One of my favourite things about the holiday season is grabbing a hot beverage and strolling around our local Christmas markets. Another perk, I can do that out in the community, or in the comfort of my very own home. Whether you pick them up at a fair, or online, our talented artisans in Thunder Bay have the perfect gift for you this holiday season!
Little Things Handmade Creations
To try and fight lockdown blues, Kailee Biloski turned to crafting. Little did she know, a new journey was about to begin.
“Clay was the second or third craft I picked. I started making little figurines, but then started making earrings, and fell in love with it,” says Biloski. “I would spend 12 hours a day just making earrings. It was one of those activities where you just lose track of time.”
Biloski then tried out polymer clay before putting a few of the earrings she made on Facebook. The feedback was so positive that it inspired Biloski to create Little Things Handmade Creations - her own business selling hand-made polymer clay earrings. From there, Biloski immersed herself into the craft market scene in Thunder Bay beginning in yard and house markets and the 2021 Online Craft Revival. Today, she is a regular at artisan and craft markets all year-round.
“Markets I look forward to a lot because there’s nothing that fulfills me more than having people come to my table, look at, and enjoy my products,” says Biloski. “People coming to my table, wearing earrings that they’ve bought previously, that just fills my heart so much.”
In addition to owning and creating Little Things, Biloski is a full time therapist, her evenings and weekends are for creating earrings for markets and custom commission orders. For her Christmas creations, she makes polymer clay candy canes, bows, snow men, gingerbread men, Christmas wreaths, Christmas trees, Christmas baubles, Grinch, and snowman pom pom earrings. All of which and more will be available at Craft Revival on November 23rd, Creekside Christmas Market on December 6th, and through local stores. New this year to her collection is a signature Little Things Handmade Creations candle in partnership with Waxxed Candle Co.
“I thoroughly enjoy doing clay. There’s nothing more therapeutic than putting my creativity out there and people enjoying that,” says Biloski. “When we support local, people put so much love, effort, and creativity into their products. With Little Things, each pair of earrings that I make are with care. There’s no really exact same earring. You’re not just giving jewelry to someone. You’re giving a little piece of my art that I’ve put so much time and heart into.
See all of Little Things Handmade Creations @littlethingshandmadecreations on Instagram, @littlethingstbay on Facebook, or email littlethingstbay@gmail.com
Jade & Birch Jewelry Boutique
For Lisa Nerino, jewelry making was something she did before having kids. But like Biloski, found a way to connect with it during the pandemic.
“During covid when we couldn’t do anything, I said to my kids, let’s make Christmas gifts this year,” says Nerino. “So I took out all my jewelry making supplies, and we started making jewelry for people, and I remembered how fun it was.”
From there, Nerino started creating gemstone bracelets and then expanded into necklaces and earrings when things started to really take off. She then jumped into her first market as Jade & Birch for the 2021 Craft Revival and today, now has a collection of handmade and curated jewelry.
“Earrings are probably by far one of the most popular items I sell and make. We have necklaces, bracelets, rings, and anklets,” says Nerino.
Nerino’s work is mostly in gold, but has dabbled in silver and tarnish proof pieces. Her versatility comes from her ability to adapt seamlessly to customer requests.
“Leading up to the markets for some reason, I’m always nervous. I’m not ready enough or I don’t have enough stuff,” says Nerino. “But once you’re there, the time flies by, because you end up just talking to people. My favorite part about markets is just talking to customers and sometimes if it’s not quite busy and there’s only one or two people at my table. I’ll shop with them. They make the time really fly by, and they make it so easy to be there.”
Nerino’s Christmas market schedule had an early start this season, which allowed some keen Christmas shoppers early chances to see her creations. Nevertheless, Jade & Birch still takes commissions through Instagram and is a brilliant gift to someone who wants a little piece of local love.
“You know that what you’re buying has been something that’s been made with care. And when you’re at a market, you know who you’re buying from”, says Nerino. “Nobody’s doing these things because they have to. It’s usually because they want to. And so you get to be that person to support someone’s passion and to make a difference to people like me who really like doing this.”
To see pieces from Jade & Birch, follow @jade_and_birch on Instagram
C&F Paper Creations
While Christmas markets are a wonderful way to spend an afternoon, we may sometimes opt to do some Christmas shopping from the couch. Which many artisans understand and therefore, sell their products through social media.
One such artist is Erin Stewart (they/them), the owner and operator of C&F Paper Creations.
“When I was a kid, I would make cards for family members out of regular construction paper,” says Stewart. “I never thought of this as something that I could make and do as an adult. But years ago, a friend of mine asked me to make a picture of their mom and them when they were a baby. That’s the first time I was actually commissioned to do something with construction paper.”
From there, the childhood of construction paper creativity became a celebration of crafting and childhood wonder with C&F Paper Creations. C&F actually references beloved puppets Casey and Finnegan from Mr. Dressup, an inspiration for Stewart. Today, Stewart now sells custom pictures and portraits and images made with cut-up and cut-out construction paper of anything from family portraits, to Thunder Bay landmarks such as the Pagoda.
“It started with regular construction paper, and then over time, I realized that it fades. So I started going to Painted Turtle and getting the big art sheets that are sort of construction paper, but stronger, thicker, and you can get more colours. It’s very exciting to be able to support local on top of that,” says Stewart.
Stewart has done some markets in the past, their last one being the Sleeping Giant Brewery Co’s Pickle Fest, but is now currently focused on doing commissions and gearing up to launch their website. But most importantly, never losing the joy and wonder
of what it means to create.
“It’s very calming for me. A lot of commissions I get are family portraits, people with their pets, couples, that sort of thing. So it’s with friends and conducive to that kind of gathering with loved ones.”
C&F Paper Creations is open for Custom Commissions, go to @candfpapercreations on Instagram, or email candfpapercreations@gmail.com
