Our first Maker Moment event was a beautiful evening of locally crafted creativity. We are happily sharing some of our favorite memories of the event here, and look forward to the special experiences yet to come in our future Maker Moments!
Wicksburgh
The evening started off with fun mingling and delicious brews from Cinderlands. Kelly and I kicked off the night and introduced our featured artists starting with Cheryl of Wicksburgh.
Cheryl shared how she learned her candle making craft through her past work experiences. Through encouragement from her family, friends and coworkers, she made the leap to start a business from her candle passion.
Her blend of fun and classic shapes creates a playful dichotomy that makes the Wicksburgh brand distinct. She's found success through her Etsy store and at local markets, where her cute gnome candles are fan favorites.
Using beeswax for all of her molded candles is a conscious choice due to its durability and slow clean burn, not to mention the time tested nature of beeswax, a natural ingredient that has been used for thousands of years.
Cecil St. Knots
Janette took the spotlight next, introducing us to her macramé brand, Cecil St. Knots. Formed in a period of her life where she found solace in using art as a medium of self expression, Janette created her business with the encouragement of her sister, husband and coworkers.
Cecil St. Knots encompasses macramé creations of functional pieces as well as fine art. As she's honed her craft, the knotting process began to feel more natural to her. She playfully injects chaos into her art pieces, knowing when and how to break the rules. Her passion lies in the larger expressions of her work via wall hangings, which she creates as custom pieces on a commission basis for her clients.
Janette demonstrated her skills by hand-crafting one of her lovely keychains using super-soft string, which she whipped up in minutes in front of our audience. The attendees also learned about basic knots and how to manipulate the string to form the shapes you are seeking.
Cinderlands
Cinderlands, our neighbors from down the street, brought some of the most delicious beer I've ever tasted! Nick, a brewer at Cinderlands, showcased three beers, Lil' Cinder, Full Squish IPA, and the crowd favorite - OJ in Bubbly Space Tartshake. The tartshake is like a milkshake IPA, brewed with milk sugar which doesn't ferment and increase alcohol content, but makes the beer sweeter. This one was sour and tasted just like a mimosa!
Raffle
Our guests were entered to win a raffle including the lovely creations of our featured makers. Cecil St. Knots provided a plant hanger and coaster set (as well as the keychain she demo-ed!) Wicksburgh offered her favorite candles, a set of beeswax succulents. love, Pittsburgh donated a few of our customer favorites, our camper mug, chocolate bar and gift card.
Next Event
We are so pleased with this first event and are even more excited for future ones! Tickets are now available for our February Maker Moments featuring Triple Moon Alchemy and Tabbara Chocolates. Get your ticket before they sell out! And as always, ticket sales will be donated directly to the featured artists.