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In the family‘s Stouflville home, "the previous owners left a lot of random bits imthe basXment, One was an old kitchen “Upcycling is basically Net transforming something old or not Lfsetul into something new. I‘ve always loved to find new qses for-things. I've often been on the verge’of tossing something and then. to and behold. _it finds itself a new home."v v "After Christmas, |_'thoughtl, why' not make a go of this and make othefgpcycled stuff’H love pillows and often didn't like to part with clothing. so I figured this woutd be another way of turning them into a piede of 'art' that you c'an easily swap out in your House," she said. "I had in recent years taken up painting as a hobby, so I decided to make some Christmas signs and donate a portion of the proceeds to Plan Canada." She had also learnt to sew in previous years and had started collecting old t-shirts and sweaters with a plan of turning'the'rfi' into upcycled pillows. “We eventually sold the house and planned on leaving (the wood) for the new owners in case they ever needed it, but they didn’t require it. As moves go. we left it till the last minute and all of a sudden. our new garage had a big pile of wood in the middle with no home. I couldn't bring myself to throw it out or use it as firewood." Erin recalled. “There was a lot of'random old wood in the basement and garage â€" things like old doors and mouldings." said the 38-year old. who now lives in Uxbridge. When Erin Bracken-Sewell moved into a century home in Stouffville. she couldn't bear to throw out a big pile of wood that the previous owners had left behind.- So she decided to paint it, and ended up with a home venture cailed the The Wee Art Nook. “I am also a flight attendant and I love ‘ravelling‘ I have previously been As part of a program run by the Mennonite Central Committee. a worldwide charitable ministry. Witney had the opportunity to live with a host family in Stouffville and volunteer at the Care 8. Share Thrift_Shop. She belongs to a family of pastors and is the first person in her family of suit to have visited Canada. ”I am so happy to be here. Wanter is a little hard but it is so beautiful. Thls IS the first time I experienced snow and it IS magical." she said. adding that she has been able to greatly improve her English language skills after arrivrng In Canada. While facts can't be ignored. 26-year- old Witney's one-year internship at the Care 8. Share Thrift Shop in Stouffville has been more joyful than she'd ever nrnagined. Wflney Bautista grew up in Bogota. Colombia, where people often said. ”Canada isn't interesting because the weather IS terrible." By Kinjal Dagli Shah By Kinjal Dagli Shah The Upcycle Of Life A Magical Experience Colombian intern 'a real treasure' "I told them that snow is like magic falling from the sky. I return home In July but I plan to travel to Miami next to work In a church there. I know a pastor there and would like to study wuth hum. I lake helping people. It's a passion." she said. Witney us the eldest of [our siblings. and when she has a chance. she regales them With stones about her experiences. However. Witney made sure she saw the downside of the country too â€" people who aren't living so comfortably. “I went to Toronto and worked lor three days with homeless people. In Colombia. (they) are considered dangerous but here they aren‘t. It is really sad to see the homeless here because the weather makes It so hard on them," she pornted out. to Chile and South Africa on different missuons but Canada ls wonderful. People are so ln’endly and they live really comlonably. It is dlflerent lrom Colombia where we see so much poveny. .I would like to move here in the luture." she said. "i launched it by starting the Christmas signs in December last year and‘have been gsing social media and word oi‘rnouth for 'publicity i love thefltact that limtrying to re-use things for my business.“ttpractise that a lot in my own life‘and like that someones an might have been an old door or she” or shutteri" “l have great friends that I made a cottage sign for that reads ‘Flayners' Outback'. The owners are a Canadian‘and Australian couple so I printed off a map of Canada and a map of Australia and sténcilled on a silhouette of both countries and they loved it " \ ~ Erin said she hasn‘t registered h_er business yet becau's‘e it’s fairly small at this point. But she is proud of the fact that there is an environméméfrfendly element in her work. She believes Inspiration can come from anywhere and from everyday things. ”Some ideas just pop into my head, I often use old and perhaps ctichéd sayings that everyone loves to hear anyways. orby request on custom pieces Anything goes when it‘s customized. It‘s nice to be able to think of a personal touch to go along with something it the person doesn't have a specific idea in mind." she noted. Erin put some creativny Into thinking up a name for her business as well.- "I have an Irish/Scottish heritage, which is why I included the 'wee'. and also (he space I use in my home is literally a tiny corner of our office-cum-art area and sewing space. 80 it is a kind of play on words." said the mother of two. cabinet that we turned into a kiichen island. My husband and mom took one look at it and were about it toss it to the curb. I said it lusi needed a lick of paint, some new knobs and a new top. It turned out to be one of my husband's févourite pieces." Write to Klnja/ a! kinjaI,dag/i@gmail. com “She has m in acute well with us. We have enjoyed her company in many ways and she Is a dedlcated worker who IS delighflul and beaumul and helpful. She is a real treasure," she said Deborah LoPatrieHo. operations manager at Care 8- Share. couldn‘t be happier to have had Witney on the staff for a year. 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