Makers Move

Saturday, February 6, 2016

What is Makers Move

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 (I will write a more detailed post about this at a later date), 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
Instagram @makersmovemanitoba
Twitter @MakersMoveMb
Facebook Makers Move- Manitoba
Linkedin Makers Move Canada
Pinterest Makers Move Manitoba

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 wouldnt 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.

Friday, January 22, 2016

5 Reasons Why You Need AWESOME Product Photos For Your Handmade Business

Reason #1:

Customers judge the quality of your products by the quality of your product photos. If the lighting is dim, the background is distracting, or the photos are blurry, the buyer will probably think twice before making a purchase.

Reason #2:

Customers make split-second decisions about buying your products, based on your product photos. You have just a few seconds to impress buyers before they click away from your site.

Reason #3:

Customers cannot see or touch your products in person, so your product photos must “tell the story” from afar. Be sure to display photos that are large enough for the customer to zoom in and see small details, too.

Reason #4:

Thousands of product photos vie for attention on online shopping venues such as Etsy. Your photos must stand out from the crowd!

Reason #5:

Customers who can visualize themselves using your product are more likely to buy it. How will your product make them feel? How will it improve their life? Your product photos need to tell them!

Makers Move - Manitoba can help you with your PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY!

At Makers Move - Manitoba, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to meet and share the stories of our province's talented makers, growers and artisans. These talented members of our community share with us not only how they got started and the many successes they have had along the way, but also the major challenges they face in their businesses.

In a recent survey we created that was completed by over 100 Manitoba Makers, we learned that one of the greatest challenges that most sellers face in growing their handmade businesses is finding the time to do all of the behind the scenes work that it takes in order to market themselves and their business when all they really want to do is CREATE!

Makers Move - Manitoba has decided to start offering PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY to help out our sellers with one aspect that is SO VITAL to selling online, that takes up a lot of time!

Product photography sessions will be offered the 1st Sunday of every month and to make it simple and easy to find the dates and to register, we have added our product photography calendar to the home page of our website. If you click on it, you will be able to read about the details and purchase tickets which will ensure your products have a spot.

Participants who have purchased tickets and would like to have their products photographed must print off our photography contract and have it signed and dropped off at the same time that their products are dropped off or we will not take the photos.

Products need to be dropped off to 11 Shauna way on or before the Saturday before the photoshoot. Items will not be accepted the day of the photoshoot.

If you have a specific prop that you would like in your photos, please drop it off at the time that you drop off your photoshoot.

Products may be picked up the Monday after the photoshoot, or at some point during the week following.

We also offer headshots and lifestyle photo's of makers engaged in their work to be used in the makers marketing, website, blogs, etc starting at $20 each. If this is something you are interested in, please send us an e-mail at makersmovemanitoba@gmail.com to book.

We can come to you or you can come to us!

Monday, January 18, 2016

Meet this Manitoba Maker- Whistle Pea

MMM: What is Whistlepea the business and what do you MAKE?
Whistlepea: My name is Amy and my shop is Whistlepea. I primarily make items for children and babies including dresses, scarves and skirts, dolls and doll clothes, Happy Manitoba tees and knit baby hats. Kids are so fun to sew and knit for and there are so many great fabrics and trims out there! I also make infinity scarves and headbands for women and occasionally I make vintage tea cup candles. I like to keep things varied because I want this to be an enjoyable endeavour for me, not a one-lady sweat shop and I like there being something new to check out every time you visit my Etsy shop or see me at a craft show.

MMM: Why did you decide to start doing what you do?
Whistlepea: I graduated from teacher's college in 2004 and I always struggled with finding steady teaching jobs. I'd learned basic knitting and sewing as a kid and I picked it back up again to fill the time between terrible substitute teaching jobs. I moved to Japan in 2005 to teach English and the craft scene there is just amazing. You can find incredible yarn and fabric and patterns all over the place. I didn't have a sewing machine there but my knitting obsession really took hold. When I returned to Canada, I had a lot of trouble finding permanent work again and I opened my first Etsy shop mostly for something to do. I relaunched it again last year as an outlet for all my crafty output and for a focus outside of parenting my two small children.

MMM: Thank You Amy for your very honest response. I think fellow crafters and parents can relate to the happiness and fulfillment that one gets out of perfecting and sharing their craft.

MMM: What is your favorite product to make?
Whistlepea: Hmmm... it really varies. Right now I'm really proud of the embellished skirts I fell down a rabbit hole of making recently. They're so cute and really reflective of my style with their Scandinavian inspired ribbons, tiny pockets and vintagey ricrac.

MMM: Where part of Manitoba did you grow up in?
Whistlepea: I was actually born in Cape Breton and grew up mostly in Eastern Ontario. I moved to Manitoba in 2008 and I've lived in Killarney for three years. I will be moving to Winnipeg when we sell our house here. I'm really looking forward to exploring the big city more!

MMM: What is one of your favorite things about Manitoba?
Whistlepea: Maybe it sounds boring and practical but I really appreciate that the cost of living here is still manageable, especially compared to Ottawa where I lived previously. It gives me the freedom to stay at home with my two kids and work when I can. My life is fairly slowly moving here and I like that.

Some places you can find Whistlepea products:
Whisltepea Etsy Shop
Whistlepea is on facebook
Also Whistlepea goods are available at Little Green Stone's pop up shop on Broadway in Killarney, Manitoba.

There are so many great products from Whisltepea to check out

Whistlepea's Soy candles in vintage tea cups! Brown Sugar and Fig Scent are a hit!

Brought to you by Makers Move Manitoba?

Makers Move is a hub for all things handmade and home grown locally here in Manitoba!

Makers Move Manitoba was created by proud Manitoba girls Mandy Johnston and Brandy Sylvestre. We wanted to create a platform to showcase the MANY incredibly talented makers movers and shakers located right here in our amazing province!

Makers Move is a community for our Makers and those who value the importance of shopping local and supporting small business; we work towards fostering connections between businesses and consumers, and in doing so we hope to inspire Manitobans to think about where they want to spend their money. Join the Makers Movement; together we can educate Canadians about the importance of supporting local business.

"Every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of word you want."
- Anna Lappe

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 . Like and share to help us continue to grow the community.

Fellow Creative Souls and Founders of Makers Move Manitoba

RBM Christmas Wreaths and Trees

RBM Trees and Wreaths

Verna McGuckinPhotos by Kelly Allison Photography

Family owned local wholesome Christmas wreath and tree company. RBM Trees and Wreaths are located about 3 km west of the perimeter. On the north side of the road just before Breezy Bend golf course. They have a group of very talented ladies that make thousands of fresh Christmas wreaths at their location in Headingley. For the wreaths to last a long time, they are made with mostly Fraser Fir boughs and some White Pine for a very nice contrast. A majority of their customers are fundraising groups from schools, sports teams, scouts, and kinsmen and optimist clubs.We asked Roy and Verna McGuckin owners/operaters to tell us a little bit about their Tree and Wreath business;

Brandy & Mandy
Photos by Kelly Allison Photography
Tree Pillow by Joyful House Designs
Large Wood Christmas Tree by Wood-n-Knots

How did you get to where you are as a business? Also tell us about your beginnings?

Verna McGuckin: My husband and I started off with a few locations in the city renting space on parking lots. When we first started we sold out of our vehicle! During those early days we bought our trees from a different wholesaler, but as we increased our locations and needed a much larger volume of trees, we started to buy directly from the farmers. We still retail, but now only from our main location at 7521 Roblin Blvd. . Our main business is now wholesale.

What is your signature product or Top sellers?
Verna McGuckin: Although our tree numbers are still much larger, our freshly handmade wreaths are becoming more popular every year! They are beautiful, but they also last longer than most types because of the type of boughs that we use.

Verna McGuckinPhotos by Kelly Allison Photography

What advice do you have in regards to your success?

Verna McGuckin: It has taken us over 20 years to build up our business! We work incredibly hard to give all of our customers-both retail and wholesale customers, very good service and a great product. Also, we have had to constantly monitor and make changes as the supply and demand of trees changes. When we first started in the industry, almost all the tree sales were Scotch Pine and the local MB spruce. We still sell both of those types, but now our most poplar trees are the Fraser Fir, then the Balsam Fir. Those were not even an option when we started.

What part Manitoba are you from? Where do you reside now?
Verna McGuckin: My husband grew up in Headingley and although we lived in Charleswood for the first 20 years of our marriage, we are now back in Headingley. I was born in South America, and at the age of 9 moved to Winkler where my parents still live.

Mandy Johnston of Co-Founder Makers Move Manitoba
holding a handmade wreath by RBM Trees and Wreaths
Photos by Kelly Allison Photography

Tell us something interesting about yourself?

Verna McGuckin: I am always busy. We also started Thunder Rapids Amusement Park almost 20 years ago. When we first bought the land it was just a farmer’s field! Slowly over the years we added different attractions and now have quite a variety of attractions. Having the amusement park in the spring-fall season and then going right into the Christmas tree season gives us work almost year round, especially when you factor in the pre-season planning.
One of my passions during our “slow” time, is hiking and travelling. I was thrilled to have walked the last 250km of the Camino de Santiago, in Northern Spain with my sister. One day I would love to do the complete 800km journey.

What makes you proud to be a Manitoban?

Verna McGuckin: I’m a people person, and just love the friendly Manitoba people. Although I would choose to have shorter winters, I really appreciate the 4 distinct seasons and LOVE having snow at Christmas! I know there are lots of people living in poverty here, but nothing like I’ve personally seen in many other countries. To me, one of the best things about Manitoba and Canada in general is the relative safety I feel in our country. I think the more I see different parts of the world, the more I appreciate what we have here.

Go get your Fresh Handmade Wreath or Tree

Address: 7521 Roblin Blvd, Headingley, MB R4H 1A7

Phone:(204) 885-7223

Tree Lot Phone: (204)888-3124

Brought to you by Makers Move Manitoba?

Fellow Creative Souls and Founders of Makers Move Manitoba

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

5 reasons why you need AWESOME product photos!