Our Story

My mother instilled a fondness for crafting into my siblings and I from a very young age. I attended my first ceramics class with her when I was only a few years old, and have loved painting ever since. When Gaby and I first moved to Calgary in 2005, I joined Nancy’s Ceramics (a Duncan Distributor) as a way to meet friends, and attended every Tuesday night for numerous years.  In 2010, I became a Duncan Certified Teacher in honor of my mom, who passed away in 2008.

After high school, it was only natural that I chose a career path that used my imagination. I went to post secondary school to become a graphic designer, and though I eventually left the graphic design industry, I still use many of the things that I learned on an almost daily basis.

I took a fancy to scrapbooking in my early twenties. It was relaxing, spending time cutting, gluing, and using stickers to create, almost like going back to my childhood (those days of markers, scissors, and construction paper). I even became a consultant for Close To My Heart (a direct sales scrapbook company) for a few years and held classes for family and friends in my home.

Finding my Passion

My mom had two crafts that she practiced – ceramic painting, the love of which she passed on to me, and sewing (including embroidery and bead work), for which the enthusiasm passed on to my sister. 

My mom had always wanted to learn to crochet, to make beautiful, lacy doll clothes, but because she passed away so young, she never had the chance to pursue this dream. As an homage to her, in 2009 I took my first crochet class at Gina Brown’s in Calgary. I was “hooked” so to speak. I started small, practicing my new skill with scarves, baby blankets and a few hats. Next came a second course at Gina Brown’s to learn how to knit, and though I have a healthy respect for it and will do it as the occasion arises, my love is for crochet.

I honed my abilities over the next few years. Through trial and error, and some further learning from teachers on YouTube, I found ways to improve my work. While I was polishing my skills, creating gifts for family and friends, people started coming to me with custom orders.

The Beginning of an Era

Cinq Artisans began as Christine’s Creations (in honour of my mom and her craft business, Lorna’s Creations) with a stash of yarn and no place to store it. (I’ll have you know that shopping for yarn is almost as much fun as creating with it!) Not one to waste an opportunity, I started making pieces to sell in the community, and entered my first craft sale in the fall of 2014.

It was the summer of 2015 (while expecting our third child) that Gaby came to me with the idea of selling my work online. I loved shopping on Etsy, so it was a natural progression that I would open a shop there. We decided that this was going to be a family endeavor and that we needed to change the company name. For as much as I loved yarn, Gaby was gaining a fervor for woodworking and thought there could be a future for selling his art online as well. Thus, Cinq Artisans came into existence. Approximately one month before our youngest was born we officially opened our doors and were very pleased with how well we were received.

The Future of Cinq Artisans

Cinq is a continually growing entity. It started with finished crochet pieces and has now grown to include my original patterns. Gaby is still perfecting his skills, and when he’s ready, we will begin showcasing his woodworking creations in the shop. As long as our imaginations are leading us, the opportunities for Cinq are boundless.

Warm Wishes,

Christine