Maker Spotlight: Amanda Bosiak
Pithy and Practical
Pithy and Practical is a handmade, hot process soap brand created by talented local, Amanda Bosiak. Amanda has always been crafty, learning skills such as cross stitching, drawing, painting, knitting, and sewing! She has spent her life delving into creative projects and taking part in creative organizations. To Amanda, being a Maker is kind of a lifestyle, stating that she is happiest when she is making things. She believes that being a Maker gives freedom to be creative and self-sufficient.
Inspiration
Amanda’s inspiration for Pithy and Practical came from creating a solution for her own skin concerns, trying to step away from harsh and drying ingredients. Most products found in stores are known to have many harsh and drying ingredients, such as alcohols, parabens, and other chemical additives. Using products with toxic fillers too frequently and over a long period of time can cause skin irritation, acne, and other skin problems. With this in mind, Amanda decided to create her own product, knowing exactly what ingredients are going into the soaps.
“I wanted a soap that I could really lather up and would leave me feeling squeaky clean but not dry. If it also had some extra ingredients with known benefits for skin, even better!”
Philosophy
Amanda’s philosophy is rooted to creating a multi-beneficial product that is not harmful for the skin. She went through trials, testing many different ingredients until she came up with the perfect combination. Her products are gently cleansing with a rich and creamy lather. With the oils and butters used, the soaps have deep moisturizing properties.
Process
Amanda makes her hot process soap in a slow cooker at home, using a mixture of lye, water, oils, and butters. Using this technique allows for a quicker saponification process, which is a reaction that causes the conversion of the fats and oils to create soap! Amanda believes that handmade soaps are the way to go for cleansing rather than purchasing mass produced cleansers. It is a whole different experience when you purchase something local, made by someone passionate about what they are creating.
Other than the cleansing and moisturizing components, Amanda likes to play around with a variety of scents! Some of the unique scents include green tea and peppermint, tomato citrus, lilac, and apple mango. The collection in Pithy and Practical are not only soaps, but there are also lotions, balms, and face masks available!
If you would like to read more or shop online, head over to the Pithy and Practical website here!
Maker Spotlight: Hugo Jamain
STYX the Label.
Styx is a sustainable jewelry brand, handcrafted in the French alps in the small mountain village of Annecy. Annecy is recognized as the ‘Venice of the Alps’, known for the small cobblestone streets, winding canals, and charming French bakeries. Up-and-coming designer, Hugo Jamain, has a workshop in Annecy where he transforms materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill.
“Styx is a modern brand made to inspire the creatives, the explorers, and the adventurers of the world. It is for the bold, the people who push boundaries and aren’t scared to step outside of their comfort zones”
Philosophy
Hugo’s philosophy is deep rooted to his connection to nature, having always taken an interest in the preservation of the environment and ecosystems as well as the protection of the animals around him. He noticed a problem in his village and decided to create something positive from it that can also inspire people to care more about sustainability.
It all began when he noticed the amount of scrap metal and materials leftover from local businesses around the city. These materials would get loaded up in the back of a dump truck and taken to the landfill. Seeing this sparked the idea to make a second life for these materials and to create something much longer-lasting. Getting creative in his workshop, he made several prototypes before finalizing his first collection of jewelry.
With two parents that have inspired him to work with his hands in the realm of design – his mother has a background in architecture and his father is a craftsman, working for many top-level brands in France. When not in school, Hugo spent most of his childhood in a workshop by his father’s side, learning from and eventually making his own products. Watching his dad work, he grew up with the idea that everything was manufacturable or transformable.
Hugo has always taken an interest in learning and reading about ancient cultures and mythologies from around the world, taking a special interest in ancient Greece. As the Greek mythology states, ‘Styx’ is the connection of worlds, the continuation of life from one world to the other. With this in mind, the idea of transforming used materials into new jewelry is giving another life to something that would otherwise end up discarded.
Process
Hugo is happy to spend hours on end in his workshop, using his hands to craft beautiful, polished, one-of-a-kind pieces. It began as a pastime to keep busy during the times of Covid and turned into a passion that he wishes to share with the world. He uses both stainless steel and brass to create different collections of bracelets, rings, necklaces, earrings, cufflinks, as well as a variety of other things. He mainly uses stainless steel because it is one of the strongest metals and will not change, rust, or weather over the years.
Along with creating his jewelry brand, Hugo shapes surfboards. He buys the stock board and has all the materials to cut, shape, and design new boards. He also has a background in marketing and business, obtaining a diploma over the course of three years. An entrepreneur at heart, he has a lot of ideas for art, design, and creative endeavors.
From beginning to end, Hugo wishes to keep the entire process as sustainable and low impact as possible. For shipping, he uses biodegradable materials, such as bamboo packaging. He hopes to always keep the production process small and give as much attention to detail as possible. He wants the brand to remain artisanal, with the belief that it provides the best quality and uniqueness to each piece.
Inspiration
His travels around the world have inspired him to create collections based on the landscapes and cultures he visits. Being a surfer has connected him to the ocean and has inspired his first collection to mirror the ripples of the water. Along with this, the materials he uses are not harmful to the ocean and vice versa. He wears his pieces surfing with the knowledge that they will not rust or be affected from the saltwater.
He has begun working on collections based on different countries, including Canada! Based on his travels and friendships in Canada, he has grown to love the country and hopes to be able to move to Canada once restrictions are lifted. He observes and uses features that resemble the landscapes in his art and creations. His Canadian collection takes the vast differences of provinces and territories from prairies to mountains to forests to the ocean coast. For Saskatchewan and the prairies, he is working on belt buckles as well as a variety of other pieces. He is thrilled to be a part of Maker Faire and wants to share within this supportive and uplifting community.
To see more designs, check out the STYX Instagram page here!