Ever since I could hold a crayon, I have been busy making things with my hands. My first love was paper (cardmaking and scrapbooking mostly) but throughout the years, my interests have blossomed to include sewing, children's toys, household decorations, wedding decorations, and many more! In the near future, I'd like to learn more sewing techniques, as well as cross-stitching, knitting, and croche
ting so that I can expand my knowledge and potential projects. THE NAME. When I found the journals my grandmother left me from when she was a teenager, I saw one saying that really resonated with me:
"Love many. Hate few. Always paddle your own canoe." It became my mantra - it even became the quote I chose in my high school yearbook below my grad picture! To me, paddling your own canoe means taking a risk and following a path you've forged for yourself in life. It means not listening to those who doubt you and those who question your ideas. For me, this shop is exactly that! THE IDEA. I've been to college for nursing, science, and early childhood education and loved all three fields, but have yet to find that one thing I want to do for the rest of my life. I have long dreamed of striking out on my own and building something that is mine but I never had a clue how. After getting married following a 2.5 year wedding planning process with my now husband, I found myself saying "...now what?" as we lounged on our honeymoon. I couldn't help but feel a 9 to 5 office job just wouldn't cut it for me. So it was shortly after we got home that Mike brought up my dream. "Why not now?" he said. A few days later, we had accumulated a shed full of items for me to modify and create with. A few days after that, we re-imagined our outdoor storage space as a workshop. Before I knew it, I was reorganizing and taking inventory of all my crafting supplies and Own Canoe Craft Co. was born. Welcome to my dream - hope you like it here, because I sure do! :)