Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Ian Minielly/Daily Globe BECKY SCHWARTZ stands in front of a business sign for Creative Spirits in Ironwood. Schwartz started the artistic business after taking a crafting class and meeting Karen Ely, a kindred spirit. Ely moved to Iowa six years ago, leaving Schwartz to run the business, which provides crafting and artistic supplies all over North America, to include Canada.
By IAN MINIELLY
Ironwood - Becky Schwartz, owner of Creative Spirits in Ironwood, said there are creative people who make gifts and greeting cards for people during this holiday season and others.
She is ramping up in preparation of customers' demands for festive seasonal designs and creations.
Creative Spirits and the Dancing Raven Art Works studio are co-hosting an open house this weekend to kick off the season of creativity.
Schwartz said Creative Spirits' doors have been open for 12 years, teaching and training folks in the area through classes on scrapbooking, rubber stamping and how to make their own invitations and cards. The classes cost money, but they include the initial cache of supplies necessary for the project.
Schwartz and her original business partner, Karen Ely, met in a similar class hosted by the Fabric Patch in Ironwood. From that class they formed a partnership, opened Creative Spirits, and the business has been going strong ever since, the last six years with Schwartz on her own after Ely moved to Iowa.
Schwartz said she provides a significant sum of materials to different areas of Canada and much of the Midwest, because the largely uninhabited spaces between the large cities are often bereft of crafting supply stores and she provides a lot of unique materials with her silhouette machine that cuts designs.
On the local scene, Schwartz often provides the fuel for innovative ideas while customers provide the muscle and brainpower to make their own unique designs and creations. Those designs require the right materials and Schwartz is happy to provide it.
Asked why someone would want to either make his or her own cards or hire Schwartz to do it for them, Schwartz said the end result is unique and no one else will have that one-of-a-kind design, so it makes it worth the higher costs. Schwartz says she will never reuse a design she does for someone else, but will use it as an example for other customers of the range of possibilities available to them as a way to get the idea machine and creative juices flowing.
Schwartz provides a lot of the cut-outs for local school district decorations to spruce up the hallways and classrooms. She offers a 10 percent discount to the teachers, but does not stop there. She also provides a 10 percent discount to military and charitable organizations.
During the Veterans Day weekend, Schwartz donated proceeds of Creative Spirits to the Bessemer VFW to honor veterans.
Parents can bring their children and friends to Creative Spirits for birthday parties. Schwartz will provide the materials and a space so the kids can craft together and leave the party with their own creations. It keeps people's own houses clean, while also exposing kids to the joys of crafting.
