years with the Victoria Beach Police. As a Bicycle Patrol Officer I get to patrol the entire community on two wheels. In my opinion it is the very best way to talk to people and hear about any concerns they may have. We are very approachable on Bicycle Patrol.
What is your favorite product to make?
“Football is my all time favorite sport, so I really love working on replica Football figures. They can be very challenging to recreate with all the equipment but I love doing them. When you add actual football turf to the base and create a custom Mini Helmet to go with the figure they turn out to be great looking displays”.
What part of Manitoba did you grow up in?
I am a born and raised Winnipeger. I grew up in St. James going to Assiniboine School and then St. James Collegiate. St. James was a great place to grow up. We had many Community Clubs and green spaces close by. We were also very close to Assiniboine Park.
What is one of your favorite things about Manitoba?
I love the fact that we are so central and close to many great destinations. We are just a short drive away from great parks, beaches, sites and attractions. We are so close to anywhere you would want to go.
For more information on Raven's Custom Keepsakes go to
RavensCustomKeepsake.com
Email: info@ravenscustomkeepsakes.com
Email: info@ravenscustomkeepsakes.com
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What is Makers Move?
Mandy Johnson and I founded Makers Move Manitoba in the Fall of 2015 as a means to support and promote the many amazing artisans, hand-makers, crafters and farmers located right here in our beautiful Province. Right from the start our goal was simple; to create a community of makers and help connect them to customers and admirers who believe in the value of shopping local and supporting small business.
One of the greatest things about Makers Move Manitoba has been the opportunities that we have had to meet and talk to the many talented members of our community. Through these dialogues you have shared your triumphs, your fears and your greatest challenges with us allowing us to understand how we can leverage the strength of the entire community to help break down barriers for all of us.
What we have learned is that regardless of how successful any one of our members has become, we all suffer from the Crafters/Makers Dilemma which has made it difficult to take our passion for creating from being a hobby to becoming a business which one day could actually become our main source of income.
More importantly, we have learned that by harnessing the strength of our community, Makers Move Manitoba can become the catalyst that breaks down the barriers that prevent many of us from achieving our true business goals.
As we continue our quest to procure the best possible resources to overcome the various obstacles we makers face, we also wanted to make the following commitments to all the amazing members of the Makers Move Community:
To our MAKERS
We promise to always strive to provide a variety of the very best resources available to aid your business to reach its full potential.We offer a variety opportunities for makers/growers to grow their businesses.
Mandy Johnson and I founded Makers Move Manitoba in the Fall of 2015 as a means to support and promote the many amazing artisans, hand-makers, crafters and farmers located right here in our beautiful Province. Right from the start our goal was simple; to create a community of makers and help connect them to customers and admirers who believe in the value of shopping local and supporting small business.
One of the greatest things about Makers Move Manitoba has been the opportunities that we have had to meet and talk to the many talented members of our community. Through these dialogues you have shared your triumphs, your fears and your greatest challenges with us allowing us to understand how we can leverage the strength of the entire community to help break down barriers for all of us.
What we have learned is that regardless of how successful any one of our members has become, we all suffer from the Crafters/Makers Dilemma which has made it difficult to take our passion for creating from being a hobby to becoming a business which one day could actually become our main source of income.
More importantly, we have learned that by harnessing the strength of our community, Makers Move Manitoba can become the catalyst that breaks down the barriers that prevent many of us from achieving our true business goals.
As we continue our quest to procure the best possible resources to overcome the various obstacles we makers face, we also wanted to make the following commitments to all the amazing members of the Makers Move Community:
To our MAKERS
We promise to always strive to provide a variety of the very best resources available to aid your business to reach its full potential.We offer a variety opportunities for makers/growers to grow their businesses.
Our RESOURCE page is a great place to start.
A great way to boost views to your site or page is by signing up to have your work FEATURED by us (click on link).
Also be sure to follow us on
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| As Mandy and I continue along on our mission to grow the Makers Move Manitoba community and continue to create a series of resources that help all of you grow your businesses, you can help us by continuing to share your successes, failures, struggles and fears with us. Your stories can be used not only to inspire other members of the community, but also to provide us with the information necessary to help us build/acquire the resources that will provide the greatest impact to our entire community. |
To our CONSUMERS
We promise to always strive to connect you to Manitoba's very best artisans, hand-makers, crafters and farmers in an effort to help provide you an opportunity to "support local" and keep your hard earned money at work in our communities. With out you our makers wouldn't have a business. We thank you for your support.
Did you know that if each of us spent $100 a year on local businesses instead of chain stores, it would put an extra $3 Million back into our economy and create thousands more jobs every year.
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
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