Craft – Halifax
Á la Court Creative is a collection of handmade knits, tapestries, original artwork, jewellery, up-cycled clothing, re-purposed glassware, and anything else that inspires me to create.
At least 50% of my materials are sourced from pre-owned items or dead stock which I re-purpose and reuse in the creation of my jewellery, glass craft, tapestries, clothing and accessories. I also use minimal packaging, which is all paper or compost recyclable; from my bags, product tags to my business cards which are all made by hand.
I create things all on my own, by hand, using as much pre-owned, pre-existing materials as possible so as to not add to the already saturated system of needing to own "new things". I prefer to re-purpose dead stock--from semi-precious stones to fabric samples-- that would otherwise be discarded. I source driftwood from beaches and glassware from second-hand shops. I even hand make my business cards using recyclable paper and stamps, and use recyclable paper products and twine for labels and packaging. My process of creating is pretty organic. It comes from a spark of an idea to trial and error, to following through with the project whether it turns out as I originally envisioned or not. Sometimes I am inspired by something I see, someone interesting, music, colour, attitude, atmosphere, environment or even an older item that speaks to me and I use it as a canvas for creating something new. I don't limit myself to one category, medium, or type of materials, despite advice to do so and I think that's what makes Á la Court Creative unique.
I became re-immersed in creative endeavors as a method of rehabilitation and self-growth from years of struggling with my mental health. Finding my passion in making is one of the ways I was able to manage and overcome my illness and the continuation of this creative rebirth is in using as many mediums as I can experiment with. Making is where I find peace, energy, joy, self-love, and self-expression.