A few weeks ago, Audrey of AudreysCountryCrafts contacted me to ask if I was willing to be featured in her blog:(
http://audreyscountrycrafts.blogspot.com/) In her blog, Audrey fetures Canadian artists and artisans. I agreed and became one of her featured artists. I am now reciprocating that offer and featuring Audrey here.
Audrey lives on a farm near Altona, Manitoba. This community is south of Winnipeg. When we lived in Red Lake in N.W. Ontario, Altona would be described as only six or seven hours away by car, a short drive for a weekend.
Audrey, like me, came up with the name for her business by combining her name with a description of what she does. As you can see from the three examples here, she does specialise in a variety of country crafts. "After being on Etsy, my shop name is kind of boring. There are so many out there with much cooler names."
Audrey started her crafting when she was very young. "My Mom sewed a lot of our clothes when we were younger. And so I started sewing and playing with the sewing machine then. I sewed a lot of my boys clothes when they were young for boys clothes are pretty easy. Then I saw an article in the local paper. Someone was giving beginner folk art painting classes. It looked interesting and Brad (hubby) was all for it. I was a stay-at-home mom and he thought it would be a good way for me to get out of the house one evening a week. He would take care of the boys. I think he's sorry now. He didn't realize it would get out of hand and take up a whole room in the house. Too late now."
There are many other crafts she would like to try, but comments from Brad such as, "You're not going to start doing that too," are a little inhibiting. Audrey may (maybe) stick to the many crafts she enjoys now.
Her inspirations come from a group of friends she meets with regularly on Wednesday evenings. But the greatest inspiration comes from her 93.5 year-old Grandmother who, despite losing her eyesight, still knits everyday, making scarves, mittens and slippers for her grandchildren. "I hope I can still craft when I am 93."
Audrey works part-time as a school bus driver. "Its a wonderful job for a mom. I have holidays when the boys do and summers off!"
Audrey most enjoys making items such as the painted jean blamket. ""I enjoy making them because they encompass sewing and painting, my two favourite things to do." And like all crafters she adds, "There are definately items I will never do again. I loved the way they turned out, but they were too much work and you can only charge so much."
After the floods of July 24th, their aftermath, two-two-day sessions of having the upstairs parquest floor refinished and two bouts of stomach flu, I can now begin to get back on track with my Etsy shop and with life in general.
