Katie’s crafty creations

Newton Mills woman turns hobby into successful business

What started as a casual hobby has turned into a thriving start-up business for Katie Mason.

“Somebody asked me if I could make them something a couple of years ago, paintwise, and I said, ‘sure,’” recalled Mason. “I think I took a picture and posted it on Facebook and then someone goes, ‘oh, I like that, can you make me one?’ and it’s just snowballed into what I’m doing now.”

Mason creates handmade crafts and sells them through her self-owned business out of Newton Mills called Country Life Crafts. Most of her work is painting, however, she also does wood-burning, decoupage and beadwork.

Her paint creations come in all forms, including on wood, rocks, flowerpots, old milk cans and other metal buckets and ornaments.

“If I can source it, I can paint it,” said Mason.

In past years, Mason sold her creations at craft markets during the fall and winter and relied on word of mouth to drum up business. Last year she turned to online sales due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve always loved to paint and so I thought once the pandemic hit and we were stuck at home, what better way to do that creativity?”

Mason’s camper bird feeders and milk can designs are some of her most popular and sought-after creations. However, Christmas-themed ornaments and decorations are her bread and butter and require a commitment just to keep up.

“What is it – 30 degrees, and I’m still painting Santa hats and getting ready for the Christmas season,” she chuckled.

Mason has been extremely busy and has shipped custom orders throughout Nova Scotia and as far away as B.C., and also has a display at the Upper Stewiacke Co-op.

The time she spends painting, she says, not only offers her the opportunity to explore her creative side, but it also provides a short reprieve from a busy family life.

“In the evenings, that’s my time and I take the time to paint and create and it kind of gives me something to do that’s my own and I enjoy doing,” says the stay-at-home mom of five elementary school-aged children.

Mason, who was raised in Upper Stewiacke and lives just down the road from the house she grew up in, said she is grateful for the support and encouragement from her husband Scott, who also contributes to making the small business a success.

“He’s very supportive; he’s always handing out my business cards to the guys at work … he helps me in any way he can, be it watching the kids for an extra hour while I paint or helping me find things to paint, like rocks and things like that. He supports me 100 per cent.”

Mason’s entrepreneurial venture provides her with a bit of cash to cover her expenses with enough left over for some Christmas shopping. She said she doesn’t expect to get rich from crafting, which is fine, considering the real value is the satisfaction of seeing the happiness her creations bring others.

“I love seeing people giving them as gifts and other people receiving them and getting that feedback … especially at Christmastime. People post pictures of their Christmas trees with my ornaments on them and that is really nice.”