From Event Medicine to Crafting for Life's Events
My interest in healthcare started back in 2000 when I witnessed a cyclist hit by a cement truck. I was the only person to stop and help for what seemed like an eternity. Others did eventually help but I felt pretty lost and know that I did everything I could to help the person. After that, I took the Occupational First Aid Level III course and began volunteering with St John Ambulance. From there I became a Licensed Practical Nurse and enjoyed working on a medical/surgical ward but my favourite form of nursing was with hospice.
As the years went on, I got more and more involved in planning medical equipment for mass gathering and mass participation events. Being behind the scenes, planning for the right equipment to be matched with the right provider, was challenging and fun. I even spoke at the World Congress for Disaster and Emergency Medicine in Manchester.
If you have made it this far into my shop's history, you may be wondering...why crafts? For starters, I was working over 80 hours a week for many weeks at a time. I needed to find something (a hobby) where I could be creative, keep my hands busy but also, just take some time to not be working. But then I didn't know what to make or where to start. So, I went with what I know...Event Medicine. I started creating vinyl cut t-shirts, buttons, stickers that celebrated all the people who are behind the scenes making festivals and sporting events happen. I particularly want to celebrate volunteers. They work so hard to make sure everything is just perfect when 'gates open'.
Next, I found metal stamping and stainless steel. The groups I joined to learn about this craft kept telling me not to start on stainless steel, but I loved the stuff. I was so durable (event durable) and shiny. Then I found out that my metal allergy didn't flair up when wearing it. For most of my life I've never found metal I could wear. So for the past year I have been learning and practicing. I feel brave enough to start sharing so, here we are. As I started figuring out how to put well made necklaces and bracelets together I found the beading world. There are so many beads in my home and they have added bling to my pieces BUT, there has been another learning curve. Some of the beautiful beads lost their lustre so quickly as I wore them. It was very disappointing and I didn't want to be a new seller who's beads faded within a few weeks of wearing them. Semi-precious stones and like pieces are what I am moving towards. Stones have been big in my family as I grew up, so back to my roots.
That's Event Life has grown with me too. It started out as creations designed for people who work in special events but it is evolving into creations for life's events. Friends and family have heard that I have a little shop, so now they call me up with requests for gift ideas for milestones happening in their lives.
Funny how I was looking to start a hobby to force myself to work less and I go open a small business. It's exciting, scary, and so enjoyable making things that bring sparkle to someone else's life. Thank you for being part of my learning and growth. I couldn't have done it without all the people I have met along the way who share their knowledge and skill. Life long learning!
