YQL Local Makers

Our feature today is for my sister.... Karen Romanchuk. You can find some of her pottery in (New Hope Floral) but do feel free to contact her directly for even more of her beautiful work. She is also an amazing singer/songwriter and you can find her latest self-released cd in the shop too..

Pottery for me has been a lifesaver .. I have allowed myself to enjoy the creative process whether the piece I create is a win or a fail. The win inspires me to dig a little deeper and the fail helps me grow. I try to think of my happy place in Mother Nature when I glaze my pieces. From the terra cotta colored clay I choose to use to the shades of blue/green glazes I add to each piece…I think of them as an extension of my love for the outdoors. I like to think of it this way..if you see one of my pieces of pottery you see a little piece of me.

Dianne Porter is a local Lethbridge artist who has painted some wonderful "in memorium" pet portraits: her words:
The husky was my first, for a dear friend who puts the welfare of dogs ahead of anything. This was her Kiera.
The kitty was my own little Zephyr adopted from the pound over 12 yrs ago.
The pom chihuahua Meeko was commissioned by my friend 's daughter when her little one passed. Dog love runs in the family. I was both humbled and honored to be asked.

Hi, I’m Diane Etcheverry of D.Etch Art
To me art is about joy and discovery.
There is so much to see in the world around us and my aim is to create a world of whimsy in delightful colors.
I find solace in nature and all the creatures found within it.
My art is my “Happy Place” I hope it is for you also.

Hi everyone, my name is Teresa Heyburn. I am the owner/designer of This Old Bag. This Old Bags began as an initiative to give one of a kind, useful gifts to my kids' teachers. Eventually my children put an end to that by moving on to post secondary education. The problem was - I love fabric, textiles and creating - I couldn't stop.

6 years ago a very dear friend told me I needed to create 'This Old Bag.' and my husband wanted space back in the garage. So This Old Bag was born. My passion of colour texture and trying to keep fabric out of the land fill. All bags from This Old Bag are created from recycled textiles found locally. I pride myself in practicing the three R's Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, while creating functional, user friendly, machine wash, bags.

This Old Bag was always my retirement project. Since retiring 6 months ago, from a 30 year career managing the Costume Shop at the University of Lethbridge Drama Department, I have ramped up bag production and am always looking for new opprotunities. Petals, Paws and Beans has the authentic atmosphere I look for when marketing my bags. I've also began teaching Intro To Sewing at Casa.

I hope you enjoy the bags as much as I love creating them.

Teresa Heyburn B.F.A.

Owner/Designer
This Old Bag

Available at
New Hope YQL Floral & Botanical and Petals, Paws and Beans