Christine DeCambra-Forrester is the proprietor of ‘Everything makes Craft’, is a budding entrepreneur, wife, and mother. She holds a degree in Public Management and is certified in Accounting and Procurement. Having worked in the professional field for over 12 years, she found her calling after separating from the UNDP. Her Upcycling venture started as an expression of her artistic side and a way to spend quality time with her children. Incidentally, it also served to reduce the family’s carbon footprint as more items were upcycled instead of being dumped.
From making elegant picture frames to trendy lanterns, glass bottle figurines, and wall hangings, everything truly makes craft!
She is known for her handmade greeting cards, upcycled glass bottles, and Kids Crafty Klass. She has participated in a number of local exhibitions, has participated in the Christmas Craft Fair in Norwich, England, and has been invited to facilitate Upcycling session in Trinidad & Tobago in April 2019.
One of the signature achievements of her entrepreneurial venture is the ‘Bunny Fun Day’ Children’s art and Craft Competition. Now an annual event, Bunny Fun Day caters for children of all ages and provides them with an opportunity to unleash their creativity.
Christine works with children and their parents through her Kids Crafty Klass Upcycling Workshops. She has created a Card-makers Brunch which teaches how to create your own cards from scratch. She is passionate about sharing her knowledge and experience with others so that they too can grow an upcycling business and help move Guyana to a greener economy.
Questions
How did you arrive at the idea for your business?
I happened upon the idea of Upcycling when I was home with my two young children at that time. I wanted to engage them both creatively and educationally, I also didn’t want to break the bank doing so by purchasing fancy toys or learning devices, and most importantly I wanted to re-use some of the trash items we were accumulating on a daily basis. So I used those same empty bottles, cans, boxes, egg trays, etc. and created my own version of learning, which was also therapeutic for me in its own way. I wanted to share this with the rest of the world and that’s how the idea of my business came about.
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What was your key driving force to become an entrepreneur?
I had a gift and I wanted to share this with everyone and to do this I had to create an income. My ‘business’ is a social enterprise geared at creating awareness of upcycling and what this means for our environment. I also have a passion for seeing things to their end and going the extra mile whilst pushing the envelope.
What is your greatest challenge being an entrepreneur?
My greatest challenge in being an entrepreneur is understanding the market, staying focused and of course staying relevant. This is quite a maneuvering technique since my business was the first of its kind in Georgetown and I basically had to sell this idea to everyone I came into contact with. Everyone expects you to be strong and there is no room for failure. It is near impossible to ask for help when others think you have all the answers because you have an operational entity.
What has been your most satisfying moment in business?
My most satisfying moment has definitely got to be when I was awarded a USD5,000 Grant and I held a training course for stay-at-home moms and disenfranchised women living in impoverished areas who were taught the art of Upcycling. When they in turn started making money by selling their products I felt so proud I could burst. Hearing their testimonies of now having an extra income by doing something they love is rewarding enough for me.
What piece of advice would you give to other young people who want to become entrepreneurs?
Stay the course. See the obstacles and find your way around them. Do not be deterred by nay-sayers and most importantly have people by your side who not only believe in your dream but also support your dream.
How do you define success?
As Stephen Covey said ‘Succeed at home first.’ When I think of success I see my family living comfortably and close-knitted. Success for me is also to have a strong, even though small, unshakable team who has done great things not only for Everything makes Craft but for a number of persons pursuing Upcycling and their love for the environment.
Who has been your greatest inspiration?
My parents. They always seemed to think I’m reaching too high or aiming too far, only because they don’t want to see me fail. In reality, I’ve watched them grow from strength to strength, never giving up, achieving and surpassing their goals all while keeping the family as the top priority. They are now some of my biggest cheerleaders and my mom would ask ‘So what’s going on now at Everything makes Craft?’
